By Dan Miller, Today’s Family Editor

I live in a two-story colonial and quickly learned one frustrating lesson after moving in: upper windows are not easy to clean.

The lower windows were simple enough, but the top sashes of the upstairs windows do not tilt in. The only way to clean them was from the outside with an extension pole, mop and squeegee. The pole was clunky, the process awkward and the results worse than the windows I was trying to clean.

Then, while I was cutting the grass one afternoon, two young men approached me. I had already seen them cleaning windows across the street, so I had a pretty good idea why they were there. At first, I wasn’t especially interested. But their friendly, professional approach disarmed me within a minute.

We walked around the house, they explained their service and gave me a price that seemed reasonable. Remembering my streak-covered upstairs windows, I decided to give them a shot.

As they were leaving, I realized they seemed even younger than I first thought. It turned out they were heading into their senior year of high school.

Meet James Harman (University School) and Sullivan Knaack (Bay Village High School), owners of Aquashine Window Cleaning LLC.

What began as a simple service idea has grown into a real business with professional equipment, employees, repeat customers and six figures in revenue.

James first came up with the idea during the summer of 2024. He wanted to start his own business and was looking for a service he could realistically offer as a high school student.

“I decided to try window cleaning and started by doing a few jobs for family and friends,” James says. “Once I saw that there was potential, I brought my friend Sullivan Knaack into the business. From there, we started going door-to-door together to find customers and grow Aquashine.”

Window cleaning made sense. It did not require a huge amount of startup money, it was a skill they could learn and improve, and nearly every homeowner was a potential customer.

The first version of Aquashine was basic. Once Sullivan joined him, the two began knocking on doors, selling jobs and doing the work themselves with mops, squeegees, buckets, towels and extension poles.

Door-to-door sales were uncomfortable at first.

“Knocking on a stranger’s door and asking them to pay for our service was completely different,” James says. “We heard plenty of no’s, but we kept going.”

With repetition, James became more comfortable talking to people, answering questions and handling rejection. Sales eventually became one of his favorite parts of running the business.

“I learned that selling isn’t really about memorizing a perfect script,” he says. “It’s about listening to what someone is saying, understanding why they might be hesitant, and being able to respond confidently without being pushy.”

As the customer base grew, so did the company’s ambitions. The boys reinvested thousands of dollars into professional water-fed poles and an RO/DI purified-water system. The system removes minerals and impurities that would otherwise leave spots behind, allowing exterior windows to air-dry without streaking. For interior windows, they use professional mops, squeegees and microfiber towels.

The investment allowed Aquashine to work faster and take on more jobs. But both James and Sullivan say homeowners judge a business by more than the final shine on the glass.

“We learned that professionalism is about much more than just whether the glass is clean,” Sullivan says. “Showing up when you say you will, communicating with the homeowner, taking care around their property, wearing professional clothing, keeping equipment organized and checking your work all affect how a customer views the company.”

That lesson became even more important as Aquashine expanded beyond the two friends doing every job themselves. The company has hired other high school students, including several of James’ friends from school, to complete jobs on both the east and west sides of Cleveland.

Managing friends has been one of James’ biggest learning experiences.

“Working with friends can be fun, but once you’re paying someone to represent your company, you also have to hold them accountable,” he says. “I’ve had to learn how to clearly explain what I expect, train people properly and give feedback when something isn’t being done correctly.”

The business also required adults to take them seriously, which was not automatic.

“At first, some people definitely saw us as high school students trying to make some summer money rather than as an actual company,” James says. “We had to prove ourselves through the quality of our work.”

Professional equipment, organized communication, uniforms and customer referrals helped establish credibility. Aquashine now has repeat customers and a 5-star rating on Google.

James says the business idea came before his involvement with University School’s Young Entrepreneur Institute, but the program has helped him think more deeply about entrepreneurship, leadership and growth.

Ilene Frankel, executive director of the Young Entrepreneur Institute, says Aquashine stood out because it went beyond the typical student business, requiring “direct selling, specialized equipment and multiple years of continuity.”

“Being an entrepreneur and being the boss are serious jobs,” Frankel says. “James and Sullivan are responsible for customer acquisition, payroll, cash flow, operations, marketing and equipment. That’s significantly more than a typical summer job.”

As they enter senior year, James and Sullivan plan to slow the business during the school year and focus on academics and other responsibilities. But they also have larger goals for Aquashine, including purchasing company trucks, strengthening their online presence, investing in online advertising and adding exterior cleaning services such as pressure washing.

Whether Aquashine continues long-term or becomes the foundation for something else, both students say the experience has already changed how they think.

“Start before you feel completely ready,” James says. “You’re going to make mistakes, but you learn much faster by actually doing something than by waiting until you have the perfect idea or perfect plan.”

Sullivan offers similar advice.

“Don’t overcomplicate the beginning,” he says. “Find something people actually need, figure out a way to provide it, and start asking people if they want it.”

Not bad advice from two high school students who walked across a lawn, made a pitch and left behind cleaner windows — and a much bigger story than expected.