Jake Piekarski’s entrepreneurial journey began when he sold curb address numbers door-to-door in his hometown of Huntington Beach, California. During the pandemic, he came upon the idea of Chore Hub, an online platform that connects homeowners with students seeking flexible work. The platform offered a range of household services, allowing students to earn extra income during their free time while helping homeowners with everyday tasks. The business saw steady growth and thrived as a convenient solution for both homeowners and students until Jake sold the business in 2023.
Spending the winter months in Madison while attending UW and knowing how difficult it was for college students to find high-paying, flexible jobs that fit around their school schedules, he launched Snow Scholars, a residential snow removal service for college students at six Midwest universities. In its first season, Snow Scholars paid out over $5,000 in student wages. The business rapidly grew, expanding from just 34 customers in its first year to over 400 in the second year, with an impressive 85% customer retention rate. Snow Scholars also successfully expanded beyond Madison, running the business remotely when they opened operations at the University of Minnesota.
Read the full story here: https://business.wisc.edu/centers/weinert/blog/sharks-in-the-snow-fin-tastic-finish-reeling-in-150000/