knocked on people's doors and asked if they wanted their grass cut. My going rate was $5 per yard, regardless of size (there wasn't a wide nor extreme range in yard size then, the neighborhood had a lot of cookie-cutter development to it).
Satisfying demand was simple to the point of being foolproof: go to the houses where the grass was badly in need of being cut, the person would see me standing there with my own lawn mower, the acceptance rate was about 80%.
I carried the gas can with me so that I could extend my potential range of work area with stopping. My number one customer base was the elderly people, because they were so glad and grateful to have someone offer to do it rather than having to ask someone or look for someone. In a few short weeks, I had an actual route of repeat customers, some of whom I'd cut their grass so regularly that after a while, I didn't even need to knock on the door each time. We had an arrangement, and I'd collect later if they were not home. I never got stiffed by anyone, either.
Fast forward to the winter months: I parked the lawn mower and picked up the snow shovel, same price, many of the same customers, continued success.
I was happy as a clam, worked hard, enjoyed myself, etc. Nothing negative ever came of it, I made some spending money, and my only overhead was refilling the gas can about once a or twice week.
I doubt that it could happen for young people today because I only see gardeners, either self-employed ones or landscaping services doing that these days. (I now live in Southern California, so snow is never issued nor an issue.)
My quetion is: what are some jobs a young boy or girl may have worked when you were growing up that no longer exist today because companies and businesses have taken over or because only adults do them?
~
Benedict Arnold 