Several N.C. State students are working to overcome the low economy and successfully build their business alongside keeping up with their studies.

Ryan Walsh, a sophomore in turfgrass science, said his business, Capital City Groundskeeping, has been very successful.

“I do full maintenance and install on commercial and residential properties,” Walsh said. “I started out by mowing lawns for my neighbors about eight years ago and have expanded to where I can support multiple employees.”

Walsh said the business is growing at an exponential rate, doubling in size and income each year.

Despite the low economy, Walsh said, there are still willing customers who may cut back on other household or leisurely expenses in order to maintain their property.

“In my opinion there is still a lot of money to be made out there,” Walsh said. “You just have to find your niche.”

Walsh said he also works for an advertising company and has started an additional, small retail business.

“I attribute a lot of my success to quality work, advertising and word of mouth from customers,” Walsh said. “My fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi, has been another excellent resource for business contacts, employment and it helps to have a place to go to relax at the end of the day.”

Taylor Kiker, a sophomore in business administration and a brother of Delta Sigma Phi, said he does everything from landscaping to planting trees for the company.

“Walsh has been a great mentor in helping me to learn the insides of running your own personal business,” Kiker said. “I am considering a concentration in entrepreneurship.”

Daniel Walser, a freshman in business administration, said he began his business, YardScape Services, about four years ago.

“It’s in the expansion process,” Walser said. “This year has been on fire. Sales for mulch and pine straw installs have been much better than 2009.”

Walser said his gross numbers for 2010 are more than twice what they were for the entire year of 2009.

“Many do-it-yourself homeowners are starting to let up on their penny-pinching habits and money is starting to circulate again,” Walser said.

Walser said he hopes to triple his gross profits for 2010 and is on track to reach this goal.

“I’ve started out by mowing a few neighbors lawns in the neighborhood and I have expanded into both commercial and residential maintenance,” Walser said. “I’ve found throughout the years, customers are always willing to spend money as long as I can deliver my services on time and to the customer’s satisfaction. I find that doing a good job is the best way to advertise because it is the best way to get word of mouth advertising.”

While his business is a high priority, Walsh said academics are also very important to his success.

“I have commitments on both ends that need to be met,” Walsh said. “My opinion is they are both equal; I can’t put one over the other.”

Walsh said he even schedules his course schedule so he can work on his business in the afternoon.

“It has gotten so big, I need to hire a full time crew,” Walsh said. “Basically, while I’m in school I stay about a week and a half to two weeks behind on business projects. My regular customers take priority for general maintenance, so when we’re busy, it’s hard to schedule in big side projects.”

Capital City, Walsh said, covers mowing, fertilizing, pesticides, mulching and much more. He said the company is capable of completing almost any project a customer requests.

“I think it’s important to do the administrative work of the business, like focus on your accounting, books and having a good software program,” Walsh said. “That way you can track sales and focus on where the money is going.”