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I worked for an established lawn service during college for 5 years. Now 8 years later I’m doing it on the side, 12 hrs a week, for some extra $. I’m part of a 3 man team, 1 guy does it for a living and has been for last 13 years, while the other two of us cut a few hrs a week to supplement our wives staying home. Right now it’s an 80/10/10 split. So that’s my current situation.
My question is how many companies out there have the goal of someday having the business “run itself� Such as, have a couple crews running the lawn care and labor aspect of the business while you the owner handle quality control, maintenance, marketing billing and such. While it know it sounds like a possible goal, I question how realistic it is. It seems to me for each crew Im going to need a crew chief and at least 1 laborer. For example, I pay my crew boss $14/hr and my laborer $10/hr, they cut $70 worth of lawns an hr, loosely speaking I have $46/hr left over before overhead, which sounds good to me for not even being out there. But how realistic is it to keep a descent crew boss, if you pay him well and/or he’s smart then hell just start his own lawn service, yet if you don’t pay enough then how do you get someone trustworthy and loyal. The laborers will probably come and go but the crew boss is pretty vital. Do you offer a profit sharing plan, but there again, seems to me hell stay around for a season or two and realize how much more $ he could make on his own.
My second issue is how do you trust someone w/your truck, trailer and equipment? Does that fall back on the fact that you get what you pay for, meaning you’ll have to pay your crew boss well?
Anyway, our long term goal is to no longer be out there cutting the grass, but just focus on managing the business. Im not so sure that’s feasible in this industry.
Thoughts…….??
My question is how many companies out there have the goal of someday having the business “run itself� Such as, have a couple crews running the lawn care and labor aspect of the business while you the owner handle quality control, maintenance, marketing billing and such. While it know it sounds like a possible goal, I question how realistic it is. It seems to me for each crew Im going to need a crew chief and at least 1 laborer. For example, I pay my crew boss $14/hr and my laborer $10/hr, they cut $70 worth of lawns an hr, loosely speaking I have $46/hr left over before overhead, which sounds good to me for not even being out there. But how realistic is it to keep a descent crew boss, if you pay him well and/or he’s smart then hell just start his own lawn service, yet if you don’t pay enough then how do you get someone trustworthy and loyal. The laborers will probably come and go but the crew boss is pretty vital. Do you offer a profit sharing plan, but there again, seems to me hell stay around for a season or two and realize how much more $ he could make on his own.
My second issue is how do you trust someone w/your truck, trailer and equipment? Does that fall back on the fact that you get what you pay for, meaning you’ll have to pay your crew boss well?
Anyway, our long term goal is to no longer be out there cutting the grass, but just focus on managing the business. Im not so sure that’s feasible in this industry.
Thoughts…….??
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