Two weeks into forming this thing officially, and it's already taught me a lot. First: I filed paperwork to form Engineered Land Solutions LLC. Got it submitted, figured that box was checked, moved on. Four days later it got rejected. Turns out New Hampshire reserves the word "Engineered" for firms actually licensed to practice engineering. You need a certificate from the state licensing board to use it in a business name. I refiled that same day as Elevated Land Solutions and the state accepted it the next morning. The real cost was downstream: the EIN the IRS had already issued was tied to an entity that legally never existed. I had to file for a brand new one under the corrected name before the bank account or anything else could move forward. Minor setback, real lesson: check the regulated word list before you fall in love with a name. Second, less painful: we've landed on Bobcat for the machine. I spent weeks getting real quotes across Cat, Kubota, John Deere, and Takeuchi. Bobcat wasn't the cheapest on paper. A 24-hour response target on breakdowns, an actual person picking up the phone. When it's a one-man crew and the machine is the business, that beats a slightly better sticker price every time. Found something out almost by accident, too. Bobcat runs a program called Bravo that discounts new equipment. I always assumed that was veterans only. Turns out first responders qualify too, so this sealed the deal. Machines not bought yet, but the decisions are made, and I wanted to get the why down while it's fresh.

Busy week, so figured I'd actually write it up instead of just telling myself I would. Filed the LLC myself this week. Went straight through NH's site instead of LegalZoom, saved the markup for basically the same paperwork, done in an afternoon. EIN came back from the IRS the next day. Also finally sat down and ran a real trademark search on the name instead of just assuming it was fine. Nothing conflicting showed up, so that's closed out. Applied for a business bank account too (still pending review) and got Google Workspace set up with a real business email off my personal Gmail. Small thing but it'd been bugging me. Also got real equipment quotes this week instead of just running numbers in a spreadsheet. Hit Bobcat, Cat, Deere, and the local Takeuchi dealer. Bobcat's the clear leader right now on a skid steer and mulcher package. Cat was the most put-together dealer of the bunch, best warranty and best service commitment, but $34k to $59k more for a comparable setup. Deere couldn't quote me on the spot. The Takeuchi dealer's out, didn't have the road service or dealer support I'd need. Nothing's bought yet, but I've got real numbers to compare now instead of guessing. Stopped at a local trailer dealer while I was out there too. Got a contact and I'm feeling good about buying through them when the time comes. Truck's on the radar for December. (F450/F550, 2022+) Also got a real insurance quote range back and I'm comparing two CPA candidates before I actually need one. I know all of this is really far out from actually cutting brush for money. April 2027 launch is the planned date. But I'd rather have the boring stuff, LLC, EIN, insurance, equipment relationships, locked down now than scrambling to figure it out once things get busy. On the personal side: My wife and I had our first son on September 5th. Life's been a little crazy since. But being off my regular job right now has actually been a huge blessing, it's meant we could go do these dealer visits together during a normal workday instead of squeezing it into evenings and weekends. Plus, who doesn't love showing their 8-day old equipment?

Location: South East Wisconsin Machine: CAT 299D Forestry Mulcher Package (Rental) Cost Per Crew Day: $1,680 Target Day Rate (30% Margin): $2,400

Call‑backs quietly kill profit. You burn fuel driving back. You pull off another job. You lose momentum. All because you didn’t fix it while your machine was already sitting there. On last week’s OPS training call inside Accelerator, I shared the exact “5‑Star Question” we ask at the end of every single job to turn potential call‑backs into 5‑star reviews and referrals. If you run a skid steer, mulcher, or excavator and you’re sick of call‑backs and bad reviews, you can steal this script.. 🎥 Comment “5 STAR” and I’ll DM you the clip from the live training last Saturday. Inside the full training from last week, we also cover: - The exact review script to use on‑site - How to turn every finished job into 2–3 more jobs - How to create Proof Assets that build trust with your future customers before you ever show up That full Proof & Referrals engine is what we install with you inside OPS ACCELERATOR so you can stack profitable jobs instead of driving back to jobs for callbacks. If you already own a real machine and want to grow with a proven lead engine & simple system, you can apply to join OPS Accelerator here: 👉 CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Quick breakdown from Jeff & Lisa on our check in call earlier this month: - May: $21,000 collected - June: $30,000 booked - July: 3 jobs already booked - One simple ad: 21 leads at $18.06/lead - Spend: $378 - Jobs tied to that ad: $43,600 (~115x return) He’s 62, just put in his last day at Costco, and he and his wife are saying it’s “overwhelming in a good way” because the work is finally consistent and impactful. If you’re a land clearing / forestry mulching / tree operator with a real machine who wants a simple “put $1 in, pull big jobs out” plan: 👉 Book an OPS Game Plan Call Grab a spot while there are still openings this week. Watch the clip first, then book your call