You Can Grow a Profitable Lawn Care and Landscape Business

You are your company’s best employee.
Pay yourself well, and pay yourself first.

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Predictable Revenue

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Consistent Cash Flow

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Permanent Profitability

"This is an essential business book for the landscape industry.   I would make this recommended reading for anyone that has started a Green Industry company or even thinking about starting one.  This book turns the P&L upside down and focuses on profit before anything else.  Most contractors are focused on top line growth.  This book would beneficial to those who are only focused on top line growth.The person in the company that is in charge of the numbers of the business MUST read this book."

Joel Wihebrink

Wihebrink Landscape Management

I was surprised and pleased by the depth of the content in the book.  Christeen has studied, learned, and listened to a variety of green industry business models.  She’s very bright and knows the differences between them. She’s assembling a structured team to help implement Profit First logic that teaches and forces accountability to those that want it.   If you’ve worked hard for a long time, are serious about your mission, and love your family, this book will be good for you. 

Don Zerby

Ecolawn, Eastlake, OH

This book helped me remember the basics of looking at my numbers in a different way. What does my company need to produce on a daily basis to cover costs, pay myself, and have profit? What does each tech or department need to produce? I enjoyed the focus on the profit account and owner's compensation. 

     This book will help Lawn care operators and landscapers who prefer to be in the field, because that is where their passion is, who want to have a successful business that they can know it provides for their family. People who don't enjoy accounting or looking at financial strategies. 

Blake Moore

Moore Green Lawn Care Services

The Profit First for Lawn Care and Landscape Businesses shows that I can profit easier and more consistently using the right tools and systems. Knowing that Steven Bousquet started out as much of us, but turned his ship around gives me hope. This book gives me a road map for profiting with my company. I would say this book could be for almost any business but especially for lawn care and landscape contractors. 

Robby Pickett

Magnolia Green

Chasing Revenue Does Not Help You Grow

You might be thinking, “If I don’t grow my revenue, how do I grow my business?”

Many times, chasing revenue leads to less profit.

The truth is, effective cash management is the only way to create predictable profit.

Did You Know?

The lawn care and landscape industry has the potential to produce 30% - 35% NET profit margins.

ONE YEAR NET PROFIT REPORTS OF LAWN CARE AND LANDSCAPE BUSINESSES

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0%

Reported profit over 31%
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0%

Reported profit between 21% and 30%
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0%

Reported profit under 10%
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0%

Reported no profit at all

Ready for net profit over 30%, but you have no idea how to get there?

We have the roadmap to profitability for you.

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Want permanent profitability? Commit to the habit 100%. No shortcuts allowed.

Some business owners feel intimidated by 30%+ NET profit numbers. And many business owners don’t even know their numbers. If one of those scenarios describes you, don’t worry.

This map is more like a GPS. We start our navigation point at your location. But to get to permanent profitability, you have to follow the plan.

1. Get the Map

Read the book. Get your copy of Profit First for Lawn Care & Landscape Businesses. It’s full of examples from companies in the green industry just like you.

2. Enter your location

We’ve got FREE tools for your toolbox. Start with our quick assessment to see where you’re starting on your profitability journey today.

3. Your Destination is profitability

Imagine more time with your family, doing the things you love. Follow the process, and you can arrive at permanent profitability sooner than you think.

“Once we started Profit First, we could see how every penny had its place, then I really started to be able to fulfill the financial aspirations I had when I started the business and the fund to make it happen. Before that, I was pretty broke. I would think if I just sold more on this next job things would be all right.”

Sid Sexton

Sexton Lawn and Landscape, Daphanie, AL

“I built this business my entire life to be what it is today. I wanted to ensure it was set up to take care of my family and employees if something happened to me. I knew I was missing something. Profit First held the missing pieces to pricing for maximum profit.”

Don Zerby

Ecolawn, Eastlake, OH

“The Profit First methodology is the financial toolbox. As long as I put the tools - that is, the money - in the right place, the money is ready to go to work. No more waking up at 2 a.m. in a panic, hoping all the checks I wrote on Friday are going to clear. I feel more alive, more like the guy I want to be, the guy my family needs me to be.”

Steve Bousquet

American Landscape and Lawn Service, North Franklin, CT

Are We There Yet?

After 20 years of developing financial plans for trades and service-based businesses like yours, I've seen exactly where you're starting.

