Mark Bodner was having trouble thinking of a startup idea for his class at Siena College – until he thought of something that would help his own business.
He and his brother were working one day for a client of Bodner Brothers Landscaping, and he had a realization: “There needs to be a solution that can take care of a lot of these administrative responsibilities out in the field, rather than being at a desk in an office,” Bodner said.
“That's really where the idea sparked.”
Bodner began putting together a platform called LawnAdmin, an app for small business landscapers with revenues of between $10,000 and $100,000. It's meant to streamline tasks such as email invoicing, estimate follow-ups, scheduling and equipment maintenance logs.
“It's a very outdated, kind of mom-and-pop industry. It’s still a lot of pen and paper,” Bodner said.
“We really want to bring some automation and innovation to the industry. By creating the internal efficiencies for these businesses, it allows them to have more time, and most likely, these business owners are going to take on additional customers due to having more availability, which then leads to growth in revenue.”
Once a business owner is registered with LawnAdmin, Bodner says the user gets an account that’s customized with a chosen name and logo. The user can add customer information, set up recurring jobs and automatically send messages to customers. The user can call customers and receive GPS directions directly through the app. It also integrates Google calendar so schedules can be shared among crew members.
He plans to offer additional features through a premium subscription that will include two-way chat and route optimization, allowing business owners to determine the most efficient route for scheduling the most jobs in a single day. It’ll also allow customers to view their invoice and other info by registering with a phone number.
Bodner said that similar apps, besides having platforms that aren’t really suitable for small operations, don’t do a good job at marketing. He says LawnAdmin has done a good job learning where and how to market the product.
He spent his senior year doing a lot of research and engaging with potential customers. He finished his bachelor’s degree in business management at Siena in December 2021 and is now working on an MBA there, expecting to graduate in 2023.
Bodner has worked for three and a half years at The Research Foundation for SUNY, most recently in the innovation and entrepreneurship department, where he says he learned a lot about building a startup and has expanded his network.
One of the next steps for Bodner and LawnAdmin will be determining whether to seek investment to fund outsourcing of continued tech development, or adding a chief technology officer. The app was primarily designed by Gregory Hemmes, a recent UAlbany grad and Bodner’s high school friend, along with another UAlbany student.
The platform has been released on the Apple app store, and the startup is working to release it on the Google store. Once some of the bugs are ironed out, Bodner plans to complete more user testing.
Later, Bodner would like to expand the service to businesses that have larger annual revenues of $1 million or more.
LawnAdmin received $2,500 for winning first place in the software and services category of the 2022 New York Business Plan Competition held by the Upstate Capital Association of New York. More than 200 startups entered the competition in one of six categories. The startup has raised about $10,000 from angel investors.
