Lawn Care Service Business Profits: How To Use Charm To Increase Your Bottomline

“Charm is the quality inothers that makes us more satisfied with ourselves.” – Henri Frederic Amiel

Everybody and their dog can think of someone they know that is charming. This is the kind of person who always seems to be on the up and up. They are happy and have a skip in their step. They’re someone we like to run into. We look forward to seeing them.

Not only is a person who is charming interesting, they also seem to be successful in their lawn care landscaping business. Being around someone who is charming makes other people feel better.  But the question that seems to arise in our minds is aren’t these “charming” people being fake? Or even better, what the “heck” does this really have to do with a lawn care or landscaping business?? The truth is most charming business owners are genuinely authentic and are in fact very powerful lawn mowing business owners. So the question is, just how charming are you? A lot of people land in around 4-6 out of 10. Don’t despair, you can raise your level on the scale of charm in a number of ways. Smile. Give out compliments and be friendlier on the job site. Give your employees or customers sincere compliments.  Charm just plain makes people feel better about themselves. So make it your mission to brighten the atmosphere of your company, your office. This will pay rich dividends in the long run.
Successful Lawn Business Strategies http://www.HowToStartYourLawnCareBusiness.com http://www.HowToGrowYourLawnCareBusiness.com

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Am I The New Job?

     Did you ever wonder why when you’re down, things always seem to go from bad to worse?  Maybe it’s just me but the fact is, the list of events that led me to this point is both long and humorous…if you aren’t me.  There are times when I feel like God’s joke – except I’m the only one who gets to appreciate the punchline…in spades. 

I’m not findin’ it funny, I have to say.

     First of all, I hate this horrible, bitter-cold weather, so my mood is already in the mosh pit at the worst death metal concert ever, getting slammed from left and right with no chance of regaining balance before the next hit.  On top of that, let’s add a sinus infection that will have me not breathing through my nose for who knows how long, with an allergy to all the “decent” meds that could possibly help me.  Oh, and by the way, I’m mildly anemic, so the ibuprofin I need for my major back pain is making me bruise like I’m getting beaten when I’m not – just clumsy. 

This is only the beginning.

     I should save this for “last but not least” but I have never been able to wait to share things – I have a weird cut I got on the tip of my index finger while playing with my dog.  I have no idea how it occured, but it is also now infected, so it hurts to type.  That has comedic value if you know me at all.  I’m also hormonal, which translates to mean “slightly insane” in man-speak.  If you know the phrase “everything I touch turns to s**t”, you know the frame of mind you’re dealing with at present.

     I think I have a classic case of the January Blues.  I want to do things but the weather is so bitter and ugly, I also want to hibernate.  The tooth I had a root canal on a couple of years ago cracked all the way down to the root (and apparently the nerve), so I had a bit of an appointment yesterday with another to come for a crown fitting.  This would be great if it meant I’d be queen but no…it just means another expensive bill we can’t afford.  Plus a toothache and corresponding ear ache. 

Good times.

     A good friend of mine would call this situation “ridonkulous”.  I must agree.  I have at least two vertibrae that have decided that staying in place is boring, so they flip out to the sides on a regular basis, which makes for a wonderful driving experience just before dance class.  I have arthritis in my lower back as well as two bulging discs aside from all that, so that when I lie on the floor in agony from the first issue, the second one says, “screw you, you’ll still hurt, no matter what you do”.  Thanks, Easterbunny!  Bawk-bawk!

     On that note, I’ll leave you to stew on something else I find amusing. 

     People don’t understand what country girls are like.  Chances are, if you live in a big city, you know nothing about the hardships of rural life.  There are wonders too but – here’s an example.  You get an ingrown toenail.  I’m betting most ladies and gents who live in sayyyy  Hollywood, CA. go to a podiatrist immediately for that if they ever do have a problem at all, seeing as they all get pedicures. 

     When I get an ingrown toenail, I dig it out myself.  That’s right, I said it.  It’s far easier to me to do it myself than to have some guy poking around my sensitive extremeties with a sharp object.  If anyone’s gonna have a sharp object here, it’s going to be me.  Also, no one can hear you if you swear…so there’s that.

Ps.  I subject-hop.  Welcome to my mind.  Enjoy the ride.

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Who am I?

“Who am I?” Seems like an easy enough question… yet, I’m laying here on my bed unsure of what to say. I guess it’s a question I’ve struggled answering my whole life and one I’m guessing others may have a difficult time answering too. But, here I am – a grown, 22-year old – and I’m still unsure of everything. Does it ever get easier?

