Let the Sun Shine
LINCOLN SNYDER’S SUNSHINE EXTERIORS
It’s difficult to believe that Lincoln Snyder, 18, doesn’t have entrepreneurship DNA embedded deeply in his genes. He, however, insists his attitude and aptitude for business stems from being surrounded by hard-working family members. His father is the vice president of a cable company, and his mom is a nurse.
Lincoln, who lives in Corinth, is a recent Lake Dallas High School graduate. He’s also the founder and CEO of Sunshine Exteriors, a home services company specializing in such tasks as window and gutter cleaning, power washing and, during the short off-season, the installation of holiday lights.
Prior to Sunshine Exteriors, Lincoln found only limited fulfillment as a Walmart employee. He does, however, owe the big box store some appreciation since that’s where he stumbled across videos on power washing. He was interested and began learning all he could through social media and YouTube.
“I knew I wanted to make money and, preferably, through a business of my own,” Lincoln said. “I also knew I faced certain restrictions. First, it needed to be something that didn’t require a lot of money up-front. It also needed to be something I could do from home and that I could handle on my own.
“My dad had a power washer. I started practicing with it on our own house, while still watching videos and YouTube. I also found a lot of interest from online communities.
“I started knocking on doors when I felt ready to offer my power washing services. I hit 50 to 75 houses before getting my first customer. I was incredibly excited and decided to stick with it, even after my washer broke down before finishing half of his house. I had to buy new equipment so I could go back and finish.”
Lincoln launched Sunshine Exteriors as a side gig, but it grew beyond that very quickly. After all, it’s hard to refer to more than $60,000 in revenue during the first year as a side anything. Lincoln had a business, with 70 houses per month in 2024.
Lincoln never skimps on his due diligence. He may have started without a business plan, but he didn’t continue without one.
“Numbers always intrigued me,” Lincoln confessed. “It’s a good thing because there was a lot I needed to learn, and most of it involved numbers. As an example, I started with no experience in federal taxes. That cost me the following year because of a filing mistake. There were also workplace legalities that were difficult to master. I learned a great deal on the job, moving from one customer to the next.”
The main question people have for a graduating senior is about college. For Lincoln, 2025 is a “gap” year. “I intend to throw myself into Sunshine Exteriors,” he said, “and see how far I can take it. When and if I decide to go to college, I’ll look for something in the fields of business and finance. Sunshine Exteriors has shown me I can do this successfully and letting go of it, even temporarily, would be hard.”
In some respects, Lincoln is a typical teenager. He played football. He’s good-looking and he enjoys spending time with his wide circle of friends.
But some of the individuals in that circle spend their free time playing video games. Lincoln doesn’t criticize them, but he spends that same time growing Sunshine Exteriors bigger and better.
He describes himself as “frugal” when it comes to money. How many teenagers do you know who are even remotely familiar with frugality? He doesn’t have a girlfriend because it would take too much time and attention from the business, drawing his focus away from opportunities such as his recent creation of service contracts.
“We just started offering the service plans,” Lincoln said. “They’ve been well-accepted, especially by our repeat customers. It gives them a certain peace of mind knowing their home’s exterior will be refreshed every two or three months. It also gives me peace of mind in terms of cash flow.
“I started the business in my mom’s SUV. We now have a truck, which I financed. I intend to add four to five employees by October, and I’m figuring on a 25 percent increase in business by August. We’ll also need to begin thinking about a second truck. To me, that kind of evolution is exciting.”
Sometimes, when talking to Lincoln, it’s difficult to remember he’s an 18-year-old kid. Then, you realize he’ll be 28 in just 10 years. He’ll be part of society’s leadership, one of the “movers and shakers” helping to make the world a better place.
And that, without a doubt, is a comforting ray of sunshine.
To learn more about Sunshine Exteriors, visit:
469.972.4020
