Episode 12

Ezra
Welcome back to the Lawn Care Success Blueprint, the podcast where we break down what it takes to build, grow, and scale a profitable lawn and landscape business. Today, I’m joined by none other than Cameron Buscher—one of the two brothers behind Buscher Lawn Care. These guys are on the rise, and recently Cameron told me they did some cold calling that actually led to some great responses for commercial projects. So we’re going to dive into that.

Cameron, great to have you here.

Cameron Buscher
Thanks for having me.

Ezra
Yeah, so for everyone listening, do you want to give a little backstory? How did you and your brother get into lawn care, and when did you guys start?

Cameron Buscher
Sure! We got started in April of 2017. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always loved mowing the lawn—just being on the mower, working with grass, stuff like that. And then I saw this video on Facebook of a kid riding around town with a lawnmower attached to a bike trailer. That really sparked the idea.

I built a similar setup with help from my dad, grandpa, and brother, and we started cutting lawns around town and handing out a bunch of flyers. The next year, I got a loan from my mom and bought a brand-new zero-turn mower. From there, it really took off. We scaled the business through high school and into college, and now we’re both working in it full-time.

Ezra
Okay, I’ve got to ask—what were you charging when you were riding around with your bike and mower?

Cameron Buscher
Haha, we were charging $30 for about 10,000 square foot lawns.

Ezra
I never priced by square footage myself. How long would those take?

Cameron Buscher
Back then, using a push mower, I was making around $25 to $35 an hour at age 14—not bad at all. And of course, it was all cash at that point, so overhead wasn’t something we worried about yet.

Ezra
That’s definitely not bad—probably all candy money back then, right? So what does Busher Lawn Care look like today?

Cameron Buscher
Exactly! These days, we’re a full-service lawn care and landscaping business. We take on small to medium-sized landscaping projects. It’s mainly my brother and me handling the day-to-day. In the spring and fall, when cleanups are heavy up here in Northern Michigan, we bring in extra help. Last summer, we hired our first employee—he was with us from April through the end of August. He’s planning to come back this May after finishing college.

Ezra
Are you guys in the Upper Peninsula?

Cameron Buscher
Yeah, we’re in the Upper Peninsula—southern tip though. We’re right on the border of Wisconsin, just north of Green Bay.

Ezra
Got it. That’s funny—I used to work with a guy from Michigan who always cracked “UP jokes.” I was just curious. I’m actually originally from Ontario, so I know the border area well.

Cameron Buscher
Oh yeah, not too far at all then!

Ezra
So you mentioned you work with your brother. Now, I don’t know that I could work with some of my brothers—but working with family can sometimes be great, and sometimes… not so easy. What’s it been like running and growing the business with your brother?

Cameron Buscher
It’s definitely been a process, but overall it’s been good. When we started, he was 10 and I was maybe 13 or 14. At the beginning, it was more like I was just getting him out of the house. But then he fell in love with it too. In high school, I was kind of more like his boss—he’s never worked anywhere else, just the business and with me.

As we started to grow and invest in the business, we both bought into it more. Now we’re 50/50 partners. We’ve split responsibilities—he and I both do the physical work, but I handle most of the business side, like operations and accounting. During spring and fall, it’s often my dad, my brother, and me out working. Occasionally my sister will help out too, though not as often.

It can be challenging because you’ve got to be a brother, but also a business partner. Still, it’s been more ups than downs—and I’m grateful for that.

Ezra
So when you’re making a big purchase—say a large mower or some equipment that costs thousands—do you guys have a system for deciding? Do you both have to agree?

Cameron Buscher
Honestly, those big decisions have come pretty easily. We’re usually on the same page about what we need and don’t need. Like, we just bought a brand-new enclosed trailer last Friday. As soon as we brought up the idea, we both knew we were in agreement.

I usually run the numbers and handle the financial side of things, and he’s like, “If the numbers look good, I’m good with it.” And that’s that. We’ve never really had any big disagreements on major purchases.

Ezra
That’s unusual—and pretty great. So how do you stand out in your market? I’m sure even in the UP, there are plenty of “Chuck in a truck” competitors around.

Cameron Buscher
Oh yeah, for sure. We’re in a tri-city area—three towns close together. One has about 12,000 people, another around 11,000, and the third maybe 5,000 or 6,000. There are two large companies that dominate the area.

Back in high school, we were just another truck in the truck. But over time, we started building a real brand with “Busher Lawn Care.” Now all our friends and family wear our sweatshirts, and we’ve got real visibility in the community.

During COVID, everyone wanted spring cleanups because they were home and didn’t want to do it themselves. That became our niche. We made lawns look like carpets, and neighbors would come over asking, “Who did your yard?” That really set us apart.

