College student runs own business for summer job

Yearout looking for experience with Student Painters program

COLUMBIA BASIN - A Moses Lake native is gathering workers and clients for a job she plans to hold during the summer.

Morgan Yearout, currently a freshman at Washington State University, is starting a business.

"It's an entrepreneurial opportunity with Studentpainters.net," she explained. "I found a flier on my chair in my environmental science class."

The flier asked Yearout if she had dreams and aspirations of one day opening her own business. She attended the free information seminar, filled out an application and went through the interview process.

Yearout is giving people free, no-obligation estimates on paint jobs they might need during the summer.

"We do staining and just exterior painting," she said. "The paint jobs we're offering, we'll do it for aesthetic purposes, just to change color, but another reason is because houses need paint jobs. They require paint jobs usually every three to five years, depending, because paint gets old, the heat gets to it, it blisters and there's water damage. The paint chips off, and then it leaves raw wood to be exposed to the weather, which can lead to bigger and deeper issues."

Sherwin-Williams will be the company's paint supplier.

The job is not connected to the university.

"It's my own student internship opportunity," Yearout said.

Yearout has already gone through training and begun writing estimates. Production begins in mid-May, when she is released from school for summer vacation.

When the summer is over, Yearout's goal is to have generated $55,000.

"With this business, we have a two-year guarantee on all paint jobs," she said. "We ensure all labor, materials and paint is all covered and if for any reason the paint fails, we'll come out and do the job for them all over again."

If something happens after Yearout is back in school, the Student Painters program, based in Seattle, will send someone to do the job, Yearout explained.

Yearout grew up in Moses Lake for the majority of her life, save for time away during the seventh through the 11th grades. She graduated from Moses Lake High School in June 2007.

"My mom was born and raised here, and my grandma owns a business here, so I have lots of family here," she said.

At WSU, Yearout hopes to study hospitality business management and one day own her own hotel.

"This is just an opportunity for me to manage money and ensure quality to my customers," she said. "I love working with people and I've done similar tasks."

Yearout said she also has experience working as media coordinator at the Gorge Amphitheater.

"It's just mainly learning to manage my own business and be able to get workers willing to work for you, and feel like they have responsibility to make you happy," she said.

The estimate work continues into the production season, although Yearout would prefer to have jobs lined up before then.

"My summer's from mid-May until the middle of August," she explained. "It's just a summer job, because house painting, you can only do during certain weather conditions and usually the fall is when you're done because the weather gets too severe."

Yearout planned to begin the hiring process this week during her spring break, and said the hiring process would continue. She expected to hire three to four people.

"They have to be 18 or older, and they have to be able to start production in the middle of May," she said.

Yearout wants to ensure quality to her customers.

"I really just want to gain experience in running my own business," she said. "That's the main objective, definitely, is to gain experience."

For more information, contact Yearout at 509-793-4480 or access the program Web site at www.studentpainters.net.