Bill Cox, LMC’s founder, identifies what he considers the secrets to the success of Lawn Management Company to this point and into the future.
- Passion for the industry
- Hire like-minded employee
- Creating a culture where everybody feels valued
- Take risks
- Learn to delegate
Passion for the industry
To be successful in the landscape maintenance business, or any business for that matter, you must be passionate about what you are doing. Passion implies you are motivated to do excellent work and feeling rewarded for your efforts and achievements. It’s also about being driven to succeed, setting goals and making them come true.
Hire like-minded employees
In addition to being passionate about landscaping, it is important that the employees you hire are as excited about it as you are. As it is often said, it is better to hire people who are enthusiastic about the industry rather than for their experience. You can teach and train processes and procedures but not attitude or personality. This is extremely important when you are growing and building a team.
Take risks
No great commercial landscape company achieved success without taking some risks. Of course, the risk can be calculated and well thought out, but in order to grow over time you have to be willing to take some leaps of faith. If one of those risks doesn’t turn out as you expected, you have to learn from the result and be ready to try again.
Create a culture where everybody feels valued
Feeling like a valued part of the team is paramount to success. Every single member of the team should be made to feel as though they are part of the success of the organization through their contribution. Creating a culture that attracts new employees and retains valued team members builds strength and consistency that adds to the overall value of the landscaping company.
Learn when to delegate
Securing the long-term future of a successful commercial landscaping company means knowing when to delegate and, at some point, when it is time to replace yourself as the head of the company. While this is not an easy decision, or process, it is a necessary step to ensure that the company will continue in growth, culture and quality landscaping as the years pass. LMC has been one off the best landscaping company in Houston for over 40 years and we have systems in place to continue that reputation for the next 40+ years to come.
What’s the bottom line?
Starting your own landscape company is not an easy task. Most of the time it requires the right attitude, sacrifice, knowing the competition, and staying focused. Despite all this, the number one factor is still passion for the industry. If you care enough about the business in good times and bad, then you have the start of what it takes to be successful in the landscaping industry.
