Erich Kolb first began working in the landscaping and irrigation industry in 1985. He started his first company, Triangle Green Scene, Inc. in Raleigh, NC in 1995 with his best friend, with only $40.00! The company grew to 700K in sales by 2006. Erich shares he experienced “a lot of pain with lack of systems, incorrect decisions based on inaccurate facts, chasing the wrong work, employee issues, etc. We just didn’t know!”
Erich says “Around 2013-14 I realized my “dream” was still resembling a “nightmare”. I made OK money but if you divided my income by hours worked it would still be around minimum wage. I was working too much, doing too much, juggling too many tasks. We still had issues with team accountability. We were growing again, but the growth was not creating a more “livable” life. Vacations limited and even long weekends were often off the table.”
Determined to spend more time at the beach, Erich moved and started a new business in 2016. He narrowed his sweet spot to focus on lawn care applications and irrigation service. Erich was Pumpkin Planning before he knew what it meant! He shares “Many did not understand. Some did not support. It wasn’t easy. It still isn’t. But I am much better aligned with what I value.”
This end-of-the-year time is appropriate for reflection, which is something most entrepreneurs don’t take time to do. Reflection helps us determine what IS working that we need more of, along with what we need to stop doing.
Long-time trusted advisers turned Erich onto the Profit by Design podcast, and he has listened to every podcast episode at least once! Erich shares, “The content and the concepts really resonate with me. It’s so encouraging to hear success stories from fellow entrepreneurs and contractors.” Hiring continued to be a challenge at his new location. Erich read both versions of the How to Hire the Best books and signed up for the How to Hire the Best course, which he says “really took the book to the next level. You leave with tangible materials to work with.”
Erich’s advice:
“The business journey is not easy. You are going to have flat tires along the way. One of those flat tires will be on “Human Resource Blvd”. If you do not have the tools to fix the flat, you’re just stuck with no forward progress. The “How to Hire the Best” system provides the wrench, jack and spare to get your business back on the road.”
Coming Soon: Join us on the Profit by Design podcast as Erich shares his story!
The Tap the Potential Great Place to Work Spotlight features small businesses intentionally creating a great place to work by nurturing their company culture.
At Tap the Potential, we love helping small business owners create Great Places to Work. We encourage our clients to share best practices to support other businesses in doing so, as well.
Thank you for sharing with us, Erich!
Connect with Erich:
Seagreen Lawn Care and Irrigation, Inc.
Links and Resources:
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