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Hey everyone, it's Mike Andes and today we're actually going to be touring a family-owned business that is part of Augusta Lawn Care And this is a really special family The wife does all the admin and then the son who's 19 years old just started the business came to training last year with his dad But he really runs it Ryan's 19 this year They're on pace to do $250,000 in annual revenue, which is double what they did last year really the constraint from 250 is
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to 500,000 is going to be, can he learn how to manage and retain great employees?
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They've had a struggle with that, and right now they have some good part-timers, but can he get some full-timers?
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But right now, one truck's always sitting at home.
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And so he has the asset capacity to get to 500,000, but it really will come down to, can he hire, train, and retain employees?
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In the future, I really look forward to seeing Ryan grow as a manager and a leader.
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Here we go.
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So when was it originally that you started?
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I was forgetting the exact month.
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So we started in October.
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Late last year.
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That's when we joined last year.
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So when you got back from training, it was basically right into leaf season?
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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For sure.
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And then that's the mowing truck, I'm assuming?
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That's the treatment truck.
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Yeah.
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We do more treatments and estimates with that truck.
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So we got one mowing crew.
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And then we have...
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Ryan will mow sometimes on that, or I'll jump in and go fertilize.
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It's got a tilt-top trailer.
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Yep.
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And then sometimes we'll grab a mower and just go mow a few lots to help guys out.
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So you have the two trucks right now, is that right?
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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So that truck, that trailer's 18 foot, and then we've got three mowers on it, a 36, two 52s, and then a 21-inch mower.
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And then all the blowers and all that kind of stuff.
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And so that green trailer is the trailer we've used for the last six years, five years.
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Okay, five years.
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Five years.
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And so we still use that, but not so much anymore.
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Is it just because it's bigger?
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Well, we started taking two trailers because we have some commercial properties.
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Got it.
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And so it just makes it easier to put everything on one trailer.
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Got it.
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Now, we may experiment next year.
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You want to flip the lights on around?
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We may experiment next year with...
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getting a ramp rack or something.
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But that may be, well I shouldn't say next year, probably in two years, just because of expense and not wanting to spend the money.
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We want to get another truck, like a three quarter ton truck or a one ton truck so we can put a big spring tank in the back of it and stuff.
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How many chem and spray kinds do you have now?
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80.
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Yeah, 80 plus.
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Okay.
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And then how many for mowing?
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80 plus or what would you say?
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Yeah, probably almost 90.
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Okay, nice.
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Yeah, and then so like six of those are commercial, so three for just the school district, two for K-State, and then one commercial storage unit.
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Cool.
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Yeah, very cool.
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And how far do you go?
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Do all in Manhattan?
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Yeah.
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What's the population of Manhattan exactly?
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Of students, it's, what do you think it is Debbie?
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A little over 50,000?
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But students, or is it 70-some thousand?
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Yeah, 70-some thousand.
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More of a college, a lot of college kids.
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Yeah.
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Got it.
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That's cool.
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So then this is where it all happens.
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Yeah, so none of those boats are ours.
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We rent that space out, so there's usually another boat in there.
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There's either four to five boats squeezed in here, so they pay us rent.
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Cool.
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And then, you know, we just spray our fertilizer.
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We've got, this is a little like 4,500 square feet or something like that.
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So we've got this out here that's covered storage that we put all of our fertilizer and that kind of stuff.
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And then when did you all get this?
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This year?
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No, I've had that still green for three years at least.
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Yeah, three years.
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Yeah, three years.
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Cool.
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And so are you kind of using the chem, moving more and more into the chem?
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Is that where you're kind of going?
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Ever since like three years ago, we kind of did both at the same time.
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Cool.
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Because I've got so much experience doing that, and it just made sense to go ahead and do it.
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My philosophy was make small mistakes and when you get bigger, you don't make those mistakes.
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So, it just, that's kind of my philosophy.
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So especially spraying because you can kill a lot of lawns really quickly and a lot of liability there.
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Do you spray or the granular?
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Both.
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Okay.
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So really you have to do both if you're going to take care of broadleaves.
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Right.
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Weed and feed is not going to get you.
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It just doesn't do a very good job.
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So we're always spraying.
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We spray some of our pre-emergent.
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We put a granular pre-emergent combination of fertilizer, and then we spray another pre-emergent with the broad leaves, and then we've got three or four rounds.
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We've got three different options, a par birdie eagle.
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So just offer that to people.
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Yeah, that's awesome.
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Good stuff.
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And then do you mostly take care of all the mowing then?
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Is that kind of what you do, Ryan?
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Yeah, I manage the mowing, and mow when I need to, but I've pretty much taken care of doing all the lawn treatment stuff now, so I work under his pesticide license.
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Okay, nice.
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And then how many team members do you have now?
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Like one other employee, or how many...
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We have two part-time employees to do the commercial stuff right now.
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It's been our struggle this year is having employees.
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Really?
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Yeah.
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We can't keep a guy for very much time at all.
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So we normally have two guys, full-time regulars for Mullen.
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But right now we've got a couple college students.
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I remember taking small business management in college and what was the number one problem?
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Hiring good employees.
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Yeah.
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So it hasn't changed any.
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I think in Manhattan's a little bit different dynamic just because, you know, metropolitan areas, I think you have a little larger dynamic.
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You have a larger pool to choose from, I guess is what I'm trying to say.
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Yeah.
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And so is it mostly just them coming on and then within a matter of a few weeks they're gone or is it just like a transient population or...
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It's more, it's funny.
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I never thought it'd be so difficult to trim grass in my life.
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Like in my previous career, you know, if guys could run a trimmer or mow really well, we just put them on something else.
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And this is so specific.
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Man, you can't run it.
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If you can't edge and trim without scalping the grass or, you know, we have a number of high-end lawns, so they expect their lawns to be really nice.
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Right.
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If guys are scalping them or, you know, making a trench instead of, you know, vertical edge that's nice and thin, then you can tell that in a couple days normally.
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I mean, so it's...
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It's kind of boom or bust for us.
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The college students we've had have been like all-stars.
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Some of the other guys, we had one guy that was pretty good, but he took off to go to Alaska to take a job up there doing something that was his career dream.
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So he did that, and then we've had a few other guys that we just went through and stuff.
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And, you know, just... Corrective...
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criticism, taking criticism nowadays is, I don't know, a little more challenging, I guess, maybe, for people than what it was for corrective criticism, compared to what it was for me, I guess, maybe.
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20, 30 years ago, so, I don't know.
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So, what, like, last year, what was revenue versus this year?
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Is there, like, growth mostly just on the recurring side, or are you doing projects, or what's, like, the revenue side?
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Interesting enough, it seems like a lot of Augusta guys get a lot of small projects.
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We hardly get any of those.
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Really?
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It's mostly people calling for mowing and treatments.
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So we, last year we were 135, I think.
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I've struggled to sit down with my budget and look at the P&L and do the comparison to see where we're at and project things.
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But my educated guess, we're going to be around right at double from what we were last year.
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50 to 270 to 275, I'm guessing.
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It kind of depends on how many projects we can get right now with airfying and seeding.
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We could really just do...
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Leaf season's pretty big too here, right?
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Yeah, yeah.
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Airfying and seeding, you can just make quite a bit just because it's...
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you know there's a big demand for it so being in the transition zone no grass really does very good and so fescue just gets smoked about towards the end of august just with the humidity and the heat and so you get a lot of lawns that thin out a lot got it that's cool very cool so this is where you store all the fertilizer uh-huh yeah you can look out there if you want i mean it's nothing special nice and this was all built this came with the house then this whole building
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Yeah, pretty much.
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It was kind of a, it was just kind of a blessing.
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I mean, we just kind of fell into it, being able to get this building, because they wanted part of our property.
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And so we traded a triangle of our property for their triangle, and they gave us this building to use.
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Oh, wow.
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And until they developed the rest of the property, because we don't own the other 29 acres, we just own one acre.
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And so we maintain the property right around the building, one of their open lots here, and then the rest is just pasture.
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And so eventually there'll be a bunch of houses back there.
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That's cool.
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But, you know, who knows when that'll be, five, 10 years, maybe less.
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This is a pretty big neighborhood.
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We are driving through houses for days.
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I guess we came from a different direction.
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Yeah, you came from the east, it sounds like.
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Got it, okay.
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So yeah, we're on the, you're on the very edge of town right here.
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Okay.
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And then like for next year, what sort of your plan is it like really the constraint just like getting one or two really solid people is that what you think gets you to kind of the 400,000 level or what are you thinking?
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I'm kind of a go for it type of guy.
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I mean, you know, I don't want to go in too much debt.
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So that's where Ryan and me kind of got to talk and not go in debt a lot or more than we think we can take on.
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I work another full-time job and then do probably about 20 hours a week with Augusta.
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Ryan works full-time.
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How old are you getting, Ryan?
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19.
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Let's go.
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And you graduated last year, right?
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Yeah.
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Let's go.
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Good stuff.
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Yeah, so we'd like to have two mowing.
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I'd like to have two mowing crews and mowing double lawn care.
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Got it.
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And so I think that'd put us...
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you know, depending on projects and stuff, around 500.
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Yeah.
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Has it been difficult a little bit in terms of like, just like management of employees, like with him being full time on his other thing?
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And then you're kind of, are you the manager?
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Like, yeah, I'm the manager.
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Okay.
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Um, yeah, just managing them as there's been some learning curves with that.
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Cause it's been different.
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Cause previously I just had some friends that worked for me part time during high school and stuff.
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Yeah.
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So, uh, it's definitely been different.
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Yeah.
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And what struggles have you had on your end, just more or less, like, them being older, not being, trying to hold them accountable, things like that?
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Yeah, a little bit, and just having, yeah, holding them accountable.
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I've had to have a lot more hard conversations than I thought I was going to, so.
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As far as, like, quality and stuff like that goes, so.
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And back in the day, it was like your friends were like, you know what?
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You can just take this time off.
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Like, get out of here.
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Now it's like, you know, they have a full-time employee.
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That's different, right?
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Yeah.
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So it's tough.
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Yeah.
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One of my friends is very detail-oriented, so he did really good.
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So I never had to worry about him screwing up quality.
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Got it.
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Yeah, it was a bunch of homeschool kids is what we were using before.
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Oh yeah.
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And so it was great because it was flexible, but when you only have less than 50 lawns, that's pretty easy to manage.
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But trying to have a lot more, it makes it a lot more challenging.
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My biggest challenge with Ryan and me is I spend a lot of time training, just on mowing, but when it comes to doing a lot of other parts of the job, it's hard to, I can't leave my job to come show him.
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Right.
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So it's working on the weekend, showing stuff and working with him.
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You know, all the spraying and fertilizing, he's done excellent at that, but, you know, we spent two seasons really honing that in and working on it because you've got to be just right on with that.
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Yeah.
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And so, like, when the employees come in, are they basically looking to you as the owner, basically, or do they know?
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Ryan is part of the ownership.
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Got it, got it.
232
00:13:13.552 --> 00:13:16.532
And so, like, they fully, like, you're their employer.
233
00:13:17.012 --> 00:13:17.192
Yeah.
234
00:13:17.212 --> 00:13:18.793
Okay, cool, cool.
235
00:13:18.813 --> 00:13:20.673
That's a tough thing to learn, so...
236
00:13:21.518 --> 00:13:22.839
So that's good, man.
237
00:13:22.939 --> 00:13:25.021
That's really going to be the constraint, though, right?
238
00:13:25.101 --> 00:13:26.943
Next year, if you get one or two.
239
00:13:26.963 --> 00:13:44.239
Because even with the two trucks that you have and the equipment that you have, if you're able to get two employees and one, and then you with the weakest of the two, two solid trucks with four people, that could double the business almost there, without having to get more trucks or more employees or more equipment, et cetera, right?
240
00:13:44.259 --> 00:13:44.359
Yeah.
241
00:13:46.285 --> 00:13:51.828
Yeah, I'd really like to almost over hire by one person and just do, have one person that can mow.
242
00:13:52.188 --> 00:13:56.051
And then when he's not mowing, he does projects, kind of be able to do both.
243
00:13:56.111 --> 00:13:59.472
If I could find someone that likes, you know, to be well-rounded.
244
00:13:59.593 --> 00:13:59.773
Yeah.
