How he built a $22k/month+ “recession-proof” landscaping business

Hey UpFlipers,

The worst fear for many business owners and employees is a recession.

But, unless the world ends, people will always pay for certain products and services. 

Landscaping’s a great example. People need lawns mowed, shrubs trimmed, so on and so forth.

Chances are, if you live near houses (which I bet you do), a landscaping business could be viable.

So today, you’ll learn how one man built a landscaping business on just $300 during the 2008 recession…

And grew it to $22k/month+.

Plenty of good lessons here, so keep reading…

How Trevor Kokenge turned $300 into a $22k/month+ landscaping business

Today, we’re looking at how Trevor Kokenge built Plan-It Vision, his $22,000/month+ landscaping business, with a mere $300 at the height of the Great Recession.

Even more amazing:

Trevor worked multiple part-time jobs to support himself while reinvesting his landscaping revenue into growth.

You’ll see how Trevor saved on tools, landed his first few clients, and created a steady lead flow.

Plus, you’ll learn Trevor’s tactics and strategies for expanding through offering more services and hiring the top talent to scale his business into a real source of wealth.

Let’s get into it…

Trevor graduated college with a degree in landscape architecture…

Right into the 2008 Great Recession.

He couldn’t find a landscape architect or designer job and, like many, was forced to move back in with his folks.

One day, he decided, “why not put that degree to use and start a landscaping business?”

You don’t need this degree to launch a landscaping business (work experience in landscaping can get you started)... 

But it helps a LOT when it comes to marketing. Gives you a knowledge advantage, too.

Either way, landscaping was a natural fit.

Landscaping on a shoestring budget

Trevor had around $300 to spare for equipment. So he had to start small. 

After shopping around for a bit, he found some used tools, a couple of rakes and shovels, and a lawnmower (which he managed to grab for just $50!).

Not much, but enough to mow lawns and do some other basic yardwork.

(You have to start somewhere. Later on, Trevor would invest in high-quality equipment. Buy once, cry once.)

Trevor didn’t even have a place to store this stuff, though. Once had saved enough through part-time jobs to get his own apartment…

He had to store his equipment in his apartment — hauling it up and down stairs every day.

Eventually, he negotiated with his landlord to use an old 12x12 shed on the apartment grounds. He kept his tools there for years until it was financially viable to rent a garage.

Network connections: The first client

The first few clients are the hardest because no one out in the mass market knows you. You need to leverage your existing network.

That’s how Trevor got his first job. 

His friend’s dad had a contractor business. While painting someone’s house, the homeowner mentioned she needed a landscaper.

Trevor’s friend knew Trevor had started a landscaping side hustle and called him right away.

Key lesson: Find businesses offering products/services complementary to yours. Their customers/clients might need what you offer.

The next clients and the big belief-shift

Trevor’s first client had neighbors. They noticed him and the results of his hard work. They wanted that for their homes…

And so he closed a few more deals with them.

Soon, he was mowing lawns for the neighbors. This snowballed as more people in the area saw Trevor’s handiwork.

But the big mindset shift happened when he discovered Thumbtack — a website where people can find and hire home services businesses…

And he instantly saw the potential for growing his side hustle into something real.

Trevor also recommended Bark.com as a smaller but cheaper alternative, more in line with an older version of Thumbtack.

Lastly, Trevor recommended:

• Setting up a basic website with a contact form

• Setting up a Google business page and linking it to your site

(Make sure you check out our list of small business website builders for that first bullet.)

Rate increases + specialization = revenue explosion…

Trevor admits that he didn’t charge as much as he should’ve at first.

However, he soon learned that margins matter…

And that insane demand for his services meant he could raise rates regularly.

You can essentially raise rates for a long time if demand doesn’t slow. Watch expenses carefully, and margins will grow.

One other thing Trevor mentioned Trevor mentioned is Plan-It’s plant pruning specialty.

Having a specialty helps Trevor distinguish Plan-It from competitors…

And, since few offer that, he can charge more for those services.

Hiring and KEEPING a rockstar team

One man can only do so much. Trevor couldn’t do high level work to grow his business if he was doing all the actual landscaping.

It was time to hire.

Trevor made an employer account on Indeed, where has says there are tons of good candidates for the landscaping business.

Of course, other landscapers know this. They’re all fighting for great candidates…

Which also means landscaping has insane turnover rates. 

Trevor can’t afford to constantly hire replacements. He also can’t afford the benefits big companies offer.

Here’s how he successfully competes for and keeps the best talent:

• Competitive wages: Money talks in landscaping. Trevor prioritizes matching or exceeding what other landscapers pay.

• Four-day work week: Who doesn’t love a three-day weekend? Employees work four 10-hour days. This also gives Trevor one day/week to knock out office work.

• Strong work culture: Trevor’s serious with employees about doing great work and respecting everyone they encounter (not just clients). However, he fosters a laid-back work environment. A good balance of professionalism (satisfying clients) and fun at work (satisfying employees).

