[Xquisite]

Good Day Everyone,

Thought I'd drop in on this site to see what it's all about. I've been in and out of the business for over 10 years now and I'm looking to take advantage of a misfortune that happened during the 4th quarter of last year. (Had an accident that left me in the hospital for back surgery 4 months later.. earlier this month actually...) I'm looking to make myself a start-up all over again, for about the 4th time. I haven't always been on my own, nor do I plan to go it alone this time. I've learned my lesson about the hard work and how it takes a toll on you. Albeit I'm only 22 yrs old, but I just had surgery on my back and had fatigue problems prior to that from all of the long hot summers pushing those mowers, mostly by myself for me being so darn stubborn... and tight with my cash! I'd like to get some input from a few of the old timers, maybe some younger guys that are getting this thing right, as to how I should pull off opening a start-up in a metro area in the southeast. I'm looking to be primarily a supervisor, an artist of talent, if you will, training my employees to follow in the ways that I lead. I haven't started my biz plan as of yet since I am unsure as to where I want to go with it, but I have written many, as a hobby, for folks that I know in my area.

Some of my best guesstamites right now:

12-15% growth rate year over year, actually my plan is 12-15% quarter over quarter for the first 2 years and then to the yearly growth plan.

2% revenues to advertising; print, broadcast, direct-mail, and aided word-of-mouth

Initial employee count of myself and 3 others to tackle installs and maintenance, myself doing the designs. I plan to start employees from scratch; know-nothings, if you will, so that I can save on the pay for a short time, and so that I can relieve myself of having some pre-concieved notions of experience running amuck.

I plan to creep into irigation, herbicide/pesticide as to avoid getting in over my head.

I would like to have 10 employees total by 4Q of the first year of business, running dedicated maintenance and install crews with myself as a dedicated operation manager.

I'm looking at offering benefits to full-timers after 90 days, health, vision, dental and pay 60%. Also, I will offer vacation that will be used to augment the off times in the winter so that the full-timers don't lose any cashflow.

Any suggestions? Maybe some experience from the outside... I've brought myself to this level many times and have dreaded it every time. Start-up capital will not be an issue, I plan to inject about $150K myself and search long and hard for a biz partner with a BBA/MBA with Finance focus to serve as CFO after incorporation in 3-5 years.

Somebody slap a little sense into me.... I'm feeling a not-quite-even-remotely-close-to-a-midlife-crisis coming on... HAHA!

Have a GREAT One!