Schoolboy looked at grades and decided to take on Tesco

A 15 year-old has come up with an ingenious way to rival his local supermarket.

Joe Hickey, 15, from Lower Heswall, says he prefers being practical and hands-on as opposed to academic studies. Last March, he spotted a gap in the market and resolved to start his own business.

Speaking to the ECHO, Joe said: “I was looking at my grades and I was like, oh my god, they're shocking them. I do alright for myself, don't get me wrong, but I just want to do something a bit more practical, hands on, and I just thought, I want to start earning money.”

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Inspired by the likes of Steven Bartlett from Diary of a CEO, who he recently saw live at the Liverpool Empire, he began looking at ways he could just do that.

Joe started by studying a service that a Tesco store near his home offers. He said: “They offer a car cleaning business, but only minimal, and I noticed a lot of people are starting to go there. I was like, oh my gosh, imagine if I made a car cleaning business?

“I just sent out some emails because surely they'd want to get their car cleaned by a 15 year old, trying to make some money.”

Joe began self-advertising his own cleaning business and picking up jobs, claiming he gives cars a thorough going over with his multi-service level cleaner. His idea soon began to attract attention.

He said: “Everyone started catching on and saying, actually, I'd like you to clean mine because it's more personal and I like it. I normally enjoy car cleaning. It's not like a chore to me. It's more just like a hobby. And I'm getting money for it, and if I could get more money, that's just a bonus.”

One complication is that, due to