Few things I have found out since working for my self

[ditchdr]

#1 I am harder on me then any boss I have ever had!

#2 Fridays are not as exciting.

#3 Be my own boss, make my own hours? Only if I want to go out of business.

#4 Hiring people sucks, firing them sucks even worse.

#5 The IRS is the biggest pile of itiots and crooks ever put on the planet.

#6 Marketing is worth EVERY penny. If done correctly;.

#7 Fining people who actualy care about working is hard,very hard.

#8 Most people think just cause I have a business I am rich.

#9 The customer is almost always not right. But we tell them they are any how.

#10 If you watch your pennies, your dollars will take care of them selves.



All in all it is hard runing a business. I wear every hat here, but I really do love it. Show me someone who sits in a office all day who can point to what they did and someone who dont know can see it?

 

[Mr Bogus]

and it sounds like you found the keys to success!!

 

[dadofthree]

I think if you stick with it, you'll see dividends in the out years. I've watched you go from a small trailer with a small riding mower, to some pretty nice equipment. Stick with it.

 

[ditchdr]

Hey thanks guys..

Its odd, I have owned a bike shop, but was with a business partner. SO i was not really own my own. I have the apt builings, but to be honest Jessica takes care of a lot of it. I just get told about problems.

This is a real challange, and I have to be honest I LOVE IT.. I love going into the dealer and I get treated as a real business owner instead of some guy who cuts grass. Still going back to EMS tho lol.. Got to love that insurance being paid for

 

[Vonderbach]

Amen ditchdr, it's a curse and a blessing all wrapped into one. As for #9, I like to say that the customer is always right even when they're not. It makes me feel better.

In my 13 years of running my own show, I have told a grand total of 2 customers to take a hike, and one of them is still a customer today. The other one went bancrupt.

 

[ditchdr]

I have not "lost" any custoemrs to say, but i have had a few who have gotten laid off and can now take care of their own lawns. They still call me for the big jobs they the average home owner does not have equipment for.

I find that giving the customer more then they expect at evey service keeps them happy..

There is a saying in the industry " Dont step over a 20 dollar bill".. Pretty much it means you can increase a weekly bill by 20 dollars per service by finding something that needs to be done. Things like repair a part of the yard with sod, or fixing and adjusting sprinkler heads and so on.. I find it makes the custoemrs happy if I just do the work and note it on the work order, and not charge. I have only had one customer not offer to pay for it next time i was there.. I usualy dont charge for it unless I had to come out of pocket for parts to fix something.

 

[Vonderbach]

Sheesh man, you sound like you've been doing this for years. You've got the behavior of a true salesman too.

Existing customers are the easiest sale.

 

[Busa1166]

and it sounds like you found the keys to success!!

Humongous found the key buy low sell high


make a lo of money.. good luck on the buisness

 

[Phil96]

BTW, what's a slef? Isn't that the same thing as a "Frap" (one who breaks
wind in the bathtub and bites at the bubbles).

 

[BIG GUY]

DitchDR, you are right. I do side work with a guy doing landscaping and built in barbeques. There is a lot of times where we have done a little extra to make the job look/perform even better for the homeowner that they did not authorize us to do. When we tell them or they see it noted on the bill they thanks for all the little things. It also helps us get more jobs, because we are known to do the "little things." Good luck with the business.

 

[skydivr]

Welcome to the republican Party

 

[Vonderbach]

Welcome to the republican Party

Well, at least welcome to conservatism in general.

 

[Darth Z]

It must be pretty awesome to run your own business. I have come to the conclusion that I will neither be happy, nor will I make enough money as long as I am working for some other azzhole. All I am is another paycheck written out to fill a void in the company, easily replaced by almost anyone else.

 

[Projekt]

You would do well to write a small business start up manual based on the fundamentals you describe here.

 

[F=MA]

Congratulations again on your success. I agree with 90% of the knowledge you've shared.

 

[Poppy]

I have not "lost" any custoemrs to say, but i have had a few who have gotten laid off and can now take care of their own lawns. They still call me for the big jobs they the average home owner does not have equipment for.

I find that giving the customer more then they expect at evey service keeps them happy..
There is a saying in the industry " Dont step over a 20 dollar bill".. Pretty much it means you can increase a weekly bill by 20 dollars per service by finding something that needs to be done. Things like repair a part of the yard with sod, or fixing and adjusting sprinkler heads and so on.. I find it makes the custoemrs happy if I just do the work and note it on the work order, and not charge. I have only had one customer not offer to pay for it next time i was there.. I usualy dont charge for it unless I had to come out of pocket for parts to fix something.

As a department head involved in internal customer service, that right there goes a long way in satifying the customer. As a business owner, you will find that is what keeps customer loyal, and will help with recommendations and word of mouth advertising. Congratulations on your current successes!