[the ace]

I started a mowing service with a friend of mine last year and so far I could have gotten where we are alone. He does just fine when it comes to going out and mowing our properties, but we all know that is just a very small part of running an lco! I have accounted for 100 percent of all signed contracts, advertising ideas, equipment maintinance, customer relations, billing, and all other filing duties. I wouldn't mind any of this if he would pull his wieght in getting new accounts. Should I take my half and move on, or jump his a$$ and tell him to put up some sales numbers or else!

 

[promower]

Get out before you invest any more of your time and money, start back up solo and never look back.

 

[tinman]

partnerships are tough. I would only go that route if there was no way to do it alone. Usually it ruins a friendship because one person does most of the work. I f I were going to start buying up some rental homes I would need a partner. But starting a lawn service is pretty inexpensive compared to other businesses.

One good thing about a partner is being able to go on vacation in the busy summer. But there are other ways to do that.... have a dependable helper, family member, local LCO you are friendly with & trust, etc.

 

[nocutting]

Hi, thisjust seems to be a matter of finding your own attributes, obviously you knowwhat you can do?.....Now its time to split the work evenly. Not everybody is a Salesman, just as not everybody is a mechanic, or service applicator......Somebody has to be the "Brains', and somebody the "Follower", it seems as though "You" need to sit down with your "Buddy" and work things out before you say something that you'll regret?...."Partnerships are Great if You Set some boundries", or paramitters to work in?....If I were you I'd keep selling, haveing your Buddy doin the work......... :angel: :cool2: payup

 

[wrestlingcoach]

Get out now

I am in the same situation but now 7 years later and having $30,000 in equipment harder to get out

the partner doesn't really realize the choices he & his wife makes or doesn't make effects you also.

wait until your partner has a crisis in life,, such as marriage problems, boy then there are real problems w/ your business

RUN

speaking from experience, wanting to buy my partner out but he doesn't want to yet, because he doesn't know what he wants to do w/ his life

 

[freddyc]

people gravitate toward what they like or are capable of.


from what you describe, you are the business manager and he is the worker. Why don't you just expand that and let him do all the mowing and then as your business grows, make him a foreman???

If what you say is true, its unlikely he will ever put up sales numbers so don't expect it----it isn't going to happen. Just remember... in his eyes, he probably IS pulling his weight right now.

He will never be the partner you desire so it will only grate on your nerves as time goes on. Either expand what it is now or cut him loose.

 

[the ace]

people gravitate toward what they like or are capable of.

from what you describe, you are the business manager and he is the worker. Why don't you just expand that and let him do all the mowing and then as your business grows, make him a foreman???

If what you say is true, its unlikely he will ever put up sales numbers so don't expect it----it isn't going to happen. Just remember... in his eyes, he probably IS pulling his weight right now.

He will never be the partner you desire so it will only grate on your nerves as time goes on. Either expand what it is now or cut him loose.

If I make him a foreman is he still entitled to half of the incoming profits or should he become a higher paid employee at this point? You are right, he does not have the mind set for sales, but I did expect some input to our customer base. You are also right in that in his mind he does feel like he is pulling his wieght, so how do I tactfully tell my friend of almost 30 years that he is going to be promoted to mowing slave. I don't want to admit it but my wife did tell me "just do it alone"!

 

[topsites]

partnerships are tough. I would only go that route if there was no way to do it alone. Usually it ruins a friendship because one person does most of the work. I f I were going to start buying up some rental homes I would need a partner. But starting a lawn service is pretty inexpensive compared to other businesses.

One good thing about a partner is being able to go on vacation in the busy summer. But there are other ways to do that.... have a dependable helper, family member, local LCO you are friendly with & trust, etc.

I agree, it is the reason why I recommend NEVER start a business with a friend.

 

[Howard Roark]

Sever the ties and go do yourself what you know you're capable of. Any pain he may feel now by breaking it off is nothing compared to the pain you'll feel years into as he's still just going through the motions.

 

[wrestlingcoach]

My partner and I have been friends for 30 years,

somehow get rid of him now

so you won't be mad at him every week

 

[Team Gopher]

Have a tax question? Need free business advice? Ask our CPA. Click Here
Hi the ace,

Here is my view. I would sit down with your friend and partner. Ask him if he feels you are both putting in equal amounts of work. Then let him know how you feel. I would also draw up an agreement which would allow for the split of the company if needed. What would he get and what would you get. How much time you have to give each other notice before you split. Then after you give it some time to improve if it you feel it is not improving you can split with hopefully no hard feelings.

