This article appeared in the Lexington
Herald-Leader Business Section on May 15, 2006
DESPERATE TIMES GAVE RISE TO MISS
MOW IT ALL INC.
By Jim Jordan, Herald-Leader Business
As anyone with a yard can tell you, it's mowing season
once again in
Kentucky
And if you want to hire someone to cut your grass, there are
lots of mowing companies in the phone book.
One jumps right out at you: Miss Mow It All Inc.
The owner is Barbara Hilpp (with two Ps, she says, "as in
Peter Piper").
Hilpp's company, which has six employees most summers, was
born out of desperation "11 mowing seasons" ago.
Hilpp had been earning a living by buying fixer-upper houses,
remodeling them and selling them for a higher price.
"I was waiting for this one house to sell," she remembers.
"It was taking longer than usual and I was a little low on
funds" so she took her "$99 mower" and began cutting grass
for people in her neighborhood.
Get this: It was a push mower, not a power mower.
Anyway, the business was so good, Hilpp decided to stick with
it, and so "I had to come up with a good name."
Some people called her "Miss
Know-it-all"
when it came to home repairs, so "Miss Mow It All" came
naturally.
The company now offers lots of other services besides mowing,
but Hilpp says she is keeping the original name.
It still works.
It still brings in new customers.
The Buzz is written by Jim Jordan with contributions from
readers and the Herald-Leader staff. Reach Jordan
DESPERATE TIMES GAVE RISE TO MISS
MOW IT ALL INC.
By Jim Jordan, Herald-Leader Business
As anyone with a yard can tell you, it's mowing season
once again in
And if you want to hire someone to cut your grass, there are lots of mowing companies in the phone book.
One jumps right out at you: Miss Mow It All Inc.
The owner is Barbara Hilpp (with two Ps, she says, "as in Peter Piper").
Hilpp's company, which has six employees most summers, was born out of desperation "11 mowing seasons" ago.
Hilpp had been earning a living by buying fixer-upper houses, remodeling them and selling them for a higher price.
"I was waiting for this one house to sell," she remembers. "It was taking longer than usual and I was a little low on funds" so she took her "$99 mower" and began cutting grass for people in her neighborhood.
Get this: It was a push mower, not a power mower.
Anyway, the business was so good, Hilpp decided to stick with it, and so "I had to come up with a good name."
Some people called her "Miss Know-it-all" when it came to home repairs, so "Miss Mow It All" came naturally.
The company now offers lots of other services besides mowing, but Hilpp says she is keeping the original name.
It still works.
It still brings in new customers.
The Buzz is written by Jim Jordan with contributions from
readers and the Herald-Leader staff. Reach
Barbara and Mary at Mickie's Team Golf Tournament
UK's Women's Basketball Coach Mickie DeMoss with Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt