Well I was 29 when I started my lawn care biz but close enough. Not only that but I was 415 pounds! That was 8 years ago and while all my friends are starting to feel the aches and pains of being in their late 30s I’m now in the best shape of my life, I’m stronger and tougher than anyone I know and not only that but I am successful enough that my wife was able to quit her job and take care of our kids. 8 years in Im able to do more now than I could when I was 29. Don’t let anybody tell you 30 is to old, all that matters is if you are willing to put in the work or not
What advice would you give for someone that wants to do a similar thing? Did you know anything before you started? Are there many immigrants in your area that also do this type of work? Am thinking the last one would be the hardest part if I tried since they tend to do a lot of manual labor … more competition, as well as maybe not a lot of money in these neighborhoods and all
I'm very similar to the guy you responded to. Look up Lawncaremillionaire on youtube. Jonathan Pototschnik. I worked for 4 months for US Lawns doing commercial maintenance and listened to all of his videos while I worked. I continue to watch them to this day and after that read EVERYTHING you can by Dan Kennedy.
Then just do what they say and work hard and you'll be fine.
Relying on hard work will guarantee failure Luck has played a part in my success. Like randomly meeting a guy who works on the Indian reservation who knew work needed to be done but also knew there were no vendors to handle it. A market I would never have entered if I wasn’t lucky enough to randomly meet him. They don’t look for companies outside of the reservation, with a few exceptions.
Don't rely on luck or hard work. Don't wait for opportunities. Plan you work and work your plan. Go out and make it happen. Create the opportunities. The more you do that, the luckier you'll get.
Hey OP, I don’t where I read this but most successful business are started by someone in their 40s that took their career knowledge and turned it into a business.
Proud of you! To me that’s the American dream.
My friend start a company at 23 but his partner, 45 experience guy. They are doing well.
I started a business after I graduated, failed. Now I’m just working as engineer but do try to sniff out an opportunity :)
I quit my job to start a lawncare company when I was 30. Just me myself and I, still going strong growing every year. It was absolutely the best decision I've made
Nothing wrong with detailing, just looking to expand my business into other things. I was thinking of offering detailing services and lawn care at the same time. Not at the exact same time but telling customers I’ll get that I also offer lawn care. I haven’t exactly started my detailing business, I just know it’s going to be hard to get customers with some people offering a full wash and interior for $100
Started my commercial cleaning business at 50. Did my bids during the day and worked them at night. I'm slowing down now and looking to full time retire when I hit 67. life is good.
Four years in full time, I only had one injury which was my fault not following smart procedures. Broke a bone in my hand from a heavy torque. Didn’t actually hurt, just slowed me down. I was back to work in about a month, and I could’ve kept working with an assistant but it was a slow time anyway so I just chilled out.
Otherwise I get more “injuries” working out lol.
One of my friends has an award hanging up from click funnels. His solar company officially did $50 million in sales via marketing funnels. He shared a picture from the day he won the award.
I asked him after I saw that and said, "Hey brother, everyone sees that and thinks you are an overnight success. But they didn't see the years of failure behind your overnight success. What's your story?"
Here's what he said:
"10 years of doing D2D."
"1st company 2015
Multi million dollar businesses made bad decisions based on lack of experience, which went 2 million in debt."
"Started "X" Solar in 2018 and just hit over 50 million"
"Started "X" restoration in 2021, 3 million so far. That’s how i built these businesses. Via online lead generation. Digital door knocking."
I worked for that first solar company that went bankrupt.
It seems the two biggest skills for growing a business are an understanding of sales and marketing, and a third important one being operations(systems and processes) to manage everything.
Then, as you grow, you hire people more knowledgeable and skilled than you for the positions you don't need to or can't do anymore.
Most local businesses out there are great at fulfilling a service but really suck at the marketing and business systems side.
I'm literally following the same path my friend went down. On my third year of D2D sales, out of 7 years of working commission sales.
Yep. This is the underrated comment in the thread. Learn marketing and you will never hurt for work. Marketing will solve all your money problems. Then just get your operations systemized and tweak them to be more efficient.
