At 16, Hudson Lightfoot is balancing high school with a business he started when he was just 13.
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he → balance → business
What began as a simple window-cleaning operation in Orillia has since grown into Marchmont Window Cleaning, a student-owned business serving customers across the area.
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began → begin → area
According to OrilliaMatters, Lightfoot has built a client base of 125 customers, hired his first employees and received a $3,000 grant through Ontario’s Summer Company programme.
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Lightfoot → accord → programme
Marchmont Window Cleaning's website describes the company as a student-owned, locally operated business established in 2023.
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website → describe → 2023
From a bucket and squeegee to a growing business
Lightfoot told OrilliaMatters that he started the business at 13 with a bucket and squeegee.
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he → grow → bucket
At the time, the operation was a small venture run by a teenager looking to earn money while learning how to manage a business.
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operation → run → business
He reinvested his first summer's earnings into the company.
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He → reinveste → company
OrilliaMatters reports that Lightfoot used the money to purchase a water-purification hose system, allowing him to clean windows as high as four storeys without relying on traditional ladder work.
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him → report → work
The system also became part of the business's environmental approach.
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system → become → approach
Lightfoot told OrilliaMatters that the system uses water rather than harsh chemicals or soaps.
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system → tell → chemicals
Marchmont Window Cleaning's website similarly describes its water-fed pole system as using purified water without chemical cleaning agents.
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website → describe → agents
The company's website now lists several services beyond window cleaning, including interior and exterior window cleaning, gutter cleaning, gutter brightening, siding soft washing and hard-water stain removal.
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website → list → cleaning
It says the business serves Orillia and communities across Simcoe County and Muskoka.
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business → say → County
125 clients and the first employees
The business did not remain a one-person operation.
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business → remain → ?
OrilliaMatters reports that Lightfoot's client base has grown from zero to 125, with many customers returning for additional services.
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customers → report → services
In his own LinkedIn posts, Lightfoot has described learning about sales, customer service, pricing and operations through the business.
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Lightfoot → describe → business
He has also written about the transition from working alone to becoming responsible for other people's work.
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He → write → work
“I hired my first employees this summer,” Lightfoot told OrilliaMatters.
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Lightfoot → hire → OrilliaMatters
He added that the community had been supportive of the business.
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community → add → business
His LinkedIn profile also describes the same change, saying that the business moved from being “just me and a squeegee” to having employees.
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business → describe → employees
He wrote that hiring made training and systems more important as the company expanded.
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company → write → ?
A $3,000 grant helped him expand
Another step came through Ontario's Summer Company programme.
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step → help → programme
OrilliaMatters reports that Lightfoot received a $3,000 grant this summer through the Summer Company Program administered locally through the Small Business Centre of Barrie, Simcoe County and Orillia.
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Lightfoot → report → Barrie
The provincial programme provides eligible student entrepreneurs with financial support and business guidance.
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programme → provide → support
Ontario's official programme information says successful applicants can receive up to $3,000, with the money divided between start-up support and completion of programme requirements.
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money → say → requirements
Lightfoot told OrilliaMatters that he used the grant to register and insure the business, buy marketing materials and purchase additional equipment.
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he → tell → equipment
Those investments allowed him to expand the operation and bring in his first employees.
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him → allow → employees
His LinkedIn profile also identifies him as a 2026 Summer Company Grant Recipient and lists the Government of Ontario among his honours and awards.
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profile → identify → honours
Learning business while still in school
Running a company has also meant learning skills that do not necessarily come from a classroom.
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that → learn → classroom
On LinkedIn, Lightfoot describes Marchmont Window Cleaning as a place where he is learning about sales, operations, hiring, pricing and customer service.
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he → describe → sales
He has also taught himself coding.
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He → teach → coding
He initially created a free website for the business before learning coding to build a more advanced website and create an app for the company.
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He → create → company
Marchmont Window Cleaning's website reflects that development.
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website → reflect → development
It presents the business as a student-owned service company, offers online quote requests and promotes several cleaning services throughout the region.
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It → present → region
OrilliaMatters reports that he is also a competitive freestyle skier and certified coach during the winter.
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he → report → winter
His LinkedIn profile likewise lists competitive skiing among his activities.
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profile → list → activities
A teenage business built one customer at a time
Lightfoot's story began with basic equipment and a teenager willing to knock on doors to find customers.
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story → build → customers
Three years later, Marchmont Window Cleaning has grown to 125 clients, added employees and expanded its range of services.
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Cleaning → grow → services
What started with a bucket and squeegee has therefore become more than a summer job.
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started → start → job
It has given Lightfoot experience with customers, equipment, marketing, technology and managing a team, all while he continues his education.
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he → give → education
The Aporia
