1) How are you preparing for the upcoming fall/winter season?
I am preparing for Fall, mainly because our Winters aren't much in Southern Indiana, so typically, my season ends December 15th. Running a solo-operated company means all the responsibilities (equipment maintenance, sales, CRM, and service) rest on my shoulders. This includes maintaining fall equipment if it's not pieces you use throughout the year. Check to see if any modifications need to be made before those leaves start falling.
Being a solo operator, you have to think outside the box to help with efficiency, so all the time, my wheels are turning, thinking of better ways to do specific jobs. To do this, sometimes you have to reach out to a fabricator, and if you don't have one, start looking because once you find a good one, they are worth their weight in gold. So recently, I reached out to my fabricator to add some stake pockets to my fold-down sides to add removable taller sides, enabling me to hold more grass and leaves. With that comes the need for a way to dump debris, so for the last several years, I have been using a product called Leaf Burrito, which is a reusable grass bag. However, in the middle of last year, I started dumping grass in my truck bed and shoveling it off at the grass dump. It was somewhat more efficient, but if it was done at the end of my route, I could have as many as 8-14 hopper fulls from my Walker, a ton of grass.
I had to devise a better idea, so I started using the Leaf Burrito as a tarp because of the mesh-like material. When pulled to dump the grass, it was the perfect material to slide off my bed. This saved not only time but also space on my truck.
However, with just 4 to 5 hopper fulls of my Walker, the straps on the side would rip off if I tried to pull them off my truck, so improvements needed to be made. Adding the taller sides now allows me to dump more hoppers and will enable me to use the “burrito” as a “taco.” This means I lower my sides, take the far straps, and pull it off my truck, which rolls right off the bed. I have been doing that for the last 3-4 months, a game-changer!
Last March, my wife and I made a 17-hour round trip to Wisconsin to pick up a Buffalo Turbine blower that attaches to my Walker for some of my larger properties. This has been the ultimate leaf blower. The amount of CFM the turbine blower blows (6,500) is comparable to having 7.5 backpack blowers going simultaneously; once again, being a solo operator and always thinking of ways to stay efficient is the name of the game.
2) How has Topline Pro helped keep your business running smoothly?
Topline Pro has continued to improve my site, which helps create solutions to run a more efficient business.
Most recently, it has a feature that categorizes leads to help keep track of potential clients' needs. It sends daily and weekly text reminders to add new photos or information to help improve user experience and search engine rankings.
Overall, having a website that Topline Pro designed has also been a game-changer when, in the past, I would have to depend on word-of-mouth advertising solely. If a potential client wanted to see some of my previous work, I would have to search through my phone for photos, but now I direct them to my website, where I showcase my work; all of my contact info is readily available, all of my core services and even reviews along with the history of my business is available 24/7 365 days a year.
3) What advice would you give other business owners in your industry for this time of year?
Remember, during the fall season and leaf removal services, it produces DUST. So make the time to blow your equipment off after every service with your backpack blowers, and once a day, either at the end or before you roll out in the morning, get more detailed by blowing out your engine and components with compressed air. This will help with the upkeep of your equipment.
There are two components, though, that are most important to help prolong the life of your engine: the engine cooling fins and the air filter.
When doing the more detailed blowing once daily, find your engine cooling fins and blow any dust or dirt off. In particular, air filters, “foam” can be washed, and “felt” can be blown off with compressed air. In contrast, other air filters, “paper,” can not because when you use the compressed air, it can potentially damage the delicate paper fibers or media, creating small tears or holes that can compromise its ability to trap dirt, leading to reduced filtering efficiency and potentially spreading contaminants instead of removing them. With the paper type, you are left with tapping the filter on a hard surface to get as much dust and dirt out of the paper fleets (recommended to do 2-3 times before replacing), but remember, if the filter is extremely dusty, dirty or one or more of the fleets are broken or torn don’t take a chance spend the $15-$30 and buy a new air filter.
4) Is there anything unique about your approach that keeps you memorable to customers?
Too many businesses schedule too many properties in one day, and then their mentality changes from servicing the client to RUSHING through to make a dollar. That is not how I run my business; I am not a mow, blow, and go type; I take pride in my work, and I take my time and service each property with the same respect and care I gave to it initially when I picked up the client.
Customer service is not just a part of my business; it's the heart of it.
If I see that I can't make it to service a client's property due to weather conditions or something else, I send a text, which takes mere seconds, but it keeps my client in the loop, and in a world of contractors that don't show, don't call, and don't care. I have done my leg work, searched, and created a network of vetted contractors that I solely use and partner with on services outside my scope of work and experience. Not only do they offer these services, but they also have customer relations that align with my philosophy of serving my clients.
When I have you as a client, I am your lawn guy and your property management partner, coordinating with my trusted network of contractors for any additional services you may need. Not all potential clients are in my service areas or fit my desired criteria. Instead of saying sorry and good luck, I also have a vetted network of lawn care contractors to whom I refer these potential clients. All of the above makes me unique and memorable to all my clients.
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