Student-Owned Business Puts McLean Teens To Work

MCLEAN, VA—Three McLean High School students have started a business, placing teenagers with jobs around the community.

TeenServ, run by Ben Jeannot, Jack Lannin and Quin Frew, allows residents to post jobs for outdoor house work. Similar to an Uber concept, teens are considered independent contractors. Teens get notified of a new job posting and can choose to accept a job.

The business started out with just five teens, but now TeenServ has over 100 teens available to work. Jobs can range from lawn mowing and mulching to snow shoveling, leaf raking and other seasonal yard work.

The benefits go both ways, Frew told Patch. Residents can hire a teen for a one-time job, while teens can work whenever their schedules allow. Customers choose their own prices, because they "know the value of their lawn," says Frew.

After the job is completed, customers are billed through PayPal. The owners keep 20 percent of the price. The price advertised to the teens is after that 20 percent is taken off, so they earn exactly what the job listing says.

Teens have potential to make more than one day at a minimum wage job. One recent mulching job got teens over $100 each.

Lannin says the jobs teach teens "they have to work hard to get ahead." After all, they're working for a set price, not set amount of hours. They also have potential to earn tips for a job well done.

If customers aren't completely satisfied with the job, the owners themselves will come out and do the job, according to Lannin. "The most important thing to us is that our customers are happy," he said.

There haven't been complaints from customers so far. On the customers' response, Frew says, "They love the idea of teens running a business."

Adds Jeannot, customers are "giving back to teens in the community."

The business is focused on the McLean area for now, but TeenServ's owners hope to expand around the DC area.

TeenServ can be reached at teenservbusiness@gmail.com or www.teenserv.com. You can find their booth at McLean Day on May 18.