“SHOE SHINE, SIR?”

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 14, 12 October 1942, Page 4

“SHOE SHINE, SIR?”

Youthful Enterprise Well

Rewarded

When the history of two of Wellington’s largest commercial undertakings are written in years to come, it may be recorded that their founders began their first business venture one Friday evening in Lambton Quay as humble bootblacks. Their historian might well remark that their business acumen was far in advance of that of most boys of 12. It is now several months since visiting servicemen on their arrival began to inquire the whereabouts of bootblacks, but it remained for these two schoolboys to fill the need. To know when to start a business is one of the secrets of success, and no time could be more opportune than the present for this venture now that so many people are hoarding dwindling supplies of shoe polish. Equipped with a box and footrest, tins of black and brown polish, brushes and cloths, they took their stand about niidj way along Lambton Quay before 5 o’clock on Friday afternoon. ’Within two hours they had retrieved their capital expenditure, and made three shillings each. They then shut up shop and went home to tea, but were ready for business bright and early the following morning. One novel feature of the undertaking in these days of orders-in-council, departmental demands, emergency regulations, licensing, and (lie Price Tribunal, is that the two young business men have no fixed charge. They rely on the sense of values of their clients, and so far they have not been disappointed. Their first client was an American, who rewarded them for their services with two shillings.