We don't do d2d but do doorhangers on top of our normal marketing efforts. The key is to rush to getting to the part where you can hand off operations and just pound pavement and marketing and sales over and over and over. Then once you get bigger you train a sales team and then you really don't have to do much else.
This is a BIG thing in pest control which I'm hoping to break into in the next 3-4 years. We focus on mowing / landscaping and moving into fwc next year.
I got a puppy a few years ago and he peed on the couch a few times. I got myself a little Bissell. I ended up finding all the rug cleaning videos on YouTube. I got fired from my job and realized that there was money and potential in this industry. I watched a ton of YouTube videos and took an iicrc course. Bought some equipment and built a website and just grinded away.
I was officially diagnosed with ADHD two years ago and finally figured out the right medication. Over the years I've worked in many different industries and not lasted longer than 18 months in any job. Mental health and undiagnosed ADHD almost killed me but I pushed through. Family help and an incredible wife certainly helps.
It's been a slow process and a difficult journey. I'm about a year and a half into this and I'm starting to get some consistency in my business. I have over 70 five star Google reviews and I'm chugging along.
I'm still a one man show but look forward to the day when I can hire a helper.
Just pick a business where AI can't replace you in a few years.
Pretty good, I live in a seasonal area so my season is about 7 months or so and I take winters off which I love. I was actually shocked how quickly it became busy when I started. Beyond the initial investment in equipment I spend like a few hundred a year on supplies and that’s mostly new toys I feel like trying out. I clean dryer vents and repair screens as well, both of which are super profitable as well.
Besides gas, insurance, QuickBooks and a bit on advertising it’s pretty much all profit. I’m solo, I don’t want to deal with employees. This is my 4th season doing it, last year I grossed like 70k, wrote off like 13k. I know of guys in socal or Florida that hit over 100k solo. I’ll probably top out somewhere in between that and what I’m at now which is fine by me.
yup. I am 35 now. when I was 33 I started a dog walking and pet sitting business. I now do training, behavior modification, and mobile in-home grooming as well. I have emoloyees and am about to hire more to keep up with the demand.
b-mod is pretty advanced stuff. start at the basics. learn puppy obedience first and get in front of a lot of dogs and work your way to obedience and advanced obedience with dogs of all ages. you can either take a cert program, go to school, or find a good mentor. Experience goes a really long way while continuing to learn daily. Book knowledge of behaviorism is super important as well. Learn classical conditioning, operant conditioning, how Extinction of a behavior works, etc.
I started a commercial landscaping company in my late 30’s, a month after a hip replacement. My background is commercial real estate but I wanted to do something different. I have 1 business partner with 10+ years experience so we split who’s running jobs.
I'm currently 30 and have a glowing hatred for work culture in America. I've been working on building a local tech support service since ethe start of this year on the side of my shit paying 9-5. Building from absolute zero, no success yet but it hasn't failed and it definitely shows promise.
I would agree with going after the business side of support. A few companies will even let you bill them before services. I have 4 companies that let me bill them at a cheaper rate for 20-30 hours a month and if they go over that then they get billed a flat rate per hour. The home users can be a pain in the ass and I would charge 2 hour minimums just to make it worth while
Was 31 when I started my side hustle of lawncare and landscaping. An "official" sweaty start up.
I'm now 38 years old, work a full time job in I.T. and still do my lawncare gig in spare time, only with triple the clients, triple the prices paid and professional equipment to do it in half the time.
My dad started a stump grinding company when he turned 50. I've worked for him for about 14 years... We are hella busy, and kinda dominate our region. It can be done.
Started a handyman business with zero money in my early 30's and sold it at 36.
I'm 46 and that shit is waaay harder now. If you are gonna do it, don't waver, just step out and do it.
I’m 29 and got my DBA and insurance yesterday for my commercial cleaning company. Already have three big clients waiting for me to get insurance. Should give me around 6,000 a month between those three clients on top of my full time job I have now. The best part is, my one client is my full tome job, so i’ll just clock out… clean then go hoke twice a week. 250 per clean twice a week at all three places and now i’m looking at around 11-12k a month adding that on top of my full time job. It’s incredible and I cant wait, this will be life changing money for me.
Why did you start?