245
00:14:00.073 --> 00:14:05.296
And then, you know, someone's sick, you know, whatever, we just keep bouncing back and forth.
246
00:14:05.336 --> 00:14:07.657
And then we're not always just scrambling.
247
00:14:07.897 --> 00:14:08.097
Yeah.
248
00:14:08.298 --> 00:14:10.359
And then when you're really small, as you well know, that...
249
00:14:10.959 --> 00:14:15.340
You know, when you only have two or three guys small and it's, man, you lose one guy or two guys.
250
00:14:15.480 --> 00:14:20.141
Gosh, it's just like the world is caving in on you type of thing.
251
00:14:20.161 --> 00:14:21.702
Do the guys come here in the morning then?
252
00:14:21.882 --> 00:14:23.862
They park back here, just swap out the trailers?
253
00:14:23.882 --> 00:14:25.323
They just park up by our house.
254
00:14:25.683 --> 00:14:26.143
Oh, okay.
255
00:14:26.683 --> 00:14:26.783
Yeah.
256
00:14:26.803 --> 00:14:26.963
Nice.
257
00:14:27.183 --> 00:14:29.984
Where have you been getting the employees so far from?
258
00:14:30.024 --> 00:14:31.885
Like Indeed or are they coming?
259
00:14:32.205 --> 00:14:32.725
Okay, really?
260
00:14:33.145 --> 00:14:33.365
Yeah.
261
00:14:34.546 --> 00:14:36.327
Maybe go back to the homeschool group.
262
00:14:36.367 --> 00:14:39.109
Like, hey, guys, after your graduation, come over here.
263
00:14:39.489 --> 00:14:41.391
Do a little internship situation.
264
00:14:42.211 --> 00:14:43.392
Yeah, maybe we should do that.
265
00:14:44.533 --> 00:14:49.436
Yeah, I'm hoping it pays off where we get some guys that are really into Augusta.
266
00:14:51.245 --> 00:14:56.308
When you hired the current two that are part-timers, was it already you knew it was going to be part-time?
267
00:14:56.468 --> 00:14:59.350
Or do they want full-time work or not really?
268
00:14:59.630 --> 00:15:01.311
No, they only want to be part-time.
269
00:15:01.331 --> 00:15:04.333
They can't work full-time with all their classes and stuff like that.
270
00:15:04.413 --> 00:15:05.213
Oh, they're both college students.
271
00:15:05.413 --> 00:15:09.115
Yeah, and they're both in ROTC too.
272
00:15:09.135 --> 00:15:11.977
Right now they're gone this weekend, so I'm mowing all their lawns.
273
00:15:12.037 --> 00:15:12.517
Oh, really?
274
00:15:12.817 --> 00:15:13.938
Oh, man, that's brutal.
275
00:15:14.138 --> 00:15:14.678
I'm so low right now.
276
00:15:14.698 --> 00:15:16.099
We had like four or five.
277
00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:22.944
My main guy, he was in the reserves, and he would leave once every like six to eight weeks for three or four days.
278
00:15:23.584 --> 00:15:26.546
And then I'm like, man, I got to step right back in and do this all again.
279
00:15:26.686 --> 00:15:28.207
So that's cool.
280
00:15:28.587 --> 00:15:33.150
But then those guys are local, go to the college as well, right?
281
00:15:33.210 --> 00:15:33.851
Yeah, K-State.
282
00:15:34.151 --> 00:15:37.033
So it's usually a couple days a week, or are they like doing the evenings?
283
00:15:37.523 --> 00:15:39.987
They're working Saturday and Sundays typically.
284
00:15:40.087 --> 00:15:40.848
Oh, really?
285
00:15:40.968 --> 00:15:45.174
And they'll work like a half day Wednesday and Friday.
286
00:15:45.214 --> 00:15:51.223
So you're basically almost like solo throughout the week, and then they kind of come in and help out.
287
00:15:51.303 --> 00:15:51.483
Yep.
288
00:15:51.643 --> 00:15:54.087
I have an overkill mowing setup for solo right now.
289
00:15:54.507 --> 00:15:55.248
Is that the one up front?
290
00:15:55.468 --> 00:15:56.188
Yeah.
291
00:15:56.248 --> 00:15:56.928
Let's go.
292
00:15:57.328 --> 00:15:59.770
My most reliable employees.
293
00:16:00.230 --> 00:16:02.691
We had another guy, and he quit just this week.
294
00:16:02.711 --> 00:16:03.011
Oh, really?
295
00:16:03.031 --> 00:16:03.971
He was full-time record.
296
00:16:04.011 --> 00:16:05.532
So, yeah, Ryan's doing everything right now.
297
00:16:05.612 --> 00:16:08.033
So, Ryan, what's your record on how many lawns you mowed in a day?
298
00:16:08.734 --> 00:16:09.554
I think 24 or 25.
299
00:16:09.594 --> 00:16:10.294
Hey, let's go.
300
00:16:10.314 --> 00:16:12.035
We average over 7,000 square feet alone.
301
00:16:14.196 --> 00:16:15.656
So that'll be the skill.
302
00:16:15.696 --> 00:16:16.977
That's going to be the unlock, right?
303
00:16:17.197 --> 00:16:17.437
Yeah.
304
00:16:18.117 --> 00:16:29.880
I'm assuming this year with the double, if you even did the exact same thing next year, not double, but just even added that extra $125,000, $130,000 revenue, you're right up against $400,000, right?
305
00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:30.440
Yeah.
306
00:16:30.881 --> 00:16:35.822
And so possible with the trucks and equipment you have, it's just a function of can you find that to 10.
307
00:16:36.062 --> 00:16:39.603
You need two solid people, and then like you said, a third would be awesome.
308
00:16:39.883 --> 00:16:45.426
Last year at Augusta Lawn Care, the average location grew revenue by more than 27%.
309
00:16:45.806 --> 00:16:47.987
And we're on track to beat that this year.
310
00:16:48.287 --> 00:16:59.592
If you want to see why, go to AugustaLawnCareServices.com slash franchise and watch over 50 videos and case studies of different owners that took their independent lawn care business and turned it into Augusta Lawn Care.
311
00:17:00.112 --> 00:17:01.334
Yeah, that's the bottleneck.
312
00:17:01.374 --> 00:17:08.582
I mean, if we found an all-star that, you know, wanted to eventually be at GM, that kind of thing, you know, that'd be really awesome.
313
00:17:09.362 --> 00:17:09.543
Yeah.
314
00:17:10.163 --> 00:17:13.928
You got to just get out there and talk to everyone that's graduating, coming out of the program.
315
00:17:14.228 --> 00:17:14.548
Oh, yeah.
316
00:17:14.768 --> 00:17:18.092
Was it like a smaller group that you were part of before, the homeschooling group?
317
00:17:18.132 --> 00:17:18.332
Yeah.
318
00:17:19.033 --> 00:17:19.534
Pretty local.
319
00:17:19.554 --> 00:17:20.434
Like, it's all local, right?
320
00:17:20.515 --> 00:17:20.755
Yeah.
321
00:17:20.955 --> 00:17:21.355
That's cool.
322
00:17:21.515 --> 00:17:24.418
I'll just go to chief graduation and start recruiting all of them.
323
00:17:24.438 --> 00:17:24.838
Yeah, 100%.
324
00:17:24.878 --> 00:17:25.679
Just hold a sign up there.
325
00:17:25.699 --> 00:17:29.162
Be like, hey, do you want to go get debt at college or just come over here and work for me?
326
00:17:29.182 --> 00:17:30.544
That's good, man.
327
00:17:31.064 --> 00:17:31.565
Good stuff.
328
00:17:32.413 --> 00:17:33.314
So, cool.
329
00:17:33.414 --> 00:17:36.376
Maybe show us the trucks real quick, the mowing stuff.
330
00:17:36.456 --> 00:17:37.297
It'd be great.
331
00:17:37.317 --> 00:17:38.017
And we were coming through.
332
00:17:38.037 --> 00:17:39.878
I'm like, hey, we've got to at least stop and save it.
333
00:17:39.898 --> 00:17:41.019
Yeah, I'm glad you did.
334
00:17:41.079 --> 00:17:44.942
I mean, obviously, it's kind of crazy for us right now.
335
00:17:45.002 --> 00:17:54.048
But, yeah, anytime we can get to meet the team and get to know you better and everything, you know, we wanted to be a part of that.
336
00:17:54.088 --> 00:17:57.351
So, now, with this property, you had, like, three-quarters of an acre, you said?
337
00:17:57.891 --> 00:17:59.913
This is – so, about where –
338
00:18:00.965 --> 00:18:05.502
You know, this door is an over, all the way up to the street is an acre.
339
00:18:06.004 --> 00:18:06.285
Got it.
340
00:18:07.455 --> 00:18:10.236
We mow this back here normally.
341
00:18:10.256 --> 00:18:11.076
We're a little behind.
342
00:18:11.256 --> 00:18:13.116
Where all that tall grass is, we don't mow that.
343
00:18:14.116 --> 00:18:17.157
And then this is a lot for a home at some point in time.
344
00:18:17.217 --> 00:18:17.817
Really?
345
00:18:18.077 --> 00:18:22.138
The guy that owned this property, he was a residential developer.
346
00:18:22.958 --> 00:18:27.679
For whatever reason, he platted the road to go right through the middle of this building.
347
00:18:27.719 --> 00:18:34.040
So he always planned for this building to come down, which seems kind of strange, but that's how he had it planned.
348
00:18:34.061 --> 00:18:35.741
And so- It was like an easement?
349
00:18:38.188 --> 00:18:43.891
Well, we just get to use this property because of a trade we did with him.
350
00:18:43.911 --> 00:18:45.712
So I actually own a third of the building.
351
00:18:45.732 --> 00:18:46.312
That's kind of strange.
352
00:18:46.332 --> 00:18:47.212
That's hilarious.
353
00:18:47.613 --> 00:18:49.734
My property line goes right through a third of the building.
354
00:18:50.134 --> 00:18:50.894
Oh, that's awesome.
355
00:18:50.914 --> 00:18:52.655
Well, you've got to show us this killer setup.
356
00:18:52.775 --> 00:18:53.696
I saw it walking in.
357
00:18:53.756 --> 00:18:55.937
I was like, I've got to check that out.
358
00:18:56.137 --> 00:19:01.580
Did you have to put leaves in the springs or anything for that, for to get both mowers on the back of that truck?
359
00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:02.541
Nope.
360
00:19:02.661 --> 00:19:05.482
It's a half ton with a tow package, and it does just fine.
361
00:19:05.562 --> 00:19:06.863
It can tow the dump trail or two.
362
00:19:07.129 --> 00:19:07.529
There you go.
363
00:19:09.231 --> 00:19:11.993
Yeah, it might almost be considered like a heavy half.
364
00:19:12.354 --> 00:19:12.754
Yeah.
365
00:19:13.415 --> 00:19:16.738
So yeah, we don't have airbags or nothing under it, and it seems to do just fine.
366
00:19:16.938 --> 00:19:17.298
Very cool.
367
00:19:20.021 --> 00:19:24.165
So with the gentleman that left last, or this past week, he was full time.
368
00:19:24.585 --> 00:19:25.085
Yeah.
369
00:19:25.105 --> 00:19:25.406
Got it.
370
00:19:25.946 --> 00:19:29.970
Was that more you had to let him go, or did he just... We didn't actually let him go.
371
00:19:30.030 --> 00:19:31.611
He chose to leave.
372
00:19:31.792 --> 00:19:32.012
Yeah.
373
00:19:32.112 --> 00:19:33.133
It was one of those things where
374
00:19:34.605 --> 00:19:44.253
You know, when someone doesn't follow through and mow the entire lawn, you know, you got to have a hard conversation.
375
00:19:45.194 --> 00:19:48.697
Not disrespectful, you know, or anything like that.
376
00:19:48.797 --> 00:19:53.801
But you just got to say, hey, why were these lawns skipped and not mowed all the way?
377
00:19:53.881 --> 00:19:59.286
And, you know, I guess that upset him, I guess.
378
00:20:00.807 --> 00:20:01.728
And how old was he?
379
00:20:02.749 --> 00:20:03.590
Probably mid-20s.
380
00:20:03.750 --> 00:20:03.990
OK.
381
00:20:04.091 --> 00:20:05.272
So he's not super old, but.
382
00:20:05.552 --> 00:20:06.333
No.
