“Investing in your Success”

Monthly Archives: June 2016

Building A Future—One Family Business At A Time

future business

Background: Matt Holker, and his son, Greg, began as Spring-Green Lawn Care franchise owners in 2006. Over the past 10 years, the business has grown, taking in neighboring territories, as well as bringing Matt’s other sons, Luke and Kevin, on board. Today the family business includes three territories in Minnesota, covering Hennepin, Wright, Benton, Morrison, Sherburne and Stearns counties. Problem: Matt wanted to expand the business to be able to include his two other sons. Luke had been helping in the off-season, doing office/phone work in the evenings, while keeping […]

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Green Business Trends: Why We Chose to Add a Franchise

Background: Friends and business partners Steve Downin and Jeff Rocker were looking for a way to create a sustainable stream of income that would provide security and opportunity for them in retirement. Downin owned Right-of-Way-Turf-Ornamental in Columbus, Indiana, while Rocker owned a law firm, Beck Rocker PC. Problem: The two business partners had successful businesses on their own, but each was looking for more. “We wanted a supplement to the incomes created from our other businesses that would provide an almost annuity-like stream we can build on into the future,” […]

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Spring-Green Named in Lawn & Landscape’s Top 100

lawn and landscape

For 11 years in a row, Spring-Green Lawn Care has been named to Lawn & Landscape’s 2016 Top 100 List of the largest landscape companies in North America. Spring-Green was ranked 26th on the list based on 2015 revenues. The total revenue for 2015 earned by all of the companies on the Top 100 list totaled $8,445,782,868. That number represents an increase of five percent over the previous year. The Top 100 List was compiled in May and included 96 companies in 30 states and four firms in Canada. This year’s list was […]

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5 Characteristics of a Successful Family Business

It may not be your first goal when you start a family business, but you probably harbor hopes of passing on a successful operation to your children someday. Creating a legacy like this can be immensely satisfying, but it isn’t always easy. In fact, the Family Business Institute researched family businesses and found that only 30 percent carry on into a second generation, 12 percent into a third and just 3 percent are still in existence into a fourth generation and beyond. How can you defy the odds to create […]

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State of Landscape and Green Businesses Report

growth

To understand the future of landscape and green businesses, we surveyed business owners from across the country about their goals and challenges. While the sizes of the companies, and their years in business varied, the majority shared common objectives such as increasing the long-term value of their business and creating a recurring revenue stream. Read on to learn where the future is headed. Goals and plans For many lawn care businesses, the economic downturn of 2007-2008 seems to be slowly fading from view. Only 27 percent of the respondents mentioned […]

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