Harley (12) already making a splash with first business

A 12-year-old budding entrepreneur has spent his school holidays setting up a business and making money.

Harley Elderkin didn’t even tell his parents about the car washing enterprise he’d set up until after making a profit on his first day.
“Two weeks before the summer break he came home after being out with his mates and told me he’d made £26 that day,” Harley’s mum Vicki Elderkin said. “When I asked him how, he said he’d taken £4 of his pocket money to buy a sponge and bucket to wash cars with and just went and asked people if they wanted their cars washed.”
The business has just continued to grow throughout the summer.
Harley used profits to buy upgrades including his own jet washer and a trailer to put on his bike to transport his ever increasing amount of equipment around.
The pupil at Spalding Academy has even been getting his mates to help on certain days and splitting the profits with them.
“Harley’s initial goal was to get enough money so he could buy himself an Xbox and he’s already managed that,” Vicki continued. “My husband Nigel and I are really proud of him.
“He’s not done it on the back of anything we’ve said or done. He’s just done it all on his own.
“He even shops around for equipment at the likes of Scooby Doo’s and Halfords in town to see where he can get the cheapest equipment and has just built it up from the initial £4.”
Harley says he got his inspiration from social media channels on Tik Tok.
“I watch Unick Auto Detailing on there for better tips and idea to get a proper clean look on a car,” he said. “I started cleaning cars to earn a bit of pocket money for summer but now I really like cleaning people’s cars so will carry on when I go back to school.”

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