Hiring continues to be Trevor’s biggest challenge. Not too uncommon — training people to handle the work for you and trusting them to do it right is not easy.

Getting it right is worth it, though.

Plan-It Vision now + future plans

When we spoke with Trevor, he was doing $22k/month in revenue. 

His installation margins were 33-35%, sometimes a bit lower.

Meanwhile, maintenance profit margins were around 18%, but he planned some rate increases that would bring that to 28%. Work tends to slow down January and February.

Still, Plan-It had around 40 recurring maintenance clients when we spoke with him, too. 

In good times, recurring clients make it easier for Trevor to continue growing.

In fact, Trevor said he slowed down acquisition because he just couldn’t keep up with the work. 

Good problem to have. Systematize your business with that extra money, hire more people…

And then go back to acquisition with the extra capital when your business can handle it.

When we spoke with Trevor, he still worked 55-60 hours a week. But he’s in growth mode. He’s putting his nose to the grindstone to keep growing because he can.

Seems like Plan-It has a bright future.

4 factors that make a business recession-resilient

A while back, we covered a variety of “recession-proof” businesses. Landscaping is definitely one of them.

Trevor’s story is proof.

That said, it’s worth diving into what makes a business resilient to economic insanity so you can evaluate and pick a business model with confidence:

1. Essential services

Essential services are needed regardless of economic conditions. 

Yes, landscaping isn’t as crucial as, say, food. And people will be more frugal in a recession.

But homeowners want nice yards regardless of the economy. You’ll just have to lean more on existing customers. Many find paying someone else worth the time savings and convenience. 

2. Consumable products/services

Say you buy fitness supplements. These are consumable — you buy more when you run out.

You might even subscribe to auto-orders to have a constant stock of supplements.

Regardless, the supplement company weathers economic storms more easily through repeat business.

Services can work the same way. For example, lawns need to regular mowing. That creates recurring opportunities for a landscaping company.

3. Diverse revenue streams

Offering more products/services not only gives existing customers more opportunities to buy from you…

But it also lets you target a wider variety of customers. If any service dips in demand, you can lean on others.

Landscaping involves a variety of services. Customers may need one, a few, or all of them. Trevor upsells customers on other services where possible to continue winning their business.

Some of Plan-It’s services are seasonal. In warm months, design and construction is the name of the game.

When the snow hits and traditional landscaping slows, he shifts from construction projects to shoveling snow and salting a local college campus.

Best part is Trevor’s able to market his tree pruning services while doing the snow-related stuff…

Lining up more business for later.

4. Low overhead

The lower your overhead costs (costs not directly related to your product/service), the more your revenue can drop without going bankrupt.

Landscaping isn’t the lowest-overhead business. However, as Trevor showed, you can get started with a just a few hundred dollars and maintain decent margins by monitoring your expenses.

The merits of “staying small” in business

Some people want to run massive empires. They want to make a huge mark on the world. More power to them.

But many people (like me) just want control over their schedules while earning enough to give themselves (and their families) a solid standard of living.

If you’re the latter, that’s ok. You aren’t “wrong” for wanting something smaller. In business, you hit a certain point where you have to add complexity if you want more growth…

And while that means more revenue, it also means more expenses and more things to occupy your mind.

(For example, if downturn does happen, you can stay afloat… but what if that means laying off employees? That’s a hard thing to stomach.)

A small business can still afford you plenty of money and deliver an excellent work-life balance. 

At the same time, you can focus on delivering top-notch value and adapt more easily to market conditions.

Just look at Trevor.

Yeah, he has several employees. And he’s still putting in a lot of hours because he wants a little more growth.

But he’s not a massive, multi-state enterprise with legions of accountants, HR people, etc. And he seems to enjoy his work. 

He has a nice balance of healthy income, “job” satisfaction,” and simplicity.

To wrap it all up…

No need to be a finance whiz to build a healthy, recession-resilient, and, dare I say fun business.

Find a market, get your name out there, and overdeliver on the customer experience. 

Take things slowly and keep expenses low. 

Build through referrals, keep recurring clients around, and raise your rates as demand allows.

For landscaping, experience isn’t mandatory to start a business, but it helps a lot — especially if you want to offer more complex services.

But you can always start simple. If landscaping’s up your alley… 

Check out our full guide to launching a landscaping business.

Woah, check these out…

💼 Here are some more service business ideas for you to think about

💡 Video guide: Writing a business plan you’ll actually use (featuring Mike Andes, owner of Augusta Lawn Care)

📈 ICYMI: 9 “recession-proof businesses” to survive and thrive in economic downturn

🎙️ Don’t miss our latest podcast episode for more amazing stories and business wisdom

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✔️ Interview: How Mike Andes built a $1.6M/year lawn care business. Note — he started with $15k, but this interview has plenty of excellent lessons to learn.

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