Small businesses and community organizations face a tough choice when they need help with technology. Website builders like Wix and Squarespace promise easy solutions. Off-the-shelf software claims to handle everything. AI tools offer to solve problems with minimal input.
But these solutions share a fundamental problem: they force you to adapt your business to fit their tools, rather than building tools that fit your business. You lose flexibility and control. Generic templates and rigid features limit what you can do. Support is often unhelpful or nonexistent when you hit real problems. And without someone who understands your specific needs and has deep expertise to guide you, you end up making bad decisions - websites that look unprofessional, software workflows that don't match how you actually work, or AI-generated content that misses the mark. Or, at the more extreme end, you end up spending money on a website that just flat out doesn't work.
The Local Advantage
Bringing in an actual person - even a technologically-inclined high school student - can make a huge difference. When you hire local tech talent, you're getting someone who understands your community and your unique needs. They'll offer advice based on experience, support you as you grow, and have a genuine interest in your success because you're an actual person to them, not the 7th support ticket from the 7th client they've talked to that day.
I got my start this way as a middle schooler. I started doing a little IT support in middle school, and by high school, I had several clients in town and a part-time job at a computer repair shop. And 20 years later, I'm still maintaining a kitschy little website for a couple back home that breeds cocker spaniels.
What About Experience?
Most high schoolers don't have years of professional experience - that's obvious. But with the right guidance, enthusiastic young people who are eager to learn and prove themselves can often outperform candidates with years of experience who are complacent and set in their ways - or who just jumped on the tech bandwagon looking for an easy paycheck. I've interviewed candidates with masters degrees from reasonable institutions who were less capable than some of the high schoolers I've worked with.
The key is pairing them with proper mentorship. At Sledgehammer Infosystems, when I have opportunities, I bring in enthusiastic young people to help with projects. They get real-world experience and guidance, you get high-quality work at reasonable rates, and everyone benefits from working with someone who genuinely cares about your success.
Consider Local Tech Help
If you're looking for help with your website or custom software needs, consider hiring somebody local - even a high schooler with strong tech skills. You might be surprised at the quality of work they can produce when properly supported. Plus, you'll be supporting someone in your community who is eager to learn and grow.
Or if you don't want to take that on yourself, reach out to a local tech business that invests in young people in your community. You'll get professional oversight combined with enthusiastic talent, often at better rates than faceless corporations, with service that actually understands your needs.
Get in touch if you'd like to discuss how we can help with your tech needs - or if you're interested in investing in local tech talent development.