Dear Lawn & Landscape Business Owner… let’s talk about something every lawn and landscape business owner struggles with—Time.
You got into this business because you love working outside, making properties look great, and bringing in those big green dollars. But somewhere along the way, your to-do list turned into a monster.
You wake up early, grab a coffee, and before you even hit the first job site, the phone’s ringing. One guy’s calling in sick, a customer wants to “talk about their invoice,” and the mower that worked fine yesterday won’t start.
You thought you were building a business, but what you’ve really built is a never-ending job.
Here’s the truth: If you don’t build an operations system that keeps things running without you doing everything yourself, you’ll be stuck in the grind forever.
That’s why I created The “Keep Promises” Formula—a system designed to make sure your business runs smoothly, your customers are happy, your employees show up, and most importantly—you aren’t drowning in stress every day.
Why “Keep Promises” Is the Most Important System in Your Business
Think of “Keep Promises” as your Operations Department—the backbone of your landscaping company. This is where your customers, your employees, your vendors and equipment meet.
It’s how you make sure the work gets done right every time. No more running around putting out fires all day. No more getting calls at 8 PM because a customer is mad. No more working harder and longer, you work smarter!
We designed this handy little work-flow illustration to show you how these 6 success keys interrelate.
Let’s explain the 6 Success Keys you MUST have (in the correct order) to run a smooth, profitable landscaping business:
1. Company – Who Are You Really Serving?
It starts here. Your company exists for a reason. But have you actually written it down?
- Who do you want as customers? (High-end properties? HOAs? Commercial accounts?)
- What kind of work do you want to be KNOWN for? (Mowing? Hardscapes? Full-service maintenance? Irrigation service? Tree care? Lawn care? Holiday lighting?)
- What’s the big vision? (Are you trying to build a multi-million-dollar company or just make enough to work for yourself?)
When you put this in writing, you’re not just making a plan—you’re making a promise to yourself.
Early in my career as a landscaper, I did not understand just how important this is. I thought I would be successful by working longer hours and more days per week. It’s not true.
When I wrote out these words, “To increase the level of professionalism in the landscape business”, I latched onto a goal that I still pursue three decades later. I’m pursuing a lifelong business goal by writing to you today. Clear goals will keep you motivated!
Trust me, it’s a whole lot easier to run a business when you know where the heck you’re going.
2. Contracts – The Promises You Can’t Afford to Break
Alright, let’s get real for a second. You can’t be a contractor without contracts.
Sure, you write up contracts for customers, but there are also the ones nobody likes to talk about—
- Business licenses plus – (have you met the P & Z folks about your facility yet?)
- Payroll tax reports – (10% late penalty can wipe you out)
- Workers’ comp insurance – (excellent reading materials for insomniacs)
- The Fair Labor Standards Act (because Fedzilla cares deeply about your and your business – sarcasm intended)
- Finance agreements – (your banker will show you where to sign and sign and sign)
- Cell phone contract – (why do these guys need so much from us?)
Owning a business means doing things most people never have to do—but that’s the price of being the boss. The landscapers who get their paperwork right and follow the rules avoid big, expensive headaches down the road.
3. Team – People Are the Key to Your Freedom
Hiring employees? That’s serious business. And once you bring people on board, you’ve got responsibilities.
- Pay them on time (unless you like turnover)
- Provide a safe work environment (because injuries = insurance hikes)
- Train them so they don’t wreck your equipment (a $12/hr mistake can cost you $12,000)
There are some folks in this business who think that hiring employees is one big pain in the ass. Those same people are still riding a mower, skid loader or mini-ex. One can gain great satisfaction from using the equipment and looking back at the work completed.
But listen carefully: Building wealth from landscaping is much easier when you hire employees!
Building a strong team is how you get your life back. When you have employees who know their roles, you can actually take a vacation (imagine that!) or be at your kid’s ballgame at 3 o’clock on Tuesday.
4. Training – Because Employees Don’t Magically Know What to Do
A lot of landscapers complain that their employees “just don’t get it.” Well, let me ask you this: Have you trained them?
If you don’t train people, you’re basically paying them to make mistakes.
Every employee needs:
✅ Behavior Training (How to talk to customers, show up on time, dress, and act like a professional)
✅ Technical Training (How to mow without scalping the lawn, how to replace the string in the weed wacker, how to prune without wrecking plants, how to follow a drawing and layout plants)
✅ Business Training (So they understand that every wasted minute costs money)
Smart landscapers grow people, not just plants.
5. Feedback – Listen Up, Because The Market Always Talks Back
Every day, your business gets feedback.
- A customer leaves a five-star Google review (Nice work!)
- An employee steals gas from the truck (That one hurts.)
- You get a penalty for paying taxes late (Ouch. Fedzilla strikes again.)
- One of your best workers quits without notice (Welcome to entrepreneurship.)
Some feedback is good, some is ugly. But every single piece of feedback is an opportunity to learn and improve. The more frequently you can collect feedback, the faster you learn!
The best landscapers take feedback, learn from it, and keep moving forward.
6. Management – The Art of Keeping the Business Running Smoothly
When feedback comes in, you’ve got two choices:
1️⃣ Ignore it and keep struggling.
2️⃣ Learn from it and get better.
Management is about adjusting as you grow.
- You fix problems before they happen. (Get your vision into writing)
- You rewrite contracts so customers don’t jerk you around. (What happens when the storms wreck the property you’re providing maintenance services for?)
- You hold your employees accountable. (When is the last time you fired an employee?)
And most importantly… you KEEP your promises.
Here’s the Bottom Line
You don’t have to be trapped in your business.Your business could be the most beautiful and wealth-producing asset you will ever know. But you’ll have to work ON it while you’re working In it!
Follow the Keep Promises Formula, and you’ll build a company that runs like a well-oiled mower instead of a broken-down mess.
✅ Write down your company vision
✅ Get your contracts in order
✅ Build a strong team
✅ Train your people so they actually know what they’re doing
✅ Pay attention to feedback
✅ Manage the operation like a real business, not a side hustle
Do this, and you’ll have a business that works FOR you—not one that runs you into the ground.
Now, go keep those promises and build something great!
Tony Bass, founder
866-923-0027
PS – We are holding the highly rated Profit Builder Training event in Atlanta in a couple of weeks. We have two seats open for this special event. Call or text Tabitha Lovell, our director of Training and Education at 678-943-4856 to register or click here to register online: www.superlawntoolkit.com/profit-builder
