Attention Rhode Island Landscapers/LCO's

[M & L]

My days of teaching are over!! One of the last kids I was mentoring on here turned out to be $@@://@"

So nope no more for me. Besides I don't know anything more than most of the rest of you guys know.
Have some confidence, pride, and quality in what you do and you'll do well.


I think a lot of common sense gos a long way.
If it doesn't pass the grandma test you shouldn't do it!

Let me know if we r getting together

Mike
Posted via Mobile Device

[FerrisDiesel]

Come on Mike you don't wanna teach the young guys on here how to run a profitable business? That's just plain selfish lol Im kidding. Nothing worse than teaching someone the ropes and having them stab ya in the back!
Lets plan our Lawnsite day for the last week in February. That way it's before we have to do Spring clean-ups and we are not scrambling around to do work, we can just chill and drink some beers! Like I said earlier maybe do this one down the south end of the state to start, Im thinking Caseys Bar and Grill in Wakefield. The next one in the Kent County Area. and so on
Lets hammer out the date and time and get this thing rollling!!!

[ralph02813]

Originally Posted by FerrisDiesel

Come on Mike you don't wanna teach the young guys on here how to run a profitable business? That's just plain selfish lol Im kidding. Nothing worse than teaching someone the ropes and having them stab ya in the back!
Lets plan our Lawnsite day for the last week in February. That way it's before we have to do Spring clean-ups and we are not scrambling around to do work, we can just chill and drink some beers! Like I said earlier maybe do this one down the south end of the state to start, Im thinking Caseys Bar and Grill in Wakefield. The next one in the Kent County Area. and so on
Lets hammer out the date and time and get this thing rollling!!!

That sounds good to me!!!

[M & L]

Sounds good to me. Should be back from key west by then

Sitting in the red sox turf class now. Should be good
The god of sod!!
Posted via Mobile Device

[ralph02813]

[QUOTE=M & L;4296403]Sounds good to me. Should be back from key west by then
I;m jealous, I lived in the keys for 2 yrs

[nepatsfan]

Originally Posted by M & L

My days of teaching are over!! One of the last kids I was mentoring on here turned out to be $@@://@"

So nope no more for me. Besides I don't know anything more than most of the rest of you guys know.
Have some confidence, pride, and quality in what you do and you'll do well.


I think a lot of common sense gos a long way.
If it doesn't pass the grandma test you shouldn't do it!

Let me know if we r getting together

Mike
Posted via Mobile Device

You know after reading this and the other comment about leaving Jon Goldman's seminar I looked over your page to sort of see your operation. I kind of expected to see a large company. If you already knew all the stuff from the seminar, what have you implemented to try to grow?

If you don't want to grow then why would you sign up in the first place?

Serious questions as I am always looking to learn. We have been stagnent for a few years only running two full time crews plus part timers and myself helping out in the field when I can and doing hardscaping. I am really trying to get to the next level with a field supervisor to take my position and a secretary to free up some time do billing for meand having a dedicated hardscaping and irrigation crew. I am not at that point yet.
Which of the mailings have you tried if any and how have they worked for you?

[rlmlandscape]

End of the month sounds good to me. Lets try to get a date set before we all forget and end up being busy. I'd really like to see this happen before the season starts. Looking forward to it.

[M & L]

Originally Posted by nepatsfan

You know after reading this and the other comment about leaving Jon Goldman's seminar I looked over your page to sort of see your operation. I kind of expected to see a large company. If you already knew all the stuff from the seminar, what have you implemented to try to grow?

If you don't want to grow then why would you sign up in the first place?

Serious questions as I am always looking to learn. We have been stagnent for a few years only running two full time crews plus part timers and myself helping out in the field when I can and doing hardscaping. I am really trying to get to the next level with a field supervisor to take my position and a secretary to free up some time do billing for meand having a dedicated hardscaping and irrigation crew. I am not at that point yet.
Which of the mailings have you tried if any and how have they worked for you?

Hi Nepats, I want to start out by saying dont read into anything I say! As ive said I dont know anymore than you guys already know!

With that said I will say this I have been in this for aout 20 years on and off. I worked on the cape of cod ! and in va for other people/companies.

So yes when you look at me you "dont see much" What you do see is what i need to handle what i have. Its not that I dont want to grow. We all do i think?
But my point was that he seemed like someone who gets rich by telling you something you already know....

The info from his course is stuff that ive heard before, and its stuff that ive heard in some of my leadership and management classes. So since ive heard it in those classes it seemed very generic to me.

Not trying to insult anyone . just my perception, and perception is reality.

As far as what works for me is no credit, reasonable growth, and Quality of service/delivering what you say. I spent 275$ on lawn signs - i didnt get a single phone call....... But i grew last year by 5-7% residential and another commercial of 10 acres. Its slow and steady. What works for me IS and only IS my customer referals. However in an effort to grow i decided to spend "advertising" money again and printed up 2500 double sided door hangers from ADEAS printing on here. This worked for me when i started so im going back to the only thing other than word of mouth.

I will say this, the other biz class i took there with big irish, had one thing stick. And if you talk to him hell tell you the first thing i said.
He said repitition..
His example was
first =2%
2cd = 2%
3rd= 6%
4th= 12%
5th= 80%

these numbers are not acurate but it indactes the more you try the better the results. The thing i said to big irish was That you are still in biz! your still around.

