Bobcat for Landscaping
Last year, we purchased our first bobcat skid steer. We purchased a 1991 753 model. We bought it for $3000 but it needed quite a bit of work. It came with a trailer as well, so we did get a great deal. However, it had leaking hydraulic lines which had to be replaced. It still […]
Safety Training
Safety is starting to become important in our company. When we were smaller with only a couple employees, it was less important as there were less people in the field to get hurt. In 2014, we had 2 workers comp claims: One was for a hurt back, and one was for an eye injury. With […]
Management structure
As a company grows, you need to have some sort of structure which has become evident. Each position needs to have clear responsibilities so there is no confusion as to who is in charge of what. As it stands now we have me, who is in charge of the company. Working under me is our […]
Warranties on Equipment
It is important to track warranties on equipment since it can save you a lot of money in the long run. Especially this becomes critical when your company grows and you have more and more equipment to keep track of, as well as when you grow you have someone else in charge of the equipment […]
Hiring a Shop Mechanic
Last year was my first year hiring a mechanic. It didn’t go perfectly, but I learned a lot so am much more prepared to hire our next mechanic. Our first mechanic was a student at a nearby school. An extremely smart, talented kid. The only problem was he was part time; his priority was school […]
Direct Mail
Direct mail is an effective method of advertising. In the past, I have been less than satisfied with my response to direct mailings. They are THE most expensive way for us to obtain leads, but it is important to remember that it is not supposed to be a one time thing. People get frustrated that […]
Lawn Care Marketing in Newspapers
I love marketing, it is one of my favorite parts of running a business. Every year I like to try something new- In 2015 it will be newspaper stickers. These stickers go on the very front of the local newspapers in our area. I called early so we got perfect time slots. In the past, […]
Billing & Collections
In the landscaping industry, most people bill once per month after the work is completed. This means that if a company starts working for a customer June 1, they cut the lawn weekly the month of June, they will send out an invoice on the first of July. This is all well in good in […]
Quickbooks Budgeting Software
Creating a budget becomes more and more important as your company grows. I did not start using a budget until last year. It started when I bought a house- my liabilities went up and I wanted to make sure I was going to be able to afford my mortgage! I also was making some other […]
How to file 1099s
1099s are annual forms you are required to send to your subcontractors. The law states that if you pay someone and it is not through an employee w2, you have to share this information with the IRS so the payment information is recorded and they are aware of it. Anyone paying money to a person […]