3 Things You Would Do Differently If You Could Go Back And Start Again

[Sean Adams]

Every month I offer a report called the "Lawn Business Report" - it is something I have been offering for over a year now and it is geared towards people in this industry who are striving to accomplish more and more.

This past month, in the November report I wrote about the 3 things I would do differently if I could go back and start all over again in this industry (knowing what I know now).

Without going into too much detail, I said the following:

1.) I would know my numbers...

2.) Advertise, Advertise, Advertise

3.) Take on good debt

I have already received about 30 emails with questions and comments from people about things they too would do differently - and it was very interesting to say the least.

So I am curious, what would you do differently if you could go back and start all over again, knowing what you know now?

[White Gardens]

1.) Advertise

2.) Advertise More

3.) Advertise Even More

[Az Gardener]

Choose a different industry. (No Joke )
Get the business education ASAP (it applies to every business)
Not be so emotionally attached to the business/company.(Lets you make better decisions)

[Green Pastures]

Advertise earlier.

Uniforms for employees earlier.

Employee manual that is read and signed for in my presence earlier.

[Az Gardener]

I think this is a good thread. I am disappointed it is not getting more response. I look foreword to some more input especially from the old timers Rodfather, Jim, Tx you know who you are, the been there done that crowd. Lets hear it.

[AI Inc]

I would have understood the 80/20 rule a lot sooner.
2, take more time for myself as the work will still be there tommorow.
3, tried to do more managing and less working ealier then I did.

[gobblet]

No partnerships... not all bad just be ready to carry load.
Advertising does not pay off, word of mouth is the only way.
Pick and choose customers, remember it is your company. I only have 19 paying customers and make a comfortable living and I have been doing this for 12 years.

[GLL-LLC]

1.) I would know my numbers...




Care to elaborate, I'm a noob and curious for much knowledge ...

[ICT Bill]

Care to elaborate, I'm a noob and curious for much knowledge ...

I believe what he is saying is know how much everthing costs and put it all down in black and white. Its fine to accept a job from a customer but how much does it really cost for you to get to the site and perform. The things you don't really think about, if applicable. You take some job for $150.00 and figure you will make $100 for an hours work....SWEET but do you really

workmans comp
oil changes
broken trucks, mowers and spray rigs
downtime
run to the supplier time
rent
insurance

They may seem like incidentals but they all add up every year to bite your profit margin in the butt. You have to know your numbers, do a reality check on what it REALLY costs to do business. I see complaints non stop about lowballers, these are really folks that have no idea what their real cost is.

This gives you the most important tool in the industry, the ability to see if accepting a job will allow you a profit margin. If you aren't making a profit you have just become a charitable organization, not good long term

[syzer]

1. Research, Research, Research (Who, what, when, where)
2. Plan, Plan, Plan (Budget, business models, etc.)
3. Do, Do, Do (Always do what you say, and as you plan, be very specific)

By this I mean, know what you want to do, where you want to be/go, how you plan to get there.

-What is your target customer
-How are you getting them
-What do you need to own to service them beyond belief once you have them
-How are you getting capitol for your equipment
-Where will your business be located
-Do you have a business plan that will impress a banker when you visit him

This list can go on an on. Once you really get involved in your business, your whole mentality changes and you no longer look at things like a technician, but as a business owner. You should make that change ASAP. Thats when things you always read about and hear about click, and you have the what I call an "Ah Ha" moment.

I have set with many consultants, and they have told me many things. Just this past year, it all made sense. I mean it made sense before, but now for some reason, I had the ah ha moment and now it just clicks and I am looking at things they way they seen them last year and the year before.

If you guys can afford a GOOD consultant, do it, do it before you even start your business.

[Furness & Sons L&L]

I would not of waited so long to hire that first guy. It doubled the output immedietly.

Pay more attention to what the bottomline was (really was )


If u work it out and it is clear that its gonna work dont hesitate to grow your company. I waited so long for so many things, its a shame that i did. I feel like i could be alot stronger now then i am if i had just not hesitated on following through with a couple of things, hiring help. buying a zero turn, second crew, raising prices, shop, new equipment, just walking into a commercial site and asking a few discovery questions as to there grounds Mait. needs and if they were taking bids.....and so on.

[thomaslawn]

I would have picked a different industry. I have done consulting work for friends who have started various businesses, one of them a landscape business. I laid everything out for him, costs, employee issues, weather issues, equipment problems, etc. I explained to him the capital required to run a business of this nature and to keep this business going. This is an expensive industry for an owner to survive in. Utilizing 10k lawn mowers to cut $35 yards. My advice to him at the time was find another industry to invest in. I talked to him last week and everything I explained to him is becoming an issue. Employee problems, slow pays, equipment issues. He now is looking to get out of the business and seek a full-time position.

Knowing what I now understand about the industry, I am re-working my business plan this winter. Possibly looking at larger commercial jobs and then contracting them out. Something similar to what companies such as Level 1 are doing.

My advice for an individual who has their mind mad up that this is the industry for them: start the business as a business. Begin with employees, do not start as a solo op. Have the capital to do this or look for another industry or job.

[J.A.G LAWNCARE]

study harder in school and get a ceo job.............

[RhettMan]

study harder in school and get a ceo job.............

can u imagine the stress?

What if you spent your life in the General Motors Corporate ladder, and the Govt. says nope?

[J.A.G LAWNCARE]

can u imagine the stress?

What if you spent your life in the General Motors Corporate ladder, and the Govt. says nope?

you have any idea how fat their bank accounts are ......they are not hurting the company is but they are not ...........:nono:

[RhettMan]

this is true....

I suppose Im just biased against big business, seems stressful.
For me being a small business owner is the "big dream" :)

[DuallyVette]

can u imagine the stress?

What if you spent your life in the General Motors Corporate ladder, and the Govt. says nope?

You're not getting any sympathy for any overpaid, entitled CEO from me.

[larryinalabama]

I had a nice business in the early 90's. Im looking to start back this coming year.

The three things Im going to do different are-

1. My personal finaces are in order, no worries if I have a slow month.

2. I have a lot more equiptment now.

3. Keep my work week under 50 hours so I can enjoy life.

I also have some big personal projects Im working on so if its slow I will still be busy. No income but non the less still money.

[Stillwater]

can u imagine the stress?

What if you spent your life in the General Motors Corporate ladder, and the Govt. says nope?

Good Lord man, it is aparent you have not read the GM,2007 UAW contract.

[RhettMan]

Good Lord man, it is aparent you have not read the GM,2007 UAW contract.

Stillwater I have not read that contract, but it must be good news for GM employees.

What i meant by using the GM example was that, being an employee (most of us here are self-employeed i think its safe to say) means you are always replaceable, and you work hard for something you do not own. The fall of your employer business could come from some other person or group's bad decisions (ENRON) and it could affect your family, where a self employeed person or a business owner can use his or her own strategys. (Hopefully they are good & honest strats)

I love being a business owner, it means security for me, though I am very afraid of drought.

What is said in the UAW contract?

[topsites]

I've thought about this many times....
Fact is if I could do it over again we're talking about going back way further than this :p

Like, say high school days, 20+ years ago for me.
Yes sir...

Now in terms of changes, one does have to realize the Yin and Yang of it all too,
so the changes themselves wouldn't be but so drastic and there would only be
but so many, however there are decisions I made that I would either not make,
or make them different today.

[Perfect Image TLM]

1. Started sooner, I was 22

2. Bought a house I could of kept my equipment at.

3. Not bought so many new cars a few years back and used the capital for the business.

[DuallyVette]

In order to make significant changes, I'd need to be born to some brilliant, wealthy parents :)

[J.A.G LAWNCARE]

In order to make significant changes, I'd need to be born to some brilliant, wealthy parents :)

good point ...........