Word of mouth has been huge in our small town. But we also rely on Google and local events to build awareness.

Ezra
Interesting. What kind of small events? And how has that helped?

Cameron Buscher
There are local basketball tournaments and other school sports events across the tri-cities. You can pay, say, $95 for a sponsor square in the event pamphlet, and the first few pages are always full of sponsor names and logos. People actually look at those.

Another big one is donating to school athletics and clubs. There’s an annual fundraiser that draws a huge crowd—like 500 or 600 people. We donate cash, and they feature your name and logo on a banner. It’s good visibility, and in a tight-knit community like ours, it goes a long way.

Ezra:
So have you seen direct leads come from that, or is it more of a brand play for you?

Cameron Buscher:
I’m doing it more as a brand play, but I definitely think we get a handful of leads from it.

Ezra:
I was just curious because I’ve gotten so many of those ads—like the ones about golf courses trying to sell you space on their scorecards. I’ve seen that pitch a ton of times, and honestly, most of the time, I don’t think it’s worth it.

Cameron Buscher:
Yeah, I got that one this spring too. I do go golfing when I get time, and I’ve seen it in person. But let’s be honest—no one’s really paying attention to those ads on the golf scorecards.

Ezra:
Exactly. I’ve also seen the grocery cart ads—where you get a slot on the cart itself. If you’re short on leads and need work right now, that’s not going to move the needle. That kind of stuff is a long-term brand awareness play. So if you need leads in the next two months, it’s a terrible move. But if you’re trying to build name recognition over time, it might be worth testing. Just curious what results you’d seen.

Cameron Buscher:
Yeah, I don’t have a specific lead I can trace back to it, but I assume some of them have come from there. I’ve had clients who were at those events where the brand was featured, and they’ve turned into long-term clients. One of my long-time clients, for example, runs ads on placemats at local restaurants. They’re just paper mats with square ad slots. I trade spring cleanup and lawn care work for ad placement. She runs it across three restaurants in town for six months—and last year I picked up five or six new clients from that. That’s pretty good considering it’s almost free.

Ezra:
And did you actually track any of those leads back to that specifically?

Cameron Buscher:
Not with perfect accuracy, but aside from my time, I didn’t really spend much. That’s the beauty—it’s a long-term brand play, and people see it repeatedly. It keeps your name out there.

Ezra:
That’s so interesting. What other strategies have you used to bring in new customers as your business has grown? You’ve been around for a while now.

Cameron Buscher:
One thing I’ve done since day one is use Facebook—not paid ads, just having a business page. A lot of local people follow it. When I post that I’m taking on new clients or share photos from a recent project, it’ll get 20 to 40 shares. That can reach 6,000 to 7,000 people organically. You may not get leads right away—sometimes they come three or four years later from someone who saw a post. And then, of course, there’s the bread and butter: word of mouth and referrals. That’s huge here. We’re in a smaller city—less than 30,000 people in the Tri-Cities. Your reputation goes a long way. Your work speaks for your brand.

Ezra:
One of the things you mentioned recently that I thought was really interesting—you said you’ve actually had success with cold calling for commercial work. That’s something most people shy away from. Do you mind sharing what made you try it and how it worked out?

Cameron Buscher:
Yeah, I actually had pretty good success with it. What got me thinking about it was from a conversation in a Facebook group and an episode on the Million Dollar Landscaper Podcast. They were talking about using AI to generate proposal letters—something to send out to commercial clients to introduce your company and offer a bid.

At the same time, I was also listening to Brian Fullerton’s podcast where he talked about just walking into businesses and asking, “Hey, do you guys already have a snow provider? Are you happy with them?” So that kind of gave me the push. I noticed a fast food place in town that always looked rough after snowstorms—either plowed too early or not cleared properly. So I decided to reach out.

I called and asked to speak with the manager. Right off the bat, I said, “Do you currently have a snow care provider?” She said yes, but followed it with, “They don’t do a very good job.” That opened the door immediately. I told her I was local and we do commercial snow removal, and asked if we could submit a bid for the rest of the season.

She was out of town for a bit, so I didn’t hear back right away. But eventually, she returned my call and now we’re preparing a bid for the upcoming season. That gave me the momentum to keep going. I started calling a few smaller businesses and worked my way up. Just last week, I sent out three or four quotes totaling close to $40,000—all from cold calls.

But here’s the key: I wasn’t calling and doing the typical pitch, like, “Hey, this is so-and-so from XYZ Lawn Care.” That stuff gets ignored. I led with curiosity—asking if they had a current provider and if they were happy. That opens up an actual conversation, and that approach worked really well. I’ve already sent out four bids and have a couple more going out this week. All from five-minute calls.