Im fortunate that i have two other good frinds that r doing this as well and i can and do ask for help. One has about 200accts and is going crazy. the other refuses to go over 75 accts. I take something from both of them. one is in south county and one is in warwick. both completly different areas so things dont work the same for them. the south county friend just mow and gos because he has weekenders who come up and dont want to do the grass versus the warwick guy who has to do full service or the will drop him..

and then you have me in the middle who just walks away from stuff. like the 80% of your crap from 20% of your customers. I recognize this right away when i talk to people now. took me about 6 months to figure those types out.

Do you know what your biggest headache is? Mine is labor, it will kill you quick!! Yours might be something completly different.

I used this example with someone the other day.
Its like the restraunt that starts out good, then after 6 months shows a little dip. the owner maybe cuts somewhere which effects something somewhere, or he hires cheaper labor which pisses off customers who never return.
this is the downward spiral that has to be recognised and broken...

I go by a couple of things
1. the grandma test= if grams wouldnt aprrove you shouldnt do it!
2. dont feed the hog= s2!{ in equals Sh1} OUT!
3. do it likes you live here.

AT this point your probably saying what the....He hasnt said anything...
And the reality is- I havent told you anything you dont already know.

Go back to basics, look at what works for you and do it! Work what works for you in your growth.

Sorry if I dont look like your expectation of me.

[nepatsfan]

Originally Posted by M & L

Hi Nepats, I want to start out by saying dont read into anything I say! As ive said I dont know anymore than you guys already know!

With that said I will say this I have been in this for aout 20 years on and off. I worked on the cape of cod ! and in va for other people/companies.

So yes when you look at me you "dont see much" What you do see is what i need to handle what i have. Its not that I dont want to grow. We all do i think?
But my point was that he seemed like someone who gets rich by telling you something you already know....

The info from his course is stuff that ive heard before, and its stuff that ive heard in some of my leadership and management classes. So since ive heard it in those classes it seemed very generic to me.

Not trying to insult anyone . just my perception, and perception is reality.

As far as what works for me is no credit, reasonable growth, and Quality of service/delivering what you say. I spent 275$ on lawn signs - i didnt get a single phone call....... But i grew last year by 5-7% residential and another commercial of 10 acres. Its slow and steady. What works for me IS and only IS my customer referals. However in an effort to grow i decided to spend "advertising" money again and printed up 2500 double sided door hangers from ADEAS printing on here. This worked for me when i started so im going back to the only thing other than word of mouth.

I will say this, the other biz class i took there with big irish, had one thing stick. And if you talk to him hell tell you the first thing i said.
He said repitition..
His example was
first =2%
2cd = 2%
3rd= 6%
4th= 12%
5th= 80%

these numbers are not acurate but it indactes the more you try the better the results. The thing i said to big irish was That you are still in biz! your still around.

Im fortunate that i have two other good frinds that r doing this as well and i can and do ask for help. One has about 200accts and is going crazy. the other refuses to go over 75 accts. I take something from both of them. one is in south county and one is in warwick. both completly different areas so things dont work the same for them. the south county friend just mow and gos because he has weekenders who come up and dont want to do the grass versus the warwick guy who has to do full service or the will drop him..

and then you have me in the middle who just walks away from stuff. like the 80% of your crap from 20% of your customers. I recognize this right away when i talk to people now. took me about 6 months to figure those types out.

Do you know what your biggest headache is? Mine is labor, it will kill you quick!! Yours might be something completly different.

I used this example with someone the other day.
Its like the restraunt that starts out good, then after 6 months shows a little dip. the owner maybe cuts somewhere which effects something somewhere, or he hires cheaper labor which pisses off customers who never return.
this is the downward spiral that has to be recognised and broken...

I go by a couple of things
1. the grandma test= if grams wouldnt aprrove you shouldnt do it!
2. dont feed the hog= s2!{ in equals Sh1} OUT!
3. do it likes you live here.

AT this point your probably saying what the....He hasnt said anything...
And the reality is- I havent told you anything you dont already know.

Go back to basics, look at what works for you and do it! Work what works for you in your growth.

Sorry if I dont look like your expectation of me.

Dont take what I said as offensive. I didn't intend it to be. I can be blunt at times. I respect everything you just said. I just wanted to see your perspective. I don't know what the right answer is to anything. I have been in business 11 years....I learn every single day. Is a 3 man operation better than a 1 man or a 30 man? That depends on the company....thanks for your input. My perception based on your responses were that you were a larger company....thats all. My perception is wrong all the time I take what is said with a grain of salt but I enjoyed the seminar and felt like I got something out of it, thats all.

What did you think about the david mellor seminar? I thought that one kind of sucked to be honest. I have both his books and have read them a couple times. Most everything he said was in his books. I thought it was kind of a waste of time.

[M & L]

None Taken. And you are correct it is always a learning enviroment or should be. Its good that we all talk local to see what does work for us.

Is mellor the one on the last day? if so yeah he was kinda the same not so much. thats the one i was refrencing about marketing percentages.

Also, I just got home and gotta tell ya i broke my own rule!!!

just did the 0% for 48 months financing with scag for a tiger cat 52....
yikes!! always paid cash before!!