Introduction
This book does not sell dreams — rather, it shows you, step by step, how to make your personal dream of working for yourself in the outdoors come true. Enterprising owners of outdoor service businesses can make as much as $60 to $80 per hour or more, for up to ten months of the year in the northern climates of the United States — or for all 12 months if you are willing to plow snow. That is decent money.
As a business owner, you are in control of your destiny. However, ownership does not make the work easier — it may even seem harder sometimes. But if you like the feeling responsibility, you will never be afraid of layoffs again because, as the boss, you are in charge. When you come up with a new idea you can experiment, watch what happens, and learn from the results. You do not have to get permission.
The business can grow with you, at your own pace. Age is not a drawback — from high school students to grandparents, anyone who can push a lawnmower (or hire someone else to push one) can enter the outdoor service business. The cost of entry is remarkably low. Some lawn care specialists started businesses with little more than a single lawnmower.
Of course, easy, low-cost entry means lots of competition. You will have to hone your competitive skills. According to US Census Bureau statistics, in 2006 over 89,000 landscaping firms operated in the US with nearly 567,000 paid employees. Of this group, 65,435 of these firms had fewer than four employees; yet combined, they generated over $3 billion in annual payroll. But there is a growing demand for outdoor services as the nation becomes more environmentally conscious and recognizes that lawns, flowers, and trees are more than beautiful — they cleanse the very air we breathe. As our population ages, more lawn care work is hired out. A National Gardening Association survey reported that between 2001 and 2006, US households increased their expenditure on lawn and landscape services from $24.5 billion to $44.7 billion. That is nearly double!
If you have courage and determination, you will soon be a part of this trend. You are about to become part of the green culture by contributing your hard work, love of nature, personal drive, and need for independence toward a business achievement of your very own.
Although no book can do the grunt work for you, if you truly care about creating and building a landscape, lawn care, or nursery business, by the time you are finished reading this book, you will have a plan of action ready and understand most of the challenges ahead. You will also know where to look for additional answers. The nine sections that follow are organized for a person new to the business. Through step-by-step instructions, they will help you establish a plan and solid foundation for your company. Once you gain your footing by doing things “by the book,” you can and should open the door to innovation by experimenting with your own methods and ideas. That is what will help you establish your distinctive business “personality,” which has the potential to attract customers that fit you best.
It will not be long before you are equipped to launch and run an outdoor service business, organized in a way that makes sense to you. By applying consistent, methodical effort, you will quickly strip away the distracting clutter that interferes with sound business development and management.
The following list offers a sneak peek into the instructions offered inside these pages:
How to run a successful business: one that makes money and pleases your customers, while bringing you satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment along with an income.
How to work efficiently, getting the most value from every hour and dollar you spend.
What is involved in the different types of outdoor service businesses. Find who has the answers to your problems, and learn how to stay informed about the industry on both local and national levels.
The basics of business structure and startup. What you need to get going, and how to keep all the government agencies happy so you can get on with the work you love.
The right equipment, procedures, and practices necessary to launch your business and get it headed toward success.
How to schedule time, write contracts, and plan for expenses. Learn how and where to borrow money.
Secret low-cost or no-cost marketing tips that will inspire customers to sign up with your company.
Procedures that encourage your existing customers to become your personal recruiters for new customers.
The ethical business owner’s creed: how the goodwill you receive from giving back to the community and treating people fairly pays off in dollars, as well as respect.
These are just a few highlights; there is much, much more to learn and absorb. But by opening the cover of this book, you are already positioning yourself for a successful, long-lasting career in the great outdoors. You have probably heard that phrase, “time is money.” If you can teach yourself one extra business skill in addition to your outdoor specialties, learning how to make time work for you, not against you, is a profitable activity.
Start practicing efficient time management right now by reading this book in the way that is of greatest benefit to you. There is no one right way to approach this. True, this book lays out a step-by-step plan for people brand-new to business operations, but look at the table of contents before you begin, and start in the middle if a topic draws you in. For instance, if you have owned a business before and have a basic understanding of record keeping, move on to topics that are less familiar. If you have previously written business plans, you may be able to skim the business plan section for new ideas, or if you already know which aspect of the outdoor services industry suits you, then it is fine to save Section II for last. Remember that you are not going to be graded by a teacher for your knowledge of this material. Instead, you will be graded when you interact with your first customer, make your first bank deposit, work with your first employee, and file taxes for the first time. This book can be the starting point for your personal growth, so it deserves your serious concentration. The Case Studies that are scattered throughout the book provide real-life advice and show you how others have achieved their dreams. You can too.
Case Study: Green Gardens, Mark McCune
Green Gardens, Inc.
P. O. Box 189
Clarksburg, MD 20871
301-972-9090
Green Gardens is what co-owner Mark McCune describes as a “blue chip garden company.” Green Gardens targets upscale homeowners who want more than mowed lawns and weed-free flowerbeds. The company has about 100 customers in the affluent neighborhoods of Washington, D.C., Montgomery County, Maryland, and in Northern Virginia. Services include elegant designs by landscape architect Tom Hamm, whose work appears in the photographs found in this book.
Green Gardens was founded in the mid-1960s by two men who decided to strike out on their own after working at another landscaping company. Both men were gifted landscapers and one of them was also a talented salesman, said McCune. Right from the start, both men knew the market they wanted: upscale, private residences.
McCune joined the company in the mid-1970s, first as a landscape worker and later as co-owner. The original owners are long gone, but the focus of the company remains “blue chip.” He believes that the key to a landscaping company’s success is having one small area of expertise and being good at it. In Green Gardens’ case, their niche is garden design and maintenance. The company does not apply chemicals; instead, it works with subcontractors to provide chemical applications. Nor does it operate a nursery to retail plants. “We just plant the stuff,” McCune said.
Green Gardens has developed a network of vendors and subcontractors that allow the company to focus on its core services, while still offering customers the products and other elements that are necessary for a beautiful and well-maintained garden. These suppliers include nurseries that grow and deliver the plants that Green Gardens uses in its landscape designs. Even with its upscale customers, Green Gardens deals with the most common question customers ask: “How can we save money?” Smaller plants, delaying some projects, or waiting until next year, are some of the answers McCune offers.
Green Gardens does no marketing. None. That is the benefit of years of customer satisfaction. McCune says existing customers and word-of-mouth keep the company busy with maintenance and new design contracts.