Archive for category unemployment

Happy Thanksgiving From Start A Lawn Care Business

I want to take a minute to send a heartfelt thanks to you from all of us at StartALawnCareBusiness.com.

2009 has been a great year for us in spite of the economic downturn our country faces. The economy is in a slump and record numbers of people are out of work.

Because of the high unemployment rate, more people than ever before are stepping out to start their own businesses. We will not deny that it is a tough economic environment out there. Starting a business is always frightening but starting one during an economic recession is especially challenging.

We have seen amazing courage this year from people who have purchased our Lawn Care Business Guidebook. Many of those people have been layed off from their jobs and are scrambling to make money for themselves and their families. This puts us in an interesting position to be able to help people who otherwise would have nowhere to turn for money. Starting a lawn care business isn’t rocket science. But if you start your business from a position of knowledge, you have a much better chance of being successful with your business.

We take our position as developers of the Lawn Care Business Guidebooks seriously. We have worked hard to turn our lawn care package into a strong resource to help everyone who purchases it.

Starting a lawn care business is no longer a scary, lonely venture. We are here to help and our business package will get you on your feet and running much faster than if you go it alone.

There is barely a month left in this year. It’s time to ask yourself if you are going to let other people dictate your life next year or is this the year you are finally going to step out on your own.

Good luck everyone. Believe in yourself and there’s nothing you cannot do.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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How to hire lawn care and landscaping employees.

As your lawn care and landscaping business continues to grow you may eventually decide to hire an employee to help with your business.

A common tendency of new-ish business owners hiring first employees is to try to make their business appear to be a smooth running organization where nothing ever goes wrong.  If you have been in the lawn care / landscaping business any number of years you know that most days are not exactly smooth running.  Employees coming aboard your business need to know what they are getting themselves into.  Likewise, you need to know a prospective employee is the right fit for your business model.
 
Before establishing your interview process take stock of your daily business proceedings.  Mimicking your daily atmosphere will weed out incompatible prospects. 
 
If you run a low-stress, laid-back, detail-oriented business, conduct your interviews with a similar energy level.  A good example of this type business is a landscape design business where careful and detailed measurements are integral to a project’s success.  Slow, thought provoking questions that require detailed and contemplative answers will make high energy A-type personalities jump out of their chairs during the calm, methodical interview.
 
Conversely, if your lawn care business is a hustle and bustle, go-go-go type atmosphere a prospective employee should be able to adapt to an unorthodox interview.  Making sure you follow all procedures for the safety of your interviewee, conduct an interview in your workshop while you are changing lawn mower blades.  Does your prospect understand your questions despite noise and distraction?  Without being prompted by you, does he or she hand you a can of penetrating lubricant or a cheat sleeve when the spindle nut is hard to loosen?  If your prospect can handle interview questions in a high pressure atmosphere you may have found your next employee.
 
If you properly mimic your daily business atmosphere during your interview process you will gain a better understanding of how an employee will react when faced with everyday job pressures.

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Unemployment rate at 10%. Lawn care businesses to the rescue.

By: Start A Lawn Care Business

If you are unemployed or underemployed, a lawn care business might help you get back on your feet.

The latest job estimates are in and the federal government tells us that the unemployment rate is over 10% in serveral states according to Bloomberg.

So, how do unemployment numbers affect the lawn care industry?

In addition to our other business duties, we consult new and existing lawn care business owners. Our lawn care business office receives calls everyday from people, just like you, who want to start their own lawn care companies.

We are often asked if the global recession is affecting lawn care businesses. The recession is affecting lawn care companies but not in the way you might think.

The preliminary attitude is since people don’t have jobs, they are not paying money to have their grass cut. From speaking with hundreds of lawn care businesses around the country, this is not our experience. There are challenges with this economy but with great challenge comes great opportunity. Quite simply, you just have to know where to look for customers.

We have identified many market segments that are being underserved by the lawn care industry. I want to share one of those market segments with you right now.

Everyone knows that the housing market is in a slump right now. The real estate market’s loss is your gain. Real estate agents are scrambling to move houses and their primary concern in attracting buyers is “curb appeal.”

Real estate companies will pay you good money and ongoing income to your landscaping company if you only know how to approach them the right way. They, as well as home owners, are interested in protecting their investments and moving properties out of their inventory.

Our lawn care business program shows you how to give real estate agents what they are willing to pay for by increasing curb appeal of their properties. The lawn care package also gives a great deal of information concerning pricing guidance and how much to charge for the work you do.

If you are unemployed or if you are just looking for extra income, a lawn care / landscaping business might be the perfect business to start to get you back on your feet.

You can learn more information on what we offer at: StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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