A Short History of Clif’s Outdoors
The week that my brand-new Lawn-Boy mower first hit the ground in Topeka was in March 1987. That was the beginning of Clif’s Outdoors—then called Clif’s Mowing because I wanted mostly to do mowing! I worked a day job so I started mowing after work and on weekends. I bought a little Chevy Luv truck which could haul a push mower, trimmer, and blower.
In 1991 my company offered an evening shift, so I began mowing during the day. That’s when my company really started growing!
By 1995 I had added a powerful truck, double-axle trailer, zero-turn mowers, and small power equipment like chainsaws, hedge trimmers, and pole chainsaws, and also the requisite shovels, spades, rakes, and wheelbarrows to expand the landscaping arm of my growing business. If I needed a Ditch Witch or Bobcat, I would rent it.
Also by 1995 the mowing arm of my business had grown to where I was mowing 120 yards/units a week. During this period I gave more of the mowing responsibilities to employees. And some got a little too adventurous: some mowing along ponds and creeks caused my Dixie Chopper’s Zero-Turn to almost submerge in a large apartment complex pond, and my Grasshopper slid down a creek bank into a rushing stream. Both were extricated with no visible damage.
During the Topeka phase of my business, I honed my shrub-trimming skills. Once I did a mile-long driveway leading to a game preserve—one thousand shrubs from the road to the home on the lake!
I learned a lot for the tree arm of my business. I learned how to make a logger’s cut so that the tree would fall exactly where I wanted. I used a lot of ropes and security tie-offs and an arborist for the difficult jobs, and took out a lot of commercial insurance.
I learned flower bed and mulching skills in Topeka, making flower circles where stumps used to be. I would plant flowers in a circle, mulch the rest, and put a three-tiered statuary on top with water cascading down the different levels. The finishing touch was a spotlight on the statue at night.
I moved to Overland Park in 2011 and changed by business name to Clif’s Outdoors. My kids were grown and Kansas City seemed more appealing to a single dad with new freedom.
I’ve been in Kansas City for ten years, and I probably should have concentrated on one area. But I took mowing and other jobs in Overland Park, Olathe, Shawnee Mission, Merriam, Prairie Village, Leawood, Fairway, Mission Hills, KCK, and KCMo north and south to include Independence, Raytown, Grandview, and Lee’s Summit. I may have spent too much money on gas, but I really got to know the city!
My website shows all of the outdoor tasks that I do, and in addition to those, I will mow your rental properties and take care of your watering while you’re on vacation. I can take care of everything connected with your estate!
My pricing is reasonable, and if you want to pay up front for the season—usually from April 1 to October 31—I give a 10% discount and you don’t have to pay each week or month.
Call me at 913-300-1657. Remember that it’s a good day if my dog and the workers at the forestry dump like me.
In 1991 my company offered an evening shift, so I began mowing during the day. That’s when my company really started growing!
By 1995 I had added a powerful truck, double-axle trailer, zero-turn mowers, and small power equipment like chainsaws, hedge trimmers, and pole chainsaws, and also the requisite shovels, spades, rakes, and wheelbarrows to expand the landscaping arm of my growing business. If I needed a Ditch Witch or Bobcat, I would rent it.
Also by 1995 the mowing arm of my business had grown to where I was mowing 120 yards/units a week. During this period I gave more of the mowing responsibilities to employees. And some got a little too adventurous: some mowing along ponds and creeks caused my Dixie Chopper’s Zero-Turn to almost submerge in a large apartment complex pond, and my Grasshopper slid down a creek bank into a rushing stream. Both were extricated with no visible damage.
During the Topeka phase of my business, I honed my shrub-trimming skills. Once I did a mile-long driveway leading to a game preserve—one thousand shrubs from the road to the home on the lake!
I learned a lot for the tree arm of my business. I learned how to make a logger’s cut so that the tree would fall exactly where I wanted. I used a lot of ropes and security tie-offs and an arborist for the difficult jobs, and took out a lot of commercial insurance.
I learned flower bed and mulching skills in Topeka, making flower circles where stumps used to be. I would plant flowers in a circle, mulch the rest, and put a three-tiered statuary on top with water cascading down the different levels. The finishing touch was a spotlight on the statue at night.
I moved to Overland Park in 2011 and changed by business name to Clif’s Outdoors. My kids were grown and Kansas City seemed more appealing to a single dad with new freedom.
I’ve been in Kansas City for ten years, and I probably should have concentrated on one area. But I took mowing and other jobs in Overland Park, Olathe, Shawnee Mission, Merriam, Prairie Village, Leawood, Fairway, Mission Hills, KCK, and KCMo north and south to include Independence, Raytown, Grandview, and Lee’s Summit. I may have spent too much money on gas, but I really got to know the city!
My website shows all of the outdoor tasks that I do, and in addition to those, I will mow your rental properties and take care of your watering while you’re on vacation. I can take care of everything connected with your estate!
My pricing is reasonable, and if you want to pay up front for the season—usually from April 1 to October 31—I give a 10% discount and you don’t have to pay each week or month.
Call me at 913-300-1657. Remember that it’s a good day if my dog and the workers at the forestry dump like me.