383
00:20:06.433 --> 00:20:09.677
All of my employees this year have been older than me by at least a few years.
384
00:20:09.697 --> 00:20:10.277
I know.
385
00:20:10.357 --> 00:20:14.001
I think until I was 22 or 23, I hadn't hired anyone younger.
386
00:20:14.022 --> 00:20:14.682
All right.
387
00:20:14.762 --> 00:20:15.303
Older than me.
388
00:20:15.924 --> 00:20:16.404
Sorry, younger.
389
00:20:16.424 --> 00:20:16.684
Younger.
390
00:20:16.825 --> 00:20:17.445
Everyone was older.
391
00:20:17.986 --> 00:20:19.067
So it's just one of those things.
392
00:20:19.087 --> 00:20:22.030
You'll get, like, you just got to get in your mind, like, that did not matter.
393
00:20:22.671 --> 00:20:27.372
And so I think even the fact that you're doing 24 lawns in a day, that is such evidence to them.
394
00:20:27.852 --> 00:20:28.793
He knows what he's doing.
395
00:20:29.153 --> 00:20:29.933
He can work hard.
396
00:20:29.993 --> 00:20:33.474
And that's a level of respect that they kind of start to accrue for you.
397
00:20:34.474 --> 00:20:36.795
And then the age thing becomes less important.
398
00:20:37.055 --> 00:20:37.275
Yeah.
399
00:20:37.655 --> 00:20:43.816
But it's certainly an obstacle at the beginning, especially when you're in your own self, like your own skills, you might not have the confidence.
400
00:20:44.356 --> 00:20:50.138
It's just a function of like you will gain the skill, but it will require like educating yourself on that thing.
401
00:20:50.518 --> 00:20:50.698
Yeah.
402
00:20:51.038 --> 00:20:56.739
So, like, I would really recommend, like, this off-season, too, like, trying to absorb, like, whether it be leadership books or, like, hiring.
403
00:20:56.759 --> 00:21:01.960
So, like, anything you can so that, like, to them you feel more confident and competent.
404
00:21:02.260 --> 00:21:02.740
Yeah.
405
00:21:03.181 --> 00:21:03.401
So.
406
00:21:03.841 --> 00:21:05.541
Yeah, that definitely makes sense.
407
00:21:05.681 --> 00:21:07.061
Because you know how to do the work.
408
00:21:07.121 --> 00:21:08.922
Like, that's the part you excel in.
409
00:21:09.062 --> 00:21:09.482
Yeah.
410
00:21:09.882 --> 00:21:18.024
And the difference between, like, the 250 marker and the 500 is can you figure out that next unlock, which is I now hire people, train them, and then they want to work with me.
411
00:21:18.304 --> 00:21:18.464
Yeah.
412
00:21:18.924 --> 00:21:19.164
So.
413
00:21:19.624 --> 00:21:19.944
Good stuff.
414
00:21:19.964 --> 00:21:21.185
Well, hey, show me around, man.
415
00:21:21.225 --> 00:21:21.585
Let's go.
416
00:21:21.745 --> 00:21:22.506
Did you just get this?
417
00:21:22.526 --> 00:21:23.566
This looks like brand new.
418
00:21:23.647 --> 00:21:24.227
Yeah.
419
00:21:24.307 --> 00:21:25.608
I haven't taken the tag off.
420
00:21:25.648 --> 00:21:27.149
I've had it for a few weeks now.
421
00:21:27.389 --> 00:21:28.449
Oh, yeah?
422
00:21:29.010 --> 00:21:39.496
We had a 36-inch John Deere walk-behind, but we switched to this because guys were having trouble learning how to use the walk-behind because the controls are different.
423
00:21:39.816 --> 00:21:43.439
So they also hated that mower for whatever reason.
424
00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:44.139
Yeah.
425
00:21:44.259 --> 00:21:48.902
So we bought this because it's the exact same, so it's easy for everyone to learn.
426
00:21:49.282 --> 00:21:50.103
Gets in the back gate.
427
00:21:50.903 --> 00:21:52.545
Yeah.
428
00:21:52.885 --> 00:21:54.486
It's not the greatest on hills, though.
429
00:21:54.526 --> 00:21:55.967
Because of small tires.
430
00:21:56.708 --> 00:21:57.008
Yeah.
431
00:21:57.028 --> 00:22:02.632
So since we're figuring out which mower we want to fleet, we got the ZK last year.
432
00:22:03.133 --> 00:22:08.077
And then we were trying the LG out, too, to decide which one we like better.
433
00:22:08.757 --> 00:22:10.238
Then we got Tweels on them.
434
00:22:10.398 --> 00:22:11.719
Those do excellent on hills.
435
00:22:11.780 --> 00:22:11.900
Yep.
436
00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:12.000
Yep.
437
00:22:13.040 --> 00:22:15.962
The good thing is you have enough equipment for both trucks to be going out.
438
00:22:16.463 --> 00:22:17.263
Yeah, for instance.
439
00:22:17.483 --> 00:22:17.803
Right?
440
00:22:18.224 --> 00:22:23.067
So now it's just a function of, like, you already have the asset capacity for a $400,000 or $500,000 business.
441
00:22:23.307 --> 00:22:23.527
Yeah.
442
00:22:23.567 --> 00:22:25.968
So it really just comes down to finding the people.
443
00:22:26.229 --> 00:22:27.689
Like, right now, are you advertising at all?
444
00:22:28.190 --> 00:22:30.111
Or is it mostly just, like, word of mouth people will come in?
445
00:22:30.171 --> 00:22:31.392
Door hangers were really good.
446
00:22:31.732 --> 00:22:32.372
Earlier in the year?
447
00:22:32.672 --> 00:22:32.893
Yeah.
448
00:22:33.093 --> 00:22:33.333
Yeah.
449
00:22:33.413 --> 00:22:37.255
And then we've been just getting a lot of organic calls, you know.
450
00:22:37.335 --> 00:22:40.497
So it seems like in our market...
451
00:22:42.261 --> 00:22:49.004
It seems like fall and probably almost winter is the time to market for lawn care treatments.
452
00:22:49.104 --> 00:22:50.004
Treatments.
453
00:22:50.024 --> 00:22:55.386
So because most people, they've already made a decision by the time you get to January because they're going to re-upload through it.
454
00:22:55.726 --> 00:22:58.367
So a lot of people are maybe not sure.
455
00:22:58.387 --> 00:22:59.348
They're probably going to.
456
00:23:00.362 --> 00:23:01.122
Think about it right now.
457
00:23:01.162 --> 00:23:02.662
So we've been getting a number of calls.
458
00:23:02.703 --> 00:23:05.723
I think we will advertise in the spring.
459
00:23:05.743 --> 00:23:06.083
Yeah.
460
00:23:06.283 --> 00:23:08.984
And we'll probably hit the door hangers really hard.
461
00:23:09.024 --> 00:23:15.625
So lawns kind of seem to pick up in the spring, but like even December, January, February for treatments, people are thinking about buying.
462
00:23:15.945 --> 00:23:16.085
Yeah.
463
00:23:16.305 --> 00:23:16.746
Interesting.
464
00:23:17.226 --> 00:23:17.626
Interesting.
465
00:23:18.526 --> 00:23:21.266
Right now for your treatment package, how many do you offer?
466
00:23:21.286 --> 00:23:23.547
Like two or three options or how do you work that?
467
00:23:23.838 --> 00:23:24.979
Yeah, so there's three different.
468
00:23:24.999 --> 00:23:26.200
So PAR, Birdie, Eagle.
469
00:23:26.601 --> 00:23:33.707
So PAR is the basic package that we recommend mostly for people that don't have an irrigator long.
470
00:23:34.007 --> 00:23:34.648
Got it.
471
00:23:35.068 --> 00:23:36.390
How many treatments is that usually a year?
472
00:23:37.230 --> 00:23:37.551
Five.
473
00:23:37.831 --> 00:23:38.151
Okay.
474
00:23:38.171 --> 00:23:38.912
Yeah.
475
00:23:39.012 --> 00:23:42.115
And then Birdie is kind of...
476
00:23:43.872 --> 00:23:46.633
Just will be a great treatment package.
477
00:23:47.254 --> 00:23:52.716
It's comparable, equal, actually better than most of what the competition in town does.
478
00:23:52.936 --> 00:23:59.919
And then Eagle is, it gives you just a better color year round.
479
00:23:59.959 --> 00:24:04.061
So when you get into August, the grass really wants to not look as good.
480
00:24:04.161 --> 00:24:06.502
So we spray a nutrient package on it.
481
00:24:07.202 --> 00:24:08.703
And so that's a little bit different.
482
00:24:09.043 --> 00:24:12.665
And the PAR doesn't have grub control.
483
00:24:12.765 --> 00:24:15.267
So anyway, so we're doing a lot of that stuff.
484
00:24:15.687 --> 00:24:19.289
What percentage do you think between those three packages are the customers that have treatment?
485
00:24:19.309 --> 00:24:21.411
So say there's 80 treatment customers.
486
00:24:21.431 --> 00:24:24.493
How many do you think are roughly in those three categories?
487
00:24:25.113 --> 00:24:29.776
I'd say 60% in Birdie.
488
00:24:30.276 --> 00:24:30.496
Okay.
489
00:24:30.776 --> 00:24:36.480
And then probably 15% in Eagle and then the rest in Birdie.
490
00:24:36.724 --> 00:24:39.126
Yeah, I think you get too much, it's too much.
491
00:24:39.166 --> 00:24:40.066
Then they're all confused.
492
00:24:40.166 --> 00:24:44.049
Do you usually do annual or just do when you come for treatment?
493
00:24:44.469 --> 00:24:45.649
No, it's annual.
494
00:24:45.970 --> 00:24:47.711
So they don't have to prepay or anything.
495
00:24:47.731 --> 00:24:53.014
I mean, we do have clients that—elderly clients want to prepay and just pray for the whole season.
496
00:24:53.054 --> 00:24:54.935
We give them a 3% discount, I think.
497
00:24:55.515 --> 00:24:59.458
But no, yeah, most people—
498
00:25:00.815 --> 00:25:03.077
We take and divide all the...
499
00:25:03.397 --> 00:25:11.984
So say if they're getting seven or eight treatments, we just divide it by the seven or eight treatments, the total amount, and then they just pay that same amount every time.
500
00:25:12.044 --> 00:25:12.565
Oh, every time.
501
00:25:12.665 --> 00:25:12.885
Okay.
502
00:25:13.085 --> 00:25:17.229
So most of them are still per visit, even though it's an annual price.
503
00:25:17.389 --> 00:25:17.589
Correct.
504
00:25:17.849 --> 00:25:18.089
Got it.
505
00:25:18.130 --> 00:25:18.390
Okay.
506
00:25:18.830 --> 00:25:20.912
And then what's that usually look like for the three...
507
00:25:20.932 --> 00:25:26.357
So an average property size here, what's kind of like for the birdie package per visit...
508
00:25:26.877 --> 00:25:27.577
What's the average?
509
00:25:27.617 --> 00:25:29.277
Is it like $70?
510
00:25:29.618 --> 00:25:34.819
It's going to be a little over $400 annual, I think.
511
00:25:34.899 --> 00:25:39.339
So whatever that is divided by five, six, seven treatments.
512
00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:44.280
So seven treatments for birdie.
513
00:25:44.300 --> 00:25:48.261
It's kind of confusing because the way we do it, one of them we don't number.
514
00:25:48.741 --> 00:25:50.281
Otherwise, it confuses everybody.
515
00:25:50.322 --> 00:25:52.822
But I think we have seven and then eight with eek.
516
00:25:54.659 --> 00:25:57.944
$60, $70 is probably at least the average application.
517
00:25:58.164 --> 00:25:58.364
Cool.
518
00:25:58.605 --> 00:26:00.968
Yeah, our small lawns would be like $235, $245 for the season.
519
00:26:00.988 --> 00:26:01.188
Got it.
520
00:26:01.208 --> 00:26:03.892
Yeah, so average is probably between $300 and $450.
521
00:26:03.912 --> 00:26:04.934
That's good.
522
00:26:04.954 --> 00:26:05.534
That's super cool.
523
00:26:11.808 --> 00:26:17.612
Yeah, as long as you have those three packages, then you'll be able to do instant quotes come December, January.
