Remember when we were younger? Idealistic? We had a vision of the future.
Maybe you caught your vision in college or while working a summer job. Regardless, you had a dream that got you out of bed every morning because you were on fire to get something accomplished.
Days, years and perhaps decades later, where are you? Dream realized? Dream aborted? Dream still awaiting realization? Has the dream changed? OR, are you thinking it is time for a change?
There is no right or wrong answer to any of these questions. Dreams are personal and the rationale behind them is complex, but periodically it is worth taking the time to stop and think about where they have taken us. Sometimes we are no longer driving the dream, the dream is driving us.
Gary here . . .
Of course, I talk to lots of tree company owners about their businesses. Let me share a couple of quotes with you.
“I used to want to be the biggest company. I’ve been very successful, but now I am not certain the hassle is worth it. It’s not as much fun being in business.”
“I love climbing trees, but my body can’t do it anymore.”
“I originally thought I was getting into the tree business, but now a-days the business is all about problem solving, mostly around people. Worker shortages, work quality, customer issues, absenteeism, the list seems almost endless. This is not my dream job anymore and I am getting sicker of it by the day.”
“I’ve got an awful lot of iron sitting in my parking lot. It’s getting extremely costly to buy, very costly to maintain and hard to find competent people to operate it. Plus, it’s hard to keep it making money. The future looks uncertain.”
Here are some other quotes.
“When I realized I couldn’t climb anymore, I got into plant health care. I really like keeping shrubs and trees healthy. It was a great move for me.”
“I had four tree crews. Keeping them busy was becoming more challenging and insurance was killing me. I sold everything, bought a plant health care truck and now it’s just me, the customers I enjoy working with, and trees. And I still have the same amount of take-home pay. I should have done this long ago.”
“I had a full-service tree care company but it was no longer fulfilling. I was missing kids’ events. I was working too many hours. It had gotten to the point where it wasn’t healthy; physically, emotionally, or for my marriage.
I sold everything, my entire business, except that I carved out a handful of platinum clients with large properties that I had managed for many years. Now, I just take care of them and they pay me well. I don’t make quite as much money as I used to but it is more than enough and I and my family are so much happier.”
Where do you see yourself as you read through these brief snapshots, insights into real people and their assessment of their priorities? What do they still value? What has changed? What is no longer important or relevant to future goals?
How about you?
Maybe you still love and are fulfilled by that original dream. Great! Go for it!
But if not, and if you want to still stay involved with trees and shrubs, think about this. If you want to simplify your work life, or maybe address the impact of aging, perhaps a PHC only business is right for you.
If the thought of providing PHC services seems overwhelming because you are not currently involved in that side of the business, take heart. It is not all that complicated, and we can help.
Green Pro Solutions and it’s companion Family of Companies has been helping tree care businesses begin PHC divisions for over forty years. The same for those who want to start a company from scratch. We are the company of Solutions.
Depending on where you want your future to go from here, perhaps we can help you with the Solutions you are seeking.
