lawn4rlife
01-10-2012, 04:16 PM
I started in may 2010 with two 10 year old push mowers that my wifes grandpa gave me. I tuned them and used them for a couple of week and sold them. Craigslist.org became my best friend that summer. I started looking for a push mower that i could use commercial or some thing with good power for consitant on and off usage. I found a guy that was trying to sell a 6.75hp 21"troybilt push mower with a bagger. Soon after finding that mower on craigslist i message him and ask him if he would trade my mowering service for the mower. We agree to 5 mows and the mower was mine. Thats when i started to grow my equipment. I then saved enough money to purchase a cheap trimmer and again my wife grandpa gave me another machine a weedeater brand blower. At this point in i had trade my paid off honda prelude for a truck. First truck was a ford f150 4.2V6 2wd regular cab. Later on in the year, i ended up getting another push mower that same way i got the first one and my wife grandpa let me barrow his utility trailer. So, most of what i have for equipment is paid off as you can see. The only expenses i had was a trimmer and payments on my truck. I later bought a used residentail 42" troy bilt riding mower. That was all my equipment i had all year last year wich worked from May-Oct 2010. I did buy a my echo trimmer last year because i wanted something nicer in a trimmer. All my advertisment has been on craigslist and i was able to get 35 regular client that had me mower every two weeks and had my 6 phone calls a week on one time mow. I finished the year making $11,000 with my small operation just mowing. When 2011 came i step it up a level and got a business facebook like page, a google business website, and started to use html code to put pictures in my craigslist ads. All my advertisment has been free from the start. I did buy business card and magnet for my truck. With me being able to get mowing jobs in march of this year i bought a trailer. In may i upgrade my truck to a 2011 toyota tundra 4.6v8 2wd double cab. People were calling me all summer that in august of this year i was already thinking of upgrading my truck again to a 4x4 tundra. I bought a regular ariens zero turn to get familier with how they work this summer. After that i was hooked, i wanted to learn about more equipment. I then sold it and bought my first Gravley 36" commecial walk behind and bought a sulky for it. Love that thing! I upgrade my truck to a 2011 toyota 5.7V8 trd rock warrior 4X4...it had to happen because i got stuck in someone back yard doing some tree removal job and for towing because my business has triple to what i made last year. At this point i am still a solo operation and use parttime help some time, but it really rare. I plan to buy my equipment cash next year becuase i am unable to get finaincing for a new commercail mower. With my job i manage to pay rent, 2 car payment, car insurance and other little bills. My wife is a parttime student a U of A, and she watches my son.
My ultimate goal is to create a business that makes me money for my family even, after i retiring from working. The plan is an LLC, in the next couple of years. This coming year the plans are to possible get a full timer. Right now i am a solo operation with 90-100 client a month (M-Sat work days). I am base out of Bentonville, AR and go as far as 20 mile from my home.This coming year, i want to just keep growing and really don't have a number of what i want just want more clients. When i started i was a parttime student at a community college, but had to drop out with the unforeseen amount of phone calls. I started mowing just to make some money to pay a couple of bill and it turn in to a small business in a couple of month and now into 2 years working for myself.Also, at this time I don't want to hire to many people at once, so i want to hire as need basis til i can guarantee hours. As i have been able to get better, faster, and more powerful equipment, i have been able to do more jobs by myself. It's good to set dream and goal to accomplish things in life.
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My ultimate goal is to create a business that makes me money for my family even, after i retiring from working. The plan is an LLC, in the next couple of years. This coming year the plans are to possible get a full timer. Right now i am a solo operation with 90-100 client a month (M-Sat work days). I am base out of Bentonville, AR and go as far as 20 mile from my home.This coming year, i want to just keep growing and really don't have a number of what i want just want more clients. When i started i was a parttime student at a community college, but had to drop out with the unforeseen amount of phone calls. I started mowing just to make some money to pay a couple of bill and it turn in to a small business in a couple of month and now into 2 years working for myself.Also, at this time I don't want to hire to many people at once, so i want to hire as need basis til i can guarantee hours. As i have been able to get better, faster, and more powerful equipment, i have been able to do more jobs by myself. It's good to set dream and goal to accomplish things in life.
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