How to Get "Out Of The Field" In Your Landscaping Business

[@theokcampfam]

Awesome topic! Getting out of the field is a huge leap and challenge. You really have to get out of your comfort zone. Good job.

[@darnelldrayton8341]

Man I need this every time I go down that rabbit hole and find myself in a slump I end up coming back to your videos and they get me back into the game keep this stuff coming bro!

[@motorcycleislife8296]

The depressing part is when you get free time and you buy all your hobbies like boats and motorcycles, you still burnout on that and want to go back to work again lmao. The grass is always greener on the other side. Ive now just learned to enjoy everything in life.

[@danroot84]

💯

[@joeloppus3477]

Yes. I recently got my first employees and them taking over sucks because I kinda miss mowing now.

[@ericmckelvey1264]

Keith, my man. Genuine from the very beginning. Thank you for being you brother

[@CINGLE777]

The journey of guys like you that put this content out here is absolutely key . Heading into year #3 , this is exactly what we need hommie

[@MGTnews]

Great information, you hit the nail on the head here!

[@littlespressurewashing]

Missed you at the convention bro ,see ya at next event, was so many people and it was amazing 💯 TAKE CARE BRO

[@bigfae76]

Wuddup doe. Awesome video. Your content helped me with two things; 1. Confirm that my thinking is aligning me down right path for my lawn business. 2. Gave more clarity for what I need to do and what it will look like. Now to go find all my "who's."

[@keith-kalfas]

Phenomenal.

[@oiboy626]

We actually just hired out 10th field employee and about hire our first operating manager. I’ve been out of the field 90% of the time for about 3 months now and everything’s been alright for the most part. Really looking forward to removing myself from the field and concentrate in sales and admin to scape. Hoping to have 12 field guys and three office staff, aside from myself, by the end of this year. It’s a hard thing to do. Thanks Keith. Stay up

[@freedomrings4134]

How'd you do it

[@dukebrotherslandscapingemp1291]

thanks man.this is something you don't hear alot of people talking about because its hard to explain,I believe that everybody transitioning is different depending on what field they in,or where they at in life.good luck Keith we will get there.

[@darrenwalters8313]

I couldn't have watched this at a more perfect time. Taken on a new unit and a new employee. It's given me the faith to stick at it and know that the disappearing money is normal 😀

[@ericchyr9745]

What up dawg!

[@brando3098]

Appreciate the free info! You're truely a diamond amoung jewels

[@caiomoura9637]

Man this video is great! Great inspiration and lessons

[@keith-kalfas]

Thanks Caio

[@MattFitch]

Awesome video, great topic. So much anxiety! I took myself out of the field a year and half ago. I’ve been able to increase sales by expanding into other markets using subcontractors all over the country. I get out on the truck here in Austin once a month for multiple reasons. It feels good to be outside working Training opportunities Leadership & Team building Keep my finger on the pulse on my business

[@TopNotchPropertyServiceLLC]

Great video!

[@christopherriceinc]

This is so wild & humbling to see. As I started my business 5 years ago. Watching people like Keith & others. & I stepped out of the field about 4 months ago. So wild to see you right there keeping up with me Keith! Good for you bro!

[@keith-kalfas]

Awesome bro congrats. 👏

[@adrianguev1294]

Waddup doe!

[@chrisclay2422]

Keith. I’m so close and wanting to get to stage 3. I got a really good taste, briefly, I found a guy that had good landscaping experience, foreman material, but he was so damn unreliable and after a few months it didn’t work out. He had a past with drugs and just couldn’t get his shit together. But it was so nice lining him out on work and having it done to where I could focus on other things. Now I’m back where I started. I’ve had a lot of people apply on indeed but it’s going to take time to find that right employee. Still feel like I’m in a prison between working so much and getting the jobs done, I can’t even focus on marketing and advertising more, let alone buy shirts with my logo on them for myself and other possible employees. Without help to get these jobs done so I can actually “think” about catapulting my business, I literally feel like my hands are behind my back. If I could just find a person to help me fill in and cement those cracks in social media for me to get me a little more exposure, do something somehow to reach out to the community more in terms of exposure and marketing, sustain and actually have the time to learn to edit my website they created for me, (I know it’s pathetic I don’t even have time to call my website coordinator to go over how to administratively edit and work on my own website) I would be in a better place. I just feel like I’m trying to survive to get the basic jobs done and have no time for anything else. It’s a horrible place to be, I have so much potential and I can take over this small town and reach for the low lying fruits as you say. And like you said, I can still dominate with my bread and butter work if II “stay small, stay around….” Hopefully by next spring I will have my shit together better. I spoke to you about six months ago through your coaching one on one. It was great speaking to you and listening to your ideas. We’ll have to do it again. I just wish I had a good person to Pay to just take care of the basic social media cracks and keep me visible through them. I only need a 10 mile radius but that should be all it takes if people are being exposed to me on different levels of media and seeing me out and about. Just wrote a check for a brand new Kawasaki four wheeler, to help me re-seed lawns, and use for other landscaping projects. Anyway, I’m going on. All the best to you brother.

