We moved to Texas in June 2005. Tanner was ten years old, about to turn eleven that July. Not long after we settled into our new home, we met our next-door neighbors, Ken and Lin Whitson. They were a kind, retired couple whose only child lived in the Dallas area.
In Texas, lawn care kicks off early. Most folks start mowing by the first Saturday in March. In the spring of 2006, I decided it was time for Tanner to learn the ropes. I would mow the first pass or two around the yard to set the edges, then hand the mower over to him. He agreed to the arrangement for $5 per mow. I handled the edging and trimming while Tanner took care of the mowing.
One Saturday, as we were working in the yard, Mr. Whitson came over to chat. During the conversation, he mentioned that mowing was getting harder for him as he got older. Without missing a beat, Tanner offered to mow the Whitsons’ yard for $5, of course.
Mr. Whitson paused and asked, “Are you serious?”
Tanner nodded enthusiastically.
Ken smiled and said, “Well, I’ll pay you $7. I can’t let your dad get a better deal than me.” He explained that he would take care of the edging and trimming; Tanner would just need to mow.
And so, Tanner had his first client.
He showed up each week, kept to his word, and did a good job. At the end of the summer, he let me know he wasn’t interested in mowing again the next year. One season had been enough, for the moment.
But the story didn’t end there.
In 2010, Tanner and I were assigned to home teach Steve and Noralee Hatch. They had five sons, and their youngest, Tyler, was getting ready to graduate from high school that May. The Hatches had run a family lawn mowing business for years, and it had been one of the ways their boys earned money for their missions.
During our visit in January, the Hatches asked if we’d be interested in taking over a few of their lawn customers. With Tyler graduating, they were ready to hand over the reins. Tanner and I readily agreed. And just like that, Jasperson Brothers Mowing was born.
The Hatches passed along four customers to get us started, and we bought a used 2007 Ford Ranger pickup to haul our growing collection of lawn equipment. I served as the accountant for the business. We established a simple financial system from the beginning: 20% of all revenue went back into the business for gas, oil, maintenance, and equipment. The remaining 80% was divided equally among the kids who worked on a particular yard. (On rare occasions when three kids mowed together, we bumped the split to 90% for the mowers and 10% back to the business.)
The money each child earned was divided into thirds: 10% went to tithing, 50% was set aside for missionary service, and 40% went into their personal savings and checking accounts. It was work, but it was also a training ground for managing money, honoring commitments, and working together as a family.
Over the years, the business grew steadily. We typically served about ten customers per season, with a few longtime regulars, like the Kratchmans, sticking with us from beginning to end. All told, we worked for 38 different customers during the 14-year run of the business. Most seasons ended by the last weekend of October, but there were a few years we mowed into November -- and once, even into December!
Every one of the boys worked in the mowing business at some point. Jamie and Allyn even helped out on occasion when schedules were tight. Addison became one of the main mowers during the final two years, faithfully wrapping up the final chapter of the business.
Between 2010 and 2023, Jasperson Brothers Mowing earned just over $81,000 in revenue. Not bad for a family side hustle that started with a neighborly offer and an old push mower.
What began with Tanner mowing our yard and the Whitsons’ turned into a family enterprise, one that gave our kids a meaningful way to contribute, save, and serve. More than anything, it was a way to teach the value of honest work and shared effort. And in the end, that may be the best payoff of all.
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