Fostering an entrepreneurial spirit

Christian Sullivan not only loves business, but he also lives it. Days away from graduating with a double major in management and entrepreneurship, Sullivan’s business accomplishments are impressive for the 21-year-old from Granite Falls, North Carolina.

As a first-year student at Lenoir-Rhyne four years ago, Sullivan started his business Precision Landscaping and Design LLC while pursuing his bachelor’s degree. Now, juggling a full class load and serving as the vice president of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, he designs and constructs customized landscapes crafted to meet his clients’ needs in the Hickory, Mooresville, Boone and Lake James areas.

“Since I was young, I aspired to be an entrepreneur,” Sullivan said. “I come from a family of business owners, and their reputation and work ethic inspired me.”

Sullivan said his initial entrepreneurial venture was snow removal in his neighborhood. In addition, he intentionally worked as a server at the Lake Hickory Country Club so he could make connections and network, with the intention of starting a landscaping company.

“I started telling everyone at the country club, if you need landscaping done, let me know,” he said.

This soon paid off as he secured his first client. After the success found with his first project, Sullivan knew that’s what he wanted to do, so he endeavored to start his business full-time that summer. As he gained more clients, doubled his sales each summer and hired several employees, he remained steadfast in earning his degree, although quitting could be tempting. A Lineberger Fellow and Engaged Scholar, he maintains a 3.9 GPA and knows the value of earning that degree.

“I’m thankful to be where I’m at today with my landscape and experience, but more than that, I’m thankful for my time at LR and the business knowledge I’ve gained from my classes and mentors,” Sullivan said. “To be successful in any business, I’ve learned that it’s 80 percent business and 20 percent the work.”

Cultivating his passion through a tailor-made internship

As a business student, Sullivan must complete 140 or more internship hours. Since he already runs a full-time business, the Charles M. Snipes School of Business and Economics worked with him to create a tailor-made internship.

Rod Poole, a retired Hickory resident, served as Sullivan’s internship advisor for the academic year. As a former top executive at Hanes Industries and Transportation Insight, Sullivan said he’s gained helpful insight from Poole to grow his business.

“Last semester, with his guidance, I prepared a full financial projection for my business for the next three years,” he said. “It included a profit and loss statement and a forecasted income statement.”

Poole also encouraged Sullivan to form a limited liability company for his company. An LLC is a legal entity used when forming a business that protects the owner from personal liability for debts and obligations that a business incurs. In addition, Poole is helping Sullivan achieve his third goal to become a licensed landscape contractor.

“The requirements are quite strenuous, so I am continuing to work on that,” Sullivan said. “With the amount of studying required, it’s like becoming a doctor of landscaping, with certain insurance bonds required for the contractor portion, several letters of recommendation and a screening process.”

When Sullivan recently set up his business bank account to apply for a business credit card, he said the bank was impressed with his business plans. He has also set up accounting software and made a capital purchase plan for next year with the help of Poole. With the documents he and Poole created, Sullivan recently secured a business loan for a piece of heavy equipment. As part of his capital purchase plan, he will use this investment to grow his business.

“This internship has been truly invaluable with Rod’s expertise and insight in the business industry,” Sullivan said. “As I said, it’s not about the landscaping work; it’s about learning how to grow my business.”

Entrepreneurship as both practice and mindset

After graduation, Sullivan will hire his first full-time crew manager and eventually expand his business to include a maintenance division, resulting in recurring revenue that accounts for 15 percent of his total sales. He also plans to purchase a building and property to grow his business out from his home. Based on his current figures, he will exceed his projections for gross income in 2022 by nearly 20 percent and is on track to continue to increase that by 25 to 30 percent each year with his three-year business plan.

“I can’t thank Rod enough,” Sullivan said. “He’s been immensely helpful and transformed my business.”

Entrepreneurship is more than starting a company; it’s a way of looking through a lens focused on development. Sullivan has taken that concept and applied it wholeheartedly throughout his Lenoir-Rhyne experience.