Teen-Run Business Focuses On Outdoor Jobs Amid Coronavirus

MCLEAN, VA — As winter and the holiday season comes up, a McLean-based business putting teens to work continues to focus on outdoor jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

TaskTeens, a spinoff of TeenServ created by McLean High School student Jack Lannin, connects teenagers that can perform yard work for homeowners.

The most common jobs completed are lawn mowing, weeding and mulching, but the teens for hire can do other odd jobs outside the home. Should snow affect the region, snow shoveling is another task teens are available to perform. Teens are not doing indoor jobs as a precaution due to the pandemic.

"We've received a great and enthusiastic response," Lannin told Patch about the recent success of TaskTeens. "We're able to give a lot of teenagers the opportunity to work."

Homeowners have the option of setting their level of contact with the hired teen, from contact-free work to communicating with the teen on site. TaskTeens sets prices for its commonly-completed jobs, while homeowners can set the times, frequency and other details of the job. Lannin says the pandemic-era safety is built into the system, as homeowners can handle payment and other details electronically.

If homeowners aren't completely satisfied with a job, they will get a refund and get the job completed by another team.

Lannin touts TaskTeens as an opportunity for residents to give back to local teens and give them a chance to earn money. He knows a lot of teens have been put out of work, and more teenagers have been able to do jobs compared to pre-pandemic times. To date, over 250 teens are signed up, and around half of them have accepted at least one job so far.

"If you have yard work or chores, who better to hire than a teen?" Lannin said.

Currently, the TaskTeens market is largely in McLean but is experiencing growth in Falls Church, Fairfax and Arlington. Teens could be available to take jobs in Northern Virginia as far as places like Ashburn and Woodbridge.

For more information, visit www.taskteens.com.