524
00:26:17.632 --> 00:26:18.293
That'd be awesome.
525
00:26:18.313 --> 00:26:19.114
That'd be really good.
526
00:26:19.134 --> 00:26:21.655
So they can just get the card and it's ready to rock and roll.
527
00:26:21.996 --> 00:26:22.616
Yeah.
528
00:26:22.896 --> 00:26:25.038
Did you do the door hangers yourself then last past spring?
529
00:26:25.298 --> 00:26:25.478
Yeah.
530
00:26:25.859 --> 00:26:30.342
And then you probably grew pretty quickly just to where you're like, hey, I don't even have time for the door hangers.
531
00:26:30.362 --> 00:26:32.684
Yeah, I stopped doing door hangers sometime in April.
532
00:26:32.724 --> 00:26:34.485
I'm like, okay, this is too much now.
533
00:26:34.805 --> 00:26:34.986
Yeah.
534
00:26:35.306 --> 00:26:38.088
And did you get a first employee pretty much right after that then?
535
00:26:38.108 --> 00:26:38.208
Yeah.
536
00:26:38.328 --> 00:26:40.729
We already had a first full-time employee.
537
00:26:41.169 --> 00:26:44.530
And then we didn't over hire soon enough.
538
00:26:44.550 --> 00:26:47.871
So we should have hired a second full-time guy sooner than we did.
539
00:26:47.951 --> 00:26:50.632
And then we couldn't get anyone until the summer.
540
00:26:51.072 --> 00:26:51.392
Got it.
541
00:26:51.593 --> 00:26:54.714
Because the summer is probably when all the students are like, yeah, hire me.
542
00:26:55.034 --> 00:26:55.234
Yeah.
543
00:26:55.454 --> 00:26:59.655
Yeah, we had one college student that worked full-time that ended up being really good.
544
00:26:59.895 --> 00:27:00.095
Yeah.
545
00:27:00.716 --> 00:27:02.636
Now we just need them to graduate.
546
00:27:03.216 --> 00:27:03.397
Yeah.
547
00:27:03.917 --> 00:27:04.577
And stick around.
548
00:27:07.673 --> 00:27:08.393
So good stuff.
549
00:27:08.413 --> 00:27:09.654
Well, thanks for letting us drop by.
550
00:27:09.674 --> 00:27:10.074
Yeah.
551
00:27:10.114 --> 00:27:12.955
And then Debbie, you do all the admin stuff, right?
552
00:27:13.455 --> 00:27:14.096
All the office.
553
00:27:14.176 --> 00:27:14.656
Let's go.
554
00:27:15.216 --> 00:27:15.796
How's that been?
555
00:27:18.097 --> 00:27:19.098
Learning.
556
00:27:19.398 --> 00:27:20.778
I've learned a lot.
557
00:27:21.579 --> 00:27:21.799
Good.
558
00:27:26.661 --> 00:27:29.322
More than my brain was ready for.
559
00:27:30.142 --> 00:27:30.962
But yeah.
560
00:27:30.982 --> 00:27:31.383
P4P, co-pilot.
561
00:27:32.103 --> 00:27:34.544
It's tough with the part timers too at the P4P side.
562
00:27:35.232 --> 00:27:41.013
Because if they only work half a day or one even, they fail to get into the rhythm.
563
00:27:41.053 --> 00:27:54.016
We always found either new locations where there's not enough route density or part-timers, P4P almost can't work because they come after a week of school and then they're here to work for a day.
564
00:27:54.616 --> 00:27:57.616
And they just don't get in the groove sometimes.
565
00:27:58.696 --> 00:28:01.117
Is that kind of what you found a little bit with the P4P side?
566
00:28:01.297 --> 00:28:01.437
No.
567
00:28:06.453 --> 00:28:30.487
she's talking about us so she's like why don't you know this oh like on the chemical side and stuff no on p4p oh because ryan knows hey hit me up let's do it let's go ryan knows p4p better than i do he's went through all the video training i went through some of it and because i'm i'm more the budget you know forecast stuff and put all the packages together and stuff so but she's got to run
568
00:28:31.610 --> 00:28:44.000
Yeah, she does really, Deb does really good at, you know, sending quick estimates out for mowing and lawn care too, because we just have a number for per square foot and she just, and it changes slightly if you have a fenced in yard.
569
00:28:44.040 --> 00:28:47.022
So yeah, she's great at doing that.
570
00:28:47.182 --> 00:28:49.784
But I just want to say, Mike, thanks for doing Augusta.
571
00:28:50.925 --> 00:28:52.606
One thing I really appreciate about you.
572
00:28:53.883 --> 00:28:56.765
So me, I say what I mean, I mean what I say.
573
00:28:57.085 --> 00:28:58.465
And I sense you're the same way.
574
00:28:58.986 --> 00:29:03.768
And so I was like, that was part of me getting over the hurdle of joining Augusta.
575
00:29:03.788 --> 00:29:06.849
I was like, is this guy for real or is he fake?
576
00:29:07.350 --> 00:29:11.312
You know, because I'm, both of us are really, like, sincere.
577
00:29:11.752 --> 00:29:12.632
And so...
578
00:29:14.633 --> 00:29:19.637
When I seen you at conference, or not conference, but training and stuff, and you're just like, yeah, this is a real dude.
579
00:29:19.897 --> 00:29:20.618
He's a good guy.
580
00:29:20.638 --> 00:29:26.682
And you come across that way in video and on YouTube and stuff, but you always kind of wonder.
581
00:29:27.303 --> 00:29:28.884
So I was always asking Lee and stuff.
582
00:29:29.004 --> 00:29:31.005
Is he really what he claims to be?
583
00:29:31.025 --> 00:29:34.628
That's what he asked on our sales call.
584
00:29:34.648 --> 00:29:36.870
That's awesome.
585
00:29:37.110 --> 00:29:37.610
So, yeah.
586
00:29:37.650 --> 00:29:43.695
But I think, I mean, what Augusta does for the average guy that doesn't have a lot of experience is...
587
00:29:45.222 --> 00:29:46.285
is awesome.
588
00:29:46.405 --> 00:29:49.774
And we've worked for Chick-fil-A because we try to get a store.
589
00:29:49.794 --> 00:29:52.020
And it's like, that's going to take too long.
590
00:29:52.040 --> 00:29:53.163
It's like, I'm too old to do that.
591
00:29:53.303 --> 00:29:55.148
I don't want to do that.
592
00:29:56.050 --> 00:29:57.374
But I've seen the power of franchises.
593
00:29:57.394 --> 00:30:01.585
It's like, man, Augusta's Chick-fil-A in the landscape world.
594
00:30:01.625 --> 00:30:02.788
It's like, let's go.
1
00:00:00.151 --> 00:00:24.249
Hey everyone, it's Mike Andes and today we're actually going to be touring a family-owned business that is part of Augusta Lawn Care And this is a really special family The wife does all the admin and then the son who's 19 years old just started the business came to training last year with his dad But he really runs it Ryan's 19 this year They're on pace to do $250,000 in annual revenue, which is double what they did last year really the constraint from 250 is
2
00:00:25.190 --> 00:00:30.432
to 500,000 is going to be, can he learn how to manage and retain great employees?
3
00:00:30.452 --> 00:00:35.115
They've had a struggle with that, and right now they have some good part-timers, but can he get some full-timers?
4
00:00:35.155 --> 00:00:37.456
But right now, one truck's always sitting at home.
5
00:00:37.716 --> 00:00:44.319
And so he has the asset capacity to get to 500,000, but it really will come down to, can he hire, train, and retain employees?
6
00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:47.840
In the future, I really look forward to seeing Ryan grow as a manager and a leader.
7
00:00:48.141 --> 00:00:48.501
Here we go.
8
00:00:48.541 --> 00:00:50.542
So when was it originally that you started?
9
00:00:51.342 --> 00:00:52.843
I was forgetting the exact month.
10
00:00:52.863 --> 00:00:55.244
So we started in October.
11
00:00:55.264 --> 00:00:56.145
Late last year.
12
00:00:56.165 --> 00:00:57.866
That's when we joined last year.
13
00:00:58.046 --> 00:01:01.548
So when you got back from training, it was basically right into leaf season?
14
00:01:02.409 --> 00:01:02.929
Yeah.
15
00:01:03.189 --> 00:01:03.869
Yeah.
16
00:01:03.969 --> 00:01:04.410
For sure.
17
00:01:04.590 --> 00:01:07.572
And then that's the mowing truck, I'm assuming?
18
00:01:07.812 --> 00:01:09.092
That's the treatment truck.
19
00:01:09.172 --> 00:01:09.753
Yeah.
20
00:01:09.773 --> 00:01:12.334
We do more treatments and estimates with that truck.
21
00:01:12.414 --> 00:01:13.855
So we got one mowing crew.
22
00:01:14.496 --> 00:01:16.597
And then we have...
23
00:01:18.077 --> 00:01:21.558
Ryan will mow sometimes on that, or I'll jump in and go fertilize.
24
00:01:21.618 --> 00:01:23.098
It's got a tilt-top trailer.
25
00:01:23.338 --> 00:01:23.538
Yep.
26
00:01:23.778 --> 00:01:30.639
And then sometimes we'll grab a mower and just go mow a few lots to help guys out.
27
00:01:30.659 --> 00:01:32.580
So you have the two trucks right now, is that right?
28
00:01:33.240 --> 00:01:33.720
Yeah.
29
00:01:33.740 --> 00:01:34.020
Yeah.
30
00:01:34.060 --> 00:01:43.142
So that truck, that trailer's 18 foot, and then we've got three mowers on it, a 36, two 52s, and then a 21-inch mower.
31
00:01:44.780 --> 00:01:46.502
And then all the blowers and all that kind of stuff.
32
00:01:46.522 --> 00:01:51.888
And so that green trailer is the trailer we've used for the last six years, five years.
33
00:01:52.168 --> 00:01:53.029
Okay, five years.
34
00:01:53.389 --> 00:01:53.790
Five years.
35
00:01:55.083 --> 00:02:00.268
And so we still use that, but not so much anymore.
36
00:02:00.308 --> 00:02:01.268
Is it just because it's bigger?
37
00:02:02.470 --> 00:02:05.893
Well, we started taking two trailers because we have some commercial properties.
38
00:02:05.973 --> 00:02:06.213
Got it.
39
00:02:06.273 --> 00:02:10.196
And so it just makes it easier to put everything on one trailer.
40
00:02:10.457 --> 00:02:10.757
Got it.
41
00:02:10.777 --> 00:02:14.100
Now, we may experiment next year.
42
00:02:14.120 --> 00:02:15.181
You want to flip the lights on around?
43
00:02:15.541 --> 00:02:17.623
We may experiment next year with...
44
00:02:21.773 --> 00:02:23.134
getting a ramp rack or something.
45
00:02:23.194 --> 00:02:30.698
But that may be, well I shouldn't say next year, probably in two years, just because of expense and not wanting to spend the money.
46
00:02:30.798 --> 00:02:38.963
We want to get another truck, like a three quarter ton truck or a one ton truck so we can put a big spring tank in the back of it and stuff.
47
00:02:39.303 --> 00:02:41.604
How many chem and spray kinds do you have now?
48
00:02:41.624 --> 00:02:42.665
80.
49
00:02:43.005 --> 00:02:44.506
Yeah, 80 plus.
50
00:02:44.526 --> 00:02:44.746
Okay.
51
00:02:45.626 --> 00:02:46.527
And then how many for mowing?
52
00:02:47.301 --> 00:02:49.082
80 plus or what would you say?
53
00:02:49.222 --> 00:02:51.664
Yeah, probably almost 90.
54
00:02:51.844 --> 00:02:52.364
Okay, nice.
55
00:02:52.604 --> 00:03:04.652
Yeah, and then so like six of those are commercial, so three for just the school district, two for K-State, and then one commercial storage unit.
56
00:03:05.112 --> 00:03:05.453
Cool.
57
00:03:05.513 --> 00:03:06.313
Yeah, very cool.
58
00:03:06.493 --> 00:03:08.114
And how far do you go?
59
00:03:08.174 --> 00:03:09.235
Do all in Manhattan?
60
00:03:10.346 --> 00:03:10.746
Yeah.
61
00:03:11.047 --> 00:03:12.948
What's the population of Manhattan exactly?
