The Unique Small Business In Massachusetts Run By Teens
The company provides teenagers with opportunities to work alongside their peers while learning valuable, on-the-job skills.
Junk Teens Junk Removal is a small business founded by two brothers, Kirk Jr. McKinney, a 19-year-old Freshman at Babson College, and Jacob McKinney, a 17-year-old Junior at Westwood High School. Their business offers more than just top-notch junk removal services- it’s entirely run by students! The company provides teenagers with opportunities to work alongside their peers while learning valuable, on-the-job skills.
What sets Junk Teens Junk Removal apart from other companies is their commitment to creating a fun, creative, and interesting culture. They inspire this culture through their social media channels, which have quickly become a success. Their TikTok account alone has amassed over 100k followers, and they share inspiring content across all their social media channels to motivate and empower youth to pursue their passions and work hard towards their goals.
“One thing I’ve realized lately is that it's really hard to find people to work, especially in the trades and anything that's hands-on,” states Kirk Jr., explaining how hard the hiring process has been lately and how social media has helped him. “As the years go on, I’m noticing that it’s becoming increasingly harder to find employees and I’ve realized that when we do have people, not everyone is motivated by the money. We pay $20 to $25 an hour, which is a lot of money but even at that, it’s still hard to find people. I've been really trying to focus on building our brand and social media presence and really trying to push more of the fun side of what we do and show people how it is actually a very fun job.”
One of the unique features of Junk Teens Junk Removal is its warehouse. This warehouse is more than just a storage space for junk; it's a place where the company is experimenting with new ways to become more renewable and reduce waste. “We’re definitely in the experimental phase right now, especially with the warehouse. The big part of the warehouse is to really become more renewable so that everything isn't just being thrown away, and already we’re saving a lot of things. We're ultimately trying to make it so a majority of what we take is donated, repurposed, or recycled.” They're currently working towards developing their business model around the idea of being as renewable as possible.
The Junk Teens Junk Removal company has been sponsored by Dave's Hot Chicken, and the energy and excitement that the local establishment brings to their brand is noticeable, to say the least! “The first time I went into Dave's, I could feel the energy through just walking into the restaurant,” says Kirk Jr., explaining what brought the two local businesses together. “Before I even ate the food- just looking at the walls and all the colors, plus how friendly the employees are! I think the environment and feeling of just being in there is the same energy I want to push through Junk Teens.” This sponsorship has encouraged Kirk Jr. to think creatively and build something undeniably unique: the world's largest rubber chicken!
This creative and fun side project perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Junk Teens Junk Removal- having fun, being innovative, and experimenting with out-of-the-box ideas, all while allowing the partnership between two local businesses to be expressed through a creative art piece. Kirk Jr. explains that they are currently in the process of scaling up this side project, and to do so, they are raising $10K to help cover the costs of designing, creating, and building a 10-foot-tall rubber chicken.
Through the fun social media posts and chicken-themed side projects, Kirk Jr. explains his passion for the business comes down to the core of what they do- removing junk. “I actually am passionate about junk removal, not because we're able to make money with it, but because ever since I was a little kid I loved dumpster diving. The way we got into junk removal was through me finding stuff and reselling it from the dump and ultimately it ended with us owning a junk removal company.”
Kirk Jr. continues, explaining how a hobby became his life’s work, “It’s always been a part of me, being curious about what we’re going to find, which is a huge reason why we have the warehouse now, so we can start selling all that stuff we find and also being able to be renewable, which not all junk removal companies do that, but I think the passion is not the money- it’s the fact that every day is kind of a new treasure waiting to be discovered, I never know what I’m going to find, I never know what job is going to call in, I never know what the next day is going to be like and to me that is so exciting.”
When asked about the future of Junk Teens Junk Removal, Kirk Jr. explains: “Once we nail our business model down and are confident we can run this location, we might possibly open up another location. I don't know when that would be, if that would be before or after college really depends on who I come across, who wants to join the team and be apart of what we’re doing, but I'm not going to rush anything like that.“
Junk Teens Junk Removal is more than just a junk removal company; it's a creative and inspiring business run by students who are passionate about what they do. Their focus on creating a fun and innovative work environment, plus their commitment to becoming more renewable and reducing waste, make them a company that's worth watching.
If you're looking for a junk removal company that's doing something different and inspiring, then Junk Teens Junk Removal is the perfect choice. To find out more about Junk Teens Junk Removal, check out their website at https://junkteens.com/.
