Chase Gallagher was 12 years old when he started mowing his neighbors’ lawns in Chester County, Pa., for $35 a pop in the summer of 2013. At first the Gen Zer had only two customers, but thanks to some aggressive leafleting, he had 10 clients by the following year.
Today, Gallagher’s landscaping business employs 10 people and does “everything from stormwater management and drainage work to pavers and lighting,” he says. Last year, CMG Landscaping generated more than $1.5 million in revenue; meanwhile, many of his peers were still finishing their bachelor’s degrees.
