As students go through their high school years, getting a job becomes more of a necessity. Although finding employment may be difficult for some, others have the accessibility of their own family-run business.

“The company has been around for 17 years, and the gym itself has been around for about six and a half years,” junior Joey Imperato, whose family owns IMP Fitness Gym, said. “It’s really cool helping run the business because you meet a ton of new people and make new friends.”

IMP Fitness, which is located on Willard Road, has been a favorite of the community for many years. The gym has provided multiple Chantilly students with jobs. Similarly to Imperato, sophomore Nicholas Zampiello is a part of a family-run business, Zampiello Paint Company, which has operated in the community for 25 years.

“When I was younger, I would help out, just doing the simple stuff like [filing] folders. I also help out with the payroll,” Zampiello said. “It’s kind of cool learning how the family business works and how [to work] with other people.”

Although Imperato and Zampiello have businesses that have been in the family for many years, there are some students who have started small businesses themselves. Senior Daniel Mitchell and his brother, junior Caleb Mitchell, started their own landscaping business about five years ago.

“We started the business because we wanted an opportunity to make money, but also have the flexibility to do it in a way that allowed us to be our own bosses,” Daniel Mitchell said.

Although this seems like a lot of work, the Mitchell brothers strive to make the business the best it can be.

“One of the biggest benefits is that we get to make our own hours for when we work. If we don’t want to work on a certain afternoon, we don’t have to, because we are in charge of the business,” Daniel Mitchell said. “That being said, one of the biggest drawbacks is that to be successful we have to pour a lot of time into the business.”

Even though having a job can take up a significant amount of time, there are many educational benefits.

“[Having a job] helps a lot with responsibility and learning what I need to do for when I get a job [out of college],” Zampiello said. “It teaches me what skills I need and what I need to bring to the table.”