The Cost of Doing Business

Weston Zimmerman
  • 5.0 (11)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Cost of Doing Business Podcast is here to help business owners find the path to profitability. We look beyond the glamour and glitz of the Instagram highlight reel by digging into the behind-the-scenes work necessary to achieve our goals. Your host, Weston Zimmerman, is the co-founder of SynkedUP. This award-winning landscape business management software is making a real difference for owners looking for a budgeting and overhead recovery tool and helps with estimating and job costing.

  1. FEB 16

    Ep 94. I Was Winning Jobs and Still Losing Money (Here's Why) | Cody Adkins

    Most contractors don't lose money because they're bad at the work. They lose money because they don't actually know where it's going. In this episode, I sit down with Cody Adkins of Tri-State Outdoor Living to talk about what it looks like when you're winning jobs, staying busy, and still coming up short, especially when winter hits. Cody shares how square foot pricing left him negative on jobs, the pressure of going into winter with four kids, and what changed once he started breaking down labor, overhead, and profit instead of guessing. We also get into running lean crews, paying guys more to produce more, and why efficiency matters more than chasing bigger jobs. If you've ever thought, "We're slammed, so why does this still feel tight?" this one will hit close to home. Follow Cody on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/codyadkinsofficial/ https://www.instagram.com/tristateoutdoorliving/ If you're interested in learning more about SynkedUP, check us out:  SynkedUP - Landscape Business Management Software https://synkedup.com/  Follow us on Instagram: @SynkedUP   #contractor #owneroperator #knowyournumbers #pricing #landscapingbusiness #synkedup

    21 min

  2. FEB 2

    Ep 93. Why Charging More Didn't Hurt My Business | Thomas Vanamerongen

    Most contractors don't undercharge on purpose. They just don't see everything that's actually coming out of their business. In this episode, I sit down with Thomas Vanamerongen of Niagara Waterscapes to talk about the wake-up call that came when he realized his pricing didn't reflect reality. Thomas shares how starting out at $65 an hour quickly turned into $90, then $110, once all the hidden costs were laid out in black and white. We talk about pricing confidence, head trash, and imposter syndrome, and why letting the market tell you no is better than saying no for yourself. We also get into niching down and building recurring maintenance revenue. If pricing ever feels uncomfortable or you've caught yourself second guessing your numbers, this conversation will hit close to home. Give Niagara Waterscapes a follow: https://www.instagram.com/niagara_waterscapes/ If you're interested in learning more about SynkedUP, check us out:  SynkedUP - Landscape Business Management Software https://synkedup.com/  Follow us on Instagram: @SynkedUP #pricing #owneroperator #contractor #knowyournumbers #synkedup

    28 min

  3. JAN 19

    Ep 92. Growing Too Fast Almost Broke My Landscaping Business | Dan Wanders

    Growing a business fast sounds great until the bills start stacking up. What matters is what you do once you realize something's off. In this episode, I sit down with Dan Wanders from Raymar Landscapes to talk about what happens when growth gets ahead of cash, systems, and planning. Dan shares how pushing too fast led to some tough seasons, and how slowing things down, tightening up his process, and paying closer attention to the numbers helped him get back on solid ground. We get into efficiency, equipment decisions, job costing, and the mindset shift that comes with growing at a pace the business can actually handle. It's an honest conversation about learning the hard way and coming out better on the other side. Give Dan a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raymarlandscapes/ If you're interested in learning more about SynkedUP, check us out:  SynkedUP - Landscape Business Management Software https://synkedup.com/  Follow us on Instagram: @SynkedUP #businessgrowth #hardlessons #contractor #knowyournumbers #synkedup

    23 min

  4. JAN 5

    Ep 91. Working Hard Only Works for So Long | More 2025 Highlights

    This episode brings together more honest moments from The Cost of Doing Business podcast, featuring contractors talking openly about pricing, job costing, and the limits of working harder to make a business work. These aren't theories or shortcuts. They're conversations about guessing at pricing, learning the difference between gross profit and real profit, and realizing how small mistakes compound when you don't truly know what your jobs are costing you. From mindset to systems, this is what it sounds like when contractors reflect on what actually moved their business forward. If you've ever felt busy, worn out, and still unsure why certain jobs didn't pan out the way you expected, these conversations will feel familiar. Featured: Matt Martin - @tussey.landscaping Randall Stolzfus - @m.r.landscapes Elliot Young - @emerald_meadows Nate Butler - @summitridgelandscape Kevin Robinson - @robinson_outdoorsllc Sean Hotaling - @nvslandscapes Wesley Trumpler - NVS Landscapes Jesse Weidner - @weidnerlandscape Logan Conklin - @conklin_landscape_solutions Clayton Canby - @mountainlakelandscaping Kalei Duke - @aloha__pavers Christopher Huser - @husers_outdoor_design_build Benjamin Zimmerman - Tussey Landscaping If you're interested in learning more about SynkedUP, check us out:  SynkedUP - Landscape Business Management Software https://synkedup.com/  Follow us on Instagram: @SynkedUP #contractor #owneroperator #profit #businessgrowth #knowyournumbers

