musician/lawnman
03-20-2008, 11:02 PM
I've had some ideas on my mind for a while now & I've read the posts on here about the national association of landscape professionals that is being set up & I love the concept. Though I really don't see it working very well on a national level or at least not until years & years are spent developing it. *
I have met several LCO's here locally & bounced individual concepts off of several to get a reaction & see if there is an intrest.
We'll in the last 2 weeks I have spent some time talking in person or via phone with 4 or 5 other lco's *here in my area & told them I am beggining to organize an association in there area. *Everyone has been all for it & eager to help. *In addition each operator has had a some great input on different things we can incorporate into this. *Here are a few.
1) Create a "deadbeat list" of local non payers to avoid other members geting burned by the same people.
2) Possibly be able to get group rate type discounts on health insurance for ourselves & our families.
3) of course it would also add another level of credibility too.
4) negotiate some discounts with local suppliers.
One potential member of this as yet disorganized association had what I think is a great idea provided we keep the association limited to a reatively small number of good guys ( no slimy characters). *We could kind of self insure one another in the way of short term disability. *What I mean is if if operator A is a one man show & has say 70 accounts. *If he slips & breaks a leg or something of that nature he would normally be screwed & likely lose many clients & thus lose his families income. *In this case the rest of the association could split his accounts taking say 8-10 each to maintain temporarily, operator A, still gets paid (maybe reimbursing for fuel) but other than that he survives & it's not enough to make or break anyone else so we could kinda lean on one another if someone has an unfortunate accident or freak illness. *
* I plan to get these 5 or 6 of us in the same room in the next couple weeks to sit & talk together about these ideas & more & I'm trying to track information about making this a viable legal association.
What do you guys think?
I have met several LCO's here locally & bounced individual concepts off of several to get a reaction & see if there is an intrest.
We'll in the last 2 weeks I have spent some time talking in person or via phone with 4 or 5 other lco's *here in my area & told them I am beggining to organize an association in there area. *Everyone has been all for it & eager to help. *In addition each operator has had a some great input on different things we can incorporate into this. *Here are a few.
1) Create a "deadbeat list" of local non payers to avoid other members geting burned by the same people.
2) Possibly be able to get group rate type discounts on health insurance for ourselves & our families.
3) of course it would also add another level of credibility too.
4) negotiate some discounts with local suppliers.
One potential member of this as yet disorganized association had what I think is a great idea provided we keep the association limited to a reatively small number of good guys ( no slimy characters). *We could kind of self insure one another in the way of short term disability. *What I mean is if if operator A is a one man show & has say 70 accounts. *If he slips & breaks a leg or something of that nature he would normally be screwed & likely lose many clients & thus lose his families income. *In this case the rest of the association could split his accounts taking say 8-10 each to maintain temporarily, operator A, still gets paid (maybe reimbursing for fuel) but other than that he survives & it's not enough to make or break anyone else so we could kinda lean on one another if someone has an unfortunate accident or freak illness. *
* I plan to get these 5 or 6 of us in the same room in the next couple weeks to sit & talk together about these ideas & more & I'm trying to track information about making this a viable legal association.
What do you guys think?