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My name is Kevin Turner. I grew up in poverty untill my father passed from colon cancer and my siblings and I were placed into foster care. I was taken to live in Kingsburg, Ca. My foster dad there was a general contractor and I would watch him each day come and go as he would work tirelessly. Soon I began helping him regularly. During those times I acquired quite a bit of knowledge and skills to use myself. Well fast forward past turning 18, moving out, marriage, kids, divorce, and everything up to three years ago. I am sitting on my couch and my oldest daughter comes up to me and says, "daddy how will santa come if theres no fireplace?" I looked into her beautiful eyes full of wonder and doubt and had a surge of guilt and shame flow over me as I kinda gently changed the subject while shifting her attention away from that for a bit. You see, I was divorced and in a rut. I had known christmas was coming but couldn't belive it was only 2 weeks away at that point. I had zero gifts and zero dollars towards getting any. I looked my best freind dead in the eye and said, what to him sounded like just another blow of smoke that will never come to fruition as I had so much history of those prior, "I am starting a business." "With what? You can't even get yourself up off the couch to get a job and you think you are going to start some company?" He replied. His doubt was neither a hindrance nor motivator in my decision. The look on my daughters face inquiring about christmas gifts was all I needed to wake me up from my year of depression and aimless living. I was headstrong about giving my daughter a christmas. I only had a few tools but called everyone i knew and texted when they didnt answer informing them that I was available to do ANYTHING they needed around the house. Heck I wouldve went and got their groceries if it meant a dollar towrds a smile on my children's faces! My buddy Chris was my first job....a clogged sink. I charged him 18 dollars as I was absolutely clueless, and a bit insane now looking back on it, as to how pricing worked or what my services should be rated at nor did I have any inkling at to what they were worth. He was happy to give me even more than what i asked and it was official. I was in business. As time continued, and word spread I slowly but steadily accumilated job after job building my client base as I went. Once I had enough funds I came up with a business name and slogan. I then hired a freelancer to design me a logo. After that I finally ordered business cards and pens, along with having my best friend help me design a cheap website and purchasing my domain name on google. "Wow. Im really doing this! I am a success!" I thought staring at the cards in hand. I went soon after and filed my dba and got my business tax certificate and couldn't be more confident and proud. A year had went by since I started with nothing but a crummy tool bag, no plan, no clients, and no idea what was going to happen. I now was stacked with work, loaded with tools new and used of all sorts and sizes for almost everything you could think of! Red Gator Maintenance was sure to be the next big thing!
Contact Info
Web:
www.redgatormaintenance.com
Time always brings more. More of anything. More experience. More bills. More gains. More loss. Etc. Well, while I was learning new skills reading and watching tutorials soaking up it all like a sponge by the minute in between jobs but what I failed to pay any mind to was what has me writing this overly filled plea for any help you may have to offer me in the first place. That being HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS. Period. I knew how to do the work. I was even pretty good at getting the work. But I kept zero records. I had zero ways of knowing if i was profitable or not nor had I any clue that I was even supposed to! Yeah, that bad. So its now been 3 years. Well, in just about one month it will be. I am almost hesitant to say as I am honestly quite embarrassed and perhaps a bit scared of repercussions but I have not filed taxes since I started. I didnt keep records. This past year and a half I finally tried to. Only to have my truck broken into and robbed for my toolbags, wallet, custody court folders, laptop and of course..... my breifcase where I had been documenting and filing everything I could or knew how to that entire time. That was a month ago. Now I sit here. With another year about to start I refuse to keep going on like this. Not that I meant to to begin with but between the fast flow of work life and balancing bidding jobs, answering the phone literally nonstop, and being a father to my 4 beautiful children I just got flung around with no sense of organization or back office accountability. Honestly I dont even know what exactly I am asking for I just know that I want to change the course of my business and life altogether. I also have to admit that I need a bit of help in order to do that. I have been awarded Fresno's Top 3 Handyman the past three years in a row by threebestrated.com. I am much better off now as far as my living situation now than when I started. And I am proud to say that i did get those christmas gifts that year by the way. It wasnt much of them and it was a day before christmas by the skin of my teeth that I finally had presents under the tree. But I did it. And havent missed a christmas yet! But I cant keep going like this. I feel stuck. In fact I know i am stuck. I need help. I have a service that is in high demand and have a great community with lots of oppurtunities for work, but given the slow down during the pandemic of course I am drastically hurting. I am barley getting by amd ONLY because pgne is not allowed to shut off services until April 26th 2021 for anyone due to the pandemic per the Cares Act enacted earlier in 2020. But I don't just want to sound like a beggar. I do need financial help as now my truck broke down on top of everything else but honestly I really wish to revamp my business completely. Taking everything I know and keeping the good, ditching the bad, and doing it right on the back office side of it. Like the Accounting. Profit loss Statements. Hell an actual business plan for starters! Everything I have been putting off for so long due to either being busy, depressed, or just clueless as to how to even begin. I know I've messed up. I also know that I should have done this long ago. But the facts is Here I Am. I can only focus on this point forward so if there is anything you can help me with from a business plan to a loan for a new truck and business attire in order to really start prospering and working for the best outcomes for myself and the entire community along the journey. All while making not just my family, my peers, and my children proud of what I know I will build......but MYSELF too! Thank you for taking the time to read this and let me know if theres anything You can help with or just point me in the right direction please. I know I can do it with your help!!!
Sincerely,
Kevin Turner
Contact Info
Web:
www.redgatormaintenance.com
Email:
[email redacted]
[email redacted]
Organizer
KEVIN TURNER
Organizer
Fresno, CA
