Mower repairs by Max at the Y-shop

Young ‘teenpreneur’ 16 year old Max Sebastian has set up shop at Nambour Library to promote his lawn mower repair business.

Max is just one of the many young people, aged between 12 and 25, who you will find every Saturday morning from 9.30am to 11.30am at Sunshine Coast Council’s Y-shops located at libraries across the Coast.

With an interest in car and truck mechanics Max from Nambour said he thought working on mowers would be a good place to start.

“My business originally started when I would repair old mowers that people had thrown away and sell them. Sometimes I get a lot of work and other times it's really slow, but I always seem to have some little job to do,” Max said.

“A basic mower service starts at just $25 plus parts and then prices go up from there depending on the complexity of the job and the time it takes.

“If people are interested in my services, they can visit me at the Y-shop at Nambour Library and I can arrange a date and time that is convenient to fix their mower. I will also have copies of my business card available for people to take away and contact me at a later date.

“My mum found out about the Y-shop and asked me if I wanted to participate. Having a stall at the library is a great opportunity for me to promote and spread the word about my business and ultimately get more customers.”

Max said he plans to continue running his business for another year and then expand it by offering lawn mowing services to his neighbours.

“Eventually I would like get my truck and forklift licenses, as well as TAFE certificates in car mechanics and warehousing as I am also interested in transport logistics,” Max said.

“I also have my learner's driving license so I can assist those people in the Nambour area who can’t drop their mowers off to me.”

Y-shop participants gain invaluable retail experience and confidence in their passion to create their own business. With no stall, vendor, rent or equipment fees, Sunshine Coast Libraries supply the space, the tables and the venue giving these young people the opportunity to showcase their talent.

In addition to Max’s lawn mowing repair business there will be original hand-made merchandise including jewellery, wearable art, arts and crafts, and hair clips for sale until 28 December.

For more information, visit your local Sunshine Coast Library in person or visit council’s library website.