We had the good fortune of connecting with Mike McCord and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Mike, do you disagree with some advice that is more or less universally accepted?
Convention says, “You need a business plan” and funding and a corporate entity such as an LLC. I believe these roadblocks stop many people from becoming an entrepreneur. My own experience starting multiple businesses in Atlanta taught me that you can start making money with a new venture without any official paperwork. All you need is an idea and a way to test the idea.
My first business, Community Foodscapes, in 2015 and has steadily grown over time without any external funding. I did not have an LLC, nor a business plan, and less than $500. I tested the idea of “garden coaching” and edible landscaping for family members and friends of friends. All I needed was a car, a shovel, and access to infinite information on YouTube.
Over time, I acquired more tools, a pickup truck, business cards, and an LLC. But you do not need any of these to get started. There are no state laws in Georgia to prevent you from starting to make money on a small scale and figuring things out as you go. Community Foodscapes (CoFo) started with me and a couple friends on the weekends and grew steadily, doubling each year in revenue, staff, and positive community impact. This Permaculture-based business is thriving with about 20 staff, and we currently serve a 10-mile radius from Downtown, Atlanta.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Community Foodscapes is an edible landscaping company, with a social conscience, serving Atlanta (10-mile radius) by helping people from all backgrounds to grow food, restore native habitats, and become environmental stewards of their communities.
We perform a variety of services from consultations, coaching, and designs to installations of raised beds, gardens, fruit trees, drainage solutions, and hardscapes. We also perform Foodscape maintenance for our clients.
Our 4 main services that excite me the most!
1) Lawn Conversions: We help people remove their high-maintenance lawns and replace them with clover or wildflower meadows.
2) CoFo Nursery: We have a fruit tree and edible/medicinal plants nursery at Unearthing Farm & Market on Memorial Drive in Edgewood/Kirkwood.
3) Edible Neighborhood: We install fruit tree orchards on a neighborhood-scale, to foster community and improve food security.
4) Anti-Ivy League: This donation-based program allows us to save hundreds of trees every year, by removing English Ivy and other vines from the trunks of mature canopy trees.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Of course, we would check out the various sections of the Beltline and grab beers along the way. Some of my favorite spots to visit are Lionel Hampton-Beecher Hills Park, Cascade Springs, the OAC Preserve, and Westview Cemetery. Other classic places to hangout are EAV, Little 5 Points, and Edgewood Ave.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As with any journey, there have been many people and organizations that deserve a Shoutout.
Dr. Davis, Dr. MacDonald, and the Office of Sustainability at UGA. An endless list of organizations such as WWOOF, Workaway, Trees Atlanta, Food Well Alliance, WAWA, Aglanta, and Concrete Jungle. My family, friends, and colleagues who have supported me endlessly, especially my parents.
A great book to get started as an entrepreneur is The $100 Startup.
The Permaculture movement is an infinite source of inspiration for developing an equitable and regenerative society.
Website: https://www.communityfoodscapes.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/communityfoodscapes/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-mccord-b7979062/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/communityfoodscapes