
Nakel Bynum is a student at the College of Arts & Sciences where he is majoring in Speech Communications. Mr. Bynum was recently selected as a Frances Wood Wilson Foundation Scholar and shared his background with us.
What is your major and classification?
I am a Speech Communications Major and incoming freshman.
Tell us more about your business:
Bynum Lawn Care – It’s a black-owned business named after my family in honor of my father, Kelsey Bynum.
What problem is your business solving?
Our business specializes in Landscaping. This includes cutting grass, hedging, weed-eating, putting-down mulch, etc.
Who is your target customer?
Our target audience is not extremely specific or discriminatory. If your yard needs to be cut, you qualify! The only exceptions in services we provide are cutting down exceedingly large hedges and trees.
What inspired the idea?
Our inspiration to start the business consisted of two things, my grandfather and the pandemic. Originally, my grandfather ran a lawn care service several years before he suffered a stroke. He pretty much taught us everything from weed-eating to hedging to how-to-price, etc. Due to the pandemic, my father’s stream of income from ride share apps (Uber & Lift) was put to a halt. As the result, we created another stream for him and our family. We took what was familiar to us and we are building upon a legacy.
How has your company pivoted?
Our company previously started off as a small, mom & pop business and has now transformed into a highly successful commercial business.
What funding/capital are you pursuing? Any experiences with investors?
There is no need for us to pursue any type of capital or funding. We’re a self-sufficient, black-owned business that owes no one because we bought everything with cash from our own pockets.
Do you have a website or social media?
Our Instagram is @BynumLawnCare
What does entrepreneurship mean to you?
Entrepreneurship to me means innovating and creating a product/service of which you love. When you are genuinely convinced it’s worthy of the people’s time and effort you want to share it. This love looks like spending quality time with your product/service. Making sure all partners agree with your vision and is willing to do their part to further the growth of the business.
You recently received the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation Scholarship that is designed to support Entrepreneurship & Innovation Scholars. Share more about that experience and what you will use the scholarship funds for.
When I first heard that I had gotten the scholarship, I felt blessed but, I also feel it was well deserved. I felt blessed due to my experience of applying for every scholarship an “incoming freshman” could apply for at Georgia State. I felt it was well-deserved because in high school I had a pretty good GPA and was involved in a few clubs. At one time, I was disappointed when I didn’t receive any grants or scholarships, besides the HOPE Grant to support my college career. It didn’t feel right – but this did, and I’m very thankful. Ultimately, I plan to use these funds to support my college career and avoid using student loans!
What role has Georgia State played in your entrepreneurial journey?
So far, Georgia State has showed me the importance of networking and marketing. These keys things you MUST be able to do in any business that you have. The more people you can leave an impression on and catch their attention, the more successful your product/service will be.