Have you ever noticed that in business, you see small, nimble companies that can operate with amazing efficiency, while larger companies sometimes have trouble staying productive? Whether mowing grass, laying asphalt, sealing parking lots, or spraying fertilizer, a small company, running a single crew and led by a single owner/operator can get an amazing amount […]
As I left the house for work on Thursday morning, I found a sign planted between the sidewalk and the fence at the end of my driveway. A simple corrugated plastic type, it promoted “Tree Trimming” and gave a phone number. Now I might have overreacted, but when I saw the thing, I got angry. I […]
Choose your “Ingredients” wisely. When I ask our customers (mainly landscape contractors and asphalt maintenance professionals) if they serve Commercial or Residential customers, they’ll often say “both”. But is serving two different kinds of customers (with very different needs and preferences) the best way to build your business? Is this a recipe for success, or […]
Everyone has shortcuts they take, and some are better than others. A shortcut that takes time and travel distance off your journey is considered good, while a shortcut that takes time and effort off your job can be either good or bad. If you get the same result for less trouble, that’s normally seen as […]
Yeah, this guy gets it. When you’re looking to grow your service industry business, it’s a great idea to start early… Even if you have to wear a hat. It’s the last week of February, and this is the time when service industry businesses in cold-climate states are just starting up their season. For companies […]
At Go iLawn / Go iPave, we get to meet our fair share of business owners. Between our thousands of customers in landscaping/lawn care, paving/pavement maintenance, snow removal, facility management, and related industries we talk to lots of people every year, and they often tell us what works for them. Our customers are pretty diverse […]
What are you an Expert at? Over the years we’ve asked this question to hundreds of our professional customers in service industry businesses like landscaping, lawn care and asphalt maintenance. When asked, it’s common for one of our customers to say their expertise is as a worker in their industry. While that’s a fine place for […]
Does Responding to a Request For Quote (RFQ) Make Your Head Hurt? If you’re like many of our customers, you hate having to submit formal bids for new work. First you do a bunch of preliminary work to understand what it will cost you to get the job done. Then you write up a bid and […]
This morning, we read a story from the Washington Post that really struck us, so we wanted to share. It is the story of Jerrell Brown, a Washington D.C. landscaping entrepreneur and the subject of a “feel good” story in the December 18th Post about a young man who overcame a troubled past to become […]
As we bid farewell to 2016, it’s the perfect time to be thinking about your business goals for the coming year… Maybe we can help: Step 1 – Set Some Goals for your 2017: Try This… https://goitalk.com/setting-and-using-strategic-goals/ Step 2 – Make sure you get the right people in place: Here’s some tips from a pro… https://goitalk.com/labor-churn-recruiting-tips-for-landscape-pavement-maintenance-companies/ Step 3 […]