Hello guys even though I had some interactions in the forum already I never really introduce my self. My name is Juan Pimentel I'm 24 years old I live in Mesa, AZ and this is a little about me . Im a first generation immigrant to this great nation. I was born in Mexico but I got brought here when I was young. I am what the mainstream media calls a Dreamer (a person brought here illegally by their parents). I hate being part of that category since politicians use us for cheap political points but its part of my identity. Im not saying this to gain support or anything else but just explain where I'm coming from. I have consider myself a "entrepreneur" my whole life. Since I grew up with out legal documents for half of my life I had to come up with creative ways to make money. From selling candy in my living room to burning and selling cds to my school friends. Anything to get by. That I thought it made me an "entrepreneur".
Trouble came later in life due to bad influences and me being a rebel teen i left high school at a early age. Thinking I was wasting my time since I had no hope in achieving a bright future for me aka the (scripted slow lane life) due to lack of papers. I started settling for less. My future was going to be labor worker in some job and I was going to make the best of it. But because I didn't have papers and tougher immigration laws got pass so I couldn't use a fake social to work I had to find a other way to make money. Thats when my dad and I started a landscaping business. And that landscaping business has provided us with a roof over our heads and food at the table for many years. The problem is that it's a job not a business.
I came to the realization of that earlier in the year when my dad had a heart attack and almost died. He was working near a pool when the heart attack happen. He fell into the pool and almost drowned. Luckily the homeowner's son had stopped by to check the pool and noticed my dad at the bottom. He jumped in to save him and thanks to him his alive. My dad had to get rushed to the hospital into ICU and eventually had triple bypass surgery and was out for a few months. That was the scariest call of my life!!!
Since he was gone I took care of the "business" I had to do all the work by myself. I used audible and read TMFL and Unscripted . It's there that I started noticing our big flaws. We didn't have the human recourses necessary to get work done if we were both sick. We didn't have grand amounts savings for emergencies like this. We aren't serving in a massive scale. And the biggest flaw yet is that we started the business not with the purpose of providing value but instead to satisfy our need for money. We were part of a pool of me too businesses. Thats not to say we don't provide any value to our customers. We do and our work is excellent but no way near the CENTS frame work.
So what did I do? I used my semi legal status to form a LLC (I have a work permit and social security now). I created my google business account, I bought ads, created company shirts to look more professional, went to landscaping school and got certified. I tried hiring employees. Talk to some members here and get some ideas. But it seems to not be working. We don't fit into the Cents frame work. We have focus on high end customers but the entry barrier is low that any new guy does the same work for less money. I would need to do hundreds of properties in order to make it profitable. Ok then do it! Well let me tell you the workforce in AZ is horrible. Good employees are either loyal to bigger companies or have also started their own business. And the others well they don't show up, they want high wages for little work, They want to go home early. Listen I get it I was there once but I can't go broke trying to keep these people happy.
I didn't want to give up but I been doing this job for years now I'm burned out! Im depressed, there's have been a couple of deaths in my family, I can't visit my mother due to my legal status, and I had to sell my personal vehicle to cover some personal expenses.Its time to move on and find a better way to provide value to the market place. Im having a hard time concentrating on what route to take next. Life is kicking me in the balls but I know I will over come this.
This is why I'm thankful for this forum. I know I will find something to do to help others. Next business I created will be center on CENTS not a me too business.
If you read this thank you I know its a lot . If you have any comments feel free to let them down here. I really needed to express myself and not feel judged. God bless you.
Trouble came later in life due to bad influences and me being a rebel teen i left high school at a early age. Thinking I was wasting my time since I had no hope in achieving a bright future for me aka the (scripted slow lane life) due to lack of papers. I started settling for less. My future was going to be labor worker in some job and I was going to make the best of it. But because I didn't have papers and tougher immigration laws got pass so I couldn't use a fake social to work I had to find a other way to make money. Thats when my dad and I started a landscaping business. And that landscaping business has provided us with a roof over our heads and food at the table for many years. The problem is that it's a job not a business.
I came to the realization of that earlier in the year when my dad had a heart attack and almost died. He was working near a pool when the heart attack happen. He fell into the pool and almost drowned. Luckily the homeowner's son had stopped by to check the pool and noticed my dad at the bottom. He jumped in to save him and thanks to him his alive. My dad had to get rushed to the hospital into ICU and eventually had triple bypass surgery and was out for a few months. That was the scariest call of my life!!!
Since he was gone I took care of the "business" I had to do all the work by myself. I used audible and read TMFL and Unscripted . It's there that I started noticing our big flaws. We didn't have the human recourses necessary to get work done if we were both sick. We didn't have grand amounts savings for emergencies like this. We aren't serving in a massive scale. And the biggest flaw yet is that we started the business not with the purpose of providing value but instead to satisfy our need for money. We were part of a pool of me too businesses. Thats not to say we don't provide any value to our customers. We do and our work is excellent but no way near the CENTS frame work.
So what did I do? I used my semi legal status to form a LLC (I have a work permit and social security now). I created my google business account, I bought ads, created company shirts to look more professional, went to landscaping school and got certified. I tried hiring employees. Talk to some members here and get some ideas. But it seems to not be working. We don't fit into the Cents frame work. We have focus on high end customers but the entry barrier is low that any new guy does the same work for less money. I would need to do hundreds of properties in order to make it profitable. Ok then do it! Well let me tell you the workforce in AZ is horrible. Good employees are either loyal to bigger companies or have also started their own business. And the others well they don't show up, they want high wages for little work, They want to go home early. Listen I get it I was there once but I can't go broke trying to keep these people happy.
I didn't want to give up but I been doing this job for years now I'm burned out! Im depressed, there's have been a couple of deaths in my family, I can't visit my mother due to my legal status, and I had to sell my personal vehicle to cover some personal expenses.Its time to move on and find a better way to provide value to the market place. Im having a hard time concentrating on what route to take next. Life is kicking me in the balls but I know I will over come this.
This is why I'm thankful for this forum. I know I will find something to do to help others. Next business I created will be center on CENTS not a me too business.
If you read this thank you I know its a lot . If you have any comments feel free to let them down here. I really needed to express myself and not feel judged. God bless you.
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