How JRSG Began 🚀 People often ask how I started JR Services Group. Truth is, it didn’t begin with a business plan, an office, or even a van. It started in a shed. When I was about 7, 8, 9 years old, I’d spend hours with my grandad in his workshop. Just basic hand tools, scraps of wood, and a lot of patience. He passed away when I was 12, but by then I’d already caught the bug for making and doing. Not long after, my dad set up his own gardening business, and I tagged along on weekends. That’s where I learnt how to cut my first hedge, trim a bush properly, and start to understand the craft of outdoor work. Fast forward a few years — Covid hit. While most people were stuck indoors, I found myself outside working on farms. I loved it. Hard work, fresh air, and a sense of purpose. Alongside that, I washed dishes in a pub. That was the moment I realised I didn’t want a “normal job” for the rest of my life. So, I started experimenting. I tried pressure washing, grass cutting, odd jobs — anything that gave me a chance to work for myself. I didn’t earn much, but I gained something better: experience. The kind you only get by trying, failing, and trying again. By 15, I’d taken on a mate of mine — a Ukrainian refugee — and paid him £10 an hour to work with me. Not bad going at that age! From there it snowballed. I took risks. Some sensible, some questionable… like driving two hours away to climb five metres of scaffolding to install bird netting. But that’s what it takes sometimes. When I left school early, it wasn’t an easy decision. Winters were rough, money was tight, but I kept going. Bit by bit I grew the business. I made JRSG official, hired subcontractors, took on employees, and learned (the hard way) what it really means to run a company. It’s been ups and downs. Mistakes and lessons. Small wins and big breakthroughs. And at 19, I’m still in the thick of it — building, learning, and pushing forward. This is just the beginning. Stick around and I’ll share the real side of running a grounds maintenance business: the jobs, the graft, the risks, the wins, and the lessons I wish I knew earlier.