Most 17-year-olds are thinking about their first job. Springfield High students Dharm Patel and Tony Fritts started a business instead.
The two recently launched PF Web Services & Marketing, building websites and digital marketing tools for local small businesses.
They have clients.
They’re producing real work.
And they’re learning what it actually takes to run a company.
Their goal is simple: help small businesses establish a strong online presence. From the initial idea to a finished website, the pair guide their clients through the entire process.
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The work is split evenly. Tony handles photography and visual content, Dharm manages the financial side of the business and both play a role in building a website that wows.
It’s rare to find high school students who are budding entrepreneurs.
But for Dharm, the desire to start something new felt natural. When he began brainstorming how to get the business off the ground, he turned to his best friend.
“I knew I wanted to start it with a good team,” he said.
With no startup capital, a borrowed camera from Tony’s mom and plenty of determination, the pair landed their first client shortly after joining forces: Reflections Car Detailing.
Since then, they’ve approached their work with the same focus as experienced marketing professionals. They take time to understand their clients’ goals, their challenges and how a stronger online presence can grow their business.
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“In this generation, if your business isn’t online, you’re not really in business,” Dharm said. “Owners are busy running their companies. They don’t always have time to market them too.”
Much of what they’ve learned has been self-taught. The two can walk clients through search engine optimization, website hosting and brand development.
“There’s no other way to learn it besides trying and failing a couple times,” Tony said.
Dharm continues to seek advice from Springfield High School business teacher Van Stickney, who taught him in the school’s new Entrepreneurship and Marketing courses offered through the district’s Career Pathways program.
Running their own company has already taught them lessons most students don’t encounter until years later: managing schedules, making cold calls and building professional relationships.
“The more people you meet and treat with respect,” Tony said. “It really gets you places – especially in a town like Springfield.”
Support from the local business community has helped them grow. Their first client even offered advice about running a company.
For now, Dharm and Tony are focused on learning, improving and building their client base.
But they’re already doing something many aspiring entrepreneurs only talk about.
They started.