[@keith-kalfas]

Amazing comment bro.

[@tnrcleancare7847]

Dude I'm struggling bad and your videos are the only thing that get me thru. Your the only person who I've heard mention grocery shopping and not having time. But you can't afford to pay either. I'm trying to raise prices but I'm feeling trapped man. I take pride in my work and I know I'm worth more . It sucks😞

[@lutherstarks5290]

I'm between stage 1 and 2. Some jobs I work myself. Some jobs I hire a guy or two. Some jobs I completely sub-out.

[@waynezenoble7436]

Wadupdoe! Knock it out the park at the convention! These videos are so helpful. Thank you.

[@keith-kalfas]

Haha Wadupdoe! Thanks bro

[@SuperKyle309]

Love you brother

[@MontanaKlaymansubscribe]

You gave me chills at the 26 minute mark

[@keith-kalfas]

Thanks bro.

[@waylonratcliffe]

I was doing my bookkeeping last night and I realized I cannot even delegate certain keys to my left hand, my right hand try’s to do everything, no wonder I have issues trusting people, I have to work on letting go and letting guys mess stuff up so they can get better. Abandonment is right, we grow so attached to the work that we sabotage delegation. Gotta run towards fear, thanks Keith!

[@ArtistryLawnCare]

What up! Btw I love the honesty and transparency about your personal experience and how you cant speak certainly about some topics. You also made me realize that I need to outsource some services! I have tried endlessly creating a website before giving up each time. I need to just hire it out. Not worth the exhaustion of trying to master a project that's out of your known bounds.

[@keith-kalfas]

Yes! Haha perfect thought

[@tees1744]

Keith,I think you just need to relax. Take a deep breath and believe that every thing will be okay .. God bless

[@kevinabley4512]

I've been out of the field for about a year. The toughest part is accepting that employees will never do the work at the quality that an owner will. You will get more customer complaints and will need to have more tough conversations with the crew. That's just part of the deal. But once you're 100% out of the field, you never want to go back. I'm ready to pull off the band aid and hire a customer service/sales manager but I don't think I'll ever be able to give up the accounting piece.

[@TopNotchPropertyServiceLLC]

The five rolls or pillars, can you reference any books or do any of your books that cover this in more detail? Also is there a magic number to hit before beginning to implement? My goal is to have maybe 2 full time employees someday plus myself until i can have 3 and be able to get out of the field a bit. Im solo now and did 30k first full season.

[@Phrax10k]

Hey Keith I'm a huge fan. What are your thoughts on a mowing only business model? Is it sustainable, or do you advise doing all aspects of landscaping? I'm looking to get started with mowing only.

[@garagelifeink8331]

Excellent✌️😎💨

[@shawnstevens858]

I literally sell myself short when by myself on jobs. But yet when there's a helper with me and or 2 or 3 helpers I feel like I can charge like twice as much is if I say took 3 days to do it myself. I think like by myself I'm worth $250 to $300 a day. But say if I send out a foreman that makes $25 an hour and works 10 hours. Well that's $250. Or a skilled laborer at $18 to $20 an hr that's about $200 a day. Also when I'm physically tired I'm kinda easy as far as not charging enough. This one guy who owns the convince store thought I was out of my mind when I said to come prep all his beds edge and instal the mulch. That $50 per man hour and $120 per yard for mulch. I think he's playing mind games because he said someone came with a crew and pruned all his shrubs, prepped all the beds edged and spread all the mulch and mowed and weed wacked and blow off the driveway and walkway all for $550. That's 5 yards of mulch. I don't know how this person is gonna stay in business.

[@ericjones7522]

Whaddup doe

[@benjamincain6922]

Cicada bugs, aka the sound of summer in the south.

[@keith-kalfas]

Yessir. So that's what they are.

[@ksoutdoorlighting]

@@keith-kalfas I was doing a lighting install last week (during the day) and one of those suckers began making that noise over my head... I jumped so high - lol

[@ericavenarius5370]

One guy quits and back in the truck you go!

