New startup advice

I am in the process of launching a social enterprise lawn care business in Knoxville, TN (plans of intentionally hiring an underserved workforce, particularly ex-offenders). While I have operating experience in the lawn industry, I am looking for sound management counsel in bidding/equipment/HR/multiple crew logistics and best practices. I am an experiential learner and the idea hit me to reach out to this community to request if anyone in the Southeast would be willing to let me ride along with you and your company for a day or two during the off season while things are slower for all of us. I'm willing to drive most anywhere--Florida/GA/NC/TN/SC/ and maybe Alabama if its not near War Eagle territory.

I'm a young and energetic entrepreneur that wants to make a difference in people's lives and my optimism needs your wisdom and support to ensure that I'm doing things to the best of my ability. I'd love to have a phone conversation with anyone that is possibly interested. Thanks for your consideration, and GO VOLS.

Ian Dovan, Owner
Seeds of Change Lawn Care
dovanstore@gmail.com

Blades of Glory said:

I am in the process of launching a social enterprise lawn care business in Knoxville, TN (plans of intentionally hiring an underserved workforce, particularly ex-offenders). While I have operating experience in the lawn industry, I am looking for sound management counsel in bidding/equipment/HR/multiple crew logistics and best practices. I am an experiential learner and the idea hit me to reach out to this community to request if anyone in the Southeast would be willing to let me ride along with you and your company for a day or two during the off season while things are slower for all of us. I'm willing to drive most anywhere--Florida/GA/NC/TN/SC/ and maybe Alabama if its not near War Eagle territory.

I'm a young and energetic entrepreneur that wants to make a difference in people's lives and my optimism needs your wisdom and support to ensure that I'm doing things to the best of my ability. I'd love to have a phone conversation with anyone that is possibly interested. Thanks for your consideration, and GO VOLS.

Ian Dovan, Owner
Seeds of Change Lawn Care
dovanstore@gmail.com

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I think you'll be hard pressed to make that kind of service work. A service like that is to much of a liability concern for you the owner say nothing about insurance company's. Just ask yourself a question, why would a business or county or state agency that can't hire ex-offender themselves for there workplace hire a company that has a work force of ex-offenders.
I think it would be the same thing for the greatest percentage of homeowners. The criminal element or ex-offender is something that there not going to be happy with or comfortable with around there home.

I agree with Ric, going to be a tough sale to the public.
I can see it now "We will shank your grass for you:wink:

When we ran the courier business we did have a few workers with a dubious past.
We never told any one and no one ever twigged.
Advertising it would be a bad idea because you will arouse suspicions so the first time some one misplaced something your crew will be accused of stealing it.
This will spread over the very fast electronic gossip mill and you will be bankrupt before you start.
No matter how hard one tries to do a "perfect" job there will always be bits that could have been done better, which with luck you will address the next time round.
However advertising you are running ex-cons will cause most customers go over your work with a fine tooth comb to find all the bad bits to reinforce their own prejudices agains all of "THOSE TYPES"

I hope your venture goes well.
However I have found long term inmates difficult to work with.
Institutionalized people tended to be a little brain dead, did exactly what you asked them to do, exactly the way you showed them to do it .
Worked well for exactly the time between the allocated start & finish times.
Had to eat, drink & go for toilet breaks at exactly the same time.
Could not handle any variations in their working environment and were not particularly interested in the job other than doing exactly what they were told to do.

bertsmobile1 said:

When we ran the courier business we did have a few workers with a dubious past.
We never told any one and no one ever twigged.
Advertising it would be a bad idea because you will arouse suspicions so the first time some one misplaced something your crew will be accused of stealing it.
This will spread over the very fast electronic gossip mill and you will be bankrupt before you start.
No matter how hard one tries to do a "perfect" job there will always be bits that could have been done better, which with luck you will address the next time round.
However advertising you are running ex-cons will cause most customers go over your work with a fine tooth comb to find all the bad bits to reinforce their own prejudices agains all of "THOSE TYPES"

I hope your venture goes well.
However I have found long term inmates difficult to work with.
Institutionalized people tended to be a little brain dead, did exactly what you asked them to do, exactly the way you showed them to do it .
Worked well for exactly the time between the allocated start & finish times.
Had to eat, drink & go for toilet breaks at exactly the same time.
Could not handle any variations in their working environment and were not particularly interested in the job other than doing exactly what they were told to do.

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Well I disagree with not telling anyone, especially when dealing with the public. When you think of all the employers private, county and state that require finger printing and back ground checks to be hired to or for a job, lying about your employees doesn't really seem the way to go. I think it would be a good way to destroy your business and your reputation. I think people would think if the guy is willing to lie about the people he employed what else is he capable of or doing.

Ric said:

Well I disagree with not telling anyone, especially when dealing with the public. When you think of all the employers private, county and state that require finger printing and back ground checks to be hired to or for a job lying about your employees doesn't really seem the way to go. I think it would be a good way to destroy your business and your reputation. I think people would think if the guy is willing to lie about the people he employed what else is he capable of or doing.

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Where in his post did he say he would lie to anyone?

Once again Ric you are not reading the post.
I simply said don't advertise it because it will bring out all the nasty human traits in people, particularly like you.

A lawn mowing crew is not minding children or managing other peoples finances.
You don't need to be holyier than the pope to cut some ones grass.

People come out of prision and need to be able to find work or they will find another way to support themselves .
Even worse, having done reasonable time in gaol a 1/2 smart person has found out 101 ways to steal without getting caught.

If you had it your way 95% of the population would be unemployable and the other 5 % would be politicians.
People who go to gaol cost hard working , 100% honest , clean, decent, God fearing, fine, upstanding , morally perfect , unbiased, unbigoted, respectful pillars of the free world & self appointed protectors of moral society, ( you ? ) a lot of money.
Check where your State taxes go.
Add policing & gaols together and they make the biggest expenditure item and that is your money.

At one time I heard a US economist sprouting figures that it would be 2/3 cheaper to pay all the ex-inmates a full social security benefit forever than sending them back to prision.
Check your own State budget carefully you will find you spend 3 times as much per person keeping them in prison as you do educating them so they can become just like you.

Special Branch had a file on me going back from the time I was 12 and the best they could come up with was " had associated with known homosexuals " and "had associated with potential communist ".
Apparently riding with patch wearing motorcyclist gang , brawling , drug taking etc was fine, just so long as I did it with nice strait people who did not come from Ukrania .
For this gem of knowledge they had been following me 24/7 for over 20 years.

I like your idea.
There is no need to tell anyone that a employee has been in jail.

I agree that it cost alot to keep them in prison. The state's have no problem wasting taxpayer's money. We have to work so those that don't want to work can get a check.

Mikel1 said:

I agree that it cost a lot to keep them in prison. The state's have no problem wasting taxpayer's money. We have to work so those that don't want to work can get a check.

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I also agree that it cost a lot to keep people in prison but I also don't mind paying taxes to keep the ones there that belong there. As far as no need to tell anyone that a employee has been in jail is basically a thing of the past because as I said before most employers private, county and state anymore all require finger printing and back ground checks to be hired to or for a job. In most cases, not all but most the people who have records end up as Day Labor.
Paying taxes is the American way of life. We pay for Welfare, Food Stamps and a ton of other things, so what.