62
00:03:13.028 --> 00:03:15.330
Of students, it's, what do you think it is Debbie?
63
00:03:15.350 --> 00:03:15.971
A little over 50,000?
64
00:03:16.011 --> 00:03:19.434
But students, or is it 70-some thousand?
65
00:03:19.794 --> 00:03:21.015
Yeah, 70-some thousand.
66
00:03:21.055 --> 00:03:22.717
More of a college, a lot of college kids.
67
00:03:22.917 --> 00:03:23.157
Yeah.
68
00:03:23.477 --> 00:03:23.797
Got it.
69
00:03:24.438 --> 00:03:24.898
That's cool.
70
00:03:24.918 --> 00:03:26.560
So then this is where it all happens.
71
00:03:27.451 --> 00:03:29.693
Yeah, so none of those boats are ours.
72
00:03:29.733 --> 00:03:32.715
We rent that space out, so there's usually another boat in there.
73
00:03:32.775 --> 00:03:37.359
There's either four to five boats squeezed in here, so they pay us rent.
74
00:03:37.819 --> 00:03:38.059
Cool.
75
00:03:38.520 --> 00:03:42.343
And then, you know, we just spray our fertilizer.
76
00:03:42.383 --> 00:03:47.587
We've got, this is a little like 4,500 square feet or something like that.
77
00:03:48.127 --> 00:03:53.211
So we've got this out here that's covered storage that we put all of our fertilizer and that kind of stuff.
78
00:03:53.531 --> 00:03:55.053
And then when did you all get this?
79
00:03:55.133 --> 00:03:55.453
This year?
80
00:03:56.007 --> 00:03:58.628
No, I've had that still green for three years at least.
81
00:03:58.688 --> 00:03:59.449
Yeah, three years.
82
00:03:59.489 --> 00:04:00.369
Yeah, three years.
83
00:04:00.409 --> 00:04:00.590
Cool.
84
00:04:01.390 --> 00:04:05.192
And so are you kind of using the chem, moving more and more into the chem?
85
00:04:05.312 --> 00:04:06.513
Is that where you're kind of going?
86
00:04:07.333 --> 00:04:10.635
Ever since like three years ago, we kind of did both at the same time.
87
00:04:10.675 --> 00:04:10.795
Cool.
88
00:04:10.815 --> 00:04:15.738
Because I've got so much experience doing that, and it just made sense to go ahead and do it.
89
00:04:16.617 --> 00:04:22.901
My philosophy was make small mistakes and when you get bigger, you don't make those mistakes.
90
00:04:23.541 --> 00:04:26.583
So, it just, that's kind of my philosophy.
91
00:04:26.643 --> 00:04:34.127
So especially spraying because you can kill a lot of lawns really quickly and a lot of liability there.
92
00:04:34.627 --> 00:04:36.969
Do you spray or the granular?
93
00:04:37.249 --> 00:04:37.509
Both.
94
00:04:37.629 --> 00:04:38.870
Okay.
95
00:04:38.910 --> 00:04:43.633
So really you have to do both if you're going to take care of broadleaves.
96
00:04:43.893 --> 00:04:44.974
Right.
97
00:04:44.994 --> 00:04:47.756
Weed and feed is not going to get you.
98
00:04:47.956 --> 00:04:49.437
It just doesn't do a very good job.
99
00:04:50.117 --> 00:04:51.017
So we're always spraying.
100
00:04:51.037 --> 00:04:52.718
We spray some of our pre-emergent.
101
00:04:52.778 --> 00:05:02.123
We put a granular pre-emergent combination of fertilizer, and then we spray another pre-emergent with the broad leaves, and then we've got three or four rounds.
102
00:05:02.183 --> 00:05:04.904
We've got three different options, a par birdie eagle.
103
00:05:05.104 --> 00:05:07.605
So just offer that to people.
104
00:05:07.625 --> 00:05:08.546
Yeah, that's awesome.
105
00:05:09.166 --> 00:05:09.626
Good stuff.
106
00:05:09.986 --> 00:05:12.267
And then do you mostly take care of all the mowing then?
107
00:05:12.427 --> 00:05:13.528
Is that kind of what you do, Ryan?
108
00:05:13.648 --> 00:05:23.997
Yeah, I manage the mowing, and mow when I need to, but I've pretty much taken care of doing all the lawn treatment stuff now, so I work under his pesticide license.
109
00:05:24.097 --> 00:05:24.638
Okay, nice.
110
00:05:25.138 --> 00:05:26.540
And then how many team members do you have now?
111
00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:29.062
Like one other employee, or how many...
112
00:05:29.443 --> 00:05:33.467
We have two part-time employees to do the commercial stuff right now.
113
00:05:33.487 --> 00:05:36.170
It's been our struggle this year is having employees.
114
00:05:36.491 --> 00:05:36.771
Really?
115
00:05:36.971 --> 00:05:37.271
Yeah.
116
00:05:37.712 --> 00:05:40.114
We can't keep a guy for very much time at all.
117
00:05:40.755 --> 00:05:47.642
So we normally have two guys, full-time regulars for Mullen.
118
00:05:47.662 --> 00:05:50.866
But right now we've got a couple college students.
119
00:05:54.699 --> 00:05:58.802
I remember taking small business management in college and what was the number one problem?
120
00:05:59.362 --> 00:06:00.363
Hiring good employees.
121
00:06:00.443 --> 00:06:00.723
Yeah.
122
00:06:00.783 --> 00:06:02.244
So it hasn't changed any.
123
00:06:02.664 --> 00:06:12.411
I think in Manhattan's a little bit different dynamic just because, you know, metropolitan areas, I think you have a little larger dynamic.
124
00:06:12.431 --> 00:06:16.394
You have a larger pool to choose from, I guess is what I'm trying to say.
125
00:06:16.414 --> 00:06:16.574
Yeah.
126
00:06:16.594 --> 00:06:23.919
And so is it mostly just them coming on and then within a matter of a few weeks they're gone or is it just like a transient population or...
127
00:06:25.490 --> 00:06:28.012
It's more, it's funny.
128
00:06:28.712 --> 00:06:32.334
I never thought it'd be so difficult to trim grass in my life.
129
00:06:32.794 --> 00:06:39.938
Like in my previous career, you know, if guys could run a trimmer or mow really well, we just put them on something else.
130
00:06:39.978 --> 00:06:41.339
And this is so specific.
131
00:06:41.559 --> 00:06:42.579
Man, you can't run it.
132
00:06:42.680 --> 00:06:52.085
If you can't edge and trim without scalping the grass or, you know, we have a number of high-end lawns, so they expect their lawns to be really nice.
133
00:06:52.325 --> 00:06:52.545
Right.
134
00:06:53.986 --> 00:07:03.633
If guys are scalping them or, you know, making a trench instead of, you know, vertical edge that's nice and thin, then you can tell that in a couple days normally.
135
00:07:03.693 --> 00:07:06.555
I mean, so it's...
136
00:07:07.971 --> 00:07:10.193
It's kind of boom or bust for us.
137
00:07:11.053 --> 00:07:13.675
The college students we've had have been like all-stars.
138
00:07:14.916 --> 00:07:23.882
Some of the other guys, we had one guy that was pretty good, but he took off to go to Alaska to take a job up there doing something that was his career dream.
139
00:07:24.622 --> 00:07:29.385
So he did that, and then we've had a few other guys that we just went through and stuff.
140
00:07:29.445 --> 00:07:36.110
And, you know, just... Corrective...
141
00:07:38.281 --> 00:07:49.787
criticism, taking criticism nowadays is, I don't know, a little more challenging, I guess, maybe, for people than what it was for corrective criticism, compared to what it was for me, I guess, maybe.
142
00:07:49.807 --> 00:07:53.489
20, 30 years ago, so, I don't know.
143
00:07:53.509 --> 00:07:55.890
So, what, like, last year, what was revenue versus this year?
144
00:07:55.970 --> 00:08:02.373
Is there, like, growth mostly just on the recurring side, or are you doing projects, or what's, like, the revenue side?
145
00:08:03.192 --> 00:08:10.357
Interesting enough, it seems like a lot of Augusta guys get a lot of small projects.
146
00:08:11.057 --> 00:08:12.178
We hardly get any of those.
147
00:08:12.218 --> 00:08:13.239
Really?
148
00:08:13.479 --> 00:08:17.162
It's mostly people calling for mowing and treatments.
149
00:08:18.202 --> 00:08:21.365
So we, last year we were 135, I think.
150
00:08:23.886 --> 00:08:32.550
I've struggled to sit down with my budget and look at the P&L and do the comparison to see where we're at and project things.
151
00:08:32.590 --> 00:08:37.653
But my educated guess, we're going to be around right at double from what we were last year.
152
00:08:40.482 --> 00:08:42.684
50 to 270 to 275, I'm guessing.
153
00:08:43.044 --> 00:08:48.509
It kind of depends on how many projects we can get right now with airfying and seeding.
154
00:08:49.449 --> 00:08:50.670
We could really just do...
155
00:08:50.711 --> 00:08:52.192
Leaf season's pretty big too here, right?
156
00:08:52.512 --> 00:08:53.673
Yeah, yeah.
157
00:08:54.233 --> 00:08:58.717
Airfying and seeding, you can just make quite a bit just because it's...
158
00:08:59.998 --> 00:09:29.513
you know there's a big demand for it so being in the transition zone no grass really does very good and so fescue just gets smoked about towards the end of august just with the humidity and the heat and so you get a lot of lawns that thin out a lot got it that's cool very cool so this is where you store all the fertilizer uh-huh yeah you can look out there if you want i mean it's nothing special nice and this was all built this came with the house then this whole building
159
00:09:30.435 --> 00:09:31.476
Yeah, pretty much.
160
00:09:32.416 --> 00:09:35.018
It was kind of a, it was just kind of a blessing.
161
00:09:35.058 --> 00:09:41.602
I mean, we just kind of fell into it, being able to get this building, because they wanted part of our property.
162
00:09:42.382 --> 00:09:48.225
And so we traded a triangle of our property for their triangle, and they gave us this building to use.
163
00:09:48.446 --> 00:09:48.666
Oh, wow.
164
00:09:49.106 --> 00:09:55.510
And until they developed the rest of the property, because we don't own the other 29 acres, we just own one acre.
165
00:09:56.288 --> 00:10:03.774
And so we maintain the property right around the building, one of their open lots here, and then the rest is just pasture.
166
00:10:04.274 --> 00:10:06.316
And so eventually there'll be a bunch of houses back there.
167
00:10:06.456 --> 00:10:06.816
That's cool.
168
00:10:07.396 --> 00:10:11.299
But, you know, who knows when that'll be, five, 10 years, maybe less.
169
00:10:11.359 --> 00:10:12.820
This is a pretty big neighborhood.
170
00:10:12.840 --> 00:10:16.123
We are driving through houses for days.
171
00:10:16.723 --> 00:10:18.485
I guess we came from a different direction.
172
00:10:18.525 --> 00:10:20.927
Yeah, you came from the east, it sounds like.
173
00:10:21.127 --> 00:10:22.408
Got it, okay.
174
00:10:22.428 --> 00:10:25.430
So yeah, we're on the, you're on the very edge of town right here.
175
00:10:25.730 --> 00:10:25.971
Okay.
176
00:10:26.411 --> 00:10:36.328
And then like for next year, what sort of your plan is it like really the constraint just like getting one or two really solid people is that what you think gets you to kind of the 400,000 level or what are you thinking?
177
00:10:37.207 --> 00:10:40.148
I'm kind of a go for it type of guy.
178
00:10:40.208 --> 00:10:42.669
I mean, you know, I don't want to go in too much debt.
179
00:10:42.689 --> 00:10:49.832
So that's where Ryan and me kind of got to talk and not go in debt a lot or more than we think we can take on.
180
00:10:50.812 --> 00:10:54.754
I work another full-time job and then do probably about 20 hours a week with Augusta.
181
00:10:55.354 --> 00:10:56.454
Ryan works full-time.
182
00:10:57.375 --> 00:10:58.955
How old are you getting, Ryan?
183
00:10:58.975 --> 00:10:59.115
19.
184
00:10:59.256 --> 00:10:59.596
Let's go.
185
00:11:00.096 --> 00:11:01.156
And you graduated last year, right?
186
00:11:01.516 --> 00:11:01.696
Yeah.
