Business Profile

[Steve]

Business Profile - Ewald Complete Lawn Care Products and Services We are a full service lawn maintenance company. We target the mid-to-upper end residential market. We provide fertilizing, mowing and lawn maintenance services. We offer free consultations, where we take a look at a property and make recommendations on services needed. Why did you get into this business? I got into this business because I wanted to own my own company and at one time had thought about going into farming, but found it a difficult business to enter. I went into lawn service because it was a more lucrative business. I started gardening and working on yards when I was 6 years old, so I have been in this business nearly all my life. How has your business grown since opening? We have grown tremendously. 2005 was our best year so far and Spring 2006 has been even better than Spring 2005. We've grown through the services we offer and the amount of work we take on. We are still a small operation. Jackie and I are the only full time employees but we have several part-time workers and may be adding more full time staff soon. Where do you see your business in the next 5 years? I see us growing to include several full time crews and becoming a leader in high quality lawn maintenance services. What advice can you offer others who are thinking of entering the business? Grow at a pace that is manageable and watch your cash flow. What is hardest about running your business? I work in the field all of the time, so it is keeping up with all of the bookkeeping and customer service side of things. Just staying on top of day-to-day operations. The biggest challenge is managing my time properly. I think the part where they said "Grow at a pace that is manageable and watch your cash flow," is so very important. We do talk about this topic quite a bit on the forum and it's amazing how too much growth can actually be a bad thing for a business if it is unmanageable. What's your view?

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[FourSeasons]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by [b Quote[/b] ] I work in the field all of the time, so it is keeping up with all of the bookkeeping and customer service side of things. Just staying on top of day-to-day operations. The biggest challenge is managing my time properly. This is hard to do during the busy time of the year. People don't realize after we work 8-10hours a day that we also outside of that doing bids and paperwork. But then in the winter it is kind of slack. So I guess it makes up for it. I wish I was more of a winter person than summer.

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Rob
Green Image Lawn & Landscape

\"If you don't feel the same way about Friday nights as you do Sunday nights, then you are not doing the right thing.\"

[Steve]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]I wish I was more of a winter person than summer.

So you could enjoy your winter down time more, you mean?

I'm that way too... I feel like if I'm working 10 hour days in the summer that I should be working 12 hour days in the winter too... lol... continuity, I guess... but then I'm ADD and OCD..... lol

[FourSeasons]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]So you could enjoy your winter down time more, you mean

Yeah. I don't snowboard or ski. I like hot weather.
What else is there to do in Seattle during the winter? Its raining all the time during the winter.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]I'm that way too... I feel like if I'm working 10 hour days in the summer that I should be working 12 hour days in the winter too... lol... continuity, I guess... but then I'm ADD and OCD..... lol

I agree with you. I'm kind of a workaholic

[Steve]

Well ultimately, it should provide you with time to creatively think about other projects you could get involved with in the slower seasons that could turn into businesses.