Today we’d like to introduce you to Gene Caballero.
Gene, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My best friend had one of the largest landscaping companies in the middle Tennessee area and when he exited that company he approached me about some of the pain points that vendors and home owners had when trying to find each other. In 2012, that was about the same time that Uber, Lyft, and the whole share economy was gaining traction so we decided to launch GreenPal. So then GreenPal was born.
Our 3 man team has designed and built every facet of this business.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Below are a few mistakes that we made in our first year but have since bounced back.
-Inappropriate Council and formed incorrect company ($12K mistake) –if you plan taking your company public, make sure you form the correct corporation. We were told that we didn’t need to set up a C-Corp in Delaware even though they have the most tax favorable state for this. Even though we are far from going public, it’s good to know that most investors will only invest in c-corps structured this way.
-Shop built website-We didn’t have a technical co-founder so we paid ($85k) for a shop built website that was based on what they thought our customers wanted. It has since been rebuilt by a co-founder (after he went to software school) and the only thing that was kept was the video….$85k for a 1:30 sec video….and no it was not directed by James Cameron.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the GreenPal, Inc. story. Tell us more about the business.
We have been called the Uber for lawn mowing. Our platforms allows homeowners to find, schedule, and pay trusted lawn pros in their area at a touch of the button. For our vendors, we make running their business easier. We are their OS and allow them to make more money and spend less time on trivial tasks.
We started in one market and now service 6 states and have done over $1m in gross revenue in 2016. This is our biggest accomplishment so far because it means that our platform has generated over $950k for small lawn business owners this year alone.
We are changing lives of our vendors for the positive every day.
Here is a video of why we do what we do.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I would say working harder has created a little luck for us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yourgreenpal.com/tx/houston-lawn-care
- Phone: 866-798-4485
- Email: gene@yourgreenpal.com
- Instagram: yourgreenpal
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenpallawncare/
- Twitter: @yourgreenpal
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