[MDLawn]

#1. Don't buy equipment on impulse....do a little more research

#2. Get better at selling a job (ex/ getting the customer excited so they feel confident about your work and feel better about parting with their hard earned money) Word of mouth is by far the best advertising you can get but you have to get some good work first! Too many times I just couldn't find the right words.

#3. Get help earlier! (workers, financial adviser, marketing adviser, etc...)


I know I may get some eye rolls with this one but I am a part time business. I have nothing but the greatest respect for you full timers. This is a difficult business to start from scratch, as said above with using $10k equipment for $35.00 a shot is tough. Things don't last forever and things also need to be fixed.
Being part time has allowed me to get the equipment paid off without worrying about putting food on the table or keeping the roof on my head. I can't imagine what a drought feels like for a full time mowing company that charges per cut (instead of a contract). If I had a chance to give minor hint of advice is to find customers that work for you. I have people that tell me to charge them more(even when I am higher priced than everyone else) and plenty that give some large tips when a job is completed. Quality can pay off and establishing a relationship with a customer makes them feel that they are not just another check off the list. I guess being part time may enable me to do this.

I guess we must choose one of two things in this and any business venture.

Learn from our mistakes, make changes, and continue with success

or

Drown in our mistakes, keep making those mistakes, and ultimately fail

Good luck to everyone for 2009.

[ralph84]

This has been a very enlightening thread for me; I just wish there were more posts in it!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the thread, I've written your responses down, and as this is being written before my business is even started (this is my first post, even!), I hope I'll be able to remember what I've learned here.

Can y'all recommend I purchase that packet of information at lawncaresuccess.com?

[MDLawn]

This has been a very enlightening thread for me; I just wish there were more posts in it!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the thread, I've written your responses down, and as this is being written before my business is even started (this is my first post, even!), I hope I'll be able to remember what I've learned here.

Can y'all recommend I purchase that packet of information at lawncaresuccess.com?


If you don't know much about running a business it can be helpful. It's A LOT more than just buying mowers, trailer, and a truck and just saying "I love to work outdoors". It's an informative packet that has good information in it just like any business book out there. Don't just get it for the estimate sheets and letters. READ ALL OF IT. No matter how many templates you have you still need to be able to put food on the table and a roof over your head. When you are not working you need to read up on lawns, landscaping, and whatever else you can to be able to answer someones questions (unless you are a master at all of this). If you don't know answers tell them you will find out and get back to them not just the "I don't know" with a blank stare into space look. I am not a business guru or know-it-all and probably will never be, however, this is a service industry and you need to be able to service your customers whether it be the work itself, questions they have, or handling new calls and emails. Sorry for the rant.

Good Luck!

[J.A.G LAWNCARE]

1. study in school
2. study in school
3. get a real job

That is my list if I could start over ...

[MDLawn]

1. study in school
2. study in school
3. get a real job

That is my list if I could start over ...


You can always go back :weightlifter:

[J.A.G LAWNCARE]

To old , to dumb , to lazy and don't wanna work for anybody!

[Puddle of Oil]

i wish i started working for a landscaping company before i started my business 6 years ago, now i feel like im way behind from where i should be.:wall

[meicher806]

I love being a business owner, it means security for me, though I am very afraid of drought.


Normally i would not mind a drought, we are set up for watering on a large scale basis we use hydrants to fill our water tanks and some we just use the hydrants to get the water preusre we need. I even went so far as to rig a truck with 2 lines spraying off the drivers side so i can just roll around parking lots shooting water 200' out onto the turf. Im not sure how much we will do this year with the economy....

as far as changes i would make I would have ditched the business partner sooner, added watering as a regular service sooner. hired a cpa sooner

[lawnprosteveo]

1. Grow without debt.
2. Start solo, stay solo.
3. Know my numbers.

[MDLawn]

To old , to dumb , to lazy and don't wanna work for anybody!



