Faced With a Historic Youth Hiring Slump, an 11-Year-Old Canadian Entrepreneur Builds a Viral Neighborhood Business
Amid one of the toughest summer job markets for youth in decades, an 11-year-old Canadian boy has bypassed traditional entry-level employment by launching a successful door-to-door bin cleaning service that has captured a massive global social media audience.
Ashton Meyer, a resident of East Gwillimbury, Ontario, began knocking on doors this May to offer trash, recycling, and green bin cleaning for $10 per service. By documenting his pitches, rejections, and work on Instagram and TikTok, Meyer has built a roster of 40 local clients and amassed more than 111,000 Instagram followers in just two months.
Meyer’s entrepreneurial pivot comes at a time when traditional summer jobs for teenagers have become increasingly scarce. According to Statistics Canada, the youth unemployment rate for those aged 15 to 24 rose to 13.5% in mid-2024, marking the highest non-pandemic level in a decade. Economists attribute the slump to persistent inflation, rising operational costs for small businesses, and intense competition for entry-level roles as older workers re-enter the part-time labor market to cope with the cost of living.
Despite his young age, Meyer has already earned $700 CAD (approximately $500 USD) and plans to continue his business after school and on Saturdays once the academic year resumes in September. He intends to expand his services to leaf raking and snowplowing as the seasons change.
In his social media videos, Meyer openly shares his interactions with skeptical neighbors, highlighting the high rate of rejection inherent in door-to-door sales. “The first no is the hardest. Keep going,” Meyer said, advising other young people looking to start their own businesses to find unfilled local needs and offer accessible pricing while they learn.
Meyer’s early start mirrors that of other successful young entrepreneurs. In 2013, 12-year-old Chase Gallagher began mowing lawns for $35 in Pennsylvania. Over the next decade, Gallagher scaled his neighborhood chore into a commercial landscaping enterprise that generated over $1.5 million in revenue last year and employs 10 people.
