The Gardener's Shadow, LLC.

I have noticed how much of my business revolves around 1 word, “TRUST”. This is an obstacle because most customers have Zero reason to trust me from the start. I recently met with a Memphis area Doctor who has a strong sense of loyalty when it comes to his business relationships. He believed there to be an inverse relationship between the strength of the economy and the $$$ amount of his bills. I believe he was right. A local irrigation company had come by to do their typical “Spring Start Up” of the system. This is a $125 service. The company quoted him $5,000 worth of repairs. He asked me to take a look and explained, in detail his mimdset…. He said, ” i believe in relationships. I pay ON TIME. I have no problems with your $52 per hour rate. I just want you to be honest with me”. After discovering that most of the “problems” he had with his system where undeniably false, i made it my mission to get his system up and running for as low a price as possible, while still turning a profit. I WILL keep him as a customer. We created an understanding which should last a long time. The lesson for me was two fold. 1) establish a bond of trust through Full Disclosure. I need to let my customers know how much my hourly rate is for specific jobs. 2. Allow myself to trust the customer. Knowing how they feel about both me as a person and my business practices allows me to focus on the task at hand. This reminds me of how much pleasure i get from running a business. People are generally GOOD if you can peel back the layers and let them know why you are here: 1. Make money 2. Fix their problem. 3. Form relationships

I wish everyone well. Try to “Add Value” in everything you do. You never know who you are going to effect and how. You cannot lose by doing right!!

Wilson Horrell The Gardeners Shadow, LLC