Clay Lewis is an Australian teenager with autism from Brisbane. He tried for two years to find a job after school, but in vain. Employers were unhappy with the way Clay spoke during interviews. So his parents decided to support their son and help him set up a cleaning business.
The cleaning company was called Clay’s Bin Cleaning. Clay drove around his neighborhood in Brisbane after school and cleaned the trash cans.
Clay had no competition, so there was plenty of work. They paid $5 to $10 for cleaning, depending on the volume of the trash can.
The 16-year-old told me: “It’s very hard to work in the summer because the garbage cans smell horribly disgusting – sometimes I get the urge to vomit, but I get over it. I use a protective mask.” Laura, Clay’s mother, said that like most people with autism, her son has a heightened sensitivity to smells and sounds. But despite the unpleasant smells, Clay didn’t give up.
The job has helped the young man raise his self-esteem and feel confident in himself. “Now he’s interacting with clients face-to-face,” Laura said.
“It’s a joy to see my son going about his business to make money. It means that when he graduates, he’ll have his own business and be able to live an independent lifestyle,” Laura said. In the meantime, the mom helps her son process emails and schedule work.
When the business began to grow, the young entrepreneur hired three classmates. The company serves 70 clients and has already earned $6,000.
What is the secret of Clay’s success? His answer is simple: “It’s important to do your job well, and then the clients won’t leave you. Besides, in addition to my main job, I take on all sorts of small things.”
Customers leave positive feedback on the company’s Facebook page. One wrote, “Clay and his employee came in on Monday 21/1. He is very punctual and did a fantastic job.”
In the future, Clay plans to expand his business to offer customers car washing and driveway cleaning.