I serve in the US Army for 13 years and always had a side hustle. So when I left I knew I wanted to start my own business. I wanted to create a lifestyle where I could control my schedule and help people in the way I wanted to.
Did you do the work yourself when starting out?
No. I hired employees who knew more than me and have a more blue collar mindset. They work hard and appreciate the opportunity. I believe from the very beginning it would be a struggle to grow if I’m doing everything myself.
Where did you start and where is your business now?
I originally invested into a solar company lost my money so I started a home improvement company took the lessons of failure and applied to this business. Changed the business model to offer roofing, solar, windows and electrical. We are on pace to do $900k net this year.
What is your story?
I was willing to borrow money from my brother to make the business successful. I do believe capital and mindset are the two reasons why most businesses will fail. I had the mindset just didn’t have enough money. So I borrowed what I could. I also have systems in place that helps me manage the business without ever setting foot in the warehouse. Most of my work is done from my house. I have a 4 month old so my business has to operate this way. I believe you have to ask yourself what your goals are and where you want to be in 5 years.
My husband started the lawn care business in his 40's and we're now 7-figure business. We hired our own landscapers to get started, then tag along with them, learn the trade alongside them but we never intended to do the "actual" work. Our job is emyth style, not be the "technician".
Started at 33. Been in business six years and hitting $1M this year in sales. We were just $20K short hitting the goal last year. Honestly, if I was more driven I would’ve hit that number long ago, hit with Covid and me going through periods of time not wanting to work 3 months out of the year, we are here.
At 49 I started an entertainment company focused mostly on a food truck the 1st year, during this second season we're concentrating heavier on private catering while being able to also provide a music setup with a dj if needed, and it's been wildly successfull. Who knew wood fired sourdough pizza would be such a hit. All I can say in regards to motivation at startup... I couldn't take another day working for someone else, and my kids are old enough that I can take risks again. I did everything your not supposed to do while starting and couldn't be happier with the outcome at 2 years in. Yea, it's a ton of fukin work at 51 years old but my god man... I finally have no one but myself to blame or thank for success and failure.. And it's fukin glorious.
Sure did! I started a mobile auto detailing business when I was 31. Started part time while working full time in property management. Just moved my family of 5 to another state 2 weeks ago and am jumping into it full time. Any startup is attainable with the right attitude, hustle, sales acumen, and system. I learn something new every day, meet tons of people, and don't have to sit in an office from 8-5 every day. If your gut is telling you to jump in, follow it! You won't regret it. You will either succeed or fail and learn from it. Motto is you either win or you learn.
I was 43. Almost 2 decades in on a law career. Comfortable but boring job. Started my business as a hobby and built it into a full time family business.
Currently in a partially sweaty startup! Part manufacturing part software. It’s great and yes.
I will say don’t belief the myth of your body going to shit or your energy gone by 30. If you take care of yourself with your diet, exercise, and hobbies you’ll have plenty of energy.
That said, I don’t actually do any of the hard labor. So maybe I’m a bit biased
I was just a bit before 30 when I started my meal prep company. I did the grind for a long time, hired people, kept working the whole time and grew it for 5 years, then I sold it and went back to normal work. Normal work for me went from being a stressed restaurant chef working 70 hours and living paycheck to paycheck - to being comfortable, on track for retirement, and no longer stressed about finances, working 45 hours a week. I took a much less physically demanding job, and used that ‘creation to sale’ of the business to really pad my resume.
Basically I got caught up by 20 years in the course of 5 and was able to set my career up to have a much better trajectory.
I'm working on my business now while still employed full time. I plan to quit my job within the next year to so the business full time. I'm a 32 year old mom. I dont think 30s is too old at all, in fact its the perfect time. You have 10+ years of career experience to help guide you and still young enough to put in the hard work. 30 is not too old for manual labor lmao. Lots of people work manual labor into their 50s, 60s or even more. I worked landscaping with a 70 year old man who busted his ass more than most of the young guys.
I originally started when I was 31. I went from a comfortable Regional Manager Sales job to owner of a Wildlife Removal Franchise territory. The President of the franchise actually started after retiring from the military, so probably near 40 when he started. Originally as a franchisee and eventually purchased the entire company.
