The Landscape Business Pro Podcast: Expert Advice for Landscaping & Excavating Contractors

Travis Leicht of OnSite Supply talks to Stan about maximizing your current assets to create more profit in your business.  What are some changes that can be made (easily) to bring in more income with less effort.

Travis has been doing Periscope videos and using them to increase his business.

When it comes to business, he wants you to start by evaluating yourself.  Where are you happiest?  What makes you happy?  Figure out where you want to be.

One key step that Travis took to simplifying his business is what he calls “batching.”  Batching is maximizing your hours by minimizing interruptions that waste time.  Batching allows you to get key things done efficiently.

Income – Time, mobility & time

“6 sides to the die” – capital (liquid, physical, social, credit, spiritual)

Links from this episode

OnSite.supply – Coupon code Stan

 

 

Links to easily subscribe to the Dirt Monkey Podcast

iTunes

Google Play

Stitcher

Dirt Monkey University Website

Syd Stephan of Kage Innovations gave his son, Mike Stephan, the opportunity to create a one of a kind snow plow system.

Mike was always creative and he was encouraged by his parents to keep coming up with new ideas.  When somebody senses that you’re willing to take a risk and pursue their creative solutions to make a job faster or easier, they will continue to come up with new solutions.  There are a lot of ideas that never make it past your garage or company, but if you persevere, you can take the next step and create something big.

Put people in a position that they can thrive!  If you have an idea, start coming up with a plan.  Use Google!  Think “There’s got to be a better way.”  You have to kick the habit!

They started small and made a few pieces and started selling them.  Started naive.  Didn’t think about the risk too much.  If you concentrate on the risk of a venture, you will focus on the risk instead of the possibility of great success.

There were “well meaning detractors” along the way who tried to discouraged Syd from continuing.  This could have stopped the progress of their business.  You will likely have these kind of people in your world, and you’ll have to stay strong because these people will try to stop you.  They will think they know what’s right for your company.

Links from this episode

Kage Innovation

Links to easily subscribe to the Dirt Monkey Podcast

iTunes

Google Play

Stitcher

Dirt Monkey University Website

Blake is a 19-year-old who has been in the green industry for 3 years.  He has been dominating social media to grow his business.

Consistency – You have to post on social media regularly (not a bunch in one day and then not again for awhile) .

Quality – High quality content that aren’t all the same.

Tags – put relevant tags on the posts.  When people click on the hashtag, your picture will show up.  Instagram will provide a list of suggested tags when you post.

You want to connect your social media accounts together.  For example, when you post a video on YouTube include your other social media usernames and a link to subscribe to your posts in the description.

Blake’s Social Media Recommendations: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook

Blake’s Instagram

Stan’s Instagram

Blake’s YouTube 

Stan’s YouTube

Blake’s Facebook

Stan’s Facebook

When it comes to paying for advertising online, Blake recommends using Facebook ads because you can specify which groups of people you want to advertise to.  You can advertise to specific areas, age ranges, etc.

When starting on social media, introduce your company and what sets you apart from the other companies in the area.  Also post quick tips & tricks videos for homeowners.

Links to easily subscribe to the Dirt Monkey Podcast

iTunes

Google Play

Stitcher

Dirt Monkey University Website

If you get hurt, can your company still go on?  It’s time to start thinking about your business as a business.

Focus on building your people instead of focusing on building systems. Once you have your key people in place, then you can create systems around them. If you don’t have people to operate the systems, what good are they?

As owners, we often times want to keep our hands in everything.  Hire people who have different skill sets than you. Hire people who are better than you!  Ask yourself what you want to get off your plate and delegate to somebody else so you can free up time to grow your business.

Consultants are the people you pay, mentors are those you ask for help and they will help you out.

Mentors are free.

Coaches help build business.

Consultants have higher intensity w/industry specific information.

As soon as you think you know it all, you have a problem. Never stop learning!

Links from this episode:

www.RakConsultingLLC.com

Links to easily subscribe to the Dirt Monkey Podcast

iTunes

Google Play

Stitcher

Dirt Monkey University Website

Are you looking to expand your business to include chemical applications?  Matthew Martin has worked for national fertilizer and weed control companies and has ran his own business, and he sits down with Stan to guide people looking to move into this niche or expand their current business.