Here’s what I’ve figured out so far. My name is Erica. I recently graduated from college with a degree in mathematics, one I thought would be slightly recession proof. However, I am being proved wrong as I am currently unemployed and slowly drowning in student loan payments. I should stop and thank God right now that I’m still alive and floating thanks to my amazing parents. Moving on… besides the exterior points, I have an unquenchable passion for life, music, and loving a world that has forgotten what love is. And, I must admit that every moment I sit doing nothing or looking for a job I’m not sure I’ll completely enjoy, my heart aches because of the million other things I could be doing that could make a difference in a life.

I know all the logical reasons for obtaining a steady, well-paying job. My dad has done his best to drill my brain with that information. And at this point, there’s not much I would love more than that. I just want more than that. I still dream like I’m 8 years old. I still believe in true love. I believe with all my heart that anything is possible through my God. I believe that anyone can reach their dreams when their eyes and heart are focused on the right thing.

Life is certainly scary and unpredictable. I’m not sure I would enjoy it any other way though. So, here I am, growing up… facing giants… enduring heartache… climbing mountains… yet believing, holding on to faith, laughing, and loving every moment of it. After all, hardship develops strength, patience, and endurance. Always remember that wherever you are, you’re never alone, and there’s always something to live for.

I am… me. :0)

[Via http://ericadanielle.wordpress.com]

Ezekiel 11 & 12

The Spirit of the LORD leads Ezekiel to the gate of the Temple. Here he comes across twenty-five men who are giving wicked advice. They are saying that soon it will be time to build houses in Jerusalem, and we are protected like meat in a cooking pot. From a commentary I was looking at, it suggests that these men were saying that everything was going alright. They’re basically saying that there is a fire going on outside of the pot (Jerusalem), but the pot keeps the meat from the fire. I guess they are ignoring the fact that the meat is still getting cooked; anyways, the pot will soon be shattering. Ezekiel is told to prophesy against them for their wickedness. Then all of a sudden, these guys start dropping dead like Ezekiel (remember he’s in Babylon) is some sort of voodoo doctor. This causes great distress to Ezekiel because he fears that God will wipe Israel from the face of the Earth (11:13).

But God has a plan and he lets Ezekiel in on it: “I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again. They will return to it and remove all of its vile images and detestable idols. I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them.” (11:17-19) This is incredible! God is saying that he’s really angry, but he’s never going to forget his people. He has a plan to bring them back and all of these things did end up happening. Sometimes we have to go through some really hard things to realize God’s plan. In this case, the hard things were as a result of their sin, but I think it often works that way for us as well. We go down a path of sin and suffer for it, but God so often redeems it when we come back to him (Think of a former drug addict who talks to kids to keep them from doing the same thing).

So the vision ends and Ezekiel is back in Babylon. He gets word from God, who says that, “They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.” (12:2) This makes me think of Jesus who is constantly saying, “He who has ear to hear, let him hear”. Obviously a lot of hyperbole, but still a lesson to us. If you see things and hear things around you that are not right, you have a responsibility to act. One thing I do like about this chapter 12 is in verse 4 where God says, “Perhaps they will understand”. He’s giving them somewhat of an out. He’s saying that they still have a chance to maybe alleviate some of this and to turn things around. There are indeed times in the Bible where God does actually say that it’s too late, but I like to think that as long as you have breath, there’s an opportunity to turn things around in your life no matter how screwed up they are. Perhaps you will understand.

A couple interesting things to wrap up this chapter. Ezekiel predicts how Zedekiah (last King of Judah) will leave Jerusalem and meet his demise (12:12-14). Apparently the Israelites had a proverb that all these bad visions from prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel never happened or they’ll happen a long time from now. God does not like this. “For in your days, you rebellious house, I will fulfill whatever I say, declares the Sovereign LORD.” (12:25) Don’t ever tell God what he will or will not do; don’t tell God when his visions will come true. God has this great way of throwing these sort of things back in our faces. It’s like when God reacts to Job’s anger and starts going off that Job wasn’t there when he created the mountains and the seas and all this other stuff and that he had no authority to question God. If you tell God that you will never do anything, there’s a pretty good chance that someday you will do that very thing. Kind of like Murphy’s Law…

[Via http://irvinmac.wordpress.com]

university... i really don't like you!

so, since a few days i’m doing some studying for the next exams and it’s okay, not that amazing, but well… it has to be done and for this it’s okay. one thing, i really not like is, when the exams are:

in my birthday week. so, maybe exactly the weekend before i’m going to be a rabbit-mum and i don’t have time for my precious babys, because i’ve to go to university and study, etc. that’s sooo uncool.

not the thing i’d like to do, but i have to do it. grrr. it’s some kind of my job to do it. and i’m gonna make it.

this day i dreamt about a girl, who was a very close friend of me once, but she isn’t interested in contact since more than two years. i missed her for long time and i didn’t know why she was like this. but we had lots of fun and this i’m really missing badly. the fun, but also the nice talks with her. she wasn’t that complicated and we had a great story together.