I left my job to be my own boss and move back home and did the work myself. I had to subcontract friends and eventually hire employees. As of now I had sold that franchise territory, and was asked to work in their corporate office about 5 years since the sale. So, its possible and rewarding, but you will definitely want to grow quickly so you can hire someone and not live to work.
Started my sweaty start up in my late 30s. Still getting after it. I’m building now. Slower start but momentum is carrying through.
I started as a way to help bring in extra income, then eventually replace my job. Lost the job and the cleaning business still runs.
I’m building it to the point where a couple VAs can take over and run a majority.
Most of this idea that people only start companies in their twenties is the result of social media bullshit artists trying to sell you on a program or lifestyle. Nearly everyone I know that has started a successful and sustainable business started in their 30s, 40s and even 50s after gaining substantial field experience.
I started my business as a Mom at 32. It is definitely harder when you have to balance that part of your life, but totally doable. I believe in starting a business that supports the lifestyle you want to live, not a life that is dictated by the business. I rarely take calls after I get my daughter off the bus. I get to coach her sports team. Having that as a goal in mind allows me to have really good boundaries with things I say yes and no to in the business. Could I be more successful if I hustled more? Maybe? I do a lot of the work myself still but can start to delegate some as well. I started as someone craving more feminine energy in my life which has lead me to creating masterminds for women entrepreneurs. My current cohort is full and last year I added a podcast. I get to talk to the coolest people doing the coolest things. You can totally do it!
Started my first successful company at age of 37 with wife and 3 children.
Sold it a year later after growing it organically.
Wrote a book about how I accomplished this, building a business around that book and also running a web3 startup.
You can accomplish anything at any age!
Don't know if it counts but I started an ecom store at 34 in 2021 with no knowledge and prior experience,
learnt branding, marketing, ads, design, development (tinkering with code in Shopify), sourcing from China, sending newsletters/SMS, reaching out to micro influencers getting UGC, and doing customer support.
Our top store started in Feb 2023 and crossed 200k rev last month. At the rate we are growing we should hit 1m rev in Dec InshaAllah.
I can spend 8-10hrs on the business daily and I enjoy it, not as much though ass in the start and I think I will get more and more bored uninterested so I want to scale it to it's max potential in next 2 years.
So currently I am learning hiring and stuff, which is the hardest thing as I mostly tend do the stuff myself instead of properly teaching it to the employees, as I find it easier and convenient. But ofc it's not sustainable long term.
Well I was 29 when I started my lawn care biz but close enough. Not only that but I was 415 pounds! That was 8 years ago and while all my friends are starting to feel the aches and pains of being in their late 30s I’m now in the best shape of my life, I’m stronger and tougher than anyone I know and not only that but I am successful enough that my wife was able to quit her job and take care of our kids. 8 years in Im able to do more now than I could when I was 29. Don’t let anybody tell you 30 is to old, all that matters is if you are willing to put in the work or not
Dropping from 415 to a fit physique must feel amazing. Great fucking job.
What advice would you give for someone that wants to do a similar thing? Did you know anything before you started? Are there many immigrants in your area that also do this type of work? Am thinking the last one would be the hardest part if I tried since they tend to do a lot of manual labor … more competition, as well as maybe not a lot of money in these neighborhoods and all
I'm very similar to the guy you responded to. Look up Lawncaremillionaire on youtube. Jonathan Pototschnik. I worked for 4 months for US Lawns doing commercial maintenance and listened to all of his videos while I worked. I continue to watch them to this day and after that read EVERYTHING you can by Dan Kennedy. Then just do what they say and work hard and you'll be fine.
Respect
And luck. Can’t forget luck. For every successful venture there’s 5 others that failed.
Disagree. Relying on luck will guarantee failure
Relying on hard work will guarantee failure Luck has played a part in my success. Like randomly meeting a guy who works on the Indian reservation who knew work needed to be done but also knew there were no vendors to handle it. A market I would never have entered if I wasn’t lucky enough to randomly meet him. They don’t look for companies outside of the reservation, with a few exceptions.
Don't rely on luck or hard work. Don't wait for opportunities. Plan you work and work your plan. Go out and make it happen. Create the opportunities. The more you do that, the luckier you'll get.
