25 and counting

This article was originally published in 2009.

This year marks Grunder Landscaping’s 25th year in business. Many things sure have changed a lot, but one thing remains steadfastly the same – you can’t grow your business if you’re not open to change.

When I started my business in 1984, a friend drew up an advertising flyer and my brother and I went door to door handing out copies. We were pleasantly surprised to win three lawn-mowing jobs that way; we charged our new customers $25 each. Last November, we hung professionally designed advertisements on 146 doors in an exclusive neighborhood and were rewarded with two $10,000 maintenance contracts. Though our marketing medium remained the same, we improved the quality of our printed pieces and targeted those areas where we can get the best return on investment. That’s change that brought progress.

In 1986, I took out a quarter-page ad in the Yellow Pages for $150 a month. I wondered then if it was worth it. Today I know it’s not and I no longer advertise that way. Instead, I focus on my company’s Web site. The Internet has completely revolutionized the way the world does business. So, the bigger, the more sophisticated, and the more professional you look, the better your chance is of winning a job – and the best part is you can achieve all this simply with a well-designed website.

In 1986 I bought my first car phone. I paid $1,500 for it and it looked like a walkie-talkie from the TV show M*A*S*H. My clients were blown away when I’d call them from my truck to tell them when I was running late for a meeting. One called me the James Bond of the landscaping industry! Today I’m a fan of any new technology that enables me to communicate better with my clients and team. But the trick is to make the technology work for you and not for you to work for the technology. I rely on my BlackBerry to help me run my business, but I dispense with it when I meet with clients. Nothing ever has and nothing ever will replace the value of face-to-face interaction.

In 1990, I needed a loan to grow my business. I was graduating from college and wanted to buy some more equipment, but few banks would talk to me. I didn’t have a budget or a business plan, but I did have enthusiasm and showmanship. That got me the loan I needed, but it was hard. Today, I don’t have any trouble securing loans, but the recent economic downturn has shown us all just how important a good working relationship with a bank is. I work with a small stable bank that caters to my concerns, and my banker sends me quite a few jobs and tips that help me grow. Look for a small bank in your area. They’re often better to work with than the big guys. And make sure you have your financial records in order before your first meeting – you need more than enthusiasm and showmanship in today’s hyper-competitive market.

Our world and our industry change every day. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with it all – it’s far easier to cling to the old ways of doing things, to keep the status quo, than to embrace change. But if 25 years of running a landscaping business have taught me anything, it’s that you can’t grow if you don’t change.