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Bradfordville Bugle

Getting that squeaky-clean shine: A Knightly Shine business started by teen, becomes a family project

Sep 07, 2022 03:57PM ● By De'Amber Lowe

“One man’s trash can be another man’s treasure.”

One local family decided to make a business out of something unique; that business is “A Knightly Shine” - a revolutionary entrepreneurial concept that is focused around cleaning out trash bins.

A Knightly Shine is a black and family-owned business that is growing day by day.

A Knightly Shine idea started back in 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the height of the lockdowns and closures around the pandemic, teenager Kimberly Knight asked her parents to buy a new video game for her.

While the game itself wasn’t a problem, Kimberly’s parents wanted her to put forth her own effort to buy her game, rather than ask her parents to buy it for her.

Kimberly’s mom, Brandi Knight, joked with her daughter, telling her that she needed to invest in  her own interests by getting a job.

While on a walk around their neighborhood, Kimberly brainstormed ways to make money as a teen - and the sight of seeing her neighbor’s trash bins brought an idea to life.

Kimberly came up with the idea to clean out neighbor’s trash bins to fund the purchase of her new video game.


The Knight Family run a family business that turns one man's trash cans into their own treasure. Started by the family's daughter, Kimberly Knight, the business began as a teenager's goal of making spending money, and has since bloomed into a full-time gig with over 100 clients across multiple counties.

 

After doing a few trash bins and seeing how successful this potential business could be, the whole family came up with the brilliant idea of furthering the business.

At first, Kimberly was washing trash bins with her dad’s pressure washer, but when it broke, Kimberly’s parents realized there is equipment that is meant to be used to professionally clean the bins.

It was cheaper than a new pressure washer, and would give Kimberly’s business a more professional appearance.

“When I saw my family was actually serious, I let my husband and daughter come up with the name and logo [for their business],” said Brandi Knight.

Kimberly and her dad, Ray Knight decided to keep the name of the fledgling business family oriented; they took their last name and played off it, producing “A Knightly Shine.”

After coming up with the name, they thought about making the logo.

They wanted the logo to involve the name and the product at hand; they came up with the idea of a sparkling-clean trash can dressed as a knight.

In November 2021, the family purchased their first trailer for professionally cleaning bins, and started to widen their customer base in the following month.

In January 2022, the new business celebrated its first grand opening.

A Knightly Shine is currently serving the Tallahassee area, and looking into creating a route to serve the areas of Quincy and Havana.

The successful family’s business takes on two trash bins per house, and offers neighborhood specials.

The family is looking to expand their business by adding on more fleet trucks and offering jobs to ex- convicts by the end of the year.

So far, the company has 156 clients that have monthly subscriptions, and have served additional 25 clients since January.

“We are looking to take on new clients, and the community can feel free to contact us for more information,” said Brandi Knight.

A Knightly Shine can be found via social media on Facebook and Instagram.

The business' website is aknightlyshine.com and can be reached via phone at (850) 583-7231.