SAN DIEGO — Mowing lawns and paper routes may not be around anymore when it comes to making extra money for kids, but one young man in La Jolla has come up with an idea. He's taking out garbage cans for people to earn extra money.
"The name of my company is Curbsidecansvalet.com. I have water polo four days a week and lacrosse Tuesdays and Thursdays," said Mark Stoneham who 11 years old.
But on Sunday he's all business, because that's when he takes the cans out and he brings them back in on Monday.
The idea for the business came from a series of coincidences.
"I was talking with my Grandpa and he told me he used to have a paper route. And I remembered this book I read, "Way of the Kid Warrior" by Jocko Willink. And he had to think of things people didn't want to do," said Mark.
Then in a random conversation with his Dad that something came up.
"He said to me he hates doing the trash and I said, 'hey maybe that's something I can do,'" continued Mark.
That's when Mom helped with flyers and brother Matt and sister Allie also jumped in and helped pass them out. Mark even has a website.
"My Dad's really good with computer so he made that," expalined Mark.
For Joe Norris and his wife the service great.
"For us it was a little of two main purposes. One that he was conscientious enough to take them out and not let her (the dog) out and the other was that when we're out of town that we knew the trash would be taken out and pulled back in," Joe said.
A lot of Mark's clients are elderly and find it hard to put the trash out.
"It feels amazing cause you're helping someone who can't do it," said Mark.
And that makes a Harrison Stoneham smile, who said:
"The discipline of every Sunday no matter what he's doing, every Sunday he's putting the trash out and on Monday doing the same thing."
And Mark's willing to share the spotlight.
"My sister and brother, Allie and Matt have been helping. They've been passing out flyer's and have gotten me some business too," explained Mark.
So if taking trash cans out is not floating your boat, Mark might be able to help if you're in and around the La Jolla High area. Here's his website, www.curbsidecansvalet.com.
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