Magazine /May 2018 23
My relationship with my girlfriend Heather, now my wife, was becoming strained. We saw each other in passing and short time on the weekends. By this time I was making really good money and probably would earned 90k that year. I was stretched thin and looking for a way out.
During the summer of 2015, I started my business mid-season and haven’t looked back ever since. I have no safety net or backup plan. It’s lawn care and landscaping or bust! During my first season I didn’t have any idea what I was doing and it showed. I bought a Husqvarna garden tractor and 2 push mowers. I quoted my first yard at $35 and it took me 4 hours to complete. It didn’t help that the grass was a foot and a half tall, but I didn’t know any better. This customer also had 4 dogs and never cleaned up after them. Anyone else been there?
After watching hundreds of hours of videos, reading for hours on end, and trimming and cutting miles of grass I have finally come to a point where I am very comfortable with my own skills. I have learned some very important lessons along this journey that I hope will help someone or re-energize anyone reading this. First and foremost my company is based upon quality of work instead of number of customers. I have a vision of using every project to propel my company to the next level. I have narrowed my services to weekly cutting, mulch installation with re-edge service, and trimming of shrubs hedges and bushes. We also offer spring and fall cleanups. We have developed our niche and stick very close to that in order to fine tune our process and procedures.
We have developed close relationships with other companies and suppliers. We have also hired 2 full time helpers from a vo-tech landscape program that we are fortunate enough to have 3 miles from our house. Up until the start of this year I really was a solo operator, hiring sparingly to complete the occasional mulch installation. This year is really a turning point in our business. Since the start of the season we have been completing mulch estimates and have booked into the end of next month. We were fortunate enough to be able to purchase a new Exmark Vantage 52 stander mower, a dump insert, and a brand new 2017 Chevrolet 2500 Silverado. These pieces of equipment along with scheduling weekly cutting and mulch projects correctly has allowed us to transition from one side of our business to the other in a rapid fashion. Also saving time at our local supplier dump site has been wonderful.
All of my success is made possible with the support and help of my awesome wife, Heather! At one time she thought I was crazy for wanting to cut grass for a living. We moved to a growing area, giving me the opportunity to serve a more affluent clientele. It’s all coming together. I love to make a customer’s property look great and the feeling of accomplishment when I provide a quality service for a fair price.