Ep. 28 - Steven Cochran - Cochran Lawn Care & Landscaping - The Mow Money, Mow Problems Podcast

How do you run a lawn care company when your other job takes you away for 48 hours at a time? Steven Cochran, owner of Cochran Lawn Care & Landscaping in North Alabama, joins Matt Foreman to talk about the people and systems behind a business Steven says services roughly 200 homes a week. In this episode, they talk about: • Hiring a leader with no lawn care background, then teaching him the work • Using training videos and daily truck checks to make standards repeatable • Building tight routes through good work and customer referrals • Keeping the crew busy with HOA contracts, year-round property care, and holiday lighting • The patio subcontractor mistake that cost Steven money, and what he checks now If you own a lawn care or landscaping business and feel like every decision still lands on you, this conversation is for you. CHAPTERS 00:00 Steven's path from lawn care foreman to firefighter and business owner 02:02 Keeping the crew moving during 48-hour fire shifts 05:14 Training videos and getting Steven's standards to the team 10:23 Delegating decisions and borrowing checklists from the firehouse 14:31 How referrals built tight neighborhood routes 17:55 Staying connected with customers through Jobber 19:47 Helping lawn care clients discover the landscaping side 22:36 Adding holiday lighting and keeping the crew engaged 26:36 Winning an HOA contract 29:34 Using year-round work to support the crew through winter 31:45 The patio subcontractor mistake 34:18 What Cochran Lawn Care & Landscaping does today Cochran Lawn Care & Landscaping: https://cochranlandscaping.com/ Lawn & Land Marketing: https://lawnandlandmarketing.com/ Subscribe for more conversations with green industry owners:    / @lawnandlandmarketing   #MowMoneyMowProblems #LawnCareBusiness #LandscapingBusiness