You Can’t Do Everything on Your Own

Jackie Svoboda is the co-owner of Luxury Landscapes in Lincoln, Nebraska. It is an up-and-coming landscaping company launched in 2018 that Jackie operates alongside her husband Ken. Together, they utilize Ken’s 40 years of landscaping experience and Jackie’s marketing experience to drive the company to success.

Is Luxury Landscaping the first business you started together?

Jackie says that this is their first time owning a business together. They have always had a dream of owning their own company. Jackie says that she and Ken both came to a point where they were ready to leave their current positions and take the big leap into business.

What makes you stand out in the market?

Jackie says that their upper hand in the market all comes down to customer communication. Making sure that you always answer your phone, showing up to appointments on time, and informing customers if you are going to be running behind are all great ways to develop great relationships with customers and stand out from the competition.

How many people do you currently have on your team?

Jackie says that when they first started, they thought that they would be able to run the business themselves, but after the first few months, they quickly realized that they needed to hire more employees. 

They have recently grown their team to nine crew members and an office assistant. Overall, they have established a great team that makes the company work. Whether they are out on the field or in the office, they are always putting customer care first.

Of the people that you first hired, who is still on the team now?

Jackie says that none of their original team members are still employed at the company. She says that she’s extremely selective in the hiring process. They have a solid brand and reputation that they need to uphold and their crew has to fully align with that.

How did the pandemic affect your business?

Jackie explains that it did not negatively affect them. In fact, their company actually “exploded” during the pandemic. She believes that the reason behind this is that people were not traveling at all and had a lot more time to focus on the aspects of their homes that needed to be improved.

Does your business offer snow removal during the winter months?

Jackie says that they do include residential snow removal in their list of services. She says that a very small percent of their business is snow removal, but it really just depends on how much snow they get during each season.

What is your plan for growth?

Jackie explains that she and Ken have no desire to be the biggest landscape removal company in the city, but they do want to be the best. 

They are continuing to grow their crews to be able to fully service the area and get jobs completed in a timely fashion. She says that there is a lot of room to grow, but she doesn’t want to scale exponentially.

Where do you get most of your business?

Jackie says that referrals are one of the biggest ways that they get a steady influx of clients. Ensuring that they take great care of their clients has allowed them to grow their referral rate to almost 70%. They do have a referral program at their company, but they don’t necessarily ask for them. 

What do you wish you would’ve known before you started your business?

Jackie says that she wishes she would’ve braced herself for the growth and given herself some grace while growing. She explains that there are times when you are not able to do everything yourself, and that is completely okay.