One man with a six-step plan

This season, Mike Sullivan, owner of Easy Go Lawn Care in Bloomington, Indiana, is juggling a lot.

He’s the sole employee and is responsible for all landscape maintenance and fertilizing.

Currently, Sullivan said he is out in full force, mowing and providing his six-step program.

“I start in the early spring with granular, pre-emergent fertilizer,” he said. “During the spring I fertilize and spray for broad-leaf weeds. In the summertime it’s just straight, even fertilizer to keep the roots strong, and in the fall I go back over with another broad-leaf spray, but try to change it up for different weeds that grow stronger in the fall. I also do the winterizer to reinforce those roots. Right before that, I aerate and overseed – that’s basically my six steps.”

Sullivan said the program is popular with his clients and easy to handle since he’s already there mowing.

“If I mow the lawn I can see the weeds and make a plan,” he said. “When I have another employee, I’m going to train them the same way on how to identify weeds so we can take care of it.”

Sullivan said he’s trying to bolster the fertilizing program by trying out new fertilizers for a common problem in Indiana – Nutsedge.

“Last year we had an issue with Nutsedge, but I think I’ve got it covered,” he said. “I’ve started a new program specifically for Nutsedge. With a couple of the problem yards I’ve been experimenting with it and it seems to be working so far.”

This season, Sullivan said he’s also dealing with a lot of Creeping Charlie, which was also the case last season.

“Last year, in a lot of new accounts, the Creeping Charlie was really bad because we had a really wet and mild fall, so it was the right temperature for it to really spread. I’m still battling with that and some of the other ground ivies,” he said.

BALANCING THE WORKLOAD. Being the lone employee, Sullivan said that limiting his services and condensing his route has helped him manage the business.

He adds that he likes giving his customers a personal experience.

“I’d like to keep it this way, but we all know it’s not feasible,” he said. “I think most of my clients enjoy it. They like that the same person who’s on their lawn is the same person sending them the bill.”

Sullivan said that while the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the start of his season, he hasn’t seen many negative impacts. 

“I had one commercial account cut back to bi-weekly mowing, but that’s been the only one,” Sullivan said of cancellations. I live in a college town, so college professors are still getting a salary. Most of my clients are affiliated with the college in some way, or they are professionals – lawyers and doctors that are still getting paid.”

Sullivan said he did have a new advertising venture planned but had to scrap it because of coronavirus.

“I had a plan to hit everywhere with the bandit signs and door hangers,” he said. “I don’t really want to go out and touch people’s doorknobs right now, so that was shut down pretty quick.”

Sullivan, whose been in the industry since 2004, said he finally feels like he has things figured out now that his route is condensed, and has targeted a specific client base in his college town. He adds that he’s excited about the future of Easy Go Lawn Care.

“It took me so long,” he said. “I see guys who’ve seemed to have it all figured out in two years, but it took me probably 10.”