Yea it is nice being the boss. I have that at both my jobs so it's nice, but it's better when it's all for me.

[Mrs. H]

1. NEVER let myself get sucked into working for my husband. :hammerhead:

but...since that happened anyway, I wish

2. I had slipped an accounting or business course into my college studies as an elective.

3. Started paying attention sooner; i.e. reading helpful posts on lawnsite business forum :), listening to David when he was talking about grass and weeds and junk like that. (Cause lets face it, I don't listen to him anymore than he listens to me...)

[lhk2]

I wish my parents kicked my #ss when I told them I was going to to landscaping instead of going to college. My brother and brother in-law make over 250 thousand a year and on there way to retire early, they are only 45 years old and not doing landscaping.

[J.A.G LAWNCARE]

250thousand doing what ???????

[lhk2]

They both work for a world wide food distribution company. i am not going to say the name, but their huge. Both of them worked their way up to a VP job.

[D&F lawnmaster]

1. Stay with only small accounts.
2. Don't bid on large accounts (have too many large accounts) pays good just to big
3. Have alot of patience on government jobs.
4. I wish this website was here 18 years ago.
5. Don't walk long hr.

[LDH]

1. Up until this year I built my business around larger accounts. The money was better and came quicker, but it hurts too bad when you lose one or two of them. I guess it's like the old saying "don't keep all your eggs in one basket". 40 to 50 residential accounts is a safer strategy than 8 or 10 big commercials. If you lose a residential, you lose a couple hundred out of your monthly gross until you can replace them. If you lose a big commercial, you can lose as much as $1700 out of your monthly gross. That hurts bad. Sometimes it's not , your fault. Sometimes it just the economy and they're laying W2 employees off, the account buys their own mower and has one of the guys in the shop do it when he's not busy, etc.

2. Not got into foolish debt trying to keep up with the Jonses

3. Advertised more

[Puddle of Oil]

.

2. Not got into foolish debt trying to keep up with the Jonses



i struggle with that everyday, it sucks!*trucewhiteflag*

[LDH]

5 years ago I was driving a 1997 blue Ford 1/2 ton that my old man had given me free and clear when he bought a newer diesel. This truck had over 200K miles on it, but he had bought it new and did all his own maintenance (he's been a paint and body man/mechanic all his life). It was a nice, clean truck. It had a V6 with a stick shift, extended cab long bed. The interior was like new, it had the newer body style, and my insurance was about $60 a month on it. No truck payment. I kept it for about a year and traded it off for a 1999 3/4 ton gas, then traded that off for an 04 Lariat diesel, then traded that off, and so on. I kept upgrading and I went from no truck payment to a BIG truck payment. Insurance kept getting higher, etc. I think back now and realize how good I had it back then, driving that truck he gave me. Yeah, it had a wimpy V6 and I didn't really like the standard trans. It was a 2 wheel drive and the tires squated when you hooked a trailer to it. I thought I needed to get a big hoss of a truck, and I did. But if I had it to do over again I would have stuck with that truck and drove it till the wheels fell off. Keeping up with the Joneses will get you in a mess and hold you back from being as successful as you could be if you didn't have the debt. I look around now days at my competitors in town and their trucks are a little older than mine, they're 2 wheel drive gas engines, etc. They're probably netting more money than I am, because they made better business decisions than I did when it came to vehicles. Yeah, I have a nice truck to show for my money. It's not like I gamble or drink it away. But there's other things I would rather have, and I'm handicapped now (so to speak) due to vehicle payments. Anyway, hope the story helps the people who haven't went through this yet.

[beegreenlandcare]

I've neem in this biz since '93 and and if I had to do it over again I would have done a better job at taking a class here & there to maintain my knowledge of the industry and myself better tools to run the biz. I'm thinking maybe a business course here & there and maybe a small engines class just for fun. Education always pays for itself in the long run. Also, would have starting learning espanol sooner!:hammerhead:

[Green from the Ground Up]

Having done the whole college thing (and graduated with a degree) I feel like I'd rather work outside than sit at a desk.

