Debbie Does It

How many years have you been in landscaping business, and what inspired you to get started?

We've been in the business for two years now, but we never intended to be a lawn care maintenance contractor. We started as a parking lot sweeping company, and we had to lay off some workers. Through a bit of luck and not wanting to lay our people off we ended up growing into the lawn care company we are. We both still work full time jobs and use Debbie Does It as a way to help young entrepreneurs get their foot in the door of the lawn care business.

How does your work stand out from other lawn service companies in the area?

We're a small, family owned and operated company that reflects small, hometown values. We're honest, upfront and stand by our work. We go through growing pains like everyone else and I'd be lying if I said every customer had an outstanding experience, every time ... but ... I can say that we go through extraordinary means to ensure that our customers get what they paid for.

What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

That depends on the type of customer you are. About 1/3 of the customers we get just want to keep the city from writing them tickets for their grass being too high. If you're willing to put up with the aggravation of booking a different contractor every time you want it cut and praying they show up to save $10 then anyone will do and you might even be able to get your Neighbor's child to do it. About 1/2 of our customers are just normal people that have a busy life and neither the time nor the want to and/or equipment to do it yourself. I mean, let's face it, anyone can cut grass but not everyone can afford the $2,500 in yard equipment it takes to make a lawn look professionally done. If you're one of those guys, don't go with the first guy ya see, shop around a little. Finaly about 1/5 of our customer's expectations don't match their pocketbooks. If you're one of those guys just knock it off and it would make everyone's life easier.

What do you like most about the lawn care industry?

I like the simplicity of it and the joy it brings. There's nothing like laying down in a nice, clean, made bed at night and pulling up to a neat and orderly lawn after a long day's work gives almost the same satisfaction. At the end of the day, we're making lives better, one yard at a time.

What areas do you mainly service?

We service Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News, Williamsburg and the surrounding areas.