[NCSULandscaper]

How many out there are good friends with some of your compepitors? I have one competitor i will go to lunch with sometimes, ride around so both of us can see each others work, go over prices, products, etc. Anyone else do the same?

 

[Gr grass n Hi tides]

There are three guys I know fairly well. I referred an irrigation job to one of them today as a matter of fact. It was a call I got in response to my yellow page ad. If he gets it under contract he'll give me a small cut plus show me the ins and outs of installation. One other guy I know, we split a landscape boulder installation job I got a call on - he has the tractor & I don't. Nice to have friends.

 

[windmill]

I get along with one of my competitors. We do the same thing, compare prices, jobs etc. we both feel that we aren't so much competitors as two different companies working in the same market which is amply large enough for both of us. The other spraying company I haven't really associated with as his philosophy seems to be a little different than mine.

 

[qualitylandscaping]

Just posted this on another forum... Same as the above!

The first thing you need to learn is that other LCO's are not your direct competition...

The overall success of every LCO is determined by the consumer.. The home and business owners are your competition...

We are all in this business to make money and to be successful, but think about it; we are competing with the homeowners because in the end, we are either successful or a failure based on their decisions...

Other LCO's will not put you out of business, its the homeowner's who decide to hire someone else that will put you out of business..

I am friendly with all of the local LCO's and we all get along because we know they (the home/business owners) have the final decision on who gets what..

 

[NCSULandscaper]

Originally posted by qualitylandscaping
The first thing you need to learn is that other LCO's are not your direct competition...

The overall success of every LCO is determined by the consumer.. The home and business owners are your competition...

The consumer isnt your competition. You have to compete against the other LCOs to get that customer. You have to know how to do the work well and talk to the customer right to get them to spend their money with you. The overall sucess of every LCO is to perform professional work. The home and business owners are your CUSTOMERS not your competition.

 

[qualitylandscaping]

I don't care... However you want to look at it.. :dizzy:

Anyway that got off the topic alittle... I do the same as you guys mentioned and eat lunch with some of the LCO guys around here. We usually end up at the same place everyday but its nice to be able to tell some of the crazy ---- we go through everyday. Usually involves little old ladies that think we have nothing to do and think they can spend 4 hours telling you stories about their childhood and asking why I charge so much:blob2: :angry:

 

[qualitylandscaping]

c-r-a-p is a censored word on this forum? wow, thats alittle childish..

 

[nelbuts]

I am friends with alot of guys in the business. Then there are those that I would like to shove a stick of dynomite up their flubus!

 

[Runner]

We are friendly with everyone around here. There are some of us, that are pretty good friends, and we constantly network and help each other out on all sorts of things from work, to repair, welding, - all sorts of stuff. I have one friend that just loaned another one of his trailers while his was down with axle trubs and he had to order a part. As a matter of fact, late Saturday, I just blew my mule drive belt on my Lazer, so I knew I was down for the wekend. When I called this guy, he said. "Just bring it over to the shop. I've got a few extra over there and I'll meet ya there." Well, when I got there, he had one alright. A brand new one. He just told me to bring him a replacement when I get out to the dealer. We all tend to have alot of fun when we get together for breakfast or lunches and such. Sometimes we'll just hop over to one another's house to grill some steaks or something and have a brew or two (or three, or four, or...):drinkup: We are also in the midst of organizing an association or charter. This would be a high publicity organization based on community services and emphasizing quality and standards in all services rendered by our members.

 

[mtdman]

There are 2 other LCOs that work outta my warehouse area, and I know them all well. One guy I am good friends with. We all work in different areas of town, and aren't really competition. Knowing other LCOs has given me more in knowledge and friendship than I could imagine. We loan each other equipment, give each other leads on jobs, all kinds of stuff. I am even planning on working jointly with one guy this fall on cleanups. It's all good.

 

[Gr grass n Hi tides]

Originally posted by NCSULandscaper
The consumer isnt your competition. You have to compete against the other LCOs to get that customer. You have to know how to do the work well and talk to the customer right to get them to spend their money with you. The overall sucess of every LCO is to perform professional work. The home and business owners are your CUSTOMERS not your competition.