Besides, working for someone else, you can lose your job for no reason. With landscaping you have only yourself to blame if you scalp a lawn or decapitate a statue. Very informative thread though, I like what I read.

[Stillwater]

To hell with the espanol they either speak english or they do not work hear....Nor I their.

[beegreenlandcare]

To hell with the espanol they either speak english or they do not work hear....Nor I their.

Ya, I used to think that way too, but instead of denying it and being at a disadvantage, its better to learn it and be ahead of the game.
Also ya gotta remember too, unless your "native american" our ancestors didn't come off the boat speaking fluent english either:laugh:

[Stillwater]

Ya, I used to think that way too, but instead of denying it and being at a disadvantage, its better to learn it and be ahead of the game.
Also ya gotta remember too, unless your "native american" our ancestors didn't come off the boat speaking fluent english either:laugh:

my ancestors did, England, Ireland. and Native Americans did not speak English........

[twward]

bump........

[Puddle of Oil]

Wow, things changed since I posted on this topic. Lol

[Reelcuts]

Im just starting out and would like some help in the right direction be for I get the bad habbits and would like to know if foreclose homes is a good place to start. Thanks

[tlc1994]

Im just starting out and would like some help in the right direction be for I get the bad habbits and would like to know if foreclose homes is a good place to start. Thanks

No, no, no... and no- unless you like your equipment getting abused for a bum paycheck. Start with residential, wear a smile and know your stuff.

[tcdodge4000]

I would buy a commercial truck earlier, and not get into bad debt like payday loans, and watch out for jealous people when working a job and hustling on the side. and get sign contracts instead of customer sob stories about not wanting to do them.

[cpllawncare]

I would definitly recommend year round monthly service agreements, it'll save your tail come winter time. I didn't in the beginning but do now with all new customers.

[MDLawn]

Seeing as I am leaving this industry this is an interesting thing to ponder. I posted in this thread before but now my view is a little different. Background: part time, solo, 5 years working for someone, 5 years on my own.

Things to do differently (whether it could be done or not)

1.) Hire others to do the work, even when running a part time business. Teach 2 or 3 guys the what and how of doing things right. (yes there are problems with this) Then pay them well and take the smaller percentage of income until things grow. After a while decide whether to make the full time jump. I'd rather have people doing the work while running the business not beating myself up everyday. This doesn't mean I wouldn't work.

2.) Better equipment purchase decisions. Not that I made bad ones but just review things better.

3.) Better advertising/networking when starting out. This was hard to do part time as I didn't have the time to run around.


I don't think I'll ever go back, unless there is a necessary reason to. Part time the income was great but couldnt ever see the jump to full time as a good income maker vs. the work needed to make it.

But that is only me and there have been MANY successful landscapers. I just don't find the need to work that much, family is more important. Good luck to all who make the run up the hill!!

[scotts lawn care]

Know what services are profitable for you, and focus on those. Don't try and provide every service to your customers. Do what you do best.
Posted via Mobile Device

[cutsmartboys94]

Hi my brother and i have been cutting grass and been doing land landscaping jobs for about 2 years we have about 12 clients we want to grow and get more clients. Can i get some pointers on how to do that?

[cutsmartboys94]

Hi i was wondering if you could give me some pointers on how to get more clients?

[H & M Yard Improvements]

1. Go solo. 2. Advertise earlier. 3. Pick and choose my customers

[FoghornLeghorn]

To old , to dumb , to lazy and don't wanna work for anybody!

Am I the only one who saw the irony in this post?

[FoghornLeghorn]

1.) Never partner with anyone.
2.) Don't lowball. They are the worst customers, and they NEVER get add-ons/extra projects. So essentially you're working for free.
3.) Don't buy equipment you want. Buy equipment you need, only AFTER you have a need for it. If you buy equipment expecting a job to come, you've already bankrupted yourself...