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STANDARDS
CCSS: 6.RP.A.3.B, MP1, MP2, MP3
TEKS: 6.4B
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Car Cleaning Biz
THE KIDPRENEUR FILES
Scholastic MATH asked Tyler Poon about his business cleaning and detailing cars in Edgewater, New Jersey
Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com/USA Today Network/Imagn Content Agency (All Images)
For a full detailing, Tyler cleans the inside and outside of the car.
Scholastic: Why did you start your business?Tyler: I got the idea during quarantine. I was in my mom’s office looking at my phone, and I wanted something to do. So I thought, “Why not try to come up with a side hustle to make money?”I started cleaning the wheels of cars parked in my mom’s parking lot. Then as more time passed, I advanced to full car detailing. (Detailing is doing a deep clean on a car to try to get it looking like new again.)
Scholastic: What’s the best part of your job?Tyler: The best part is probably seeing the transformations, like comparing before-and-after photos. I also have some clients with high-end luxury supercars, like Lamborghinis and Ferraris. It’s so much fun to work on them!
Scholastic: What’s the most difficult part?Tyler: Time can be a challenge. Detailing a car takes from 1 to 2.5 hours, depending on whether the customer wants both interior and exterior detailing—or just one or the other. It’s very easy in the summer when the weather is good, the sun is out, and I don’t have school. But time becomes an issue during the winter. If I have a very dirty car to clean, it takes longer. Then I’m detailing when it’s dark outside.
Scholastic: Was there any math you had to learn to run your business?Tyler: I use math to calculate profit. I see what the cost of supplies I used for each car is and then how much I earn. After I subtract them, I get my profit!
Scholastic: Do you have any advice for other kidpreneurs?Tyler: My advice is to stick with what you’re doing and never give up.