Stephen Sposato owns Steve's Lawn and Land Maintenance as a sole proprietorship. He took over the business from his father 35 years ago. The business has grown substantially over the years through gradual expansion and offering high quality work. While word of mouth has been his main marketing strategy, his major challenges have included finding reliable employees and developing new customers. He plans to continue running the business himself until retirement.

1. Jessica Ritacco
Nichols College
MGMT 100-08
 STEPHEN SPOSATO
STEVE’S LAWN AND LAND MAINTENANCE
BEST FRIENDS FATHER

2. Sole Proprietorship
 He chose this kind of ownership because he tends
to work best when he is delegating tasks and
handling the dynamics of the company himself.
 He had a strong business sense as well so he was
willing to accept all the responsibility
 He offers extensive lawn care, landscaping, snow
plowing, and tree and brush removal
35 years

3. History
 Family Business
• His father started the business with Steve when he
was a kid
• His father gave him the business before he passed on
therefore his father gave it to him for virtually nothing
• He has been involved in the business since he was a
kid working with his father
• Over the years he has developed extensive knowledge of the industry
• Over the years his company has grown substantially in
• Size
• Quality
• Revenue

4. Major Successes
 His major successes have stemmed from gradual
expansion
 He moved his small garden shop into a well known
landscaping company
 Newest and most up to date equipment
When asked he said the most rewarding aspect is having
a steady clientele and reliable workers that respect him
and enjoy working with him
 In his field it is critical to have above average
knowledge of proper care techniques, how to make a
sale, and to always be upbeat and excited about all
jobs this way customers will want to return

5. Major Challenges
 Finding a reliable crew
 Developing a customer base
 Realizing when a job is to big
 Buying the initial equipment needed
 Paying the insurance and fuel on a monthly
basis

6. Competition
 The most prominent competitors are
 The Home Depot
 Lowes
Lowes and The Home Depot encourage people to be
“do it yourselfers.” This makes people believe that
they are professionals.
To keep a competitive advantage Steve and his
employees offer vast knowledge, and quality work
that mostly cannot be achieved by the “do it
yourselfers”

7. Spread the Word
 Marketing is his downfall
 All of his marketing is done by word of mouth
or familiarity. His trucks travel all over
Southern Worcester county allowing
potential customers to see the logo, company
name, and number

8. Staff
 When looking for new employees Mr.
Sposato looks for
 Reliable
 Substantial knowledge of the industry
 Hard working
 Fast learning
 Good reputation
 Charismatic
 Patient
 Even tempered

9. Foreseeable Future
 Stephen Sposato plans to continue this
business until he retires. After that however
he does not see the business staying open
because he has no one to take up the reins.
 He said that his business plan has worked
great thus far and so he does not plan to
change any of his operations.
 He also does not want anymore expansion
because he likes the way his business
functions

10. Influence
 Q: Did you take over the business to make
your father proud or was it something you
really wanted to do?
 A: My father passed away and that is when I
took over the company. I wanted to keep it
going because it was what we had done
together our entire lives, it was the piece of
him I kept alive.

11. Major expenses
 Q:What are your two major expenses?
 A: My customers are required to pay for the
materials I use to complete my projects.
Because of this Insurance and Fuel for my
trucks are my two huge expenses.
 Q:How many customers do you cater to?
 A: AT the present time we have 18
commercial accounts, 10 public accounts, and
43 private accounts.

12. To the Students
 Do what you love or you will fail. Never forget
that work needs to have a level of fun for you.
Most of all though work hard, a small business is
your life and to fail is devastation.
 Mr. Sposato taught me that a business cannot be
all about making money! If you do not love what
you do then the work can seem overwhelming
and stressful. “Most people ruin their chance at
success but letting their work control them. If
you hate your job it will reflect in your work and
your personality.”