[Via http://lahja.wordpress.com]

What's the Price of Your Dreams?

Recently I saw the movie Up in the Air, starring George Clooney. By the way, I highly recommend this movie. It is a great film about introspection, work life vs personal life, the value of human connection and more. Don’t expect a lot of action, this one is for the “thinkers.”

What struck me most during the movie is when Clooney’s character is consoling an employee he had just fired. “How much did they pay you to give up on your dreams?” says Clooney to the grief-stricken father of two.

This got me thinking, how much money would I have to be offered to give up my dreams? Would I give them up in the first place?

At first, I thought this was an easy answer: obviously, I’d pursue my dreams. But once I took a minute to think about this, I found that this question wasn’t as easy to answer as I had thought. After all, dreams don’t pay the electricity bill. They don’t pay my rent or for the shoes on my feet. Dreams are just that: dreams.

Last week’s #u30pro featured a question that got me back to thinking about the movie. The question was “In this economy, do you quit a job if its not in line with your plan?”

Sometimes life gets in the way and people lose sight of their dreams, working jobs they don’t enjoy for the comfort of a consist paycheck. But what if you have the chance to make your dreams a reality? Do you settle for the paycheck that will put food in your refrigerator? Or do you patiently wait for your dreams to come true?

[Via http://theprepguide.wordpress.com]

Happy New Year! Now, get a job. (Part III)

If you have been following my two previous posts (you may catch up here and here), you have hopefully found some helpful tips on searching for a new position and presenting yourself in the application, resume and cover letter. So, now what do you do when a company actually wants to talk to you?! Don’t panic. They like you at this point. If they didn’t like you, they wouldn’t want to talk to you. They like what they see on paper (when will that term be a thing of the past? I’m looking at your credentials on a screen, not paper!), so you now need to prove that you are the same, if not better, in person.

Snag:

• Your first impression is the first interaction, not the interview. Your first interaction with a potential employer will typically be a phone call or email from a recruiter, HR rep or assistant who would like to schedule an interview. You will probably be caught off guard, so learn to compose yourself quickly. As I mentioned in my last post, you should be sure to leave the most appropriate phone number and email address so that your first impression can be positive. If you are not in a position to have a conversation (for example, biking…true story), don’t answer your phone. We will leave a message, and you may call us back. Be polite and accommodating with whoever calls you, as they may relay a poor attitude to the hiring manager.

• Interview in your pajamas. To save time and cost, phone interviews are becoming increasingly popular. This means that all you need to worry about is the content of your answers; this also puts more pressure of the content of your answers. Prepare for a phone interview as you would for an on-site interview: research the company, come up with meaningful questions and remember what you included in your resume. When scheduling your phone interview, work with the recruiter’s schedule, but try to request a time when you will be completely undistracted. A land-line is definitely preferred over a cell phone. If you have no other choice than to have children or pets with you, take every measure to ensure they are entertained (Curious George is my method of choice for entertaining children; the dog goes outside). Then, get comfortable, relax and treat this as a true interview…because it is.

• Okay, now get dressed. Because you are going for an on-site interview. Ere on the side of slightly more conservative than you suspect the average employee is dressed, and make sure that you are comfortable. You want for the interviewers to be able to focus on the conversation, and that is hard to do if you are constantly pulling on your stiff shirt. Avoid bold fashion statements, and skip the perfume or cologne…you can never predict an allergy.

• Answer the questions. Unless I am interviewing you for an elected office, avoid acting like a politician. If I ask a direct question, answer it directly. If I ask for examples, please give examples.

• Ask the questions. I want to know that you are sincerely interested in this position and my company. Look at our website, Google for more information, think of questions related to the business, the culture, and the position. Bring paper and pen to write down information that I give you…look invested.

• Know the numbers. At some point in the process, we will need to discuss money. Let us bring it up first, and be prepared with a confident answer, giving your most recent wage and what you would be looking for. We want to know that if we make you an offer, it will be something you are comfortable with…we don’t want to be laughed at. You may give a range, rather than one dollar amount, but you need to be honest.

• Follow up…in a non-stalker-like fashion. Yes, you are selling yourself, but you don’t want to look like an auto dealer. A professional email or note sent after an interview, highlighting how your skills could be used in the position, is always appreciated and shows genuine interest. Arriving to the office the next day to find 15 missed calls from your cell phone, not appreciated.

• Accept already! So, you received a job offer. Congratulations! Take the time to review the offer and the benefits package, discuss the option with your family and friends, and then follow up with the company as soon as possible. Don’t let us rush you, but don’t leave us hanging. We like you, we really like you, and we want to know that you like us, too! This begins your new relationship on a positive note.

Now you have a great new job to start the new year. Resolution #3: done. Resolution #4: spend less money at Starbucks…I can’t help you there.

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