Do the LCO owners own their company and let other people run and manage the operation while you're sitting back and venturing into new business opertunities or are you involved in the day to day operations? I started mowing last year and found that it would be a smart investment if I became very prosperous at it. In this aspect I am inquiring about the possibility of being the largest outfit in town and then explore other areas that I could expand. I haven't heard of many LCO's that are nationally owned and operated. Also, why not explore the possibility of franchising?
I am leaning toward something like that but not quite the national part. Landscaping is what I truly like to do (and am going to school to do), but I still want to have multiple business also. I want to own rental property, and do many other things as well, but I still want to be able to manage my landscaping business. But I would like to have a manager control the guys and me control him and just do what I want... but thats a long term dream!
I agree ECM about wanting to own multiple businesses. I just got through reading a book called "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," and let me tell you that I have had my eyes opened up tremendously. It is about what the rich people teach their kids versus what the poor people teach their kids. The poor tell their kids to get a good education so they can get a good job and the rich teach their kids to get a good education so they can create those jobs. Anyway, I would hate to be the one to have to eventually have all of you guys working for me. LOL
From what i have seen with the quality of workers in my area, i wouldnt trust anyone but myself to run my business.
I read that book too. A lot of it makes a lot of sense. But I could also tell that guy was a slick sales type who glossed over the hard part of everything and the pitfalls. He is also selling other "get rich quick" type Dave Del Dotto/Carleton Sheets stuff. He tried to make it sound like you just set things up and sit back and count your money. Most things, certainly not a service business, aren't like that.
If you read any of his other books you will see he is not the "get rich quick" kind of author. Plus in his other books he talks about all the work he has done in the past and the failures he has had. Read a few more in the series and you might have a different view.
I have read several of the books from the "Rich Dad Poor Dad" series and I realize that in order to be successful there are risk involved as well as risks involved in the Lawn Care business. I read other books as well from authors such as Suze Orman, and Dave Ramsey to name a couple. These are not the limits to my readings, but I am not saying that things will happen over night.
Well Donald Trump doesnt do it all himself . There is a book called the "Peter Principal" It basicaly states that any person will only rise to their own level of incompentenance. I stared young and was chief cook and bottle washer. I now own multible businesses among other things. I have learned to delegate to qualified people. But I am still hands on I take an active roll in the day to day operations. If need be I am down in the dirt . An account friend of mine and I talk quite a bit and he is amased at the amount of small business owners that are not making money and dont realize it. You can create a business or you can create a job for yourself. The difference being a business can be sold and a job is just a job.
Let's face it, it dosn't take a lot of money to start in the lawn care biz (anywhere from 5-50k) much considering you can do 50-200k in sales with that equipment. If I were to hire anyone to run my business they would be smart, friendly, hard working, and great with customer relations. The smart thing kills you every time because after a few months they realize they could make 2-3x as much with their own business.
