I started a side-hustle aged 9 selling my pet hens’ eggs for pocket money – now I run a multi-million-pound business | The Sun

A NIFTY nine-year-old who started selling his hens' eggs for pocket money is now running a multi-million-pound business empire.

Josh Murray first realised his pets had profit potential back in 2008 while he was still in primary school.

His family had just moved to an old pine plantation in Kerrie Valley in Victoria, Australia, when they found that the previous owner had left behind 40 hens.

The youngster, keen to earn some cash, managed to persuade his parents to keep the poultry – on the condition he took care of them.

The then-nine-year-old demonstrated his business acumen, bartering with mum Tamsyn so that he could reap the full rewards.

They eventually struck a deal that Josh would tend to the chickens and could sell their eggs.

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Tamsyn told aunews.com: "He looked after the chickens, he had to feed them, clean out the coup, the hens were his responsibility.

"He started selling to neighbours but we only had three."

The money-hungry pre-teen realised his lack of clientele was hindering his business plan with his pets.

Josh soon branched out to local shops and a farmer's market, slowly but surely expanding his client base and raking in around £8,500.

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His mother quickly realised her son's side hustle had the potential to become a real money maker – marking the creation of his company, Josh's Rainbow Eggs.

The family threw all their resources into the free-range egg business and dedicated their entire farm to rearing their beloved hens.

By 2012, the Murray brood had taken on their first worker to help collect eggs from their ever-expanding number of chickens.

The following year, Josh had 2,000 hens to take care of on his family farm – which exploded to a whopping 10,000 in 2015.

And as his business grew, so did his workload, seeing the then 13-year-old hire eight full-time employees.

Josh even had to splash out on a later 250-acre farm in Monegeetta to ensure his birds had enough space to roam free.

He added: "It is very different from the forested hills we live among. It is easier to have hens here as they have so much space to forage in.

"The flocks are small, the hens are less stressed and can come and go from the shed easily. It is a place for them to sleep and to lay an egg."

EGG-CELLENT WORK

The determined teenager decided he wanted to expand his horizons even further in 2015 and wanted a spot in a supermarket.

Josh penned a heartfelt letter to Aussie chain Coles convincing them to take on his product – and he and his mum were invited to their Melbourne office later that day.

The savvy schoolboy also approached Woolworths to strike an egg-cellent deal, who jumped at the chance to worth with him.

Josh's Rainbow Eggs are also sold in IGA and LaManna Supermarket, as well as Foodworks for around £5 per dozen.

In the last financial year, the firm made nearly £3million in annual turnover and sell their product in almost 100 stories across Victoria.

Now at the age of 21, Josh is running a successful egg empire alongside his loved ones while studying business majoring in marketing.

Tasmyn proudly added: "When tens of thousands eat your eggs every week, that's a lot of people."

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Josh also earned the Victorian Young Achiever Award for Environmental Sustainability in 2019 thanks to his admirable business model.

A 3KW off-grid solar system provides the power while he maintains a specific focus on the wellbeing of his hens.

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