Three years in the past, Dimitri and Philip Coupe launched an all-electric garden care enterprise known as Photo voltaic Mow. Right now they’re as much as 30 prospects and proceed to develop.
CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — It is typically mentioned that enterprise and household do not combine nicely, however for twin brothers in Cape Elizabeth, going into enterprise collectively was not solely a no brainer, it is one thing they’re utilizing to market themselves.
“Being twins, everyone simply loves that. It is an additional increase for us,” Dimitri Coupe mentioned.
The opposite factor that units these entrepreneur teenagers’ garden mowing companies aside is the gear they’re utilizing: all-electric instruments from the trimmer to the push and using garden mowers, and all powered by photo voltaic panels on the household’s residence.
When the kids have been freshmen in highschool, their mother and father stopped paying for his or her treats at “Cumbies” and informed them they needed to get jobs. Their father, Philip Coupe, who’s the co-founder of Photo voltaic Revision, recommended the boys think about working an all-electric garden care enterprise.
It was his concept, however Philip and Dimitri took the thought and ran with it, beginning Photo voltaic Mow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9abzviZxSQ
With a $6,000 mortgage from their mother and father, the twins bought their electrical gear from House Depot. To drum up enterprise, they knocked on neighbors’ doorways and defined the benefits of solar-powered instruments.
“It is higher for our planet, it is quieter, the gear runs higher. There’s much less upkeep,” Philip Coupe defined.
Throughout their first summer season, the brothers accrued 12 shoppers, all purposefully near their residence. They used their father’s Nissan Leaf to get to and from jobs — which meant their whole enterprise was a zero-emission, environmentally-friendly enterprise.
But it surely wasn’t lengthy till they began working into issues. The batteries on the using garden mower began to die after simply a few lawns. The boys have been compelled residence to cost batteries for 5 hours earlier than having the ability to get again out on the inexperienced.
“It was a typical argument for anti-electrical individuals who at all times say, ‘I do not need to purchase this as a result of it is simply going to die on me.’ If we hadn’t run a garden care enterprise with that family grade mower, it might be fully nice,” Dimitri mentioned.
Two summers in the past, the brothers took issues up a notch after they bought a $24,000 industrial-grade electrical mower. The value tag was intimidating, however they’ve already paid for the mower in full and may proceed rising their small summer season enterprise with a mower that may lower lawns all day with out stopping.
Their enterprise is a part of a nationwide development to section out gasoline panorama gear and exchange it with battery-operated instruments.
The Nissan Leaf finally could not tow their gear. The Coupe’s alternate utilizing an electrical Ford Escape and a Ford Truck.
“That is our solely gasoline sort of kink proper now within the enterprise,” Dimitri defined.
On high of drumming up curiosity, working along with your twin brother has its benefits.
“You do not really feel unhealthy yelling at one another and preventing. We’re not afraid to place one another in one another’s locations,” Dimitri mentioned.
However these youngsters are taking part in off one another’s strengths. Dimitri is sweet at being on time and protecting a schedule whereas Philip is sweet at pitching the enterprise and including extra shoppers.
In Could, the brothers have been chosen to present a TEDx Speak at Cape Elizabeth Excessive Faculty titled “The Way forward for Electrical.” It is also helped generate enterprise.
Whether or not they are going to persist with the enterprise or promote it after they go to varsity is but to be determined, however the classes of being younger entrepreneurs will persist with them.
“I’ve realized I need to be my very own boss,” Dimitri mentioned.
Innovation is fueling their enterprise and Philip and Dimitri hope what they’re doing will assist change different individuals’s minds, or at the very least get them excited about new methods to do outdated chores.
“As soon as you start utilizing electrical gear, I do not assume you’ll ever need to return. That’s what I’ve seen. It is likely to be sort of onerous to get began… however when you notice the potential {that electrical} gear can have it turns into simple,” Philip mentioned.
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