2 Harborfields Grads Launch Odd Jobs Business

Two college students who graduated from Harborfields High School last year have launched  a business doing odd jobs around the Huntington area.

Carmelo Carbone and Nick Flynn established Community Cleanup, designed to help people with many kinds of odd jobs that are often too small for more established businesses or too costly.

“We open to any and all jobs if they are reasonable and do not require professional  experience.  We have stopped doing most landscaping jobs such as weeding and yard cleanups,” Carmelo said. “We started dabbling in this type of work a little bit last summer and again when we were home for winter break. We felt that there was a huge lack of help for people in the community who need assistance with small projects around the house but do not know who to call or do not want to hire professional companies that will charge them a lot of money.”

Some of their work they’ve tackled includes:

  • Moving furniture both in and out of spaces
  • Cleaning out and consolidating spaces or rooms (basements, garages, storage rooms, attics, etc.)
  • Heaving lifting
  • Laying mulch/rocks
  • Powerwashing (if equipment is provided)
  • Planting flowers
  • Raking leaves, though they don’t take on most landscaping jobs
  • Taking trash, objects, furniture, etc. to the curb or into a dumpster
  • Shovel snow

Carbone said that being in business has been a  longtime goal. “I have always wanted to start my own business since I was young. I lacked the education on how to actually run a business and that is exactly what I got from my freshman year at Babson College  I implemented what I learned from my major in entrepreneurship and came back this summer with a full business plan for Community Cleanup. We launched the business the day I got back from Babson College.”

Flynn goes to Ohio State University.

The two young entrepreneurs know that running requires serious effort.

“Being a business owner is a ton of work,” Carbone said. “Our days usually begin around 8:30-9 am and I am working on projects, giving estimates, talking to customers and working on my books until about 6-7 pm. With a community-based service like this, we want to build trusting and long-lasting relationships with our customers which many times requires us to go the extra mile to satisfy everyone we work for.  At 19 years old, it takes a lot of discipline, patience and research to be organized and successful.”

He said that the company draws a range of clients, from seniors to young couples, and everyone in between. “We are hearing extremely positive things from our client base,” Carbone said. “Many have told us that they need help and feel abandoned.  Sometimes they do not receive call backs from the professionals and when they do, they are being charged way too much. The community members are so grateful that we are able to help them with the projects that need to be done around the house and we are told that no one has ever provided a service like ours.  It seems that so many people have a need for our service and we are happy to assist and make their lives easier.”
Carbone said that he and Flynn do most of the work, though occasionally hire someone else with bigger tasks or if they’re too busy to take on a new task.
While the two are in college, they operate during the 5 and a half monhs Carbone is back home, including December and January, May, June, July and half of August. They are exploring ways to operate throughout the year.
http://community-cleanup.juuced.co/?fbclid=IwAR3JzFqXrVTpvNhSkwqZ_nf5nOauqdMlG-_Qv_UMmCWrWtLFDceBnapeOg8

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