Today we are chatting with Marcus Collins, our local Pulse Lawn Mowing operator in Maleny on the Sunshine Coast. Marcus has been operating his business for about 18 months now, so we sat down with Marcus and had a chat about all things lawn mowing and gardening.
- What were you doing before operating your own business?
I worked in an office for over 20 years before starting up a lawn mowing and gardening business. After so long in an office environment, I felt like I was on auto pilot. It ended up becoming a mundane and routine-based existence.
- What made you choose to start your own business in the lawn mowing industry?
For a long time I knew that I had to leave the office work behind, but I didn’t have a clue how. The money was great, but that’s about it. One day I was on Facebook book and saw an advertisement for starting up your own lawn mowing and gardening business with Pulse. This struck a chord with me, it was my exit out of the corporate world.
- Why did you choose Pulse?
After making contact with Pulse, I did my due diligence and found that it was a perfect fit for my needs. I had zero business experience, very limited gardening experience, no idea on advertising, SEO ranking or marketing. Pulse essentially took care of all of this for me which had me hit the ground running from day one.
- What has been the best thing about running your own business?
The flexibility to choose my hours, my lifestyle.
Do you offer any speciality services?
I was able to upgrade some of my equipment early on, and purchased a ride on mower so that I could service the acreages in my area. I also offer pressure washing in the cooler months to supplement my income when the lawns aren’t growing like they do in summer.
- What has been your most satisfying job?
Any job that sees a major transformation, especially previously neglected properties.
- Have you experienced any challenges with running your business and how have you overcome them?
Yes, being based out of SEQ, the weather over Summer can be an issue. Prolonged heavy rain last Summer was out of the ordinary. But in the end, all my regular clients got their lawns mowed, hedges trimmed, and weeds sprayed. It just took a little longer than normal.
- What is does your typical work day look like?
A typical day is organised into areas. For example, I’ll group all of my Maleny jobs into one day and the same for Nambour etc.
I’ll start between 7.30am and 8.00am and take a break around lunchtime for a bite to eat. I’m usually home by 4pm most days. Summertime, I’ll start around 7am, but use much quieter battery equipment to keep the neighbours happy.
- What advise do you have for someone looking into owning their own lawn mowing and gardening business?
My suggestions and advice would be to spend some time researching different business models. If you choose to go it alone from scratch, you can do this, but it might take you longer to get to where you would like to be. Entering into the Pulse franchise streamlined the process for me. I had on the job training and business training before I started on my own. I was also had immediate peer support from other operators.
Other advice is that you should see your business as something to take pride in. Not just a job. Customer service is a massive part of being a business owner. Do what you say, be reliable and perform the best service you can. You will gain loyal customers and your referrals will go through the roof. If you’re on the Sunshine Coast, in the Nambour and Maleny areas or even further out, give the team at Pulse Lawn Mowing a call on 1300 697 857. Marcus and the team are able to assist with all types of lawn mowing and gardening yard work. From regular lawn mowing and edging services, to one off mowing jobs at renal properties, all team are all well trained, experienced, and insured.
