In this of Lawn Legends, we bring another LCM, Matt Green from Green’s Lawn Care and Property Services. In this video, he will share his LCM story and some strategies to keep your lawn care team engaged all year!
Transcript:
Hello, Lawn Care Millionaires, I’m Matt Green, owner of Green’s Lawn Care and Property Services, and I’m a lawn care millionaire. Our business began in 2017, and that first year wasn’t particularly challenging as it was just me. However, in year two, when we hired employees, it became a struggle. I had no idea about our numbers, so we essentially ran ourselves into the ground.
Our biggest challenge that year was meeting payroll. We didn’t have enough money, so I had to seek a personal loan from my wife to cover it. I paid the team that week, but I ended up letting them go the next day. I realized I needed to step back, understand the business and its numbers before hiring again to ensure success. This was our initial setback.
The solution to overcoming this challenge was to persist despite not knowing better initially. It was our first full year in business, and I was just pushing through. However, I started researching, turned to YouTube, stumbled upon the Lawn Care Millionaire, and began learning. Attending a conference and joining an academy blew my mind. Understanding numbers and the cost of goods sold (COGS) became pivotal. I hired a consultant to grasp these concepts. The solution was seeking out the knowledge I lacked, propelling our business forward.
Personally, these solutions helped me grow. They taught me that in business, there’s always a bigger picture. If you stagnate in your knowledge, you’re not only doing yourself a disservice but also everyone in your organization. My focus is on growing my people because if I’m not growing, I can’t help them grow. Currently, our business hovers just above the million-dollar mark, but it’s a bit misunderstood. Around COVID-19 in 2020, we made a 180-degree pivot, discontinuing previous services. In two and a half years, we’ve grown into a million-dollar business again due to this restructuring.
Initially, we offered maintenance work—mowing, shrub trimming, mulching, etc.—which required substantial capital but didn’t yield high profits due to market limitations. Wanting to provide better for our team, we shifted to fertilization, pest control, and added Christmas lights in winter to avoid layoffs. This change made us more attractive to employees, solving our recruitment and retention issues. Having the same team members each year increased efficiency and improved customer and employee retention.
Thinking bigger transformed my approach. Constant improvement, identifying flaws in processes, and striving for growth define our ethos. Teaching and learning stem from my innate curiosity and teaching background. To grow a business, you can’t solely rely on hard work; it’s about establishing efficient processes that impact the entire company.
Working ‘on’ the business, not just ‘in’ it, by implementing effective systems is key. It’s not about burning the midnight oil but setting up processes for others to follow and replicate. Software helps streamline these processes, multiplying efficiency.
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