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Can any of you tell me how getting off the mower and supervising your business has worked for you? I am at the point where I have very little time to prospect for new business. Need to start knocking on commercial doors as much as possible. I appreciate any info you may have on the subject.
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With hispanic help available at $7.50 an hour and a crew leader at maybe $9.00 an hour ... these numbers should allow you use your time selling. -
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Phil, I find it hard to believe that is all you have to say On the subject.[:0]Comment
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Getting off the mower and out searching for prospective clients is a gradual two step process. First, you must remember that alot of contacts are made while you are moreless, "on the mower". Having an employee(s) that can tend to on the job new client estimates is hard to find. Alot of work in our type of business comes to us while we are on the jobsite and people want on the spot information or even estimates. No one is motivated to see your business succeed more than you, no matter what your paying them. Secondly, as I stated above, its gradual. Perhaps you might start out with alotting one day a week where you will not "mow", but rather "sell" yourself and your business to potential customers. I wouldn't recommend saying to yourself, "OK, I'm not mowing anymore, I'm just going to be out looking for new business." Eventually, your profits will diminish and you'll subsequently fold. I have found this process to be beneficial to my growth and is basically a common sense approach, nothing more, nothing less.Comment
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Glen, Genesis, Lawn Tech, Evergreen, and the guys on Tyndall AFB all start their guys at $6.50 and their leads get in the neighborhood of $9. The only way I see how they get lots of employees is that they offer health insurance, other wise you'll have to pay your guys a little bit more. All the mexicans in this town either work at the sod farm, which also provides them a place to live or they own and work at their resturants. If you look around there are plenty of rednecks looking for work, but their quality and attitudes are lacking.
Also just to info you, Mike at JD landscapes told me they'll be offering Christmas lighting soon and will have a seminar hosted by the light company's rep. He didn't have a date yet but Mike is pretty good about updating me regularly on this kinda stuff, so as he informs me I'll relay that info to youse. We'll have to divide town so we don't run each other over. You take everything south of the Cove and I'll get the rest.
Also on Christmas trees. Mike said they have one partial load coming and need to fill the other half if you're interested.Comment
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"Phil, I find it hard to believe that is all you have to say On the subject."
Yeah you're right but it's also a question of what size bizz you want to become. Some folks don't want the hassles and risks associated with a continual upward growth. Depends on a lot of things. Market availability of customers. Ultimate market share, what dollar sales volume will max you out in that market. What personal income level you want to achieve.
I know people in this bizz that make under $50,000 a year and others who make over $500,000 each year. Talking take home pay after everything is said and done. Incidentally ... it's just as hard work for that 50 G's [
!] as it is to work for the 500 G's [:p] LOL ... seriously ... big companies have different "roles" for the owners who engage mostly in selling, job bidding, general mgmt and employee acquisition ...whereas small companies demand a good amount of field work from the owner, thus exhausting the owner in the process.
Now for my own personal preference? [
] I'd say if you have a good market go for it. Life is a one time event and there's rewards waiting for you ... and with money you can buy what most people lack which is "time". Buy other peoples time and sell other peoples time. Sell lots of time? ... you got it. It's the only way. At $6 or $7 bucks an hour employees sell (you) their "valuable" time very cheap BUT YOU SHOULDN'T!! You're going to end up working 10 to 12 hours a day no matter how you slice it. Big company or small.
The industry sells "labor hours" ... so go find a ton of work to do ... and go find a ton of low cost labor to do it. That's what it comes down to ... the sale of time. Who's time? ... (other peoples time) because your time is limited. All of us are living on limited time? LOL
And furthermore [:0] ... I also know plenty of folks in this bizz who because they overindulged their "bodies" doing hard physical work day-after-day ... wore out their bodies? That's right! Damaged their backs, joints, and became "physical wrecks" in a way. I say go wear out somebody elses "joints" and with labor at only around $7 bucks an hour ... hell I'd buy all I could at that price.
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