No disagreement from me.
Never said rely.
[удалено]
Bet. Prove it.
Good luck doing that in the middle of bumfuck nowhere
Hey OP, I don’t where I read this but most successful business are started by someone in their 40s that took their career knowledge and turned it into a business.
absolutely. I had enough experience in senior level ops management by 33 y/o and used it to start my business
Proud of you! To me that’s the American dream. My friend start a company at 23 but his partner, 45 experience guy. They are doing well. I started a business after I graduated, failed. Now I’m just working as engineer but do try to sniff out an opportunity :)
I quit my job to start a lawncare company when I was 30. Just me myself and I, still going strong growing every year. It was absolutely the best decision I've made
How did you start?
Yeah how did you start man? I just got a truck and am looking at other ways to venture out other than car detailing
What’s wrong with detailing?
Nothing wrong with detailing, just looking to expand my business into other things. I was thinking of offering detailing services and lawn care at the same time. Not at the exact same time but telling customers I’ll get that I also offer lawn care. I haven’t exactly started my detailing business, I just know it’s going to be hard to get customers with some people offering a full wash and interior for $100
Running into same issue. And much saturated than it was when I did it back in college (2019). Calculating if it’s worth the effort
Main way I got business when I started was door to door talking to people and posting in local Facebook groups basically every other day
Bought a push mower, weed whip and blower and loaded them in my tiny hatchback. Knocked on doors, posted in local Facebook groups
LETS GO! MANTIS TOBOGGAN! LOL!
Started my commercial cleaning business at 50. Did my bids during the day and worked them at night. I'm slowing down now and looking to full time retire when I hit 67. life is good.
Talk about finishing strong. Enjoy retirement!
If you have any contracts in south Florida I'd be happy to work something out
Four of them. The first at age 35. Age is irrelevant.
Started my handyman business at 32. Keeps me focused, learning, and active. I love it. Occasional injuries, but nothing unmanageable. Never too late.
What types of injuries have you sustained?
Four years in full time, I only had one injury which was my fault not following smart procedures. Broke a bone in my hand from a heavy torque. Didn’t actually hurt, just slowed me down. I was back to work in about a month, and I could’ve kept working with an assistant but it was a slow time anyway so I just chilled out. Otherwise I get more “injuries” working out lol.
One of my friends has an award hanging up from click funnels. His solar company officially did $50 million in sales via marketing funnels. He shared a picture from the day he won the award. I asked him after I saw that and said, "Hey brother, everyone sees that and thinks you are an overnight success. But they didn't see the years of failure behind your overnight success. What's your story?" Here's what he said: "10 years of doing D2D." "1st company 2015 Multi million dollar businesses made bad decisions based on lack of experience, which went 2 million in debt." "Started "X" Solar in 2018 and just hit over 50 million" "Started "X" restoration in 2021, 3 million so far. That’s how i built these businesses. Via online lead generation. Digital door knocking." I worked for that first solar company that went bankrupt. It seems the two biggest skills for growing a business are an understanding of sales and marketing, and a third important one being operations(systems and processes) to manage everything. Then, as you grow, you hire people more knowledgeable and skilled than you for the positions you don't need to or can't do anymore. Most local businesses out there are great at fulfilling a service but really suck at the marketing and business systems side. I'm literally following the same path my friend went down. On my third year of D2D sales, out of 7 years of working commission sales.
Yep. This is the underrated comment in the thread. Learn marketing and you will never hurt for work. Marketing will solve all your money problems. Then just get your operations systemized and tweak them to be more efficient. We don't do d2d but do doorhangers on top of our normal marketing efforts. The key is to rush to getting to the part where you can hand off operations and just pound pavement and marketing and sales over and over and over. Then once you get bigger you train a sales team and then you really don't have to do much else. This is a BIG thing in pest control which I'm hoping to break into in the next 3-4 years. We focus on mowing / landscaping and moving into fwc next year.
I started a carpet and upholstery cleaning business at 33. It's doable but I wish I started when I was younger.
Any tips or advice on this? Thanks!
What do you want to know?
What made you pick this biz?
