For Grade 11 student Lincoln Wuth, an interest in cars became an opportunity to try something bigger: build a business, learn how to run it and find a way to support his community.
The St. Michaels University School student started L&O Car Detailing with a friend after trying newspaper delivery and dog walking. He wanted to earn money doing something he enjoyed, and a mobile car detailing business brought together his interest in cars and his ambition to work for himself.
Getting started took some courage. Lincoln initially asked a friend to join him because he was nervous about doing it alone. At the start the business hit some early bumps with traction not gaining quickly and competition writing fake reviews on their channels. When his friend later stepped away, Lincoln chose to persevere, working through a slow start and taking on responsibility for the business himself.
Alongside the practical lessons have come some unexpected connections to school.
“I think the thing at SMUS that has helped me with my business the most is Spanish class,” Lincoln said. “Spanish class helped me learn how to speak in front of someone with something important on the line, while keeping a facade and keeping my cool.”
Seeing a friend at SMUS pursue ambitious projects has also encouraged him to take his own ideas seriously, regardless of his age.
“I balance out L&O Car Detailing with school and sports by making sure I get as much schoolwork done as possible in the school day,” added Wuth. “In between sports and after school, I can then focus on the business and getting the things I need completed, finished.”
A Growing Commitment to Community
This fall, Lincoln added a community purpose to his work, committing 10 per cent of revenue from each detail during a fundraising campaign to the BC SPCA. In its first two weeks, the initiative raised more than $100.
The choice of charity had roots at home. Years earlier, his animal-loving sister suggested the BC SPCA as the recipient of a family donation jar. When Lincoln began considering how his business could give back, he remembered it.
Supporting the BC SPCA has become a particular point of pride for Lincoln, who had not imagined that starting a small business would lead to a connection with a major charity.
“When students like Lincoln take an idea and run with it alongside their academics, sports, clubs and other commitments, it’s exciting to see,” said Richard Primrose, Assistant Director of Student Life and Leadership at the Senior School. “They’re recognizing that the skills they’re building at school have value beyond the classroom, and that they can use them to make a difference in their community.”
For now, Lincoln fits the business around school and sports, completing as much schoolwork as possible during the day. He hopes to keep building his savings and sees entrepreneurship as a path he wants to pursue after graduation.
His experience offers a small example of what student initiative can look like beyond the classroom: taking an idea seriously, persisting through uncertainty and finding room for others to benefit along the way.