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[Redneckn]

Not an easy place to be in at all. When it was getting to be time for me to seperate myself from the family farm, i took a job 5 hours from home. that way i had to move. i just didnt have the heart to tell my dad that working with him was driving me nuts.
I still do a lot of the business end though.. i just do it from over here.


I agree with Team Gopher about having a talk. Just be honest and tell him how you feel and maybe he feels like it just isnt his cup of tea. you never know.

 

[topsites]

Ok here's another idea:

A business needs, in order to survive, to rely on the strenghts of its worker(s) and it does so by *allowing* its workers to DO what they do best.

IF your friend is the BETTER grass-cutter AND you are the better manager (in short), then your friend should do what he does best and you should do what you do best.

Hate some your stuff, want to do some his stuff? maybe he hates some his stuff, wants to do some yours...

perhaps see if you can switch some of the tasks, have a talk...

by the way, if you're tired of being saleslady, I ain't no [email protected]!7ch either so the easy solution is spend some MONEY on advertising (3 thousand a year should do, but since it's 2 of you, try 4 for starters and don't be afraid to send another 2k after it) - newspaper ads, yellow pages.

Once the calls come in, I don't mind giving the estimates so long it's a TON of calls so I don't gotta make the sale - Take it or leave it, I don't care. <- THAT takes the bs out of it real good.
Does it work? Hell yeah it works!

Far as the maintenance, make it better: Find ways to do it faster, make it easier: Buy a big air compressor with a tank and get some air-tools, bro you'll be like the nascar pit-stock crew working on your stuff.

spend some money, f*k it, invest it in better stuff, more business, increase production, come on, have some fun.

 

[the ace]

Ok here's another idea:

A business needs, in order to survive, to rely on the strenghts of its worker(s) and it does so by *allowing* its workers to DO what they do best.

IF your friend is the BETTER grass-cutter AND you are the better manager (in short), then your friend should do what he does best and you should do what you do best.

Hate some your stuff, want to do some his stuff? maybe he hates some his stuff, wants to do some yours...

perhaps see if you can switch some of the tasks, have a talk...

by the way, if you're tired of being saleslady, I ain't no [email protected]!7ch either so the easy solution is spend some MONEY on advertising (3 thousand a year should do, but since it's 2 of you, try 4 for starters and don't be afraid to send another 2k after it) - newspaper ads, yellow pages.

Once the calls come in, I don't mind giving the estimates so long it's a TON of calls so I don't gotta make the sale - Take it or leave it, I don't care. <- THAT takes the bs out of it real good.
Does it work? Hell yeah it works!

Far as the maintenance, make it better: Find ways to do it faster, make it easier: Buy a big air compressor with a tank and get some air-tools, bro you'll be like the nascar pit-stock crew working on your stuff.

spend some money, f*k it, invest it in better stuff, more business, increase production, come on, have some fun.

I never said I had a problem with doing all the sales, however I do mind doing 80% of the work for 50% of the pay! I am delivering flyers, we are in two newspapers, and have flyers posted in dozens of businesses! I also own an air compressor and all the tools to make the maintenance easier.

 

[Lumberjack]

I never said I had a problem with doing all the sales, however I do mind doing 80% of the work for 50% of the pay! I am delivering flyers, we are in two newspapers, and have flyers posted in dozens of businesses! I also own an air compressor and all the tools to make the maintenance easier.

Perhaps you need to realise that sales isnt 80% of the work. you can sell a thousand properties but then whos gonna mow them? Neither job is more important then any other. The person that does your laundry is just as important to your company as sales and accounting. If your partner is putting in his full share of hours then you have an attitude problem. If your partner is no good at sales then trying to get him to sell is a waste of his time and yours. It sounds like he is putting in 100% and you are wasting your time complaining about it.

 

[the ace]

Perhaps you need to realise that sales isnt 80% of the work. you can sell a thousand properties but then whos gonna mow them? Neither job is more important then any other. The person that does your laundry is just as important to your company as sales and accounting. If your partner is putting in his full share of hours then you have an attitude problem. If your partner is no good at sales then trying to get him to sell is a waste of his time and yours. It sounds like he is putting in 100% and you are wasting your time complaining about it.

I mow no LESS than half our properties every week!

 

[wrestlingcoach]

like I said earlier, get out!!!!!

no partner

2-3-4 years down the road it will get worse and harder to get out
girlfriend/wife problems, kids, more problems

and probably would not be a good idea to hire him as an employee either after the break up