187
00:11:01.877 --> 00:11:02.277
Let's go.
188
00:11:02.297 --> 00:11:03.037
Good stuff.
189
00:11:04.038 --> 00:11:06.723
Yeah, so we'd like to have two mowing.
190
00:11:06.823 --> 00:11:10.649
I'd like to have two mowing crews and mowing double lawn care.
191
00:11:10.909 --> 00:11:11.130
Got it.
192
00:11:11.270 --> 00:11:12.893
And so I think that'd put us...
193
00:11:15.162 --> 00:11:18.685
you know, depending on projects and stuff, around 500.
194
00:11:18.705 --> 00:11:19.045
Yeah.
195
00:11:20.186 --> 00:11:25.950
Has it been difficult a little bit in terms of like, just like management of employees, like with him being full time on his other thing?
196
00:11:25.970 --> 00:11:27.891
And then you're kind of, are you the manager?
197
00:11:27.931 --> 00:11:29.292
Like, yeah, I'm the manager.
198
00:11:29.432 --> 00:11:29.652
Okay.
199
00:11:30.133 --> 00:11:34.136
Um, yeah, just managing them as there's been some learning curves with that.
200
00:11:34.176 --> 00:11:35.357
Cause it's been different.
201
00:11:35.397 --> 00:11:40.861
Cause previously I just had some friends that worked for me part time during high school and stuff.
202
00:11:40.881 --> 00:11:41.001
Yeah.
203
00:11:41.021 --> 00:11:43.723
So, uh, it's definitely been different.
204
00:11:44.063 --> 00:11:44.263
Yeah.
205
00:11:45.047 --> 00:11:51.675
And what struggles have you had on your end, just more or less, like, them being older, not being, trying to hold them accountable, things like that?
206
00:11:52.016 --> 00:11:56.041
Yeah, a little bit, and just having, yeah, holding them accountable.
207
00:11:56.081 --> 00:12:00.827
I've had to have a lot more hard conversations than I thought I was going to, so.
208
00:12:01.548 --> 00:12:04.131
As far as, like, quality and stuff like that goes, so.
209
00:12:04.431 --> 00:12:07.334
And back in the day, it was like your friends were like, you know what?
210
00:12:07.614 --> 00:12:09.055
You can just take this time off.
211
00:12:09.095 --> 00:12:09.816
Like, get out of here.
212
00:12:10.677 --> 00:12:13.399
Now it's like, you know, they have a full-time employee.
213
00:12:13.419 --> 00:12:14.140
That's different, right?
214
00:12:14.360 --> 00:12:14.500
Yeah.
215
00:12:14.520 --> 00:12:15.081
So it's tough.
216
00:12:15.581 --> 00:12:15.841
Yeah.
217
00:12:16.182 --> 00:12:20.486
One of my friends is very detail-oriented, so he did really good.
218
00:12:20.546 --> 00:12:23.508
So I never had to worry about him screwing up quality.
219
00:12:23.688 --> 00:12:24.069
Got it.
220
00:12:24.421 --> 00:12:26.821
Yeah, it was a bunch of homeschool kids is what we were using before.
221
00:12:26.942 --> 00:12:27.142
Oh yeah.
222
00:12:27.402 --> 00:12:32.823
And so it was great because it was flexible, but when you only have less than 50 lawns, that's pretty easy to manage.
223
00:12:33.303 --> 00:12:36.924
But trying to have a lot more, it makes it a lot more challenging.
224
00:12:37.184 --> 00:12:50.326
My biggest challenge with Ryan and me is I spend a lot of time training, just on mowing, but when it comes to doing a lot of other parts of the job, it's hard to, I can't leave my job to come show him.
225
00:12:50.386 --> 00:12:50.646
Right.
226
00:12:50.786 --> 00:12:53.907
So it's working on the weekend, showing stuff and working with him.
227
00:12:54.428 --> 00:13:04.950
You know, all the spraying and fertilizing, he's done excellent at that, but, you know, we spent two seasons really honing that in and working on it because you've got to be just right on with that.
228
00:13:04.990 --> 00:13:05.210
Yeah.
229
00:13:05.450 --> 00:13:11.131
And so, like, when the employees come in, are they basically looking to you as the owner, basically, or do they know?
230
00:13:11.231 --> 00:13:12.991
Ryan is part of the ownership.
231
00:13:13.011 --> 00:13:13.492
Got it, got it.
232
00:13:13.552 --> 00:13:16.532
And so, like, they fully, like, you're their employer.
233
00:13:17.012 --> 00:13:17.192
Yeah.
234
00:13:17.212 --> 00:13:18.793
Okay, cool, cool.
235
00:13:18.813 --> 00:13:20.673
That's a tough thing to learn, so...
236
00:13:21.518 --> 00:13:22.839
So that's good, man.
237
00:13:22.939 --> 00:13:25.021
That's really going to be the constraint, though, right?
238
00:13:25.101 --> 00:13:26.943
Next year, if you get one or two.
239
00:13:26.963 --> 00:13:44.239
Because even with the two trucks that you have and the equipment that you have, if you're able to get two employees and one, and then you with the weakest of the two, two solid trucks with four people, that could double the business almost there, without having to get more trucks or more employees or more equipment, et cetera, right?
240
00:13:44.259 --> 00:13:44.359
Yeah.
241
00:13:46.285 --> 00:13:51.828
Yeah, I'd really like to almost over hire by one person and just do, have one person that can mow.
242
00:13:52.188 --> 00:13:56.051
And then when he's not mowing, he does projects, kind of be able to do both.
243
00:13:56.111 --> 00:13:59.472
If I could find someone that likes, you know, to be well-rounded.
244
00:13:59.593 --> 00:13:59.773
Yeah.
245
00:14:00.073 --> 00:14:05.296
And then, you know, someone's sick, you know, whatever, we just keep bouncing back and forth.
246
00:14:05.336 --> 00:14:07.657
And then we're not always just scrambling.
247
00:14:07.897 --> 00:14:08.097
Yeah.
248
00:14:08.298 --> 00:14:10.359
And then when you're really small, as you well know, that...
249
00:14:10.959 --> 00:14:15.340
You know, when you only have two or three guys small and it's, man, you lose one guy or two guys.
250
00:14:15.480 --> 00:14:20.141
Gosh, it's just like the world is caving in on you type of thing.
251
00:14:20.161 --> 00:14:21.702
Do the guys come here in the morning then?
252
00:14:21.882 --> 00:14:23.862
They park back here, just swap out the trailers?
253
00:14:23.882 --> 00:14:25.323
They just park up by our house.
254
00:14:25.683 --> 00:14:26.143
Oh, okay.
255
00:14:26.683 --> 00:14:26.783
Yeah.
256
00:14:26.803 --> 00:14:26.963
Nice.
257
00:14:27.183 --> 00:14:29.984
Where have you been getting the employees so far from?
258
00:14:30.024 --> 00:14:31.885
Like Indeed or are they coming?
259
00:14:32.205 --> 00:14:32.725
Okay, really?
260
00:14:33.145 --> 00:14:33.365
Yeah.
261
00:14:34.546 --> 00:14:36.327
Maybe go back to the homeschool group.
262
00:14:36.367 --> 00:14:39.109
Like, hey, guys, after your graduation, come over here.
263
00:14:39.489 --> 00:14:41.391
Do a little internship situation.
264
00:14:42.211 --> 00:14:43.392
Yeah, maybe we should do that.
265
00:14:44.533 --> 00:14:49.436
Yeah, I'm hoping it pays off where we get some guys that are really into Augusta.
266
00:14:51.245 --> 00:14:56.308
When you hired the current two that are part-timers, was it already you knew it was going to be part-time?
267
00:14:56.468 --> 00:14:59.350
Or do they want full-time work or not really?
268
00:14:59.630 --> 00:15:01.311
No, they only want to be part-time.
269
00:15:01.331 --> 00:15:04.333
They can't work full-time with all their classes and stuff like that.
270
00:15:04.413 --> 00:15:05.213
Oh, they're both college students.
271
00:15:05.413 --> 00:15:09.115
Yeah, and they're both in ROTC too.
272
00:15:09.135 --> 00:15:11.977
Right now they're gone this weekend, so I'm mowing all their lawns.
273
00:15:12.037 --> 00:15:12.517
Oh, really?
274
00:15:12.817 --> 00:15:13.938
Oh, man, that's brutal.
275
00:15:14.138 --> 00:15:14.678
I'm so low right now.
276
00:15:14.698 --> 00:15:16.099
We had like four or five.
277
00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:22.944
My main guy, he was in the reserves, and he would leave once every like six to eight weeks for three or four days.
278
00:15:23.584 --> 00:15:26.546
And then I'm like, man, I got to step right back in and do this all again.
279
00:15:26.686 --> 00:15:28.207
So that's cool.
280
00:15:28.587 --> 00:15:33.150
But then those guys are local, go to the college as well, right?
281
00:15:33.210 --> 00:15:33.851
Yeah, K-State.
282
00:15:34.151 --> 00:15:37.033
So it's usually a couple days a week, or are they like doing the evenings?
283
00:15:37.523 --> 00:15:39.987
They're working Saturday and Sundays typically.
284
00:15:40.087 --> 00:15:40.848
Oh, really?
285
00:15:40.968 --> 00:15:45.174
And they'll work like a half day Wednesday and Friday.
286
00:15:45.214 --> 00:15:51.223
So you're basically almost like solo throughout the week, and then they kind of come in and help out.
287
00:15:51.303 --> 00:15:51.483
Yep.
288
00:15:51.643 --> 00:15:54.087
I have an overkill mowing setup for solo right now.
289
00:15:54.507 --> 00:15:55.248
Is that the one up front?
290
00:15:55.468 --> 00:15:56.188
Yeah.
291
00:15:56.248 --> 00:15:56.928
Let's go.
292
00:15:57.328 --> 00:15:59.770
My most reliable employees.
293
00:16:00.230 --> 00:16:02.691
We had another guy, and he quit just this week.
294
00:16:02.711 --> 00:16:03.011
Oh, really?
295
00:16:03.031 --> 00:16:03.971
He was full-time record.
296
00:16:04.011 --> 00:16:05.532
So, yeah, Ryan's doing everything right now.
297
00:16:05.612 --> 00:16:08.033
So, Ryan, what's your record on how many lawns you mowed in a day?
298
00:16:08.734 --> 00:16:09.554
I think 24 or 25.
299
00:16:09.594 --> 00:16:10.294
Hey, let's go.
300
00:16:10.314 --> 00:16:12.035
We average over 7,000 square feet alone.
301
00:16:14.196 --> 00:16:15.656
So that'll be the skill.
302
00:16:15.696 --> 00:16:16.977
That's going to be the unlock, right?
303
00:16:17.197 --> 00:16:17.437
Yeah.
304
00:16:18.117 --> 00:16:29.880
I'm assuming this year with the double, if you even did the exact same thing next year, not double, but just even added that extra $125,000, $130,000 revenue, you're right up against $400,000, right?
305
00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:30.440
Yeah.
306
00:16:30.881 --> 00:16:35.822
And so possible with the trucks and equipment you have, it's just a function of can you find that to 10.
307
00:16:36.062 --> 00:16:39.603
You need two solid people, and then like you said, a third would be awesome.
308
00:16:39.883 --> 00:16:45.426
Last year at Augusta Lawn Care, the average location grew revenue by more than 27%.
309
00:16:45.806 --> 00:16:47.987
And we're on track to beat that this year.
310
00:16:48.287 --> 00:16:59.592
If you want to see why, go to AugustaLawnCareServices.com slash franchise and watch over 50 videos and case studies of different owners that took their independent lawn care business and turned it into Augusta Lawn Care.
311
00:17:00.112 --> 00:17:01.334
Yeah, that's the bottleneck.
312
00:17:01.374 --> 00:17:08.582
I mean, if we found an all-star that, you know, wanted to eventually be at GM, that kind of thing, you know, that'd be really awesome.
313
00:17:09.362 --> 00:17:09.543
Yeah.
314
00:17:10.163 --> 00:17:13.928
You got to just get out there and talk to everyone that's graduating, coming out of the program.
315
00:17:14.228 --> 00:17:14.548
Oh, yeah.
316
00:17:14.768 --> 00:17:18.092
Was it like a smaller group that you were part of before, the homeschooling group?
