After reading lawnsite for a year i have learned more about this industry then i have ever imagined. I now have a clear plan for what i will need to do to build the size company i would like to run. I figured i'd make a post of the basics i learned that will give me an advantage and seperate me from the other 95% of LCOs in my area.
If i want to be treated like a pro, i have to act like one. I need to have clean cut, well groomed workers. They all have to be wearing the same uniforms. All trucks will be similar. They will all be custom painted and will stand out and be noticed where ever they are. They will all have larger signage on them. I will build my company by advertising. I plan on doing a combination of newspaper adds, direct mailings, and door hangers. This year i am only cutting a few lawns. I plan on saving a minimum of 2500 dollors to put towards advertisint in the spring of 2005, which is when i am lanuching my business big time. I plan to target high end devlopments, where people acctually care about their properties. I want devlopments because i know it would be real possible to have several accounts per a stop. I will also offer a referal program for my customers. I am not sure what kind of incentives i will give them yet. I also plan on giving my employees incentives to get me more accounts. I am also undecided on those incentives.
I feel one of my greatest advantages will be my youth. Since i live at home, i really don't have any expenses. I don't waste money on stupid things. I sold all my quads, which were a real money eater, to buy my mower. For the first couple of years i plan on taking minimal pay (maybe only 100 a week) and reinvesting all the money back into the company. I feel if i market my company right, i will be able to increase the size of my company quickly. Then when i come to a point where i can take a good pay check i plan on investing in real estate. My dad knows several people who are extremely succesful in real estate who promised to give me guidence and advice when i am ready to venture into real estate.
I plan on watching every cent my business takes in and puts out. I figure if i can cut out unneccesary cost, i might be able to pay my employees alittle better then the other guys in town. I want all the other people in my town who work for another LCO wishing they were working for me. When i have employees, i plan to fire slakers, no matter how bad i need the labor, to set examples for other workers. I plan to search for employees even when i already have all i need. I want to try to keep as many of my workers year round as possible. I am hoping to buy a old home each year and have my guys work on it during the winter and sell it for a profit in the spring.
The main thing i plan on doing is not buying equpiment i do not need. Alot of companys go under when they can't make their payments. I will buy equipment as i need it, and take advantage of low interest rates if they are availabe at the time. Sometimes it is not always best to pay off everything in full.
My plan for growth is to not hire any help untill i can not possible do anymore work by myself. Then i will look for a good employee and train him to be a leader. When there is too much work for the both of us, i will hire another worker. My 1st worker will incharged of the new guy and i will be my own crew. This plan will only work if i find good, responsible, honest, hardworking people though.
This year i am only going to mow a few lawns and do a couple patios i have lined up. Next year i will do lawns, extras, and hardscapes. The following year i will invest the money in the right spaying equipment and go into that. However, i plan to get my applicators license later this year, becuase i will have the most free time this year.
I am not sure if i will get a degree or not. I am going to be working for a landscaper this year doing just hardscapes. This guy is 40 and ran a company with 10 employees at one time but cut back due to personal reasons. He has no proablem teaching me the things he knows about this industry even though i will be running my own company next year. I plan on buying loads of books from turf to fertilizing. I am determined to be the most knowledgeable landscaper in town.
Thats it guys. Not to bad for a 17 year old eh? Sorry its so long i justed needed to tell someone my plan, becuase no one i know wants to hear all of it!
Matt
If i want to be treated like a pro, i have to act like one. I need to have clean cut, well groomed workers. They all have to be wearing the same uniforms. All trucks will be similar. They will all be custom painted and will stand out and be noticed where ever they are. They will all have larger signage on them. I will build my company by advertising. I plan on doing a combination of newspaper adds, direct mailings, and door hangers. This year i am only cutting a few lawns. I plan on saving a minimum of 2500 dollors to put towards advertisint in the spring of 2005, which is when i am lanuching my business big time. I plan to target high end devlopments, where people acctually care about their properties. I want devlopments because i know it would be real possible to have several accounts per a stop. I will also offer a referal program for my customers. I am not sure what kind of incentives i will give them yet. I also plan on giving my employees incentives to get me more accounts. I am also undecided on those incentives.
I feel one of my greatest advantages will be my youth. Since i live at home, i really don't have any expenses. I don't waste money on stupid things. I sold all my quads, which were a real money eater, to buy my mower. For the first couple of years i plan on taking minimal pay (maybe only 100 a week) and reinvesting all the money back into the company. I feel if i market my company right, i will be able to increase the size of my company quickly. Then when i come to a point where i can take a good pay check i plan on investing in real estate. My dad knows several people who are extremely succesful in real estate who promised to give me guidence and advice when i am ready to venture into real estate.
I plan on watching every cent my business takes in and puts out. I figure if i can cut out unneccesary cost, i might be able to pay my employees alittle better then the other guys in town. I want all the other people in my town who work for another LCO wishing they were working for me. When i have employees, i plan to fire slakers, no matter how bad i need the labor, to set examples for other workers. I plan to search for employees even when i already have all i need. I want to try to keep as many of my workers year round as possible. I am hoping to buy a old home each year and have my guys work on it during the winter and sell it for a profit in the spring.
The main thing i plan on doing is not buying equpiment i do not need. Alot of companys go under when they can't make their payments. I will buy equipment as i need it, and take advantage of low interest rates if they are availabe at the time. Sometimes it is not always best to pay off everything in full.
My plan for growth is to not hire any help untill i can not possible do anymore work by myself. Then i will look for a good employee and train him to be a leader. When there is too much work for the both of us, i will hire another worker. My 1st worker will incharged of the new guy and i will be my own crew. This plan will only work if i find good, responsible, honest, hardworking people though.
This year i am only going to mow a few lawns and do a couple patios i have lined up. Next year i will do lawns, extras, and hardscapes. The following year i will invest the money in the right spaying equipment and go into that. However, i plan to get my applicators license later this year, becuase i will have the most free time this year.
I am not sure if i will get a degree or not. I am going to be working for a landscaper this year doing just hardscapes. This guy is 40 and ran a company with 10 employees at one time but cut back due to personal reasons. He has no proablem teaching me the things he knows about this industry even though i will be running my own company next year. I plan on buying loads of books from turf to fertilizing. I am determined to be the most knowledgeable landscaper in town.
Thats it guys. Not to bad for a 17 year old eh? Sorry its so long i justed needed to tell someone my plan, becuase no one i know wants to hear all of it!
Matt