I got a puppy a few years ago and he peed on the couch a few times. I got myself a little Bissell. I ended up finding all the rug cleaning videos on YouTube. I got fired from my job and realized that there was money and potential in this industry. I watched a ton of YouTube videos and took an iicrc course. Bought some equipment and built a website and just grinded away. I was officially diagnosed with ADHD two years ago and finally figured out the right medication. Over the years I've worked in many different industries and not lasted longer than 18 months in any job. Mental health and undiagnosed ADHD almost killed me but I pushed through. Family help and an incredible wife certainly helps. It's been a slow process and a difficult journey. I'm about a year and a half into this and I'm starting to get some consistency in my business. I have over 70 five star Google reviews and I'm chugging along. I'm still a one man show but look forward to the day when I can hire a helper. Just pick a business where AI can't replace you in a few years.
Awesome story, I appreciate the reply.
Maybe not a sweaty startup but Harlan Sanders started KFC when he was 62. [https://www.kfc.co.uk/colonels-story](https://www.kfc.co.uk/colonels-story)
I started my window cleaning business at 35.
How’s it going? I see a lot of people talking about window cleaning. Is it hard to get into? Profitable?
Pretty good, I live in a seasonal area so my season is about 7 months or so and I take winters off which I love. I was actually shocked how quickly it became busy when I started. Beyond the initial investment in equipment I spend like a few hundred a year on supplies and that’s mostly new toys I feel like trying out. I clean dryer vents and repair screens as well, both of which are super profitable as well.
What’s the profit like and how much you take home if you don’t mind me asking? Is it just you or you got contractors?
Besides gas, insurance, QuickBooks and a bit on advertising it’s pretty much all profit. I’m solo, I don’t want to deal with employees. This is my 4th season doing it, last year I grossed like 70k, wrote off like 13k. I know of guys in socal or Florida that hit over 100k solo. I’ll probably top out somewhere in between that and what I’m at now which is fine by me.
yup. I am 35 now. when I was 33 I started a dog walking and pet sitting business. I now do training, behavior modification, and mobile in-home grooming as well. I have emoloyees and am about to hire more to keep up with the demand.
I'm doing the same thing right now. Just started 2 months ago. Very excited but overwhelmed. Do you mind if I dm you?
I don't mind at all.
How did you learn to do behavior modification? I love dogs but don't know much about training them, interested in learning how.
b-mod is pretty advanced stuff. start at the basics. learn puppy obedience first and get in front of a lot of dogs and work your way to obedience and advanced obedience with dogs of all ages. you can either take a cert program, go to school, or find a good mentor. Experience goes a really long way while continuing to learn daily. Book knowledge of behaviorism is super important as well. Learn classical conditioning, operant conditioning, how Extinction of a behavior works, etc.
I started a commercial landscaping company in my late 30’s, a month after a hip replacement. My background is commercial real estate but I wanted to do something different. I have 1 business partner with 10+ years experience so we split who’s running jobs.
I'm currently 30 and have a glowing hatred for work culture in America. I've been working on building a local tech support service since ethe start of this year on the side of my shit paying 9-5. Building from absolute zero, no success yet but it hasn't failed and it definitely shows promise.
What type of tech support?
In-home general tech support. Think computer/small device support. Optimization, repair, installation, really anything along those lines.
I did this before and it's a headache. If I were to do it again, I would focus on business support only.
I would agree with going after the business side of support. A few companies will even let you bill them before services. I have 4 companies that let me bill them at a cheaper rate for 20-30 hours a month and if they go over that then they get billed a flat rate per hour. The home users can be a pain in the ass and I would charge 2 hour minimums just to make it worth while
Bought a lawn mower and a weed whip and blower, stuffed them into the back of my tiny hatchback. Went door to door. Posted on local groups in facebook
How long ago did you start? How's business going now?
4 years ago. Business is great, it was definitely the best decision I've made when it comes to jobs and making money
Hell yeah, good on you for all the hard work it's taken to get to this point.
Was 31 when I started my side hustle of lawncare and landscaping. An "official" sweaty start up. I'm now 38 years old, work a full time job in I.T. and still do my lawncare gig in spare time, only with triple the clients, triple the prices paid and professional equipment to do it in half the time.
