America has often been referred to as the “land of opportunity” around the world. Historically, the American Dream has favored the young and ambitious, such as business magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who dove into business at age 16.
Young entrepreneurs like Zach Ramsay and Bryan Lopez are keeping the American dream alive in Macon County by devoting themselves to creating sustainable and successful businesses. Ramsay, 17, and Lopez, 21, both own and operate thriving businesses in Franklin.
In April 2024, Ramsay decided to start his company, Ramsay Window Cleaning. Initially, he saw opportunity through his job in a grocery store. “I would see thousands of dollars go through my line. I thought, why can’t I funnel that [money] into my own business,” said Ramsay. After having an epiphany, Ramsay began to do what any Gen Z entrepreneur would, search through YouTube Shorts.
On the platform, Ramsay found Adam Chapman, who is known as “The Home Service King.” Chapman teaches people how to create service-based businesses. Ramsay gravitated toward window servicing.
Initially, Ramsay bought $50 worth of basic window cleaning tools and began marketing his service.
Although Ramsay is not a traditional high school student, being homeschooled has given him time and freedom to build his enterprise. “That’s not to say that a public student couldn’t do the same,” said Ramsay.
His first client was Ruby City Gems. Building on that initial success, he pitched to every storefront in Franklin, Bryson City, Highlands, and Clayton, Ga. Quickly, Ramsay began to delve into residential servicing, going from door to door in order to build his name and clientele.
A salesman is only as good as his sales pitch, so Ramsay started to develop his. Having a background in martial arts, Ramsay began to add flair to his pitch and even performed for customers.
“Sometimes I do a backflip … to bring joy to the lives of my customers. I go in with the mindset that I’ve been your family friend for 20 years and you’ve known no different,” said Ramsay.
Stepping into people’s homes is not taken lightly. Ramsay sees his business as an opportunity to love people and to prove that through the quality of his work and professionalism. “I have had clients invite me in for dinner … there is a reason why that trust is there,” said Ramsay.
In one year, Ramsay has built a successful window cleaning business, serving more than 200 clients. Ramsay Window Cleaning services 20 businesses on a monthly basis and other residential clients biannually. Ramsay was featured on the cover of the April 2025 edition of American Window Cleaner Magazine. He has several part-time employees and a company van. To stay ahead of the competition, Ramsay reinvests in his business by buying the best and newest technologies in the window cleaning industry. He also invests in his employees, providing them with a skill in a trade that they can be successful in themselves. Ramsay encourages his employees to adopt the entrepreneurial mindset and aspire to go into business for themselves if they so choose.
If you would like to “add a touch of class to your view” [his business motto], visit www.ramsaywindowcleaning. com or call (828)332-9522.
Filling a niche
Entrepreneur Bryan Lopez has owned and operated many startup businesses after graduating high school, in areas such as landscaping, dropshipping and social media. Lopez started Estate Productions, a real estate media company, eight months ago in Franklin. Estate Productions helps real estate agents market their properties by providing photography and videography to advertise properties on Zillow and other real estate platforms.
Lopez started Estate Productions in 2024 during a pivotal time of his life. He had only $500 to his name, so he put down a deposit on an apartment and began strategizing how to lift himself out of his financial situation.
“I had a blanket on the floor with a pillow… I was thinking I have to make $1,000 to pay rent; how am I going to make it?” said Lopez. He began scrolling on Instagram, where he found a short by Eli Jones, who educates people on how to make money as a real estate photographer. Lopez researched further. Fortunately, he had a Sony vlogging camera from high school and began messaging and cold-calling real estate agents in the area. By the end of Lopez’s first month, he had photographed 30 properties for free and began building a clientele. In the last week of that month, he gained paying clients and was able to pay his rent.
Estate Productions has grown to two full-time employees and is looking to expand. Technologies like drones, higher-quality cameras, and editing computers have been added to the company’s toolkit to provide clients with a better product and to increase revenue. Estate Productions has served 101 real estate agents in the Western North Carolina area and expects to grow that number in the coming year.
Lopez said, “The most rewarding part [of his job] isn’t the photography… At the end of the day, these homes are people’s livelihood. They are going to see their kids take their first steps, cook home-cooked meals, and dad’s going to work in the shop.”
Lopez shared advice for young entrepreneurs.
“Whatever decision you make when it comes to entrepreneurship, make the one that you choose and don’t change it because you think people are going to laugh at you.”
Lopez can be reached at [email protected] or by calling (850)714-1977.