#leaf-raking

[stone-cold-groove]

Coronet magazine - October 1957.

[johnschneiderblog]

The art of the deal

At age 10, my grandson has discovered the magic of money. 

He looked around his neighborhood, saw an an opportunity to put some in his pocket, knocked on a neighbor’s door and made a proposal:

Did the homeowners want their leaves raked? Maybe, they said. How much?

Hmmmm. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. Fifteen dollars, he said, for no particular reason. OK, the homeowner said.

So, he recruited his little brother (for a cut of the cash, of course) and on Saturday morning, armed with two rakes and a tarp, they marched over to do the job. Ten minutes into it, the entrepreneur realized that he had bitten off more than he could chew. Little brother bailed.

Eventually the boss slinked back home and explained his dilemma to his parents, who reminded him that a deal was a deal and that he would have to figure out a way keep his commitment.

After letting him squirm just a little, his dad agreed to lend a hand. And it just so happened that his grandparent were in town that day. They joined the crew and, together, they got the job done. The homeowner paid him $20.

Undeterred, the budding businessman wrote the grandiose letter you see above. You can bet that, next time, he’ll be more careful with his proposals. A valuable lesson.