Business Plans

[CAPS]

My first post to this forum and I'm very happy to have found it a few months back. I'll be retiring from the Air Force in Jan 2001 after 24 glorious years and starting my own business in Northwest Florida. The information available on this forum is so valuable to someone just starting the business or just thinking about it. Thanks to all of you for sharing your expertise. How many of you sole proprietors started your business with a business plan and do you know of a good place or sites to get examples of lawn care business plans? I'm not above plagiarizing someone else's plan either.

[TGCummings]

Welcome, Caps! Good to hear your getting into the game, so to speak, and I wish you all the best!

As far as business planning goes, I'm not the right guy for that but I'm sure someone here can help. Matter of fact, I intend to sit down this very evening and draft one up, something I should've done six years ago... :(

Welcome to Lawnsite!

-TGC

[Five Star Lawn Care LLC]

I Started my business sophmore year in high school, and my senior year i took a entrepreneurship class and i wrote a business plan. My teacher liked it so much that she took the liberty of enrolling me in a business plan competition with a chance to go to the national competition in orlando FL. Reluctantly i agreed, districts and states was like a walk through the park for me scoring %100 in both competitons. Nationals was a blast, it put me aganst 167 of the best business plans in the U.S. had to offer, i placed 8th in nationals.....next year i will be judging the event at our district level...CAPS, i will try to get u my plan in a downloadable form so u can look it over. I would be more than happy to answer any other questions you might have.

[TGCummings]

Hey Eric,

I'd love to get a copy of that, too, if you get a chance. Taking a look at an award-winning business plan might be just what the doctor ordered... ;)

-TGC

[TGCummings]

Hey Caps,

Check out nebs.com, too. They've got a Business Plan tool that might help you out as well.

Just go to the main page & click Business Tools on the folder tabs above the main text. ;)

-TGC

[Barkleymut]

While writing down a bunch of stuff may make you feel better the real need for everyone in business for themselves is to forcast expenses and revenue. Constantly monitor your expenses and make sure you have enough cash flowing in to cover those expenses. It sounds really simple yet so many businesses fail because they were not aware why or when they started losing money. It is moronic for any one man operator to lose money when they could go work for the man for at least $15/hour. By the way, Good luck.

[Greenkeepers]

CAPS-

Welcome to lawnsite. Try going to [www.quickbooks.com] , they have a business resource section with business plans in it.

Good Luck-

Mike
Greenkeepers

[machine]

CAPS, I a have a Business Plan & Presentation online that is written for the Green Industry. It is a bit outdated and will never be complete, but could be helpful to you. Go to my site and read the Executive Summary frist. Your comments would be appreacited.

http://www.users.muohio.edu/bernascr

[Kimmer]

Machine:

Enjoyed looking at your business plan. I am currently compiling information for our long overdue plan. Out of curiosity, it looks like you used Power Point for portions of it, is it the same for the hard copy? I want it to look professional and had not thought about power point!

[LoneStarLawn]

Are ya'll planning on using your business plans for future venture capitalists? If not I do not see fit for making one up at the beginning of a lawn care business unless for self motivation.

[Kimmer]

Yes--sort of. The company has been in business for 5 years, I have been there for 3. We will gross over $500,000 this year and are going through restructuring. We are now to a point in which we need to specify where we go from here.

I'd like to add that I have really enjoyed reading all of the discussions tonight. I am a first time visitor.

[machine]

Kimmer, Power Point was only used for the Presentation. Word and excel were used in the hard copy, which is 60 pages long, plus 40 pages of Appendix's.

I read in early posts, that someone did not need a business plan. I will say any type of plan is better than no plan, if you plan to succeed.

The plan should not be written for VC's but for yourself, it helps you see problems ahead of time and sets the needed goals to improve your business and your life.

Although I don't require VC funding, I do make presentations for funding with VC's and Angles. They are very helpful in pionting out problems in your plan and business that you may overlook. These people are experts in business, you can not find better advice for free.

[turfman99]

I should have operations plan avaliable in Jan or sooner I hope.

[HOMER]

Caps,

Where in N.W. Fl. are you located, I'm in Southeast Al.
Good luck on your new life.

Homer



NEVERMIND, CHECKED YOUR PROFILE AND GOT ANSWER. NOT TOO FAR FROM ME THOUGH

[Edited by HOMER on 10-29-2000 at 01:36 AM]

[Ideal Green]

BUISNESS PLANS ARE HERE! CLICK BELOW TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE WEB SITE!

http://www.quicken.com/small_business/cch/tools/?article=buspln_m

[HOMER]

We don't chop hoses?????????????????

I don't get it!

Homer

[Ideal Green]

HOMER,

The main reason I got into Lawn Care was because I manage apartments with my wife.....Well after seeing this one guy we hired to cut our lawn, a good $250.00 per cut, he would run over all our hoses! I would go out to run the sprinklers and all of a sudden I would have ten sprinklers instead of two! Not to mention doing burnouts on our driveway to rid his mower of mud, throwing hoses onto little bushes AND one of his men urinating next to our building! Well, I figure if a guy can run a business that unprofessional and make money, I figure I'll be RICH by the time I retire.
So the "We don't chop hoses!" thing is kind of a personal reminder about "JOB QUALITY". Hope no one took it personal, it makes me laugh to think about that character!

No cHoPpInG here ;)......
Rich D.
Ideal Green

[Vibe Ray]

Now that's funny!!!