Stephanie Walters

You can learn a lot about building a business by watching grass grow. I did. I learned that defining what you do, defines your future. Most 13-year olds would consider mowing the yard as a chore. I called it “a business.” At age 13, with only one client, my parents, I earned $10 per mow. My dad expected the grass to be mowed every week, at least when it needed it. I suppose most teens would be content with the fairly steady income, but I looked for ways to ensure it. Not content with just mowing the yard when it needed it, I looked for ways to grow my little business. So I watched grass grow. What I learned was if I watered the lawn it would continue to grow, thus guaranteeing me ongoing income. It was my first lesson in sustaining my business.

I also learned that getting more clients is only one way to grow your business. You can either increase the number of “yards you mow,” or you can increase the amount of value you provide to the yards you have. By focusing on a few clients and delivering over-the-top service, the numbers will take care of themselves. It’s a philosophy that’s worked well for me.

I’ve been a ‘serial entrepreneur’ ever since I first learned how to start a lawn mower.

Experience is fun and profitable only when you share it. That’s why I love to pass along what I’ve learned to other people interested in starting and marketing their own businesses. When you do what you love, business follows. And my love of sharing seemed to grow, just like that grass of long ago. I watered it; added value to it and the demand for it was such that it made sense to formalize a business around it.