Jenny Carey and Mike Gombita were having trouble finding jobs for the summer, so they decided to create their own opportunity to earn money. According to WNEP 16 News, the two high schoolers from Pennsylvania started their own business, "Jenny and Mike’s Soft Serve."
“One night at dinner, we’re just sitting at dinner and said I think we should open an ice cream stand. But it’s nothing like a lemonade stand where you set everything up and say ‘OK, lemonade for sale 25 cents,'" Mike explained. "You have to go through the paper work, the supplies and health inspection."
Learn more about the story behind "Jenny and Mike’s Soft Serve" in the video above.
While Mike's mom owns the stand, the teens are in charge of all the management details like budgeting, marketing and accounting. They also started a Facebook page to advertise.
The best part of the operation? Philip, Mike’s younger brother, dresses up as a cone and dances in front of the stand to attract customers.
Nineteen-year-old Breanna Simon from Wisconsin did something similar last summer when she launched her own ice cream business. The teen bought an old truck from FedEx on Craigslist and turned it into an ice cream truck called "Bee's Ice Cream."
The business was successful -- Breanna earned back the $1,700 she originally paid for the truck and an additional couple thousand dollars.
"I did a bunch of math and I asked my dad and he thought I was nuts," she told KARE 11 News. "This is the first big thing I've ever owned."
ABC News reports about half of young people between the ages of 16 and 24 had jobs in July 2012. Summer months are usually the peak for youth employment, so the lack of job opportunities has led teens like Breanna, Mike and Jenny to come up with creative alternatives to traditional summer jobs.
What's your dream summer job? Do you know any cool teen entrepreneurs? Tell us in the comments or tweet at @HuffPostTeen.
Related
Before You Go
