Young entrepreneurs on patriotic mission

Leading up to Independence Day, some young entrepreneurs are busy setting out American flags to help celebrate the holiday. It’s a service they provide to their neighbors in the community of Heath.

Read on for how this small business got off the ground.

“IT JUST GREW AND GREW”

Ahead of Independence Day, Grayson Burrow is installing American flags on 10-foot poles at the end of driveways in his neighborhood.

“It looks really cool to see how the whole street is filled with flags,” Burrow told NBC 5 Responds. “It's a really cool seeing when you drive by to know that you did that.”

At 13 years old, Burrow is the founder of Heath Flag Service. The small business launched when he, too, was small.

“I was in second grade, so however old I was then,” Burrow said.

With help from his family, including younger brother Zach, they install flags for clients on five holidays: President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Veterans Day. Then, come back to pick up the flags when the holiday is over.

Burrow says he launched the service five years ago with 40 clients.

“We started to set out fliers and from there on, it just grew and grew,” Burrow recalled.

Now, it’s more like 150 customers.

“I wanted my kids to know what it felt like to have a hard day's work and earn some money. This is a way we could help them learn that lesson,” said Glenn Burrow of his son’s business.

This year, the Burrows brought on kids from two more families to join the business.

“We've hired some people to do their neighborhood and we pay them per flag and each new customer they get,” Grayson Burrow explained.

The “franchisees” include brothers Greyson King and Grant King.

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“I really want to get enough money and save to buy my first car,” Grant King said.

“Same thing here,” added Greyson King.

With help from their older brother, Gavin, they’re on their third holiday with the flag service.

“It's a great feeling the boys are getting a chance to help people with that display of patriotism,” said parent Mark King. “As parents, we feel a sense of pride that we're able to help enable them and direct them in that way.”

KIDS DONATE SOME OF THE PROFITS

The price for the service ranges from $75 for two years to $135 for four years with a portion of profits donated to the Parks and Trails of Heath program.

Since that first year in 2018, the city’s communications director, Suzanne Brooke, said Heath Flag Service has donated just over $2,000.

“It means a lot to see the young people in our community care about their parks and trails system enough to donate some hard-earned money out of their own pocket to making it better and growing it with us,” said Brooke.

Continued growth is the business goal for Grayson Burrow.

“I’d like to keep going through high school and then maybe sell it to some other young kids that would like to keep doing it,” Burrow said.

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