Ezra:
That’s really smart. And you’re right—snow removal is one of those services where frustration builds quickly. If people feel let down even once, they’re more open to switching. So if you catch them at the right time with the right message, they’re way more likely to consider it. You’re not just cold-calling, you’re solving a real pain point.

Cameron Buscher:
Exactly. And that’s why it worked. I had been thinking about trying this all winter. I even spent some time on YouTube watching how salespeople structure their cold calls. Almost all of them said the same thing: Don’t just lead with “Hi, I’m so-and-so with this company.” That turns people off. Instead, start by asking if there’s a problem they’re experiencing.

That first call that worked, we had just wrapped up our snow route on a Thursday and I thought—why not try? I called and simply asked if they were happy with their snow provider. That one question led to the whole conversation. So yeah, the biggest thing is not selling immediately. Ask if there’s a problem—and if there is, they’ll tell you. That’s your opportunity.

Ezra:
What advice would you give to someone who’s nervous about reaching out to commercial clients like that?

Cameron Buscher:
I’d say this: You’ve got to understand that most businesses aren’t being called by people asking the right questions. They’re getting cold calls all the time—but most of them are generic, robotic, or straight pitches. If you come in curious and genuinely want to help solve a problem, you stand out.

Start small. Call one or two places. Just ask, “Hey, do you have a provider for X? Are you happy with them?” If they say yes and they’re satisfied, no harm done. But if they’re not, you’ve got a warm lead. Don’t overthink it. Just ask the question. It’s way less scary when you realize you’re not selling—you’re offering help.

Ezra:
One thing I found interesting—you mentioned that before reaching out to a larger company, you actually started small with cold calls and built from there. How did that go?

Cameron Buscher:
Yeah, I definitely recommend starting small and building your strategy before going after larger companies. I called a few smaller places first, and that gave me a confidence boost. A lot of them gave me an email to send a bid to. Even if they weren’t taking bids for this year, they added me to the vendor pool for next year—which was great.

Some of these businesses are on multi-year contracts, maybe two or three years, or they sign annually but reach out to vendors around February. So the timing of when you reach out is really important. Ideally, you want to be contacting them mid-season or just before the next season when they’re actively thinking about their vendor lineup.

Ezra:
That’s solid advice. I once heard someone say—don’t set a goal for how many “yeses” you’ll get, set a goal for how many “no’s” you’re willing to collect. Because when you flip the mindset, rejection becomes part of the process, not a setback. So I’m curious—what tools or systems are you using now to manage everything as your business grows?

Cameron Buscher:
Yeah, last year was really the first year we started implementing systems to actually work on the business instead of just grinding all the time and saving the admin stuff for rainy days.

For a long time, I used Invoice Simple. It worked okay—I’d meet with a client or get a call, and I’d enter their info right away in the app. Then I’d get them a bid within two to three days. If it was a more complex landscaping project, I’d let them know it might take three to five days, maybe up to a week.

But about three weeks ago, we switched to Jobber, and so far it’s been great. It’s a big step up—way more organized than pen and paper. You can see if someone viewed your quote, track jobs, invoices, and customer communication all in one spot.

Ezra:
Jobber’s great—I like it too. What made you choose that over the other options out there?

Cameron Buscher:
I’d just heard so much about it and seen a lot of solid reviews on YouTube. Plus, some of the other platforms out there are expensive—like $500–600 a month. I wasn’t looking to spend that kind of money starting out. Jobber was running a good deal, and they’re a trusted name in both the lawn care and HVAC industries. So it just made sense.

Ezra:
That’s smart. What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as your business has started to grow?

Cameron Buscher:
Honestly, one of the biggest challenges has been managing the workload without getting overstressed. When you’re doing all the operations, managing workflow, and trying to grow, it can pile up. Especially when it’s you, a sibling, and now a new employee.

For me, hiring that first non-family employee was a big shift. Before, it was just my brother, and I was kind of a mentor or teammate. But now I’ve got someone who isn’t family, and I had to step into the role of actual boss. That’s been an adjustment—learning how to manage and lead in a more formal way.

Ezra:
How did you find that person?

Cameron Buscher:
He actually went to school with my brother. I reached out to him a couple of months before we hired, and he ended up being a great fit.

Ezra:
On the flip side—how do you stay motivated, especially during the slower winter months?

Cameron Buscher:
Winter is definitely slow for us. We had a couple of snow events last week, and another light one today. But it’s not super consistent, so it’s a quieter time. I also work part-time in the off-season, so I get a little break from lawn care while still staying busy.

That said, I’m always thinking about how to grow. I’ll run small advertising campaigns and spend a lot of time watching YouTube—following guys in the snow removal or landscaping industry who are ahead of where I am. That kind of content really motivates me and helps me stay focused on what’s possible.

