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Amanda Butterfield reporting With rising gas and food prices and a slumping economy, teenagers will likely be competing with adults looking for jobs this summer. We met one teen who isn't worried about finding a summer job, though; he made one for himself.
Nineteen-year-old Toby Rogers told us, "Yes, my mom is very proud of me, ha!" Who wouldn't be proud of a son who is his own boss at such a young age.
"A lot of people are really surprised when they learn I own my own business. Then they are really surprised when they learn it's my third one, and I'm successful at it," Rogers said.
Drip Free Auto Detail is the name of his shop. He sublets a garage from an auto shop in West Valley City. "I do everything from express detailing to a full detail," he said.
And Rogers is glad he doesn't have to worry about how to make money this summer. "For summer jobs, they go fast, and once they are gone, they're gone. And then what do you do in the fall when the job ends?" He says he'll always have a job. "The thing I like about my business is it's needed, people are always going to drive a car, no matter the gas prices, and they always want their cars clean."
And he'll always have money in his pocket. "I made $2,000 last month, which is not bad for a 19-year-old," he told us. "My goal is I want to make $5,000 a month for each of the summer months."
Rogers says he's doing pretty OK compared to his fellow teens. According to the Associated Press, teen hiring has slumped by 5 percent since March of last year. And since the early '90s, teen hiring has dropped 13 percent. Even sales at teen retailers average a .05 percent decline since last year, compared to an increase in 2006.
But for Rogers, he says he's doing his share of spending. He says, "Drive brand new 2008 Corolla, no problems at all."
By June, what he calls the busy season for detailing cars, he hopes to hire a few people to work for him. But even if he doesn't hire anyone and continues doing all the work himself, he's OK with that because he's the boss. "I'm very happy, I love what I do," he said.
You can get your car detailed by Toby Rogers at 2883 W. 3500 South in West Valley City.
E-mail: abutterfield@ksl.com
