roboton
11-26-2003, 01:04 AM
So, I have been a Web Application developer for five years. Last year I decided to get the old Toro commercial Recycler 2 from my Dad and try to pick up a few odd mowing jobs here and there. My father had a landscape maintenance + window cleaning business that I worked at all through high school and some of college, so he still had some of his old gear left over.
So I talked to a property manager acquaintence of mine and let him know I could do some weekend mowing, when he says to me "I'm looking to find a new landscape company, my current guy just doesn't do *enough* work...I'm willing to pay more, but he just won't do it." I just stood there realizing the opportunity before me, and went out, secured a loan, got a truck and trailer and insurance and went off. Had a sweet deal where I could do the landscaping three days a week and do my regular web-development job the other 2 as a consultant.
Well, let me say that running my own full-service landscape contracting firm has been a tough PITA. I have made enough mistakes to lose this contract five times over. I think that my client respects the fact that when I make a mistake, I try to immediately correct it and not get defensive, and that at 29, I am younger than most of the guys out there running a crew.
Let's see, I did not start with a business plan or enough capital, did not save any money, have no clue what my real operational expenses are, and best yet, I LOST THE WEB CONSULTING GIG. So that means I lost half my living income, and here winter is coming on and I am feverishly trying to expand my landscape company for spring. I have buckled down, I am getting a growth strategy together, and trying like mad to hang on to my house, car, etc. Perhaps I am going to get some crappy part time job to get a little cash-flow going. Who knows? But DAMN! it feels great.
Back to those excel spreadsheets......
-Greg Morgan
So I talked to a property manager acquaintence of mine and let him know I could do some weekend mowing, when he says to me "I'm looking to find a new landscape company, my current guy just doesn't do *enough* work...I'm willing to pay more, but he just won't do it." I just stood there realizing the opportunity before me, and went out, secured a loan, got a truck and trailer and insurance and went off. Had a sweet deal where I could do the landscaping three days a week and do my regular web-development job the other 2 as a consultant.
Well, let me say that running my own full-service landscape contracting firm has been a tough PITA. I have made enough mistakes to lose this contract five times over. I think that my client respects the fact that when I make a mistake, I try to immediately correct it and not get defensive, and that at 29, I am younger than most of the guys out there running a crew.
Let's see, I did not start with a business plan or enough capital, did not save any money, have no clue what my real operational expenses are, and best yet, I LOST THE WEB CONSULTING GIG. So that means I lost half my living income, and here winter is coming on and I am feverishly trying to expand my landscape company for spring. I have buckled down, I am getting a growth strategy together, and trying like mad to hang on to my house, car, etc. Perhaps I am going to get some crappy part time job to get a little cash-flow going. Who knows? But DAMN! it feels great.
Back to those excel spreadsheets......
-Greg Morgan