Latino Teen Starts Garbage Bin Cleaning Business to Help Kids in Need
Anthony Gonzalez, better known as AJ, is a kid from Houston,Texas, gaining recognition for starting his own business at 13 years old.
The teen cleans trash bins around his neighborhood, calling himself “The Garbage Kid.” He started his business four days before his birthday in June; since then, he hasn’t looked back.
“I’m really excited,” he said in an interview with FOX 26 Houston. “Hopefully it just goes up from here. Hopefully I am able to expand my business and help other kids start their own.”
The teen created a business plan before launching his venture
The teen first got the idea of cleaning trashcans from TikTok. He approached his mom and told her about it. However, Linda Gonzalez, his mother, told him he needed to do more research and develop a business plan.
“I kind of just explained to him how it works,” she shared. “And then that was it. He came back that same afternoon and had it all written down by steps. And the last thing he wrote was ‘start making money.'”
He started with 35 homes, and within weeks, he had more than 100 clients around his neighborhood. Most of the time, his mother drives him to the clients’ houses while his older sister helps him schedule appointments.
Anthony’s popularity is growing exponentially thanks to social media
Several of his TikTok videos have gained thousands of views.
He has received several awards, including the “Entrepreneurial Spirit” award from his city and local police department. In fact, July 12 is now “Garbage Kid Day” in Houston.
Other celebrities are supporting him as well. From hip-hop rapper Paul Wall to the Major League Baseball team, the Houston Astros.
His mission with “The Garbage Kid” is to give back to other kids in need
Just as he hopes to continue building his empire, Gonzalez wants to inspire other kids to do the same. His goal is to teach other kids his age the value of working hard.
“Not a lot of kids have that, so I’m trying to give back to the community,” he said.
With the money he’s made, he’s using it to buy supplies like shoes, toys and clothes for other people in need. It’s safe to say AJ is a prime example that there’s no age limit to giving back or working hard.
