One year of Kyle's Clipper in the books!

Hi y'all! One year of Kyle's Clipper is officially in the books! So, how did my first year go? The short answer: it went really well! Though I started the year with only 4 steady customers, I ended the year having worked for 41 different customers, including about 20 steady lawns. It was a great learning experience! I learned so much about so many different things, from learning how to work with customers and meet their needs, to lawn mower repair, mechanics, and accounting. In short, employing myself was one crazy, awesome adventure!

I could tell you many interesting stories that happened throughout the year, from the hilarious to the intriguing to the just plain strange. Like that time a man who was clearly not "all there" tried to give me tar to spread on my arms to keep the mosquitos away, to my many great conversations with one dear older customer who has dementia. Then there were the times where I wanted to melt into the ground with embarrassment or the times where I wanted to burst out laughing at some of the quirky things I ran into . . . You'll have to wait for a future blog post for those stories. ;0)

In the profit and loss department (which, thanks to some instruction from my dad, I can tell you given my new-found accounting abilities), I made just over $18,000 gross, though a little over $10,000 of that went to expenses (including my major truck purchase). So, that puts me at about $8,000 net. Not too bad for my first year! (I've heard that you don't really make any good money with a business till its third year)

Sure, there were some ups and downs, but overall I wouldn't trade last summer for anything! I look forward to another year of owning my business, and to seeing what the Lord will do with it. It is to God that all the praise is due, for He is the one who has allowed me to own this business and to grow through it. I thank God for His blessings!

So, here are some of my goals for Kyle's Clipper this year:

--Become fully licensed and insured
--Expand my service area to Morton, Onalaska, and Salkum (all within 25 miles still)
--"Upgrade all my equipment to commercial grade (which I have already done, in part, by purchasing a 52" zero turn mower and a 36" commercial walk-behind mower. :0D Another post coming on that!)
--Expand the number of widows I serve for no charge. This is something God has really laid on my heart, to consider my business as a way to serve. With James 1:27 in mind, I want to reach out to the widows in my community that truly need help with their lawn care.
--Have 50 steady lawns by the time the mowing season hits full blast
--To continue to offer weeding and manual labor services, but to "sub-contract" workers to do this for me, so that I can focus on lawn mowing. (which makes the most income)
--To have made $30,000 dollars in net income by the end of the year.

I know some of these goals may seem a little far-fetched, but I am confident that with the Lord's blessing, I can meet them. Please pray for my business, that the Lord will use it as He see fits and that it will continue to grow into something that I can make a living from. Pray for me personally that the Lord will direct my steps, keep my safe, and help me to be diligent with this business, as it is where I think He has led me for now.

What will this year hold for Kyle's Clipper? I can't wait to find out!