317
00:17:18.132 --> 00:17:18.332
Yeah.
318
00:17:19.033 --> 00:17:19.534
Pretty local.
319
00:17:19.554 --> 00:17:20.434
Like, it's all local, right?
320
00:17:20.515 --> 00:17:20.755
Yeah.
321
00:17:20.955 --> 00:17:21.355
That's cool.
322
00:17:21.515 --> 00:17:24.418
I'll just go to chief graduation and start recruiting all of them.
323
00:17:24.438 --> 00:17:24.838
Yeah, 100%.
324
00:17:24.878 --> 00:17:25.679
Just hold a sign up there.
325
00:17:25.699 --> 00:17:29.162
Be like, hey, do you want to go get debt at college or just come over here and work for me?
326
00:17:29.182 --> 00:17:30.544
That's good, man.
327
00:17:31.064 --> 00:17:31.565
Good stuff.
328
00:17:32.413 --> 00:17:33.314
So, cool.
329
00:17:33.414 --> 00:17:36.376
Maybe show us the trucks real quick, the mowing stuff.
330
00:17:36.456 --> 00:17:37.297
It'd be great.
331
00:17:37.317 --> 00:17:38.017
And we were coming through.
332
00:17:38.037 --> 00:17:39.878
I'm like, hey, we've got to at least stop and save it.
333
00:17:39.898 --> 00:17:41.019
Yeah, I'm glad you did.
334
00:17:41.079 --> 00:17:44.942
I mean, obviously, it's kind of crazy for us right now.
335
00:17:45.002 --> 00:17:54.048
But, yeah, anytime we can get to meet the team and get to know you better and everything, you know, we wanted to be a part of that.
336
00:17:54.088 --> 00:17:57.351
So, now, with this property, you had, like, three-quarters of an acre, you said?
337
00:17:57.891 --> 00:17:59.913
This is – so, about where –
338
00:18:00.965 --> 00:18:05.502
You know, this door is an over, all the way up to the street is an acre.
339
00:18:06.004 --> 00:18:06.285
Got it.
340
00:18:07.455 --> 00:18:10.236
We mow this back here normally.
341
00:18:10.256 --> 00:18:11.076
We're a little behind.
342
00:18:11.256 --> 00:18:13.116
Where all that tall grass is, we don't mow that.
343
00:18:14.116 --> 00:18:17.157
And then this is a lot for a home at some point in time.
344
00:18:17.217 --> 00:18:17.817
Really?
345
00:18:18.077 --> 00:18:22.138
The guy that owned this property, he was a residential developer.
346
00:18:22.958 --> 00:18:27.679
For whatever reason, he platted the road to go right through the middle of this building.
347
00:18:27.719 --> 00:18:34.040
So he always planned for this building to come down, which seems kind of strange, but that's how he had it planned.
348
00:18:34.061 --> 00:18:35.741
And so- It was like an easement?
349
00:18:38.188 --> 00:18:43.891
Well, we just get to use this property because of a trade we did with him.
350
00:18:43.911 --> 00:18:45.712
So I actually own a third of the building.
351
00:18:45.732 --> 00:18:46.312
That's kind of strange.
352
00:18:46.332 --> 00:18:47.212
That's hilarious.
353
00:18:47.613 --> 00:18:49.734
My property line goes right through a third of the building.
354
00:18:50.134 --> 00:18:50.894
Oh, that's awesome.
355
00:18:50.914 --> 00:18:52.655
Well, you've got to show us this killer setup.
356
00:18:52.775 --> 00:18:53.696
I saw it walking in.
357
00:18:53.756 --> 00:18:55.937
I was like, I've got to check that out.
358
00:18:56.137 --> 00:19:01.580
Did you have to put leaves in the springs or anything for that, for to get both mowers on the back of that truck?
359
00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:02.541
Nope.
360
00:19:02.661 --> 00:19:05.482
It's a half ton with a tow package, and it does just fine.
361
00:19:05.562 --> 00:19:06.863
It can tow the dump trail or two.
362
00:19:07.129 --> 00:19:07.529
There you go.
363
00:19:09.231 --> 00:19:11.993
Yeah, it might almost be considered like a heavy half.
364
00:19:12.354 --> 00:19:12.754
Yeah.
365
00:19:13.415 --> 00:19:16.738
So yeah, we don't have airbags or nothing under it, and it seems to do just fine.
366
00:19:16.938 --> 00:19:17.298
Very cool.
367
00:19:20.021 --> 00:19:24.165
So with the gentleman that left last, or this past week, he was full time.
368
00:19:24.585 --> 00:19:25.085
Yeah.
369
00:19:25.105 --> 00:19:25.406
Got it.
370
00:19:25.946 --> 00:19:29.970
Was that more you had to let him go, or did he just... We didn't actually let him go.
371
00:19:30.030 --> 00:19:31.611
He chose to leave.
372
00:19:31.792 --> 00:19:32.012
Yeah.
373
00:19:32.112 --> 00:19:33.133
It was one of those things where
374
00:19:34.605 --> 00:19:44.253
You know, when someone doesn't follow through and mow the entire lawn, you know, you got to have a hard conversation.
375
00:19:45.194 --> 00:19:48.697
Not disrespectful, you know, or anything like that.
376
00:19:48.797 --> 00:19:53.801
But you just got to say, hey, why were these lawns skipped and not mowed all the way?
377
00:19:53.881 --> 00:19:59.286
And, you know, I guess that upset him, I guess.
378
00:20:00.807 --> 00:20:01.728
And how old was he?
379
00:20:02.749 --> 00:20:03.590
Probably mid-20s.
380
00:20:03.750 --> 00:20:03.990
OK.
381
00:20:04.091 --> 00:20:05.272
So he's not super old, but.
382
00:20:05.552 --> 00:20:06.333
No.
383
00:20:06.433 --> 00:20:09.677
All of my employees this year have been older than me by at least a few years.
384
00:20:09.697 --> 00:20:10.277
I know.
385
00:20:10.357 --> 00:20:14.001
I think until I was 22 or 23, I hadn't hired anyone younger.
386
00:20:14.022 --> 00:20:14.682
All right.
387
00:20:14.762 --> 00:20:15.303
Older than me.
388
00:20:15.924 --> 00:20:16.404
Sorry, younger.
389
00:20:16.424 --> 00:20:16.684
Younger.
390
00:20:16.825 --> 00:20:17.445
Everyone was older.
391
00:20:17.986 --> 00:20:19.067
So it's just one of those things.
392
00:20:19.087 --> 00:20:22.030
You'll get, like, you just got to get in your mind, like, that did not matter.
393
00:20:22.671 --> 00:20:27.372
And so I think even the fact that you're doing 24 lawns in a day, that is such evidence to them.
394
00:20:27.852 --> 00:20:28.793
He knows what he's doing.
395
00:20:29.153 --> 00:20:29.933
He can work hard.
396
00:20:29.993 --> 00:20:33.474
And that's a level of respect that they kind of start to accrue for you.
397
00:20:34.474 --> 00:20:36.795
And then the age thing becomes less important.
398
00:20:37.055 --> 00:20:37.275
Yeah.
399
00:20:37.655 --> 00:20:43.816
But it's certainly an obstacle at the beginning, especially when you're in your own self, like your own skills, you might not have the confidence.
400
00:20:44.356 --> 00:20:50.138
It's just a function of like you will gain the skill, but it will require like educating yourself on that thing.
401
00:20:50.518 --> 00:20:50.698
Yeah.
402
00:20:51.038 --> 00:20:56.739
So, like, I would really recommend, like, this off-season, too, like, trying to absorb, like, whether it be leadership books or, like, hiring.
403
00:20:56.759 --> 00:21:01.960
So, like, anything you can so that, like, to them you feel more confident and competent.
404
00:21:02.260 --> 00:21:02.740
Yeah.
405
00:21:03.181 --> 00:21:03.401
So.
406
00:21:03.841 --> 00:21:05.541
Yeah, that definitely makes sense.
407
00:21:05.681 --> 00:21:07.061
Because you know how to do the work.
408
00:21:07.121 --> 00:21:08.922
Like, that's the part you excel in.
409
00:21:09.062 --> 00:21:09.482
Yeah.
410
00:21:09.882 --> 00:21:18.024
And the difference between, like, the 250 marker and the 500 is can you figure out that next unlock, which is I now hire people, train them, and then they want to work with me.
411
00:21:18.304 --> 00:21:18.464
Yeah.
412
00:21:18.924 --> 00:21:19.164
So.
413
00:21:19.624 --> 00:21:19.944
Good stuff.
414
00:21:19.964 --> 00:21:21.185
Well, hey, show me around, man.
415
00:21:21.225 --> 00:21:21.585
Let's go.
416
00:21:21.745 --> 00:21:22.506
Did you just get this?
417
00:21:22.526 --> 00:21:23.566
This looks like brand new.
418
00:21:23.647 --> 00:21:24.227
Yeah.
419
00:21:24.307 --> 00:21:25.608
I haven't taken the tag off.
420
00:21:25.648 --> 00:21:27.149
I've had it for a few weeks now.
421
00:21:27.389 --> 00:21:28.449
Oh, yeah?
422
00:21:29.010 --> 00:21:39.496
We had a 36-inch John Deere walk-behind, but we switched to this because guys were having trouble learning how to use the walk-behind because the controls are different.
423
00:21:39.816 --> 00:21:43.439
So they also hated that mower for whatever reason.
424
00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:44.139
Yeah.
425
00:21:44.259 --> 00:21:48.902
So we bought this because it's the exact same, so it's easy for everyone to learn.
426
00:21:49.282 --> 00:21:50.103
Gets in the back gate.
427
00:21:50.903 --> 00:21:52.545
Yeah.
428
00:21:52.885 --> 00:21:54.486
It's not the greatest on hills, though.
429
00:21:54.526 --> 00:21:55.967
Because of small tires.
430
00:21:56.708 --> 00:21:57.008
Yeah.
431
00:21:57.028 --> 00:22:02.632
So since we're figuring out which mower we want to fleet, we got the ZK last year.
432
00:22:03.133 --> 00:22:08.077
And then we were trying the LG out, too, to decide which one we like better.
433
00:22:08.757 --> 00:22:10.238
Then we got Tweels on them.
434
00:22:10.398 --> 00:22:11.719
Those do excellent on hills.
435
00:22:11.780 --> 00:22:11.900
Yep.
436
00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:12.000
Yep.
437
00:22:13.040 --> 00:22:15.962
The good thing is you have enough equipment for both trucks to be going out.
438
00:22:16.463 --> 00:22:17.263
Yeah, for instance.
439
00:22:17.483 --> 00:22:17.803
Right?
440
00:22:18.224 --> 00:22:23.067
So now it's just a function of, like, you already have the asset capacity for a $400,000 or $500,000 business.
441
00:22:23.307 --> 00:22:23.527
Yeah.
442
00:22:23.567 --> 00:22:25.968
So it really just comes down to finding the people.
443
00:22:26.229 --> 00:22:27.689
Like, right now, are you advertising at all?
444
00:22:28.190 --> 00:22:30.111
Or is it mostly just, like, word of mouth people will come in?
445
00:22:30.171 --> 00:22:31.392
Door hangers were really good.
446
00:22:31.732 --> 00:22:32.372
Earlier in the year?
447
00:22:32.672 --> 00:22:32.893
Yeah.
448
00:22:33.093 --> 00:22:33.333
Yeah.
449
00:22:33.413 --> 00:22:37.255
And then we've been just getting a lot of organic calls, you know.
450
00:22:37.335 --> 00:22:40.497
So it seems like in our market...
451
00:22:42.261 --> 00:22:49.004
It seems like fall and probably almost winter is the time to market for lawn care treatments.
452
00:22:49.104 --> 00:22:50.004
Treatments.
453
00:22:50.024 --> 00:22:55.386
So because most people, they've already made a decision by the time you get to January because they're going to re-upload through it.
454
00:22:55.726 --> 00:22:58.367
So a lot of people are maybe not sure.
455
00:22:58.387 --> 00:22:59.348
They're probably going to.
456
00:23:00.362 --> 00:23:01.122
Think about it right now.
457
00:23:01.162 --> 00:23:02.662
So we've been getting a number of calls.
458
00:23:02.703 --> 00:23:05.723
I think we will advertise in the spring.
