I knocked on the door.
“Come on in!” I heard from the other side of the door.
I stepped into the Bredows’ living room and was immediately met by Finley Bredow jumping up and down in excitement. Fin, as he is known by students across campus, welcomed me into his home in the Bowld where he lives with his parents, Ben and Tiffany, and two younger sisters, Madi and Annie Jo.
Fin could hardly stand still because he was so excited to talk about trash.
Like many other 6-year-old boys, Fin loves playing with his best buds, dirt biking, having nerf gun wars, biking and playing baseball, basketball and Legos. However, Fin is not like the average 6-year-old boy. Fin is a (very professional) entrepreneur of his new business, “Fin’s Trash Company.”
In his state of excitement, Fin talks rapidly and squirms across the floor as he tells me about how he began his company with his buds when Summit Ministries was on campus this summer. Fin had an idea and an opportunity, so he ran with it.
As a college student, the idea of starting my own business is pretty terrifying, but Fin’s eyes light up.
“I think it’s awesome!” he said.
“$1 per bag of trash to take out (only 25 cents per roommate),” reads Fin’s fliers that he posted on dorm room doors this semester. “3 p.m. pick-up every Tuesday and Friday.”
Whether you are at 6 or 36, starting a business takes a lot of planning and hard work. Besides making all of the fliers himself, Fin also had to figure out how much to charge customers, how to communicate with customers, what days to pick up trash and who his help would be.
When I was 6 years old, hiring my friends as employees was something that never crossed my mind, but this is the reality that Fin has created. His main help comes from his “best buds” Cooper (and his sister Josie) and Lockewood and, of course, his own sister, Madi. They all bring their power wheels and tie wagons to the back of their vehicles to haul bags of trash in.
Fin not only plays the roles of entrepreneur and boss, but also the role of engineer in his business. In need of a trailer for his jeep, Fin is currently in the process of disassembling his old bicycle and using tools and supplies from his house to construct a trailer that can be attached to his own power wheels.
While he enjoys this challenge, it does not take long to realize that his friends play a huge role in Fin’s life and his business. He loves getting to plan, innovate and earn some money, but there is one thing that stands out above all the rest.
“My buds!” Fin says with a bounce. “My workers are really good workers. They work really hard.”
This is serious business for Fin—good workers are a must for his company to succeed. Taking out the trash with his buds is exciting, but some rooms offer some extra fun bonuses.
“They have snacks—the best part!” Fin says as he wiggles in excitement.
Being the boss kid that he is, Fin loves to tell people about his business motto: “Trash business making the cash business!”
Taking out up to 42 bags in a day, Fin is in the cash business.
“Do you want to see where I keep the money?” Fin asked me.
He proudly dragged out his big, glass jug of earnings. Once it is full, he will be ready to break open the jug. Of course, as the founder of his company, Fin has big goals he is saving for. With his first profits from his business, Fin is saving for a power wheels gator.
“What about a real gator?” his dad asks with a grin on his face, but Fin is taking it one step at a time.
At 6 years old, Fin is not deterred by anyone who would say he is too young to start his own business. And if someone does try to say he is too young?
“No way! I get cash and it’s fun!” Fin says as he holds his finger in the air and shakes it confidently.
This boss kid has his best buds by his side, and that’s exactly what he needs to make his (very important) business successful.
Photos by Campbell Padgett
