Graduation is only five days away and Larry Rhodes is moving fast. As manager of landscaping and grounds for Elon College in Elon College, North Carolina, he is largely responsible for how the campus will look on its biggest day of the year.

It's a new day. Big is better, borrowed money works better than your own, and when equipment breaks, you throw it away instead of fixing it.

Successful lawn maintenance contractors come in all shapes and sizes. That's one of the strengths of this industry. You don't have to be a conformist to succeed.

How long would you stay in business if you charged upwards of 30% more for your services than the competition? What if you operated with a two-complaint rule, meaning that on the second complaint, you simply told your customer to find another landscaper? Or, perish the thought, what if you maintained a property according to Mother Nature's schedule and not that of the customer?

Howard Jensen wears many hats. He's been working for the railroad for 28 years; an engineer for most of that time. He runs a nursery, an RV park, a Walker dealership, and is a respected lawn maintenance contractor. But more than anything else, Howard Jensen is a family man. His railroad career has generated enough income over the years to provide seed money for his business ventures. That, in turn, has given him the opportunity to provide another lifestyle for his wife Susan and two sons.

Belvedere and Schonbrunn castles are truly unique places in Vienna, Austria. Combined, these two castles draw nearly 10 million visitors a year, and it is easy to see why visitors are charmed by the beauty of these venues. Part of that beauty is the maintenance of the grounds around the castles. From seas of perennial flowers to acres of finely manicured turf, visitors can easily see how involved just maintaining the grounds can be.