Published: March 18, 2009 10:01 am      

ZCHS student brings a new era to Entrepreneurship

When 18-year-old Matthew Kelly is not focusing on school work, he is busy running two successful businesses.

Kelly, now a senior at Zionsville Community High School, and classmate Zack Owens, partnered on a school project in a computer class two years ago where they created a web site for a guidance counselor. After completing the project, Kelly and Owens decided to continue to build web site which snowballed into eagleenvision.net, a web site design and technical support business.

Since then, the boys have designed web sites for local businesses, both profit and non-profit organizations, and even Zionsville Town Council members.

But that’s not all.

Kelly worked for a reputable local landscaping business in town. When the business closed, he bought machinery to start his own custom lawn and landscape business in January 2008. His second business, Matthew Kelly Inc., is a custom lawn and landscape business that offers mulching, fertilizing, mowing, and snowplowing. The company has even designed patios and courtyards in the Zionsville area.

“I never thought I would be where I am today,” he said. “It’s just all kind of come at once. My ultimate goal in life is to make a living by enjoying what I do- which truly is Entrepreneurship. I want to spend my life doing what I love, excited to wake up each day to face new challenges. I plan to found businesses, buy businesses, and sell businesses- thus officially obtaining the title: Serial Entrepreneur.”

From Kelly’s experiences with owning his own businesses, he has learned how to network, work with clients, how to stay organized, multi-task, and most importantly; professionalism.

“The hardest part is trying to be separated from just being a high school student,” Kelly said. “Because I am in high school, people think our prices will be less.”

Throughout high school, Kelly took almost all of the business classes ZCHS offers. Kyle Park, a ZCHS business teacher, has been one of the teacher’s that Kelly says has taught him most of what he knows about being an entrepreneur.

“(Kelly) is an extremely hard worker and deserves all that he has accomplished,” Park said. “He has led his class with his business ideas because he is a ‘go getter.’ You don’t find a lot of kids his age that have as much drive and initiative as he has.”

Because of his age he is often presented with many challenges including getting loans, applying for a business title for his vehicle, and credit cards because these require a person to be 18 and older. Because he was not old enough, his parents, Peggy and Richard Kelly, were able to assist him.

Peggy said she has supported Kelly’s decisions since the beginning.

“It’s amazing,” Peggy said. “We are very proud of his accomplishments. I am amazed that he has been able to juggle so many things such as school, his businesses, having a personal life, and having fun.”

Peggy said she always knew her son would make the best of whatever came his way but was surprised that at the age of 18, he was able to own and operate two successful businesses. She hopes Kelly continues on the path he is heading.

“Kelly has always had a strong love for his family, friends, and faith,” she said. “He is very focused. He is a very loving, fun, young adult and we are just very proud of him.”

Michael Hostetter, one of Kelly’s mentor’s is also a client of his. Kelly has provided Hostetter with lawn service and used his businesses technical support. When Hostetter met Kelly 18 months ago, he realized that Kelly had a knack for hard work and was a bright young man.

“He is truly an entrepreneur and for someone his age to already have two businesses is pretty remarkable,” he said. “Without question, I know (Kelly) will be successful in the future.”

Kelly plans to attend Ball State University this fall to study Entrepreneurship. He plans to continue operating his two businesses during and after he graduates from college. He is also working on a business plan for a third business, Envision Point, which would provide entrepreneurial educational materials to school corporations all over the country. He said he has reason to believe he could begin this company before he graduates from college.

Envision Point is the focus of his senior thesis in the Zionsville Multi-Disciplinary Program, offered at ZCHS. MIC, Multi-Disciplinary Inquiry Center, serves as his stepping stone from high school to college.

The MIC program promoted the concept of independent study into the high school environment, helping to encourage students to develop good time management and study skills while exploring an area of interest.

Kelly said this was the best decision he made through his high school career.

“I have been able to study something that I really have a passion for (Entrepreneurship) and achieve the state educational standards while doing so,” he said.