 

GPS Map to Profitability

Start a lawn care and landscape business they say. You'll make a lot of money and have a lot of free time, they say...

If you're like my clients, family's a priority for you. You work harder to make a life for them. But they don't get to see you as much as they want.

Money comes in, but it feels like it's never enough, and you don’t know why.

You’re working so hard; you can’t help but wonder where all the money goes.

You know a plan would help your business. Where do you start and when?

You're managing the operations, doing the sales, running your crews, planning service routes, and meeting with vendors. You end up exhausted.

Your family feels resentful instead of grateful.

Instead of running your business, your business is running you.

One quarter cash is great. The next - there's no money in the bank.

Then an unexpected and unplanned tax bill arrives. 

You're constantly chasing revenue

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There IS a better way. You can have a permanently profitable business.

2021 HEAD_Christeen Era5109

CHRISTEEN ERA

Author

Christeen Era is co-founder of the Green Profit Academy (GPA), a consulting and coaching company that supports lawn care and landscape businesses with courses, webinars, small-group coaching, community-building, and online tools. She is a certified Profit First Professional, Pumpkin Plan Strategist, Fix This Next Advisor, and QuickBooks Pro Advisor. Inspired by the proven success of the Profit First program and methods, she created and pioneered the use of a specialized, industry-specific toolbox, The Green Profit Toolbox™ for Lawn Care and Landscape Businesses, to help owners manage their expenses and increase their gross profit margins to as high as 65%. Her mantra is “You are your company’s best employee. Pay yourself well, and pay yourself first.”

Christeen is also the CEO of Core Growth Strategies, an accounting support and consulting company that has helped hundreds of small and mid-sized businesses improve their cash flow, post higher profits, and achieve stronger growth. With more than twenty years of experience in accounting and business consulting, Christeen is passionate about helping lawn care and landscaping companies flourish and grow, in good times and in bad. She understands that entrepreneurs start their businesses with the goal of living the life of their dreams, and her mission is to help them do exactly that. Connect with Christeen at christeen@profitfirstforlawncareandlandscape.com.

The Business Owner Struggle Is Real

I’ve been working with business owners like you for over 20 years. I’m also a business owner myself!!! My clients and I have weathered some crazy economic ups and downs. From crashes, housing and tech bubbles, and now, a pandemic. I’ve learned to help my clients build businesses that can survive the worst.

I’ve also seen the cost of the regular day-to-day grind. I know the cash flow crunch with pre-payments and job deposits that fund the business before the job ever starts, equipment that gets purchased and never pays off, the bi-weekly payroll anxiety - wondering if the money will be deposited in time, and petty cash that disappears like planes flying through the Bermuda Triangle.

Sound familiar?

These are common business owner struggles experienced by some of the smartest people I know.

The problem is NOT about how smart you are. And it’s not about how much education you have.

Tired of taking all the wrong turns?

All businesses are not alike. Even lawn care and landscape businesses are not the same. When it comes to your profitability, there’s no one size fits all.

When Profit First came along, I knew the simple, applicable process was a great place to start with my clients.

And after focusing my business solely on the lawn care and landscaping industry, I knew owners like you needed more.

I started digging in to the issues specific to the different business growth models for this industry:

Down Season / Flex Season Cash Flow

Pre-Paid Services

Pre-Paid Materials

Owner's Pay - How Much Do You or Should You Pay Yourself?

Labor Costs

Pass Through Fees

Chasing Clients That Suck the Life Out of You

Payroll - How Much Do I Spend on Operations vs Field Payroll?

Sales Tax - Payable or Not?

Large Equipment Investments

Plowing Your Way Out of Debt (Literally)

Leveraging Your Most Profitable Services

Undercharging for Services

Making Decisions Based on How Much Money's in the Bank Today

Taxes - Getting in Front of Your Tax Liability or Getting Control Over Your Tax Liability?

Predictable Profit This Way

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All that digging Allowed me to create
The Green Profit Toolbox™ for Lawn Care and Landscape Businesses

Tools that have never existed before

Tools created specifically for the lawn care and landscape industry.

Focusing on clients just like you means we know where the money is hiding. And we know the processes your business needs. We can show you the path to intentionally creating predictable profit. For as long as you own your business. 

And guess what? We know how to do that while making sure you get paid first!

