Mean Green DFW a - Started with $500 in 2007 [Archive] - LawnSite.com™

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mikewhit1010

03-25-2009, 02:54 PM

My name is Michael and I own Mean Green Lawn and Landscape in Dallas Fort Worth.

I have been on here for a while and I might have posted an about us but I figured I would let everyone know with an update.

I have a full time job and run crews during the day. I have had this business for 2 years (this being the second season) but I have been cutting grass for a number of years before. My twin brother ran Mean Green for a while and then sold it. I got into it because I was not happy with my current job (no sense of accomplishment) and I was in debt big time. I started Mean Green OCT 5 2007 with $500. I purchased a Toro lawn mower (Home Depot), Homelite blower, edger and trimmer. I put all the stuff in the back of the Yukon. All the Homelite stuff broke in 2 weeks. I picked up a few lawns which gave me a little cash to keep replacing homelite equipment with more homelite equipment. Then I picked up a property manager and he gave me 15 accounts. I bought a 1992 S-10 with 200K miles and loaded up everything in the back. I bought another Toro and my brother gave me an echo straight shaft. From there I kept adding lawns and upgrading equipment. I added a full time guy in Feb 2008 and then kept adding people as needed. A lot has happened since Oct 5 2007 but here is where I am now.

Dodge Ram
Big tex 16ft trailer
Zero Turn Exmark 48"
34" Zero Turn
36" walkbehind
3 Honda Commercials - Just sold 4 Toro commercials
1 Snapper commercial
4 stihl weed eaters
1 stihl chainsaw
2 echo blowers
1 Redmax back back blower
2 Randome chain saws
2 echo hedge trimmers
3 echo trimmers
Misc other stuff.

50 Residential accounts on schedule
150 acres managed for energy company
about 2 landscape or tree jobs a week
100 clients typically during the summer
3 Full time employees - 1 that stays full time threw the winter

I still have everything that I started with to remind me of were I came from. I have been very lucky but I owe a lot of success to a few things.

Reinvesting - not being afraid to spend what I made
Working long hours
Not low balling, but not giving jobs away to low ballers if there was still profit
Not giving up
Sleepless nights
My brother
My new girlfriend who supports what I do
The fact that I spend the time to learn everything I can about this industry
Lawnsite - cheezy I know but you can gain a lot of knowledge on here
My full time job floating my bills while I build Mean Green

So this is a success story during the time where the economy started tanking. If you do good work, surround yourself with good people, and never give up you will do well.

Here is some of my equipment. I will post more later.

www.meangreenlawncare.com

jasonk

03-25-2009, 11:07 PM

you have done a great job so far .i admire your attitude.i have moved to cedar creek lake tx. with my business.hope you do well .......lake shore lawn property maintenance

stidrvr

03-26-2009, 01:41 AM

DaughtryLC

03-26-2009, 01:56 AM

Good Job! AND Good Luck!! Nice to see a Success story!!

mikewhit1010

03-26-2009, 08:47 AM

Very inspiring story. I too am in the same boat as you were. Quit a bit of personnal debt. Although I do have a very good job with good pay, it to is somewhat, well its a job. I plan to use my current job to finance my buisness. I do plan to stay strictly solo though. Congrats on your success.

Whats your opinion of the honda commercials? I am somewhat of a Honda fanboy when it comes to outdoor power equipment. I currently have a HRX-217 versa mow home owner model that I use for trimming. I like it, but it is no way up for commercial use.

Thanks guys for your kind words. I figured with the way the economy is going I wanted to let everyone know of some good.

As far as the honda mowers. I love them. The Toros have more expensive parts so when they did go down they where more frustrating to fix. It seemed like the gears always got locked up or broke. Maybe I was doing something wrong but it was happening to a crew that works in the same area as me as well. I heard that the 2008 models had poorly built transmissions and gears. With the hondas I feel they are more secure. The bag is easier to load and off load. The mowers have two blades so I dont feel them bogging down as much and in my opinion burn a lot less gas. Personally my favorite push mower is a John Deere JX75 but thats old school.

So good luck to everyone. I had a client yesterday not choose me because my price was to low. I bid a property at $50(weekly service from now until november) for a normal lot and for us to maintain the weeds in the beds (beds were in really good shape and wouldnt take much to keep them there). I didnt put her on a contract and the bid was between me and one other company. The other company bid I believe $80+ per visit and put them on contract. I asked why I didnt receive the bid. She said it was due to lack of experience. I thought to myself that her lawn guy now killed her bushes because he didnt know how to prune them, they are needing there front lawn resodded and I answered why there trees were looking sick and no one else could tell why. There prior lawn guy has been in business 20+ years. So my 8 years are way more valuable. I feel she didnt choose me because of my age. I am 24 years old. Oh well. Have a good rest of your week guys.