I am here to say hi

Hi all,
Im new here but have been in "The Biz" for 18 years now. I had started in maint but into landscape construction installing brick driveways, patios, irrigation etc. I had a full time hydroseeding crew 2 guys all day everyday 600 residential lawn installs one summer plus roadsides, pastures etc.. I had 10 full time people at one point but decided to downsize after having kids. Less stress and still make a good living. I am an EMT on a volunteer fire dept and was blessed to deliver my last child. Emt thing came in handy lol. I have alot of friends in the buisness that contact me daily for buisness advice, I hope to be able to help the new guys here. When I started nobody would give me any advice, so I would like to be able to offer any advice I can. I also hope to pick up new ideas here. I always would talk to other landscapers at trade shows and it seemed that people would give advice if you were not a threat to their buisness.

[pnplawn]

Quote[/b] (humble1 @ Nov. 14 2007,11:35)]Hi all,
Im new here but have been in "The Biz" for 18 years now. I had started in maint but into landscape construction installing brick driveways, patios, irrigation etc. I had a full time hydroseeding crew 2 guys all day everyday 600 residential lawn installs one summer plus roadsides, pastures etc.. I had 10 full time people at one point but decided to downsize after having kids. Less stress and still make a good living. I am an EMT on a volunteer fire dept and was blessed to deliver my last child. Emt thing came in handy lol. I have alot of friends in the buisness that contact me daily for buisness advice, I hope to be able to help the new guys here. When I started nobody would give me any advice, so I would like to be able to offer any advice I can. I also hope to pick up new ideas here. I always would talk to other landscapers at trade shows and it seemed that people would give advice if you were not a threat to their buisness.
Welcome to our little world here. Gald you came and found us. How about some photos of some your work By the way how did you find us?

[SerranoLandscaping]

Hey welcome to the forums.

[Steve]

Hi Mike,

Welcome to our forum! Thank you for your insight!

When you look back, what got you to want to start your own business?

Also do you ever see yourself building your business up larger again or is this size comfortable for you and this is the size it will stay?

When I look back it was a good way to pay for school. I was making in high school more on a Sat than most of my friends parents would make all week. I was lucky with timing things. I got into hydroseeding when there was no one around doing it. I keep my prices high and I pick my customers carefully. I would like to grow it a little bit later when my daughters are a little older and into their own thing. I put my family first, I can always make money, its the time lost w/ family you can never get back.

Can someone tell me how to post pics?

[Steve]

Hi Mike,

To add a picture click on the http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/iB_html/non-cgi/Skin/Default/images/t_reply.gif button at the bottom of the post and then click the browse button.

Let me know if that works for you.

Looking back at your business before you scaled down, Can you tell us was there a desire to have a structure where you could have been managing it? Was it possible at all to manage the business where it didn't require as much time? Or was that not possible?