[JHMlandscapes]

I started out having an infatuation with lawn mowers when I was about 6 years old. I used to beg my mom to take me by the dealers so I could get the brochures for the mowers, I had dozens of them, I loved my 'lawn mower books'. I always wanted to mow the yard, but since I was so small at the time, I couldn't push our ol' Lawn Boy 21. Well finally, when I was about 12, I started mowing the yard. I thought it was so fun, I got to push around our Craftsman 21", cuttin' the grass, boy was it fun. My step-dad showed me how to use our edger, how to make everything look nice, you know. Well at that time, my dad had just passed away, and I was really down and depressed, so I'd go out and just work in the yard for hours and hours, I made the yard immaculate. All the neighbors would compliment our lawn it made me feel awful good. I guess before my.....7th grade year I went next door and knocked on the door, asked if I could mow their yard, I charged them $20 a cut. I was a high roller! I had more 20 dollar bills than I could ever dream! The next year I picked up a few more yards, and I talked my parents into getting a Toro Personal Pace 21", it was heaven not having to push the mower, I thought I was hot stuff. The summer before my freshman year, I had probably 6 or 7 lawns in the neighborhood, makin' good money, and boy did I want a riding mower, so I went down to Lowe's, and spent $1200 on a Yard Machines 42" 16.5 HP lawn tractor. About that time I joined LS and realized what a mistake that was, but hey, it got the job done. That fall my parents got me an Echo PB 650 blower and an Echo SRM 2100. I was in hog heaven. My first commercial equipment! I put out flyers that spring, and had about 10 lawns I cut, they were all in a 4 block radius, and I was 15, so I got to take my truck out, go cut yards, made decent money. It was amazing to me how much work I had. I was givin' out bids to take out bushes, cut this, trim that, I thought I was hot stuff. Last summer I kinda fizzled out, I started really thinking hard about what I wanted to do in life, I didn't think I wanted to do this forever, so I just kinda stopped. I gave it a ton of thought, and realized THIS is what made me happy. THIS is what I love to do. So this summer, I got a job out at the golf course. I started out doing labor work, cleanin' sand traps, weedeating, all that good stuff. Finally I got moved up to a waterer, and that's what I'm still doing, watering greens. It's a hot and tiring job, but I love it.

I'd love to go out and buy some equipment and start up again, (No way I'm using that lawn tractor, piece of junk), but it's just not feasible. I cut into November here, and I'm so busy with school and wrestling I have no time. And after next summer, I'll be moving off to college, and where would I store the equipment? I plan on working at the course this summer, and next summer, and then going to the University of Arkansas and getting in their Turf and Landscape Horticulture program. They have a work study program, so hopefully I can get a job at a course up there during the year, and move back here during the summers and work at the course here. I'm trying to put money in the bank, so when I get out of college, I'll have enough to buy equipment and start up full time. I plan on starting up right.

And that's my story......so far.

Henry

 

[JHMlandscapes]

Thanks GrassMechanic, I've learned a ton just off of this site, there's so much information on here. Right now, I'm confident enough that if I started right now, I could have a very respectable business in a few years, but I've got to concentrate on my school work, and learning as much as I possibly can before I start. And being a kid.

Henry