A 9-year-old Quebecer started his own landscaping business this week and his only employee is a special one: an eight-week-old pig named Beastie boy.
The company “Gardening with Beastie” offers landscaping services to residents of the Outaouais, especially those of Gatineau. “We weed, pull weeds and remove poison ivy,” said 9-year-old Sebastian Coburn.
This idea was born from an initiative of Sebastian’s mother, who challenged her four children in the hope of keeping them busy this summer. Everyone had to come up with their own idea for a summer business and then start it. Sebastian’s was launched less than a week ago.
“He invented everything: the design, the logos and the name. He even made the reservations,” Sebastian’s mother, Miranda Dyck, told CTV News.
The adorable duo of companions have set their rate at $20/h for the maintenance of their clients’ grounds. They arrive with their own shovels and gloves and, after digging a bit, it’s Beastie boy’s turn to work. ” [Il] roots itself with its nose, catches some of the insects and removes some roots. It’s also very good at killing dandelions,” Dyck said.
The company quickly became a success and has already grown. If it was to initially focus on the Gatineau region, “Gardening with Beastie” is now moving to Ottawa to meet demand.
“It’s pretty cool to have a pig in my yard,” said Hatton Thompson, a kid the company worked with.
“It’s great for my children’s learning to see another child start a business,” said Hatton’s mother, who is delighted with the duo’s work.
The demand is such that Sebastian had to recruit his mother, siblings and a few friends to answer the calls.
“I can’t believe how successful this is,” said Dyck. I thought people would want to have their gardens cleaned for the May long weekend. Now we have reservations until next week.”
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