459
00:23:05.743 --> 00:23:06.083
Yeah.
460
00:23:06.283 --> 00:23:08.984
And we'll probably hit the door hangers really hard.
461
00:23:09.024 --> 00:23:15.625
So lawns kind of seem to pick up in the spring, but like even December, January, February for treatments, people are thinking about buying.
462
00:23:15.945 --> 00:23:16.085
Yeah.
463
00:23:16.305 --> 00:23:16.746
Interesting.
464
00:23:17.226 --> 00:23:17.626
Interesting.
465
00:23:18.526 --> 00:23:21.266
Right now for your treatment package, how many do you offer?
466
00:23:21.286 --> 00:23:23.547
Like two or three options or how do you work that?
467
00:23:23.838 --> 00:23:24.979
Yeah, so there's three different.
468
00:23:24.999 --> 00:23:26.200
So PAR, Birdie, Eagle.
469
00:23:26.601 --> 00:23:33.707
So PAR is the basic package that we recommend mostly for people that don't have an irrigator long.
470
00:23:34.007 --> 00:23:34.648
Got it.
471
00:23:35.068 --> 00:23:36.390
How many treatments is that usually a year?
472
00:23:37.230 --> 00:23:37.551
Five.
473
00:23:37.831 --> 00:23:38.151
Okay.
474
00:23:38.171 --> 00:23:38.912
Yeah.
475
00:23:39.012 --> 00:23:42.115
And then Birdie is kind of...
476
00:23:43.872 --> 00:23:46.633
Just will be a great treatment package.
477
00:23:47.254 --> 00:23:52.716
It's comparable, equal, actually better than most of what the competition in town does.
478
00:23:52.936 --> 00:23:59.919
And then Eagle is, it gives you just a better color year round.
479
00:23:59.959 --> 00:24:04.061
So when you get into August, the grass really wants to not look as good.
480
00:24:04.161 --> 00:24:06.502
So we spray a nutrient package on it.
481
00:24:07.202 --> 00:24:08.703
And so that's a little bit different.
482
00:24:09.043 --> 00:24:12.665
And the PAR doesn't have grub control.
483
00:24:12.765 --> 00:24:15.267
So anyway, so we're doing a lot of that stuff.
484
00:24:15.687 --> 00:24:19.289
What percentage do you think between those three packages are the customers that have treatment?
485
00:24:19.309 --> 00:24:21.411
So say there's 80 treatment customers.
486
00:24:21.431 --> 00:24:24.493
How many do you think are roughly in those three categories?
487
00:24:25.113 --> 00:24:29.776
I'd say 60% in Birdie.
488
00:24:30.276 --> 00:24:30.496
Okay.
489
00:24:30.776 --> 00:24:36.480
And then probably 15% in Eagle and then the rest in Birdie.
490
00:24:36.724 --> 00:24:39.126
Yeah, I think you get too much, it's too much.
491
00:24:39.166 --> 00:24:40.066
Then they're all confused.
492
00:24:40.166 --> 00:24:44.049
Do you usually do annual or just do when you come for treatment?
493
00:24:44.469 --> 00:24:45.649
No, it's annual.
494
00:24:45.970 --> 00:24:47.711
So they don't have to prepay or anything.
495
00:24:47.731 --> 00:24:53.014
I mean, we do have clients that—elderly clients want to prepay and just pray for the whole season.
496
00:24:53.054 --> 00:24:54.935
We give them a 3% discount, I think.
497
00:24:55.515 --> 00:24:59.458
But no, yeah, most people—
498
00:25:00.815 --> 00:25:03.077
We take and divide all the...
499
00:25:03.397 --> 00:25:11.984
So say if they're getting seven or eight treatments, we just divide it by the seven or eight treatments, the total amount, and then they just pay that same amount every time.
500
00:25:12.044 --> 00:25:12.565
Oh, every time.
501
00:25:12.665 --> 00:25:12.885
Okay.
502
00:25:13.085 --> 00:25:17.229
So most of them are still per visit, even though it's an annual price.
503
00:25:17.389 --> 00:25:17.589
Correct.
504
00:25:17.849 --> 00:25:18.089
Got it.
505
00:25:18.130 --> 00:25:18.390
Okay.
506
00:25:18.830 --> 00:25:20.912
And then what's that usually look like for the three...
507
00:25:20.932 --> 00:25:26.357
So an average property size here, what's kind of like for the birdie package per visit...
508
00:25:26.877 --> 00:25:27.577
What's the average?
509
00:25:27.617 --> 00:25:29.277
Is it like $70?
510
00:25:29.618 --> 00:25:34.819
It's going to be a little over $400 annual, I think.
511
00:25:34.899 --> 00:25:39.339
So whatever that is divided by five, six, seven treatments.
512
00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:44.280
So seven treatments for birdie.
513
00:25:44.300 --> 00:25:48.261
It's kind of confusing because the way we do it, one of them we don't number.
514
00:25:48.741 --> 00:25:50.281
Otherwise, it confuses everybody.
515
00:25:50.322 --> 00:25:52.822
But I think we have seven and then eight with eek.
516
00:25:54.659 --> 00:25:57.944
$60, $70 is probably at least the average application.
517
00:25:58.164 --> 00:25:58.364
Cool.
518
00:25:58.605 --> 00:26:00.968
Yeah, our small lawns would be like $235, $245 for the season.
519
00:26:00.988 --> 00:26:01.188
Got it.
520
00:26:01.208 --> 00:26:03.892
Yeah, so average is probably between $300 and $450.
521
00:26:03.912 --> 00:26:04.934
That's good.
522
00:26:04.954 --> 00:26:05.534
That's super cool.
523
00:26:11.808 --> 00:26:17.612
Yeah, as long as you have those three packages, then you'll be able to do instant quotes come December, January.
524
00:26:17.632 --> 00:26:18.293
That'd be awesome.
525
00:26:18.313 --> 00:26:19.114
That'd be really good.
526
00:26:19.134 --> 00:26:21.655
So they can just get the card and it's ready to rock and roll.
527
00:26:21.996 --> 00:26:22.616
Yeah.
528
00:26:22.896 --> 00:26:25.038
Did you do the door hangers yourself then last past spring?
529
00:26:25.298 --> 00:26:25.478
Yeah.
530
00:26:25.859 --> 00:26:30.342
And then you probably grew pretty quickly just to where you're like, hey, I don't even have time for the door hangers.
531
00:26:30.362 --> 00:26:32.684
Yeah, I stopped doing door hangers sometime in April.
532
00:26:32.724 --> 00:26:34.485
I'm like, okay, this is too much now.
533
00:26:34.805 --> 00:26:34.986
Yeah.
534
00:26:35.306 --> 00:26:38.088
And did you get a first employee pretty much right after that then?
535
00:26:38.108 --> 00:26:38.208
Yeah.
536
00:26:38.328 --> 00:26:40.729
We already had a first full-time employee.
537
00:26:41.169 --> 00:26:44.530
And then we didn't over hire soon enough.
538
00:26:44.550 --> 00:26:47.871
So we should have hired a second full-time guy sooner than we did.
539
00:26:47.951 --> 00:26:50.632
And then we couldn't get anyone until the summer.
540
00:26:51.072 --> 00:26:51.392
Got it.
541
00:26:51.593 --> 00:26:54.714
Because the summer is probably when all the students are like, yeah, hire me.
542
00:26:55.034 --> 00:26:55.234
Yeah.
543
00:26:55.454 --> 00:26:59.655
Yeah, we had one college student that worked full-time that ended up being really good.
544
00:26:59.895 --> 00:27:00.095
Yeah.
545
00:27:00.716 --> 00:27:02.636
Now we just need them to graduate.
546
00:27:03.216 --> 00:27:03.397
Yeah.
547
00:27:03.917 --> 00:27:04.577
And stick around.
548
00:27:07.673 --> 00:27:08.393
So good stuff.
549
00:27:08.413 --> 00:27:09.654
Well, thanks for letting us drop by.
550
00:27:09.674 --> 00:27:10.074
Yeah.
551
00:27:10.114 --> 00:27:12.955
And then Debbie, you do all the admin stuff, right?
552
00:27:13.455 --> 00:27:14.096
All the office.
553
00:27:14.176 --> 00:27:14.656
Let's go.
554
00:27:15.216 --> 00:27:15.796
How's that been?
555
00:27:18.097 --> 00:27:19.098
Learning.
556
00:27:19.398 --> 00:27:20.778
I've learned a lot.
557
00:27:21.579 --> 00:27:21.799
Good.
558
00:27:26.661 --> 00:27:29.322
More than my brain was ready for.
559
00:27:30.142 --> 00:27:30.962
But yeah.
560
00:27:30.982 --> 00:27:31.383
P4P, co-pilot.
561
00:27:32.103 --> 00:27:34.544
It's tough with the part timers too at the P4P side.
562
00:27:35.232 --> 00:27:41.013
Because if they only work half a day or one even, they fail to get into the rhythm.
563
00:27:41.053 --> 00:27:54.016
We always found either new locations where there's not enough route density or part-timers, P4P almost can't work because they come after a week of school and then they're here to work for a day.
564
00:27:54.616 --> 00:27:57.616
And they just don't get in the groove sometimes.
565
00:27:58.696 --> 00:28:01.117
Is that kind of what you found a little bit with the P4P side?
566
00:28:01.297 --> 00:28:01.437
No.
567
00:28:06.453 --> 00:28:30.487
she's talking about us so she's like why don't you know this oh like on the chemical side and stuff no on p4p oh because ryan knows hey hit me up let's do it let's go ryan knows p4p better than i do he's went through all the video training i went through some of it and because i'm i'm more the budget you know forecast stuff and put all the packages together and stuff so but she's got to run
568
00:28:31.610 --> 00:28:44.000
Yeah, she does really, Deb does really good at, you know, sending quick estimates out for mowing and lawn care too, because we just have a number for per square foot and she just, and it changes slightly if you have a fenced in yard.
569
00:28:44.040 --> 00:28:47.022
So yeah, she's great at doing that.
570
00:28:47.182 --> 00:28:49.784
But I just want to say, Mike, thanks for doing Augusta.
571
00:28:50.925 --> 00:28:52.606
One thing I really appreciate about you.
572
00:28:53.883 --> 00:28:56.765
So me, I say what I mean, I mean what I say.
573
00:28:57.085 --> 00:28:58.465
And I sense you're the same way.
574
00:28:58.986 --> 00:29:03.768
And so I was like, that was part of me getting over the hurdle of joining Augusta.
575
00:29:03.788 --> 00:29:06.849
I was like, is this guy for real or is he fake?
576
00:29:07.350 --> 00:29:11.312
You know, because I'm, both of us are really, like, sincere.
577
00:29:11.752 --> 00:29:12.632
And so...
578
00:29:14.633 --> 00:29:19.637
When I seen you at conference, or not conference, but training and stuff, and you're just like, yeah, this is a real dude.
579
00:29:19.897 --> 00:29:20.618
He's a good guy.
580
00:29:20.638 --> 00:29:26.682
And you come across that way in video and on YouTube and stuff, but you always kind of wonder.
581
00:29:27.303 --> 00:29:28.884
So I was always asking Lee and stuff.
582
00:29:29.004 --> 00:29:31.005
Is he really what he claims to be?
583
00:29:31.025 --> 00:29:34.628
That's what he asked on our sales call.
584
00:29:34.648 --> 00:29:36.870
That's awesome.
585
00:29:37.110 --> 00:29:37.610
So, yeah.
586
00:29:37.650 --> 00:29:43.695
But I think, I mean, what Augusta does for the average guy that doesn't have a lot of experience is...
587
00:29:45.222 --> 00:29:46.285
is awesome.
588
00:29:46.405 --> 00:29:49.774
And we've worked for Chick-fil-A because we try to get a store.
589
00:29:49.794 --> 00:29:52.020
And it's like, that's going to take too long.
590
00:29:52.040 --> 00:29:53.163
It's like, I'm too old to do that.
591
00:29:53.303 --> 00:29:55.148
I don't want to do that.
592
00:29:56.050 --> 00:29:57.374
But I've seen the power of franchises.
593
00:29:57.394 --> 00:30:01.585
It's like, man, Augusta's Chick-fil-A in the landscape world.
594
00:30:01.625 --> 00:30:02.788
It's like, let's go.
