“It was our dream to launch our own business,” explains Emeline (Eme) Bunce, of LawnBugs, LLC – a Cohoes, NY-based lawncare and pest-control business that she co-owns with her husband, Dylan. “And I realized that while we might never have felt 100% ready, that doesn’t mean the time wasn’t right to go for it.”
Here’s how they launched LawnBugs with essential startup financing from Pursuit and how Eme is taking advantage of Pursuit’s consulting services, at no cost to her, to ensure a strong start and healthy growth.
Leveraging experience to launch a dream
Eme’s previous experience, including more than 15 years in customer service, helped prepare her for some of the demands of business ownership, while Dylan brings more than a decade of industry experience. They also share a commitment to outstanding service in a field that often gets by with basics.
“Dylan always enjoyed the hands-on aspects of the industry,” Eme says, “and at his last job, he was doing more back-office office work and just wasn’t fulfilled. I knew he’d create great relationships with customers while providing the services they need, so I started taking the steps necessary to launch, like getting our limited-liability company set up.”
That was in August 2024 and by that November, they’d also received their New York State pesticide license.
Learning as they moved forward
With their business structure and license in place, Eme was ready to create a business website and other marketing collateral. Knowing they’d need to make the most of a limited marketing budget, Eme approached Erik Bunaes of Endorphin® Digital Marketing in Troy.
“In addition to excellent marketing support, Erik was an amazing resource – he was the person that recommended Pursuit for financing,” Eme says. Eme connected with Pursuit VP and Senior Business Development Officer Keri Pratico to discuss the business’s startup financing needs.
Keri realized that to ensure a strong launch, LawnBugs would need more than Eme was originally seeking for equipment, payroll, and more. That led to another key recommendation – for Eme to work with the local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to hone their business plan and financial projections. Soon, Eme was working with Quintain Murray at the Capital Region SBDC.
“It was a new process for us, so it was challenging to come up with realistic estimates. We talked about what I needed and Quintain gave me so many useful resources for business plans and projections,” Eme says. “We had to get as close as possible so that we’d be ready to submit our financing request to Pursuit.”
Securing essential financing and more with Pursuit
After some initial hurdles, LawnBugs was approved for two loans. First was the Main Street Capital Loan Fund, a special program developed by Empire State Development and offered through Pursuit for New York State-based small businesses in the startup and early stages. Eme and Dylan also secured an SBA Microloan, which provided additional funding to get the business off the ground.
“The process was a little intimidating because it was new to us, but Keri and Pursuit helped to keep it moving forward. In the end, we got the financing we needed to carry us through launch and the first several months of our business,” Eme says. “That’s critical, since much of our clientele, at least in these early years, will be largely seasonal.”
“Working with Eme and Dylan was incredibly rewarding,” Keri says. “From the start, it was clear how thoughtful and committed they were to building LawnBugs the right way. Like many first-time business owners, they had a strong vision but needed the right mix of financing, planning, and support to bring it to life. What impressed me most was Eme’s willingness to ask questions, seek guidance, and put in the work-whether that meant refining projections with the SBDC or taking full advantage of Pursuit’s Business Advisory Services after launch.”
Pursuit’s Business Advisory Services build ownership capacity
As many entrepreneurs learn, owning a small business can be much different than managing someone else’s – and that was the case for Eme, too. To fill knowledge and skill gaps, she’s enthusiastically taking advantage of Pursuit’s Business Advisory Services – expert consultants who help strengthen key areas like financial management, marketing, human resources, and more, at no cost to Pursuit borrowers.
Pursuit VP and Senior Business Strategist Christophe Pane has worked closely with Eme since LawnBugs officially launched in January 2025.
“Christophe has been great. From our first meeting, he asked what I needed and we went from there,” Eme says.
Bookkeeping was an area that Eme felt she needed to strengthen, so Christophe put her in touch with Levi Tepljak at Raftel Strategy. After working together for about a month, Eme found that Levi was so knowledgeable and easy to work with that she hired him to continue as a bookkeeping consultant for LawnBugs.
“Through Christophe’s insight and recommendations, we also got in touch with Dimple Dang. She offered great ideas about our marketing strategy and social media content. It’s already having a positive impact,” Eme says. Dimple built her consulting business through a focus on law firms, but her insight and expertise is invaluable across all sectors of small business.
“I have rarely seen a team who complements each other so well,” Christophe says. “But what Eme and Dylan have in common is their unwavering commitment to do what is best for their customers, and that put them in a different league altogether!”
All the pieces are in place for a growing business
“We’ve just hit our one-year anniversary and we’ve accomplished one of our most important goals,” Eme says, “which is to have truly happy, satisfied customers. It’s been the hardest year of our lives but it’s also amazing that we’re doing it – we own our business and we’re growing it together!”
Keri adds, “LawnBugs is a great example of how access to capital, paired with the right resources and relationships, can set a small business up for long-term success. We’re proud to be part of their journey and excited to see how they continue to grow!”
If you’re thinking about launching your dream business or if you’re ready to grow, we can help.
Pursuit is a leading small business lender serving businesses across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Illinois, and Delaware. We offer loans and a line of credit for working capital, commercial real estate, equipment, and much more. We’ve helped thousands of small business owners get the funding they need to achieve their goals, and we can help you, too.