Yup, other LCOs are competition. If, for argument sake every other LCO in your town had bad attitude, used hand clippers and 21s as mowers while you have all top of the line equipment, obviously you would have one up on everyone & get your lion's share. That's not how things are though. Lots of good LCOs to turn choose from all over the place.

Even though I don't have as much experience as a lot of other guys & gals on here, I can see very clearly that building a good network of friends is a good thing. Sure, we're all competing, but healthy, friendly competition is a good thing.

I look at this business sort of like fishing. There's "x" number of potential clients out there and there's "x" number of guys trying to land them. I don't mind standing shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of guys I'm tight with when a good trout bite is on; in fact, it makes it more enjoyable and if you need a pair of pliers or a piece of leader they'll give it to you. Plus, I never feel that one of the other guys is catching "my fish." Know what I mean?

I can already see lawn care is the same way. Would you rather stand shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of guys you've alienated or a bunch of guys you can call friend. I know for a fact that I could borrow a mower, get referrals, or talk serious shop (numbers) with the guys I know. It's a good feeling.

 

[chefdrp]

I too am pretty friendly with some other LCOs around here. They help me out with questions i might have and i like to help them when i can.

 

[grshppr]

I get along great with my competition. Every year we all get together and have a golf tournement with the employees too. We all drink beer and swap funny PITA customer stories. Its great fun.

 

[NCSULandscaper]

Yea one of my good friends and myself are takin a half a day off tomorrow to go and check out each others work and get opinions on upcoming jobs that we have. We both started off about the same time and have helped each other out all the time, sub work back and forth, when he gets behind i work for him and when i get behind he works for me. Most of the time when the other LCOs are inthe area, they stop by and eat lunch with us when they see both our trucks.

 

[mower_babe]

We are very good friends with an older LCO. He "sells" account referrals to us as he gets out. Kind of feel as though I am "paying" for his friendship!jk Actually, he is a great person and I do trust him.

There are three other younger LCO here that we stay friendly with here and I pass on my crappy jobs to - they are a bit "scrubby" around the edges and I do not trust them as far as I can spit. They would underbid me in a second. But, I stop and talk to them and am very friendly with them.

Then, there is another LCO in town, he either feels threatend from a business standpoint or he just doesn't like humans. Either way, I wave and smile at him every day for the past few years and he has NEVER waved back or even lifted a finger. No reaction.

I draw from the adage..."keep your friends close. - keep your enemies closer." No, they are not my "enemies", but we are certainly after the same thing. jmo
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"We are all in this business to make money and to be successful, but think about it; we are competing with the homeowners because in the end, we are either successful or a failure based on their decisions..." quoted by qualitylandscaping
--

I am sorry, I have to disagree with you. The client does not make or break you. Your WORK makes or breaks you. Your work is like a product - if it sucks, say like a "chia pet" then no one will buy it. If it is a great product then it will be hard to keep on the shelf and you will have a high demand for your product. It is the same in lawn care - if you are good, people will want you. It is your decision what day to day choices to make that will make you a success or a failure. quality, I don't mean any offense, and I hope I am not alone in this thinking.

ok-I'll shut up now.

 

[EJK2352]

My best friend is in the biz. We swap equipment and work together on some of our big jobs. I get along with most of the LCO's in my area. But, there are a few a-hole LCO's that I wouldn't p1ss on if they were on fire.

 

[windmill]

mower_babe, you. . . spit????

EJK2352 you'd pee on them? I'd let them burn.

 

[mower_babe]

Originally posted by windmill
mower_babe, you. . . spit????

OK - not LITERALLY, but if I was the spittin type, then I wouldn't trust them.

Is that better?

 

[o-so-n-so]

I am.

 

[tiedeman]

wriken and I are friends I feel...but then there is the lady in town that I can not stand...I am not naming any names, so I will just call her the 21" mowing lady. (wriken knows what I am talking about) LOL