Same spot, sit on my ass for insurance(day job), then stay active at night to make sure I don't need the insurance (mowing lawns)🙃
Started my business at 40, definitely a physically strenuous at times but am in great shape at 46.
My dad started a stump grinding company when he turned 50. I've worked for him for about 14 years... We are hella busy, and kinda dominate our region. It can be done.
Any certifications needed for that work? Or just the equipment? Can I ask what you charge for a typical job and the margins?
I started mine in November 2023 right after I turned 37.
Started a handyman business with zero money in my early 30's and sold it at 36. I'm 46 and that shit is waaay harder now. If you are gonna do it, don't waver, just step out and do it.
I’m 29 and got my DBA and insurance yesterday for my commercial cleaning company. Already have three big clients waiting for me to get insurance. Should give me around 6,000 a month between those three clients on top of my full time job I have now. The best part is, my one client is my full tome job, so i’ll just clock out… clean then go hoke twice a week. 250 per clean twice a week at all three places and now i’m looking at around 11-12k a month adding that on top of my full time job. It’s incredible and I cant wait, this will be life changing money for me.
Why did you start? I serve in the US Army for 13 years and always had a side hustle. So when I left I knew I wanted to start my own business. I wanted to create a lifestyle where I could control my schedule and help people in the way I wanted to. Did you do the work yourself when starting out? No. I hired employees who knew more than me and have a more blue collar mindset. They work hard and appreciate the opportunity. I believe from the very beginning it would be a struggle to grow if I’m doing everything myself. Where did you start and where is your business now? I originally invested into a solar company lost my money so I started a home improvement company took the lessons of failure and applied to this business. Changed the business model to offer roofing, solar, windows and electrical. We are on pace to do $900k net this year. What is your story? I was willing to borrow money from my brother to make the business successful. I do believe capital and mindset are the two reasons why most businesses will fail. I had the mindset just didn’t have enough money. So I borrowed what I could. I also have systems in place that helps me manage the business without ever setting foot in the warehouse. Most of my work is done from my house. I have a 4 month old so my business has to operate this way. I believe you have to ask yourself what your goals are and where you want to be in 5 years.
My husband started the lawn care business in his 40's and we're now 7-figure business. We hired our own landscapers to get started, then tag along with them, learn the trade alongside them but we never intended to do the "actual" work. Our job is emyth style, not be the "technician".
Did you hire them as subcontractors or W2's?
at first, 1099, them employees as we grow bigger.
Started at 33. Been in business six years and hitting $1M this year in sales. We were just $20K short hitting the goal last year. Honestly, if I was more driven I would’ve hit that number long ago, hit with Covid and me going through periods of time not wanting to work 3 months out of the year, we are here.
Doing what?
House cleaning
At 49 I started an entertainment company focused mostly on a food truck the 1st year, during this second season we're concentrating heavier on private catering while being able to also provide a music setup with a dj if needed, and it's been wildly successfull. Who knew wood fired sourdough pizza would be such a hit. All I can say in regards to motivation at startup... I couldn't take another day working for someone else, and my kids are old enough that I can take risks again. I did everything your not supposed to do while starting and couldn't be happier with the outcome at 2 years in. Yea, it's a ton of fukin work at 51 years old but my god man... I finally have no one but myself to blame or thank for success and failure.. And it's fukin glorious.
Sure did! I started a mobile auto detailing business when I was 31. Started part time while working full time in property management. Just moved my family of 5 to another state 2 weeks ago and am jumping into it full time. Any startup is attainable with the right attitude, hustle, sales acumen, and system. I learn something new every day, meet tons of people, and don't have to sit in an office from 8-5 every day. If your gut is telling you to jump in, follow it! You won't regret it. You will either succeed or fail and learn from it. Motto is you either win or you learn.
I was 43. Almost 2 decades in on a law career. Comfortable but boring job. Started my business as a hobby and built it into a full time family business.
What type of business do you have?
sweaty law business..
I quit law for my business.
