Heroes Lawn Care Valparaiso made veteran culture the hero.
United States Air Force veteran Brad Buinicky opened his Heroes Lawn Care in 2022 in Valparaiso, Florida to serve his community — drawing on his military background to quickly build a local business.
This entrepreneur signed his franchise agreement and formed his LLC in July 2022, going on to start advertising in November the same year. In January 2023, he got his first customer and started growing.
Connecting with Resources
“As a first-time small business owner,” Brad shares, “one of my most trusted friends and advisers emphasized the importance of seeking mentorship. I had already made contact with Brenton Peacock at the Veterans Business Outreach Center in Panama City. When I asked him about seeking mentorship, he referred me to the local SBDC.
“Additionally, I was recently working on a grant application and that same friend referred me to a colleague of his who was a grant-writing professional. She suggested that I contact the SBDC to discuss government funding options and how to best recruit investors.”
So Brad couldn’t resist and connected with Florida SBDC at UWF Business Consultant Chip Wells. The two began kicking off sessions related to spurring growth, marketing, and finances.
After serving his country in the Air Force, Brad started his own Heroes Lawn Care franchise to continue his dedication to local service. Pulling on his military operational training, leadership, and teamwork skills — plus through hard work — Brad and his team provided exceptional service that kept customers coming back. Plus, strong values of honor and work culture created a positive environment.
Veteran Culture
Brad shares how his veteran status also helped connect with clients who want to support veteran-owned businesses. Moreover, he shares how his commitment to quality and camaraderie aided growth.
“I am very proud to have served my country through both Air Force active duty and full-time reserve service,” he continues. “I am now entering retirement eligibility, and the main reasons I have sought small business ownership are so that I can continue using my skills and aptitudes to create, lead, and build; but primarily so that I can transition my life from serving our country to serving our community.”
The Air Force Academy graduate explains how he’s learned in entrepreneurship that the primary parts of running a business are marketing, finances, and operations.
Brad holds a B.S. in Operations Research and as part of his military benefits earned an M.S. in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas. Furthermore, he was able to complete Six Sigma Green Belt training.
“In the military, I learned to perform under pressure, lead small teams through high-stress situations, change, and achieve peak performance. I also carefully honed my task management, prioritization, task accomplishment, and working with superiors, peers, and those assigned to me to get it done right the first time.
“I also greatly enjoyed a career in a very solid culture of self-sacrifice, belief in something bigger than yourself, camaraderie, honor, ethics, pride, and collectively working toward a common goal. Another one of the most important reasons I wanted to start a small business was to continue to foster and perpetuate a similar culture.
“All of these skills have been truly instrumental in any success that I have achieved.”
A Life of Service
Brad is grateful to his local resources for the small business assistance, from mentorship and guidance to business task support in knowing what steps to take, and how and when to take them.
“People are always the most important part of any venture,” he concludes. “And SBDC was tremendously helpful in helping a veteran like me transition from serving my country to serving my community.”
Stay tuned to see what’s next for Brad!