Ezra:
Where do you see your business heading in the next three to five years? Do you have any specific goals or dreams you’re working toward?

Cameron Buscher:
Yeah, over the next three to five years, one of my main goals is to build a small shop. Ideally, this summer I’d like to purchase a piece of property and start working on that project ourselves. Between myself and some family members, we have the know-how and tools to put it up ourselves, which will help save money.

On the operations side, we’d love to grow into two to three crews—ideally two mowing crews and one full-time landscape crew. Landscaping has grown significantly for us the past two years. We bought a tractor and also have access to additional equipment like skid steers through family. That’s helped a lot. Our landscaping schedule now runs into August, and we’re working five to six days a week. We try to finish mowing early in the day so we can shift over to landscaping. But at this point, we’re almost at the point where we need to split off into two dedicated crews.

Ezra:
That’s a great problem to have.

Cameron Buscher:
Yeah, we’re still managing it with just one crew, but it’s definitely becoming a stretch.

Ezra:
Do you think you’ll double down on commercial work too, especially with what you were saying about snow removal?

Cameron Buscher:
Absolutely. I want to lean more into commercial accounts, especially for snow. These businesses always need reliable snow service—and they usually have a low trigger point, like a tenth of an inch, which means more frequent service. Plus, salting is huge in our area. We get around 60 to 75 inches of snow a year, and there are a lot of salting events too. If you can offer salting and snow removal and keep your team working 12 months instead of nine, that’s a huge step toward scaling.

Ezra:
In your local market, are most snow contracts priced monthly, or are they still per-push?

Cameron Buscher:
It depends. Larger commercial properties tend to be under seasonal contracts. But smaller places—like banks, credit unions, or nursing homes—are often still per-push. There are also hybrid setups where the contract includes a fixed number of pushes or salt runs, and anything beyond that is billed additionally. That helps protect your margin when you get hit with heavy late-season snowfalls.

Like this year, for example—we’re supposed to get another foot of snow in the first week of April. Most snow contracts run November 1st to April 1st, so that extra snow would fall outside the standard agreement. That’s where those overage clauses help a lot.

Ezra:
That’s wild. I’ve been hearing the same thing from folks in the Midwest. Even where I grew up in Ontario, just north of Michigan, it’s been feast or famine. Some winters, there’s hardly anything. Others, it’s nonstop. It’s hard to build a snow business on something that fluctuates so much.

Cameron Buscher:
Exactly. Back in high school, if I had the client base I do now, we would’ve been swamped—there were some years with four feet of snow on the ground all season. Then in other years, like last year, we only plowed six times. It’s unpredictable.

Ezra:
Just wait. That monster winter is always around the corner. So, Cameron, if you had to start over from scratch tomorrow, what advice would you give your younger self? What would you do differently?

Ezra:
If you had to start over from scratch tomorrow, what would you do differently?

Cameron Buscher:
That’s a tough question—but I’d definitely make marketing a bigger priority from the start. Your work builds your brand over time, sure—but marketing gets the ball rolling. I’ve seen it firsthand. A new company came to town and immediately focused on marketing—website, truck wraps, branding. They started from zero, and within five years built what looks like a $300K–$350K business just from smart marketing moves.

Today, with AI, Google, and the internet, marketing is your most powerful tool. Word of mouth is still great, but that only kicks in after you’ve landed customers. Marketing gets you those first clients—and then word of mouth follows. I’ve had people come over while we’re doing a clean-up or hardscape job and ask for a quote just because they saw us out there.

Ezra:
Yeah, that’s spot on. I had the same experience. When I first started, I hadn’t even bought my zero-turn mower yet—I just had a push mower and a rake. But I set up my Google Business Profile on day one and asked my first customer for a review. That early visibility brought in leads organically. At the beginning, you don’t have a customer base for referrals, so marketing really has to carry you for the first few years.

Cameron Buscher:
Exactly. In my case, my dad worked at the post office and kept a stack of my business cards at the front desk. That actually helped a lot early on, and referrals started to build from there. So yeah, you do what you can to get that traction.

Ezra:
That’s kind of cheating, but it worked! So, for someone looking to grow their lawn care business in 2025, what’s one final piece of advice you’d give?

Cameron Buscher:
Invest in new equipment. I know it can be tough financially, but your equipment is what earns you money. If you take care of it, it’ll work hard for you. I’ve always leaned toward buying newer gear—and I’ve had way less downtime because of it. It keeps you productive and helps you grow.

Ezra:
Thanks so much for being on today, Cameron. This has been packed with valuable insights. Looking forward to having you on again soon.

Cameron Buscher:
Appreciate it, Ezra. You have a great day.

Ezra:
You too. Talk soon!