Spring-Green Blog

The Underestimated Power of Networking for Green Industry Businesses

You’ve probably heard a lot about how important networking is, but maybe you aren’t sure how or why you should do it for your green industry business? Networking isn’t just for salespeople and job seekers. In fact, networking is a great way for you to learn about new green industry products and techniques or to grow your knowledge base. It is even useful when you have a situation or a problem, and you aren’t sure what the solution is. Having a network within your industry is a valuable resource, allowing […]

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Curb Appeal Trends for Landscaping

If you have ever sold or bought a home, you know how important curb appeal can be. A home’s exterior condition, including the lawn and landscape, can charm neighbors and passersby or scare them away. Spring-Green Lawn Care franchise owners know how important curb appeal is. That’s why the higher standards we created for our customers include a statement about quality—“The way you always wanted your yard to look!” Lawn care experts Spring-Green customers expect our lawn care professionals to be experts in their field. Part of that expertise is […]

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Building A Future—One Family Business At A Time

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

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

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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Legacy Planning—Are You Ready for Retirement?

It may strike many as counterintuitive, but when it comes to starting a new business you should already be thinking about your exit plan. Whether your hope is to one day pass your business on to a family member or simply make the most profit from selling it so you can enjoy a comfortable retirement, your business is a valuable asset that can work for you when you plan properly. According to the Family Business Alliance, 80 to 90 percent of North American businesses are family enterprises, both large […]

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Labor Crisis Continues for Landscapers

The latest statistics on green businesses indicate that one of the biggest issues facing lawn care companies is employment. If it’s not finding the most qualified person for the job, it’s retaining employees in such a competitive environment. According to Lawn & Landscape, more than half (56 percent) of lawn care companies have open positions. So if you haven’t dealt with this issue yet, odds are strong you will have to at some point in the near future. Hiring qualified employees So what will you do when faced with the […]

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Green Business Tips—5 Ways to Increase the Profitability of Your Business

A lawn care business can be very profitable, but the secret to that success is having a mix of additional services that can be performed at the same time as a lawn application. If you want to increase your profitability, encouraging customers to add additional services will go a long way in boosting your business’s bottom line. For instance, some additional services have material costs of as little as three percent. Meanwhile your labor cost is incremental if you are already there performing a service. When you have multiple services […]

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