CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The pandemic has caused financial hardships for many of us. When one Charlotte woman was short on money, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
In 2020 Tricia Finkelstein worked in advertising. She said her work hours were cut to nearly zero due to the pandemic.
“My hours basically went from 40 to two,” Finkelstein says. “And so did my salary, so I needed to find another job.”
She found a new career in a surprising place: lawn mowing.
“My husband started helping me look for jobs one day, and I was like, lawn care, I don’t even know what that is,” Finkelstein says.
But with the help of her husband she learned a lot in a few months. Finkelstein and her husband officially started the robotic lawn mowing business Mowbots in January.
“When my husband explained to me how this is eco-friendly, and how it provided healthier, greener lawns, and got rid of the noise pollution from regular lawn crews, that’s when it all started coming together,” Finkelstein says.
The crew installs the Mowbot to live on your lawn. It operates based on the schedule a customer wants or what is recommended.
“It is a healthier cut for your yard because you are not chopping it weekly,” Finkelstein says.
Instead of chopping, this Mowbot cuts grass daily and re-distributes it onto the lawn.
“Because it is so fine, the clippings fall right back into the lawn, which becomes natural fertilizer,” Finkelstein says.
Her customer, Rett Rutland, says he loves it. He works from home and doesn’t want much noise around his house.
“The noise is fantastic,” Rutland says. “It’s completely quiet. I have found this a more economical way to take care of my yard.”
Finkelstein has learned a lot about lawn care over the last few months. Now she hopes it pays off.
“My kids aren’t cheap and neither is college, so hopefully we can make a career for our family out of this,” Finkelstein said.
Finkelstein says she hopes eventually the Mowbot can be used at sporting fields and businesses.
The price for a Mowbot installation depends on the size of the yard and type of grass. For more information visit their website.