Dave and Lisa Burns have a great job: They get to play with plants and fish!
Five years ago they opened Backyard Getaway, a pond installation / maintenance / supply shop, and they say they can’t imagine doing anything else. “We get to add beauty and tranquility to our customers’ lives,” Lisa say. “We don’t call it a business. We call it a lifestyle.”
The Burns live, work and play in Bradenton. They love the beach, the weather, the people. And they really love their home! They’ve been there 20 years (and in the area more than 25).
“All the neighbors know each other and are willing to lend a helping hand when needed,” Lisa says. We caught up with them recently.
How did you decide to start your own business?
We started in the water garden hobby about 13 years ago with a very small pond that grew to 5,000 gallons in a year’s time.
Dave worked as a drywall contractor and I managed a Hallmark when we were first married. The companies he worked for didn’t seem to care for the customers. Dave always felt it was important to offer quality at a reasonable price.
We decided that we would like the independence of owning our own business so that I could be home with our kids when they were small & he could provide his skills to homeowners at a reasonable price.
What’s been the most rewarding aspect?
Our customers. If we hadn’t started this business, we wouldn’t have met so many wonderful people. Our customers are our family. We even started our own “club,” called the Backyard Friends where we have monthly get-togethers. We also do free classes & charity work as well. Our last fundraiser we raised money for Dan Nolan Middle School to install a water feature in their butterfly garden.
What’s been the toughest?
I’d have to say learning to adjust to the economy. We ran a brick & mortar retail store for almost 5 years & decided a few months ago that if we wanted our business to grow we would need to take it in a new direction. Our service business is our main focus so we closed the retail & now offer online sales, mail order & local delivery of pond supplies & equipment. That left us more time to devote to our customers & events.
Advice for other wanna-be entrepreneurs …
I’m not sure if we qualify to give advice, but I would say follow your heart and although a good business plan is very important, it is more important to know when something isn’t working that you can change it. Learn to adapt.
Do you think the recession is over?
I don’t know about the recession being over for most, but for us we are still feeling it. What we offer to our customers is basically a luxury, not a necessity.
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Backyard Getaway
Your Complete Pond Source & More…
Let us create your perfect backyard getaway!
941-752-POND (7663)
www.backyardgetaway.net
backyardgetaway@verizon.net
Your “Local Shopper” is Ester, also the owner of Local Shops 1, a proud sponsor of Sticks of Fire. LocalShops1 encourages you to support your local independent businesses when you can. The businesses mentioned in this column have NOT paid for this, and membership at LS1 is NOT required for a profile in this space.
