1. Use your previous job experience to create your own side gig.
2. If you can, start with little to no financing so you are making cash from your first job.
3. Work hard, but also know what kind of work you want to do. With a side gig, it is important to be picky about the work that you want to do.
4. Adjust the pricing of your services so you are fairly compensated for each job.
5. Balance the amount of work you want your business to bring with your main job and family.
6. Build a network of people or companies you can refer people to if a project is out of your scope or interest of work.
7. Find a niche or a passion that you enjoy and make some money off of it.
Adam and Michelle Anderson both grew up in the Dassel-Cokato area in central Minnesota, where they still live now. They started working when they were young and have always had a good work ethic. Some entrepreneurs know that they want to start their own business from a young age, and Adam Anderson was one of these people. He has always wanted his own business to fall back on in case he needed it. In 2018, Adam and his wife Michelle decided to finally start their business, Frontier Landworks LLC. They specialize in brush clearing and mowing, tree removal, stump grinding, and many other forms of outdoor property services. He uses a skid loader, brush mower, stump grinder, chain saw, and his truck and trailer to get all of his work done. All of Frontier Landoworks’ work takes place in the spring, summer, and fall, being that it is landscaping and requires fair weather.
Building of Off Previous Work Experience
When starting a business, it is a good idea to build off of previous skills you have mastered. Adam has a lot of experience running heavy equipment, so this is the perfect business for him to own. In the past, he ran farm equipment on farms and used heavy equipment while doing construction. He has also been running big machines at Xcel Energy for over 16 years.
Early Strategies for Business Growth
In order for a business to thrive, it needs customers. When the Anderson’s were first getting the business up and running, they hung up flyers in the businesses of Dassel and Cokato. They eventually made a Facebook page that helped customers in need of the services Frontier offers get in contact with Adam and Michelle.
The Future
Balancing Family, a Day Job & a Side Gig
An important part of owning a small business is achieving work life balance. The only way you can achieve balance is knowing when to draw the line at accepting more work. The Anderson’s said that they are satisfied with the growth of their business and where it is at now. Adam still has a full time job at Xcel Energy as a lead heavy equipment operator and Michelle has a full time job taking care of their children. Between working their day jobs, performing work for their business, and taking care of their family, Adam and Michelle have taken on as much as they can handle.
Find Your Passion and Make it Profitable
When asked if the couple has any advice for others starting their own business they said to find something that you love, and create a way to make it flourish. They both enjoy being outdoors when the weather permits, so they decided to start a company that does outdoor work.
Finance as Little as Possible to Make Money Right Away
One way some small business owners go wrong is by taking out large loans and then not making enough money to pay them back. Adam and Michelle’s advice for those who are just starting out is to finance as little as possible and be smart about money. For them, that meant the different tools and machines they needed. When you don’t have debt, the money that you make from your first jobs can go right back into your own pocket.
Lessons to Learn Throughout the Process
Be Picky About the Jobs You Accept
They have both learned many things throughout this adventure but there is one thing that sticks out to them. Early on in their career, they agreed to take on a landscaping job that did not require big machines, but rather their hands. It was tedious work and after this experience, they figured out that this was not the route they wanted to take with the business. They would rather do the bigger jobs. Many people do not have the equipment that it takes to mow thick brush, for example, so they will hire someone else who does have the proper equipment, like Frontier Landworks. Being picky about the types of jobs you choose to accept can help you be more satisfied with your business in the long run.
Build a Network for Referrals
When you pick and choose what jobs you want to accept, it is nice to have a network of people to refer business to that you don’t want. When you give others in your network business, they will give you business in return.
Charge a Fair Price For the Work that You Do
Another piece of advice that Adam and Michelle have is do not be afraid to charge what you need in order to make the job worth it for you. After the first few jobs that they had completed, they realized that the work they were doing was worth more than they were charging. After figuring out how to change this, the Andersons became satisfied with their new business.
Starting your own business is always a risk, but can often pay off in the long run. Creating a business requires a lot of time, dedication, and hard work, so it is crucial that it interests you and whatever partners you may have.
