66,600 Lbs. is Thinking Outside the Box

elephant

Key Takeaways

Innovative strategies enable:
  • Innovative Revenue Streams: Developing unique services, like the Decomposed Granite Refresher, can compensate for income lost due to unforeseen circumstances.
  • Adaptability in Business: Flexibility and creative thinking are crucial for maintaining operations during challenging times.
  • Planning for Contingencies: Having a backup plan ensures sustainability and avoids the need for workforce reduction or business closure during off-peak seasons.
Check out our lawn care services.

As many green companies are wondering what to do about replacing the lost income from this past winter, it is crucial to think of a way to substitute for the lost revenue caused by the lack of snow removal. For some much larger companies in parts of Wisconsin, and other snowy states in which half their income comes from snow removal, this was significantly harder to do than for companies in Reno. This year, I found myself going out for one single snow storm, which didn't even cover the cost of parts to tune up our snow blowers. Since our snow removal profits normally pay for lawn equipment tune ups as well as new equipment, I had to figure out a way to replace this lost revenue. It was at this point it became evident that Cory's Lawn Service needed to think outside the box to try and replace our lost revenue. We decided to offer our customers a "Decomposed Granite Refresher", which can be read about in a previous BLOG. After emailing our customers about this offer, we spent 2 weeks installing 18 cubic yards of decomposed granite for 14 homes, which weighs in around 66,600 pounds. After doing some quick searching on the internet we found out that this is the equivalent of moving 5.5 African Elephants by shovel and wheel barrow.

Whats the Point?

Although this number may seem like nothing to the green companies that actually move rock as part of their yearly business, for our company it enabled us to purchase and maintain our lawn care equipment this year. The point being, all companies need to think about extra "outside the box" services to offer customers in times of hardship. Although we normally count on snow removal service, it is not up to us what weather God is going to provide. Just as corporations plan out a yearly budget based on the money they expect to have, many small businesses count on work that is not actually guaranteed, such as snow removal.

It is vital is to have a back up plan for rough times so you don't have to downsize your workforce, offer less hours, or shut down shop entirely. This back up plan might not be your bread and butter, but it will keep your head above water during a poor season and allow you to be ready for when things improve.