[Robert T]

My wife wants to take a job in TX the company has openings in both Fort worth and Houston. She has been offered close to 3 times her current salary. Which is More than we both Earn combined at this point.
Would any of you guys trust your number 2 guy to run your company while you live 1200 miles away? We already have enough work to keep both crews busy this season. But I wont be there to run one of them.
I dont even know what kind of advise to ask for!!!

Any thoughts?
Thanks Robert

[GLAN]

An absent owner/operator doesn't work......been there done that.......at least for me it didn't work.

What about selling off part of or the whole business?

[Robert T]

Thanks Glan,
In my mind I know it doesnt work, at least not the way I want it to work.
I have thought about selling it all and restarting but that probably wont work so well either. I Dont even know what color the dirt is in TX.

I wouldnt mind making my #2 a partner. but he has no money.

[Robert T]

If I were to set up sales goals and profit margine goals he could earn ownership into the company that way

[Stonehenge]

Unless you're making enough money to fly back every few weeks to check on things, it sounds like making your #2 a #1 by having him buy the business sounds like the best option.

Move down to Texas and retire.

Or take all the lessons you've learned and start again, but smarter.

[GLAN]

Seems to me.......you have to rely on your #2 man.

Does he know about any of this?

I would talk to him.......see if he is even interested in assuming a bigger roll..........and then the 2 of you can work out the details....

If you go through with this.......consider as Stone mentioned.....traveling back and forth.....You can do red eyes that maybe less expensive and seek out discounted fairs and airlines.........What about a place to stay?

You are not realy going to have much choice regarding going back and forth as often as possible in the beginning......possibly the first year.

Also.........count on losing accounts........side work, upsells.....

You are going to have to pay your #2 more........going to have to do more aggresive advertising.......I'm just wondering if your #2 is willing to work all day and then estimates and customer appointments in the evenings, weekends, or Sundays?



Oh and uh............the color of the soil in Texas.....from what I have seen it's a red color

[Cochran]

The soil around Fort Worth and Houston is pretty much black=gumbo clay. There's some red way out west and in the Panhandle. Along the coast, it's tannish-white = sand.

Move to Texas and start over. Business is well in Texas right now, especially around Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, with Houston fairing better than the DFW area. There is quite a bit of competition, but quality and customer service goes a long way in Texas. Even though you'd be an outsider, just pick up on our lingo and be friendly and you'll do fine!

In my opinion, Texas is the best place to be in the landscape industry. Houston and south has a 10+ month growing season and you can landscape pretty much year round. Dallas has a shorter growing season, but from what I understand, landscape is going in as fast as it can be installed. I like the Houston area, and if I had to relocate that is the only place I would even consider. I am 185 miles south of Houston. I'm not very partial to the DFW area. Too far inland and too cold for my South Texas state of mind.

Just an opinion from a Texan, hope it helps :-)

GLAN, I haven't left Texas in over 3 years (except to cross into Ol' Mexico) and it's been at least that long since I've seen red dirt :-)

[GLAN]

LOL Cockran...

All I've actualy seen of Texas was the pics my sister took when they moved from So Cal to Decatur Texas

[Cochran]

Glan,
Decatur is right at about the boundary line up north for red/black dirt. It's just northwest of Dallas enough to be in that territory. Red dirt really sucks (for lack of a better term) employee clothing and uniforms need to be the color of the dirt since that's what everything turns to fairly quick. The black stuff can too, but OxyClean is a miracle worker on baked in clay!

[GLAN]

Oxyclean......That realy works as advertised?

[sandim]

RobertT,

I think everyone is right, make your #2 your #1 by having him buy into the business in some way. Do it the right way for your own sake, go find a good business atty if you don't have one already and discuss this with them, get the paperwork set up right. My husband was buying into a business and got screwed.
I'm sure your #2 is good and wouldn't screw things up but you always have to take care of #1, YOU!
Also, you'll need to notify your clients and explain to them that #2 will now be a partner, etc.
This will work for you as you'll still have $ to build up your business in TX. In the meantime, go cowboy!