When Tom Arts and his wife purchased A-1 Septic Service and Installation in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, 20 years ago, he had no experience in the business — no licenses, no plumbing experience, no CDL. In fact, getting the business going took a lot of hard work and sleepless nights as the family carried debt for a while.
“You hit the ground running,” Arts says. “You have to be dedicated to what you’re going to do.”
Unhappy with his previous job in management at a factory, Arts was looking to be self-employed and wanted to work outside. “I went from managing 100