His first piece of advice is for business owners to reach out to a county a county extension agent and ask them what a good trade organization is to get involved with (ex. Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association or Tennessee Turf Grass Association).  It’s a group of people who are very open about sharing knowledge.  Get involved with the local department of agriculture.

Know the laws. How to read label. Mix use rates. 

If there is one in your area, a small business development center will also help as a business coach or help find a mentor in your trade.  You can also take courses at local community colleges.

1. Get equipment:  Truck. Skid sprayer

2. Calibrate equipment

3. Get customers (Direct mail blasts, referral credit)

Leave door hangers in neighborhoods that you want to work in.  When a property is within eyeshot of one that you service, personalize it with a note. For example, “See Mr(s). ______ lawn?  You can have the same lawn if you hire us!”

Door hangers should include: Company name. Logo. Eye catching image. Website. Phone number.  Introductory price.  “Local companies deliver results the national companies promise”

​Your first round of advertising should be when the weather starts warming up and people start moving around outside and looking at their lawns.  This is approximately when you get your first 50 degree day.

You MUST apply the right product at the right time or you will be battling more issues that necessary.  Use a system to route and make your applications more efficient is very beneficial.

Take the time to learn what you are doing because mistakes cost a lot of money and bad word-of-mouth.

After moving to Wheaton, IL, as a young boy, Greg taught himself how to build a pond by digging one in his parents’ backyard. Neighbor’s saw his work and asked him to build them ponds. Eventually, he started a small business to make summer money. After the Chicago Tribune wrote a front page article on him, Greg’s business took off.

It’s all about the people you bring into your company. Find people who are good in places you’re weak so your company can grow as effectively as possible.

Aquascape offers a free online academy to become a Certified Aquascape Specialist. When you complete the training, you will be on their website as a recommended contractor.

​

4 Level Approach to Busienss

1. Hands On

2. Working with other

3. Systems based

4. Strategic (work on the business, not in it)

​

Installer, manufacturer, trainers & educators.

Links from this episode

Aquascape Inc.

George Packard and Stan discuss the importance of growing your business so you create a safety cushion if you get injured, sick, or worse.  If you don’t want to grow your business for yourself, do it for the ones you love.

​

​​Be smart about your advertising.  At the very minimum, there should be a 4 to 1 return on all advertising money spent. A good return is 20 to 1. And, once you master advertising, you should be shooting for a 200 to 1 return.

Be smart with your money.  Reinvest it into your business to continue growing.

When you find out your employee is no good, get rid of them fast. Be slow to hire, quick to fire.  When you find a good employee, do what you can to keep them around.  Up their pay and maintain good communication. Give them personal attention so they know you want them to stay around..

Daniel Aplin is starting in plant installation and design and interviews Stan in this weeks podcast interview.  He is given free reign and gets to ask Stan anything he wants.

Questions covered include:

How do you set goals and commit to them?

S – Specific

M -Measurable

A – Actionable

R – Realistic

​T – Time sensitive

How do you market on a low budget?

What software do you use to run your company?

​How should a business owner allocate their profits?

​When do you hire your first employee?

​How do you interview potential employees?

What is your favorite training?

How do you transition from thinking of starting a business to being booked solid?

 

Links in this episode:

Daplin Landscapes

John Lee Dumas Podcast

Jonn Lee Dumas on Setting Goals – YouTube Interview

Service Autopilot

​Yardbook

​Profit First – Mike Michalowicz

Former successful lawn care and landscape professional, Doug Cobair, and his wife Stacy decided to sell it all and move from the city to the country.  He went from living in a 2500 sq ft house in the city to homesteading on 11 acres and living in a 800 sq ft log home that built by himself (with no carpentry skills).

They grow 90% of their own food and meat, have a stocked pond.

They collect 100% of their water from a 3000 gallon rain catchment system that Doug installed.

They live with zero electricity, NO SOLAR or WIND POWER.

**The information contained herein is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment in any manner. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding any medical condition.**

Enzo found himself drinking and medicating a clinical depression.  The substances made him feel out of control of his life, so he knew he had to make a change.  His solution came through guided meditation and positive self talk.

“Problems arise. It’s your reaction to it changes that changes all.  Everything changes when your reaction changes.” – Enzo Parilli

Be the roll model when things go south.  When you are under fire, be the person that people look at and say, “How does he do it?!”  Other people will admire and try to emulate what you are doing.  Step outside the situation and come up with solution to fix your challenge.

Links in this episode:

Stan’s self-hypnosis for self confidence