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How to start a stump grinding business.
An interview with Tyler Mumford, Owner of GrindTime Stump Grinding
Bryan Shankman
April 03, 2025
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Workbench, a resource-rich weekly newsletter and podcast for home services entrepreneurs.
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Welcome back to The Workbench, the resource-rich newsletter for current and aspiring home service business owners. Today, Bryan is talking with Tyler Mumford @StumpGuyTy, who successfully transitioned from the tech sales world into the home services industry. Tyler launched Grindtime Stump Grinding in Provo, Utah, and within just six months, transformed his side hustle into a thriving full-time business.
The 8 Key Takeaways
Below are the 8 most essential insights from my conversation with Kent that you can apply to your home services business today.
1. Validate then execute
Tyler’s strategic approach to validating demand in an entirely different city allowed him to mitigate the risk of his new venture.
By gauging initial interest through cold outreach, he validated his business idea quickly and with minimal upfront investment.
This approach is extremely helpful for home service entrepreneurs wanting to test the waters before fully committing resources.
I heard this idea on Chris Corner's podcast and tested it first in Boise, Idaho. I pulled a list of tree companies there, cold texted them, and started figuring out if there was demand before I did anything in Utah. Sure enough, companies started texting back and saying, 'Yeah, we'd love for you to come grind this stump.' That gave me the confidence to move forward at home.
2. You don’t need millions to start
Purchasing equipment can be intimidating and expensive, but Tyler’s creative financing shows it's possible to manage cash flow carefully without draining your savings.
Leveraging credit strategically, particularly when cash flow is uncertain, can help home service entrepreneurs launch quicker and with lower financial stress.
I actually hate financial risk. So I didn't put a lot of money down - I traded in my car for the truck, financed a trailer through my personal credit, and for the expensive stump grinder, I set up an LLC and had the loan tied to my business but backed by my personal credit. I put $10K down on a zero-interest credit card just to keep some more capital in the bank, and paid it off quickly with the jobs I landed. Not a lot came out of pocket.
3. Leverage tech sales in stump grinding
Home service entrepreneurs can significantly benefit from previous professional skill sets.
Tyler's ability to leverage his sales and cold outreach experience allowed him to quickly generate initial business.
If you have expertise from previous roles - sales, relationship management, or otherwise - use that to your advantage in the early days.
I started as an SDR and then was an AE for a few years in tech. When I launched this, I pulled a list of local tree companies using software called Outscraper and just cold texted all of them with my new stump grinding business. That’s how I got jobs initially and built a consistent list of contractors pretty quickly."
4. Winning works with contractors
Partnering as a subcontractor presents an excellent growth strategy for home service businesses, particularly when the service is specialized and equipment-intensive.
Establishing partnerships with related businesses can ensure a steady stream of clients and effectively reduces the need for complex customer acquisition strategies
Most small-to-medium-sized tree companies don't do stump grinding in-house because the equipment is expensive. So about 90% of my work is subcontracting for these companies. They handle all the tree removal and then call me afterward. It's simple, consistent, and low friction.
5. How to manage seasonality
Seasonality is a common challenge for many home service businesses.
Tyler acknowledges that revenue fluctuations are inevitable but emphasizes strategic thinking to offset seasonal dips.
Exploring complementary services or intentionally structuring downtime for strategy, growth, or recovery is essential for maintaining a sustainable business.
Stump grinding is seasonal. I started off strong in August and September, then it slowed down significantly through winter. Revenue dipped from $23K in September down to around $5K in December. I'm currently considering adding reverse-seasonal services like snow removal or Christmas lights. But I also might just keep it seasonal and maximize summer months while using winter to work on the business.
6. Don’t over complicate things
Tyler's minimalist approach to running his business highlights that sophisticated tools and expensive software aren’t necessary in the early stages of a service business.
Keeping things simple can save significant money and energy, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on delivering exceptional service and building customer relationships first.
It's just me right now. I manage everything through Google Sheets - jobs, scheduling, billing. Every job I book, I log in a Google Sheet that connects to my calendar, and I invoice through cash, Venmo, or check. I don't even have a CRM yet; it's just simple
7. Replacing your salary is possible
Tyler's insight here is pivotal for aspiring entrepreneurs contemplating leaving stable jobs.
Understanding the realistic financial benefits of self-employment, beyond just top-line revenue, is important. When considering a transition into a home service business, it’s essential to factor in taxes, expenses, and quality of life - not just gross income.
The bar to replacing your income - if you're willing to get your hands dirty - is much lower than people think. You're taxed differently when dollars come through your own business rather than a high-earning W-2 job. It's harder physically, but I come home every day excited and fulfilled, even though I'm exhausted and covered in wood chips.
8. Take the leap
Fear of starting can paralyze aspiring entrepreneurs. Tyler emphasizes that hesitation and false starts can ultimately lead you toward the right idea.
His experience underscores the importance of patience, persistence, and the willingness to take action once the right opportunity arrives.
I had probably 20 business ideas before this one where I got cold feet at the last minute. But those ideas and that hesitation helped guide me to the right opportunity. When you finally find that idea you're excited about, just pull the trigger. It's simpler than you imagine, especially if you're coming from a complicated tech sales environment
Looking Ahead
Tyler plans to thoughtfully scale Grindtime Stump Grinding by evaluating the full potential of the stump grinding market in Utah. He's considering expanding into complementary services like land clearing, fire mitigation, and hydroseeding—specialized offerings that align with his existing operational strengths and equipment expertise.
By carefully assessing market demand this summer and exploring potential reverse-seasonal services to tackle revenue fluctuations, Tyler aims to solidify his business foundation while maintaining the high-quality standards that have driven his early success.
I need to figure out exactly how big the potential is for stump grinding here. Once I know that, it'll dictate my next steps. I'm interested in moving upmarket into services like land clearing, fire mitigation, and hydroseeding - areas that involve higher-priced machinery and less human capital. Whether I add those services to stump grinding or move into them entirely, I'm flexible. I just want to make sure I'm chasing the right opportunity.
Wow! You made it to the end; thanks for sticking with us.
The full interview with Tyler is available on YouTube below, Spotify here, and Apple Podcasts here.