Why do we fail at business?

[StartALawnCareBusiness]

Many good answers already. Another thing that causes businesses to fail is approaching business from a standpoint of desperation. Being desperate for customers means you are more likely to lowball your prices. Lowballed prices mean you make less profit (or no profit). No profit means you don't have money to expand, fix equipment, advertise properly, and weather down times. Keith

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Start a profitable lawn care business.

[picframer]

Lawn care business tips

I had a chuckle reading Keith's post, why is it when we do not need business that it doesn't stop coming in to the point where we have no idea what to do, then when we need a few jobs to take up the slack we can't seem to find it. I have found this in many business's, there was a few points this summer this Yard Care business was driving me around the bend with inquiries, I like August as things settle down and can be managed but man June and July were brutal again this year.

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Andy
Halifax, Nova Scotia

[Steve]

I am reading Ride Of A Lifetime now. by Paul Teutul.

In the book he talks about how after he watched the movie Easy Rider, the idea of a motorcycle being your ticket to freedom really hit a chord in him.

Up to that point, he was in his early twenties at the time, he had never ridden a motorcycle before or worked on an engine.

He found an interest in bikes. Part time, he was able to develop that interest into a passion while he built and rebuilt many motorcycles in his shop. This went on for years (15+) before he got to thinking he could attempt to make this into a business.

So maybe, if the average person is wanting to start a business, they should be looking for an interest first. Experiment with it. See if you have a passion for it. Then, maybe you could turn it into a business.

Maybe it is possible that the lack of passion for a business you are starting can lead to it's early demise!

[MountainViewGreenskeeper]

Originally Posted by picframer

I had a chuckle reading Keith's post, why is it when we do not need business that it doesn't stop coming in to the point where we have no idea what to do, then when we need a few jobs to take up the slack we can't seem to find it. I have found this in many business's, there was a few points this summer this Yard Care business was driving me around the bend with inquiries, I like August as things settle down and can be managed but man June and July were brutal again this year.

Is that the norm for you? I dont have previous numbers to go off of but I may have doubled in size because of July(have a few pending responses).

I wonder if I should expect a slow down then this month....

[picframer]

Originally Posted by MountainViewGreenskeeper

Is that the norm for you? I dont have previous numbers to go off of but I may have doubled in size because of July(have a few pending responses).

I wonder if I should expect a slow down then this month....

This is only my second year but last year in August it really slowed down due to heat and people on vacation, In June and July the company is barely managable due to work on the go and inquiries and the pressure really mounts, August the inquiries slow to one or two a day from 12 to 16, it's quite a drop.

We have lots of jobs in August that are somewhat catch up jobs, it seems in September it brakes loose again until the snow flies. There are some jobs we simply can't do in August due to the heat.

[Steve]

Do you ever wonder if one of the advantages for having an interest or passion about your business, gives you an edge in the down times?

When you really enjoy it, does it help you push through when things are slow, where others that may be less passionate about their business and give up?

[picframer]

Originally Posted by Steve

Do you ever wonder if one of the advantages for having an interest or passion about your business, gives you an edge in the down times?

When you really enjoy it, does it help you push through when things are slow, where others that may be less passionate about their business and give up?

If we do not have passion for our business, I don't know how we can grow. If we Love what we do it will show very clearly to prospects.

[Steve]

If we Love what we do it will show very clearly to prospects.

Early on can especially be difficult for new lawn care business owner. When you are broke and looking to your business to turn a quick profit, if it's not, then you get disillusioned. When you are disillusioned and wondering why you are even doing this, I think it most certainly comes across to your customers.

When your customers see that you are stressed out they may not want to hire you. They will probably rather hire the guy who seems to love his business and enjoy what he is doing.

I know this is tough to say but, it seems when we get away from the love of it, the passion of the business and we focus solely on the bottom line, we associate our feelings with money. That seems to be dangerous. It takes away the passion for the business and directs it at the money.

This probably explains why it is a better plan to save some money up before you get your lawn care business started, so you can focus on the love of your business and not immediately on the money. You can experiment and grow and realize overtime, if you love it, the money will follow.

The toughest part can be that early bump in the road when you are waiting for the income to pickup more.

[picframer]

Very good insight Steve and I could not agree more, I think when a person is hungry/desperate people can sense it and they wonder why. I think to some extent we like to do business with companies that "appear" to be doing well, because we think, well if they can afford to drive that, or have that equipment, they must do good work.

[ringahding1]

Quote Steve: "They will probably rather hire the guy who seems to love his business and enjoy what he is doing" .... This is what you need to do, and show in order to succeed.... It's sometimes hard for my guys'(crew) to see how much I love this biz, cuz it looks as though I have so much...House, 5 vehicles, shop, mad lawn care equipment...HOT WIFE...LOL, and they are just scratching by...but I tell them I dont care about $$$....it is true I dont... I didnt start my own LCO for the $$$, and some of you may be witness to some of the flyers I have contributed...I'm telling you RIGHT NOW, I hit the pavement everday(SUNDAYS TOO)...."Work hard, take break" was stolen from a gentleman I used to work for(died in a MC accident) and that's exactly what I do...Hey mama didnt raise no FOOL, we all need $$, but if that's all this was....I wouldn't be on here trying to pass along what has worked for my LCO to people i've never met....Live honestly, be grateful, and WORK HARD....