Jack's Delivery Service

Finding a job as a teenager isn’t always easy. Paper routes have dried up, and babysitting gigs can be hard to find. That’s why Jack started Teen Hustl.

“I saw that there was a market in the gig economy for tech-savvy kids to make some money,” he explains. “And I wanted a business that would appeal to teenagers.”

Teen Hustl is a hyperlocal delivery service. Teens sign up to deliver everything from groceries to Amazon packages within a 2-mile distance that they can walk, bike, or ride a scooter to.

Finding a job isn’t always easy for teenagers. There aren’t many newspaper delivery routes anymore, and babysitting gigs can be hard to find. That’s why Jack started Teen Hustl. “I wanted a business that would appeal to teenagers,” he says. “I saw that there was a market in the gig economy for tech-savvy kids to make some money.”

Teen Hustl is a local delivery service. Teens sign up to deliver everything from groceries to Amazon packages. But all their pickups and deliveries are within 2 miles of each other. That means they can walk, bike, or ride a scooter instead of driving.

Teen Hustl’s work hours are strictly after school and on weekends. Jack and his team work 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. Jack’s main priority is training new hires and managing their delivery loads. “I train people by having them accompany me on my deliveries,” Jack says.

Before they make their first delivery, employees—called Hustlrs—take an online food-safety course with their local health department. All employees have the Teen Hustl delivery app, which lets them receive their delivery orders for restaurants, grocery or convenience items, and essential items from Jack’s Marketplaces in their delivery area. The app also tracks the number of hours they work and any tips they may receive for excellent service.

Teen Hustl operates after school and on weekends. Jack and his team work from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. Jack’s main job is training new employees and managing their workloads. “I train people by having them accompany me on my deliveries,” he says.

Jack’s employees are called Hustlrs. Before they make their first delivery, they take an online food-safety course. All employees have the Teen Hustl delivery app on their phones. It sends them orders for restaurants, groceries, or convenience items to deliver in their area. The app also tracks how many hours Hustlrs work and any tips they receive for excellent service.

One of the most important aspects of running a successful business is not being afraid of taking risks and failing, says Jack. One of his ideas that didn’t pan out was using his family’s garage as a warehouse. Teen Hustl tried to offer rapid delivery of common convenience items. To cut back on pickup and travel times, Jack stocked up and stored nonperishable goods like chips, snacks, and
canned drinks in his garage. But these items weren’t as popular as he’d hoped.

“You learn more from the things that don’t work out than the things that do,” Jack says.

If you want to run a successful business, you can’t be afraid of taking risks and failing, says Jack. He has had plenty of ideas that didn’t work out. For example, he tried to use his family’s garage as a warehouse so that Teen Hustl could deliver certain items extra quickly. Jack stocked up on products like chips, snacks, and canned drinks and stored them in the garage. But these items weren’t as popular as he’d hoped, so it didn’t make sense for him to buy so many. “You learn more from the things that don’t work out than the things that do,” he says.

KEY MATH IDEA: Calculating Income Taxes

Jack pays his Teen Hustl team an hourly rate—plus tips! Most employers must deduct taxes from their employees’ gross income, which is calculated by multiplying their hourly rate by the number of hours worked. Each type of tax taken out is a percent of a worker’s gross income. The final amount a Hustlr receives in their paycheck is their net income.

KEY MATH IDEA: Calculating Income Taxes

Jack pays his Teen Hustl team an hourly rate—plus tips! Most employers must deduct taxes from their employees’ gross income, which is calculated by multiplying their hourly rate by the number of hours worked. Each type of tax taken out is a percent of a worker’s gross income. The final amount a Hustlr receives in their paycheck is their net income.