Rapid growth without a clear business plan has been a difficult road to navigate for one Florida company. Fast growth sounds more like a blessing than a curse, but the truth is, growing too quickly can sink a business. That’s why Michael Thackrey and his business partner, Chris Eastman, have strived to control their company’s rapid growth. They don’t want... read more
Balancing old and new is challenging for a longstanding Montana firm. With a longstanding history in Bozeman, Mont., the family-owned Cashman Nursery & Landscaping is well known for its industry experience. Jerry and Jan Cashman built the present nursery building and landscaping business in 1976, but the original Cashman Nursery dates back to 1898 in Owatonna, Minn. Being a long-established... read more
Letting go of poor performers is tough, but it pays off. Hanging on to the wrong employee was a mistake Eric Bruss made not once, but twice. Although he knew he didn’t have the right person for the job, he says he tried to make it work because he wanted to be a nice guy. In the end, it would... read more
Although it was 14 years ago, Brian Golembiewski says he’ll never forget the day his computer crashed. The data he lost affected almost every area of his business. Not backing up his files remains his biggest mistake in business to date, and it forever changed the way he views technology. Today, he’s kept up with every possible advance in backup... read more
Over the last 20 years Gelderman Landscaping has progressed in operational efficiencies. But when it came to the accounting side of business, including job costing and monthly reporting, that’s where things fell short, President Nathan Helder says. There weren’t appropriate systems in place, and the time it was taking to handle day-to-day finances was taking him away from other important... read more
A landscape business owner says he should have embraced taking risks. Risk taking often is a necessity when business owners want to get ahead. But for Franz Witte, owner of Franz Witte Landscape Contracting Inc., a rocky market in 1980 and 1981 paralyzed his business. He was afraid to take a risk, and that cost him. “I was struggling to... read more