[@keith-kalfas]

Been there several times. It's daunting. It happened last year.

[@reedallidap7173]

I’m stage 2, but my wife is amazing she does my office part

[@kevinhollis1229]

I'm quite sure that the answer to the noise in the trees is: cicadas A southern token of welcome

[@Jadacream98]

When Alexander graham bell first invented the telephone, He had 3 missed calls from Keith Kalfas

[@keith-kalfas]

Haha.

[@adamnorwood29]

I work for a landscaping company for almost 2 years now and they don’t pay there employees like they should be paid unless they have been at the Company for 5 years or more so I feel trapped living pay check to pay check and I can’t take the time off work to a job interview somewhere else. So this company rather pay someone that is new more then I’m making and they are kinda lazy and always on the phone on the job site.

[@brandonfeland4723]

Word. Wudupdoe. 😎

[@patriotlawnandlandscaping914]

Hey Keith! How many employees do you currently have to be able to remove yourself from operations?

[@kendrickbettis3328]

I was out the field for 1 year now, few weeks ago. Found out two of my best workers was doing work on the side with my equipment. Fired them and back on the truck I go. It will be hard to trust my workers going forward…

[@keith-kalfas]

Dang bro. That sucks.

[@richardpantin1108]

whad up doe

[@d.c2123]

Any suggestions on ranking on google maps? Can you make a video pleaseeeee

[@keith-kalfas]

That's a great video topic idea. Yes

[@lutherstarks5290]

Wadupdoe!!

[@shawnstevens858]

Do you think I'm being fair when I say $100 an hour for me to come with my one ton diesel dump truck and my 12" industrial storm mobark chipper and my climbing gear and climbing saws and big chain saws. Or $150 per hour with Me a ground guy, my climbing gear and my rigging gear and dump truck and chipper. When I rent a mini excavator or bobcat, or even one of my buddies who either has a 50 horse tractor with a grapple and also forks or a John Deer 110 backhoe with a thumb and a extenda hoe. I charge $250 per hour because that's usually me a ground guy, a operator and a laborer that drags branches and feeds the chipper and helps load and unload the truck along with helping out with tag lines. But yeah some people think those #s are me dreaming. But yet on some larger technical rigging out land mark sized sprawling black oaks or old growth sugar maple trees or rock maples I have hit those numbers. I have a habit of saying well you can pay me $3500 to remove that tree or on some really big trees abutting 3 properties over hanging 3 houses I'll Say that's about a $5000 tree to completely remove safely. Or wait till we get a micro burst or a blizzard and you can pay $20000 to $50000 when it falls on your house. The average roof now is costing $10000 to $15000 in my area currently. Now if the sheathing and rafters get destroyed now your easily talking $20000 to $30000.

[@tomb6118]

locusts or cicadas thats the noise

[@jamesvillegas877]

Usually very few people get out of the field. You would need multiple trucks and crews to even hire someone. Frome what ive see on KZbinrs most are very far away from even thinking about out of the field.

[@zackwhitehead4018]

Depends on the market. If you run a primarily high end clientele customer base, you can make 6 figures. Don't compete at the bottom, that's a fools errand, compete at the top. I'm probably going to hit 40k by first year end, working part time evenings and weekends, but I mow 100 a lawn and mulch big beds at 100 a yard, and trim trees for hundreds a piece. It's all about what you can sell.

[@cameronjudge3390]

What up doe

[@thejcsparks]

Waddupdoe

[@reedallidap7173]

My issue is finding reliable guys

[@Sweitzer_conglomerate]

You say to charge more. But than you start losing more jobs also. Right?

[@brerrabbit4265]

Whatupdo

[@brando3098]

Watupdoe

[@losttheplot26]

To sit in front of a computer. No

[@WeTheMasons]

Wadupdoe

[@keith-kalfas]

Wadupdoe!

[@WeTheMasons]

@@keith-kalfas I'm trying grow up to be like you, love you brother

[@VanGreenLawnCare]

Whadupdoe

[@hillislawnlandscape]

Was.up.doe

[@keith-kalfas]

Thanks bro. Wadupdoe!

[@justinwilliams7152]

Wadupdoe

[@christopherhoward3822]

Watupdoe

[@christopherhoward3822]

I kid you not, every time I talk to my wife about something business wise you pop up with exactly what I’m needing to hear.

[@pristinegrounds]

Wadupdoe

[@CINGLE777]

Watupdoe