You already carry the weight of taking care of your family, taking care of clients, taking care of employees, and running a business. 

With Profit First for Lawn Care and Landscape Businesses, you get to see how others, with green businesses just like you, have successfully moved their business to 30% and greater NET profit - that’s 50% - 65% GROSS profit

That’s what we want for you too.

Predictable profit that leads to living the life of your dreams instead of working around-the-clock.

Predictable Profit This Way

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Your numbers are trying to tell you something. Do You Know What They’re Saying?

Let’s start with where you are now. Then we’ll show you which tools to use first to arrive at profitability.

Take a listen to what Mike Michalowicz has to say about
Profit First for Lawn Care and Landscape Businesses

Click Here 👇

MIKE MICHALOWICZ

Author, Profit First

Be the first to see the difference

Meet Steve Bousquet. Before Profit First, Steve was planning to run away and hide in Alaska because he was in debt over his head. He was the owner of a multi-million dollar lawn care and landscape business. Steve has an Economics degree. But he didn't know how to make his business profitable. 

Real Stories. Real People. Real Success.

STEVE BOUSQUET

Steve Bousquet
Founder, American Landscape and Lawn Science
Co-founder, Green Profit Academy

Want to be on the Business Leaderboard?

You will benefit most from Profit First for Lawn Care and Landscape Businesses if you:

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    Own a heavy landscape, lawn maintenance services, or x business.
  • https://profitfirstforlawncareandlandscape.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/cropped-PF-Lawn-Care-Landscape-Favicon.png
    Don’t want to work harder and harder while watching your bank account disappear.
  • https://profitfirstforlawncareandlandscape.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/cropped-PF-Lawn-Care-Landscape-Favicon.png
    Are generating profit on paper, but you wonder where the money is.
  • https://profitfirstforlawncareandlandscape.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/cropped-PF-Lawn-Care-Landscape-Favicon.png
    Have tried working all the different profit building programs, and you feel like giving up because nothing seems to work.
  • https://profitfirstforlawncareandlandscape.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/cropped-PF-Lawn-Care-Landscape-Favicon.png
    Know in your bones your business can be profitable, but you can’t put your finger on why it’s not generating the cash you think it should.

Profit First Doesn’t Work for Everyone 😲

Profit First for Lawn Care and Landscape Businesses is NOT for you if you:

  • 1

    Are not committed to the process. And I mean 100% committed to following every step along the way. This process is PROVEN to work if you take the steps we outline in the book.

  • 2

    Don’t have someone who can back you up and hold you accountable.

  • 3

    Want to Frankenstein your own accounting system. (see point one 👆.) This is not a supplemental process you can combine with 50 different things. This is the accounting process.

  • 4

    Are not going to be consistent. (Again, see point one.)

  • 5

    Aren’t willing to learn a new way to do things. You’re brilliant at your craft. That doesn’t not make you brilliant at business finances. That’s ok as long as you’re willing to learn.

  • 6

    Are not willing to invest the time and money to get this right. Putting a train back on the right track takes work, and it takes some expertise. You’re going to need to put some time into the process, and you might need to upgrade your bookkeeping resources.

If any of the above sounds like you, the Profit First method might not be for you. 

If You've Had Enough

But if you decide you’ve had enough of just scraping by, or you’ve had enough of mediocre financial performance, this might be the right time for you to commit to the process.

If you make the investment, and fully follow the process, I promise the pay off will be worth every second and every dime.

Celebration Time!

We’d love to hear about your profit journey or answer any questions you might have.

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The Book is here!

Order your copy of Profit First for Lawn Care and Landscape Businesses and download all of the FREE resources and tools!


Plus, get bonuses if you order multiple copies as we launch.

Get the support you need with the Green Profit Academy

Founded by Christeen Era and Steve Bousquet, Green Profit Academy consults lawn care and landscape business owners on obtaining long term sustainability and scalable growth. That means: your company can become permanently profitably by utilizing our industry specialized Profit First program, and: you learn how to scale and grow your company by participating in our small group coaching program.

We have helped our clients increase their gross profit margins to as high as 65% and leverage industry-specific tools that focus on scalable growth.

You don't have to work harder to turn your cash-eating monster into a money-making dream.

Profit First for Lawn Care and Landscape Businesses Helps You Grow Permanently Profitable.

Stop Chasing Revenue

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Spend More Time with your family, living the life of your dreams