Some people might think a mission statement or product philosophy is just "words on paper" and a waste of time. But to get into business and stay in business, it is important to know who you are, how you got to where you are, and then have the vision of where you want to go. A written statement or philosophy helps in the guiding process.

Florida grass is different from other grasses around the country. Sure, it has a reputation of being a tough customer on mower decks. In the peak growing season, it also grows like there is no tomorrow. As head of the lawn maintenance department for Del Tura and Del Vera Country Clubs in North Fort Myers, Phil Di Bernardo knows that for a fact. "Sometimes I swear you can sit and watch the grass grow. It's got to grow an inch a day," he tells.

Gib Charles, owner of Greening-Up Landscape Maintenance, Inc., Fort Collins, Colorado, is a prototypical landscape maintenance contractor.

Five years ago, an accident left Jeff Vining paralyzed from his chest down. A break between his sixth and seventh vertebrae rendered him a quadriplegic.

How much are your customers worth? Most business people, including owners of lawn maintenance companies, know the value of their equipment, their supplies and their employees. But they all too often overlook the value of the one dimension that keeps them in business, their customers.

Owners of successful lawn and landscape maintenance companies have at least one common bond. They will tell you there is no shortcut to the top.