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They know their “WHY”

Why is your business… in business? As entrepreneurs, it’s important to understand our “WHY”– that thing that drives us, and our company to succeed above the others? Serial entrepreneur and speaker, Rick Sapio calls your “WHY” a catalyzing statement. It’s a meme that is willfully created to connect to your stakeholders so they help you achieve the desired outcome. Your “WHY” is your company’s driving force. In order to increase your chances for success in lawn care, identify a painfully compelling “WHY”. To learn more about catalyzing statements watch Rick Sapio’s video here.

As entrepreneurs we are often hard-wired to chase shiny opportunities to grow our business and bring in a little extra revenue. Sometimes, those opportunities aren’t aligned with our core business and as a result we lose focus on what matters most. Want an example? During Holganix CEO, Barrett Ersek’s first lawn care company, he said yes to Mrs. Smith (and many others) when she asked to have her leaves raked, or her plants installed. What’s the problem with that? He was in the lawn care business not the leaf raking business. By focusing his efforts on raking leaves, Barrett was deducting time away from getting fertilization customers – his company’s bread and butter and it’s future. Don’t be afraid to say no.  

Okay, you run a lawn care company… so what? There are lots of guys out there that run lawn care companies. What makes your company different from the rest? Entrepreneur Magazine defines a USP as “The factor or consideration presented by a seller as the reason that one product or service is different from and better than that of the competition.” Do you know your USP or differentiator? At Mow Cow Lawn and Landscape in Northern Virginia, one of their clear differentiators is how much fun they have. How do they show their fun-ness? Their trucks are wrapped in cows and their phones mooo when you call. Don’t believe me? Give Mow Cow a call and hear for yourself. How can you possibly ignore this company? Do you know YOUR differentiator?

The customer may always be right, but don’t forget your employees! Without an amazing team surrounding you, you don’t have much of a chance for success. Be sure to “put the right people on your bus” as Jim Collins likes to say. Once you create your award-winning team, hang onto your employees and start growing! Click here to learn about building teams (start by watching Jim Collins' video, "First who than what".

Because you’re a lawntrepreneur, you may sometimes feel you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. The road to entrepreneurship can be a lonely one. But, that doesn’t mean you have to be alone. Consider joining an industry organization like PLANET or a local entrepreneurship organization to build or find a tribe (Here’s a list of lawn care association options and here are some of the top entrepreneur organizations). After all, wise men learn from their experiences but super wise men learn from the experiences of others. Not only will you have the opportunity to meet other like-minded entrepreneurs, you’ll be able to share experiences with one another, ultimately shortening your entrepreneurial learning curve.