UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. — Young Kings Lawn Care Service started with 11-year-old Bryce Becton wanting his own money.
"He really just wanted to make some money on his own instead of asking me for money all the time because I'm a single mom of four," Bryce's mom, Gloria Becton, said. One day she suggested, "Why don't you just go get the lawnmower and go outside and get you some money?"
Bryce agreed with his mom and set off to do just that.
His friends Jordan and Samir saw him outside one day and joined him.
"It just took off," Gloria said.
After a neighbor posted the boys working hard, Gloria couldn't believe the response from social media.
"It went viral and ever since then they've been having a lot of calls, a lot of texts like work but some people are really far and we can't really get to everybody," Gloria said.
The attention prompted one supporter to donate a lawnmower.
The boys use Gloria's four-door Nissan Versa to get to each job. Gloria admits this has presented obstacles for ambitious entrepreneurs with a demand that has grown beyond their University City neighborhood.
"It's kind of hard totting all that stuff in my small car," Gloria said. "We have three lawnmowers, and then we have the weedwhacker, the blower, all the cords."
Bryce is one of Gloria's middle children and the youngest of the Young Kings Lawn Care Service. Yet Gloria has been inspired by this honest work and believes that it can grow to be something spectacular.
When Bryce is not trying to make his own money he enjoys playing video games like Roblox.
"My motivation comes from my mom," Bryce said.
In the past, Bryce would ask for things, and often Gloria would have to say no.
"I try to give my kids everything they need but sometimes they're wants I can't really get," she said.
Now, Young Kings Lawn Care Service even has recurrent customers. Bryce has since expressed gratitude that his mother gave him the idea.
Gloria wants prospective customers and supporters to know that she will give estimates but there are no set prices because yard sizes vary.
Right now, Gloria has to turn down work due to limitations with her car.
"We are trying and we want to service more people and it's coming sooner than later," she said.
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