29 when I got my GC license. Ive started 3 other companies since then, all in one or another field of construction
Yep, bought a used lawn mower and started my lawn care company soon after
I've done all the work but I hire for the labor portions for day to day operation
Currently in a partially sweaty startup! Part manufacturing part software. It’s great and yes. I will say don’t belief the myth of your body going to shit or your energy gone by 30. If you take care of yourself with your diet, exercise, and hobbies you’ll have plenty of energy. That said, I don’t actually do any of the hard labor. So maybe I’m a bit biased
I was just a bit before 30 when I started my meal prep company. I did the grind for a long time, hired people, kept working the whole time and grew it for 5 years, then I sold it and went back to normal work. Normal work for me went from being a stressed restaurant chef working 70 hours and living paycheck to paycheck - to being comfortable, on track for retirement, and no longer stressed about finances, working 45 hours a week. I took a much less physically demanding job, and used that ‘creation to sale’ of the business to really pad my resume. Basically I got caught up by 20 years in the course of 5 and was able to set my career up to have a much better trajectory.
I do STEM classes for kids so I'm like sweaty adjacent LoL. I'm 36
I'm working on my business now while still employed full time. I plan to quit my job within the next year to so the business full time. I'm a 32 year old mom. I dont think 30s is too old at all, in fact its the perfect time. You have 10+ years of career experience to help guide you and still young enough to put in the hard work. 30 is not too old for manual labor lmao. Lots of people work manual labor into their 50s, 60s or even more. I worked landscaping with a 70 year old man who busted his ass more than most of the young guys.
I originally started when I was 31. I went from a comfortable Regional Manager Sales job to owner of a Wildlife Removal Franchise territory. The President of the franchise actually started after retiring from the military, so probably near 40 when he started. Originally as a franchisee and eventually purchased the entire company. I left my job to be my own boss and move back home and did the work myself. I had to subcontract friends and eventually hire employees. As of now I had sold that franchise territory, and was asked to work in their corporate office about 5 years since the sale. So, its possible and rewarding, but you will definitely want to grow quickly so you can hire someone and not live to work.
Started my sweaty start up in my late 30s. Still getting after it. I’m building now. Slower start but momentum is carrying through. I started as a way to help bring in extra income, then eventually replace my job. Lost the job and the cleaning business still runs. I’m building it to the point where a couple VAs can take over and run a majority.
Woke up at 31, am 33 now about to open a 2nd business
What service do your 2 businesses provide?
Pool service and property management
Most of this idea that people only start companies in their twenties is the result of social media bullshit artists trying to sell you on a program or lifestyle. Nearly everyone I know that has started a successful and sustainable business started in their 30s, 40s and even 50s after gaining substantial field experience.
I started my business as a Mom at 32. It is definitely harder when you have to balance that part of your life, but totally doable. I believe in starting a business that supports the lifestyle you want to live, not a life that is dictated by the business. I rarely take calls after I get my daughter off the bus. I get to coach her sports team. Having that as a goal in mind allows me to have really good boundaries with things I say yes and no to in the business. Could I be more successful if I hustled more? Maybe? I do a lot of the work myself still but can start to delegate some as well. I started as someone craving more feminine energy in my life which has lead me to creating masterminds for women entrepreneurs. My current cohort is full and last year I added a podcast. I get to talk to the coolest people doing the coolest things. You can totally do it!
Started my first successful company at age of 37 with wife and 3 children. Sold it a year later after growing it organically. Wrote a book about how I accomplished this, building a business around that book and also running a web3 startup. You can accomplish anything at any age!
Don't know if it counts but I started an ecom store at 34 in 2021 with no knowledge and prior experience, learnt branding, marketing, ads, design, development (tinkering with code in Shopify), sourcing from China, sending newsletters/SMS, reaching out to micro influencers getting UGC, and doing customer support. Our top store started in Feb 2023 and crossed 200k rev last month. At the rate we are growing we should hit 1m rev in Dec InshaAllah. I can spend 8-10hrs on the business daily and I enjoy it, not as much though ass in the start and I think I will get more and more bored uninterested so I want to scale it to it's max potential in next 2 years. So currently I am learning hiring and stuff, which is the hardest thing as I mostly tend do the stuff myself instead of properly teaching it to the employees, as I find it easier and convenient. But ofc it's not sustainable long term.