    34 min

  5. 12/22/2025

    Ep 90. I Thought I Was Profitable Until I Looked at the Numbers | 2025 Highlights Part 1.

    This episode brings together some of the most honest moments from The Cost of Doing Business podcast in 2025. Real contractors sharing real experiences about pricing, profit, and the lessons they learned once they finally looked at their numbers. These aren't theories or quick tips. They're conversations about underbidding, burnout, growth, and the realization many contractors have after years of working hard without really knowing what their business was costing them. If you've ever wondered what it actually costs to run a contracting business, this is what those conversations sound like. Featured: Rob Picone - Picone Landscaping (@piconelandscapingwny) Kyle K. - Pacific Pine Landscape (@pacificpinelandscape) Leonardo Diez - Volunteer State Landscapes (@volunteer_state_landscapes) Alex Fransen - Derby City Pools (@derbycitypools) Joel De La Paz - Nuñez Outdoor Living (@nunezoutdoorliving) Greg Wittstock The Pond Guy - Aquascape (@gregwittstockthepondguy) Joe Genovese - Genoscape Inc. (@genoscape_inc._landscaping) AJ Wanders - Monolith Artscapes (@monolithartscapes) Marco Mejia - Annabelle Landscapes (@annabellelandscapes) Rob Green - Stonecraft Design & Build (@stone_craftdesigns) Nick Pandolfi - Pandolfi Landscape Construction (@pandolfilandscapeconstruction) Ken Brown - Liberty Outdoor Landscapes (@libertyoutdoorlandscapes) Aaron Emerson - Emerson Lawn & Landscape (@emersonlawnlandscape) If you're interested in learning more about SynkedUP, check us out:  SynkedUP - Landscape Business Management Software https://synkedup.com/  Follow us on Instagram: @SynkedUP #contractor #businessowner #owneroperator #pricing #profit #landscapingbusiness #businessgrowth #knowyournumbers #synkedup #thrivenotsurvive

    31 min

  6. 12/08/2025

    Ep 89. How Tussey Landscaping Built a Crew That Stays for 10–20 Years | With Matt Martin

    Building a crew that sticks around is not luck. It comes from leadership, culture, and doing the small things right year after year. In this episode, Weston sits down with someone who played a huge role in his own start in the industry: Matt Martin from Tussey Landscaping. Weston spent 15 years working under Matt and the Tussey team, and a lot of who he is as a leader today came from those early seasons together. They talk about how Tussey built a crew that shows up, buys in, and stays for decades. They look at what real servant leadership feels like on a job site, why slow and steady growth is often the healthier path, and how years of wrestling with numbers and systems eventually sparked the idea that became SynkedUP. If you want to build a stronger team, keep good people around, and run a business that lasts, this conversation is full of the kind of lessons you only learn from decades in the field. Give Tussey Landscaping a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tussey.landscaping/ If you're interested in learning more about SynkedUP, check us out:  SynkedUP - Landscape Business Management Software https://synkedup.com/  Follow us on Instagram: @SynkedUP #landscaping #contractor #teamculture #leadership #synkedup #businessgrowth #tusseylandscaping

    56 min

  7. 11/24/2025

    Ep 88. How to Stand Out in a Landscaping Company | Ben Zimmerman

    When you work in the trades, it's easy to just show up, do the work, and call it a day. But sometimes the way you carry yourself and the pride you put into your craft quietly set you apart. That has been the case for Ben Zimmerman of Tussey Landscaping. In this episode, Weston and Ben talk about what it really looks like to grow inside a landscape company. They get into developing skill through repetition, taking on more responsibility over time, and earning trust by doing things right. They also talk about how filming jobs for YouTube turned into a surprisingly effective sales tool and how mindset plays a huge role in whether a company grows or stays stuck. Whether you're a crew member trying to build a career or an owner trying to develop leaders on your team, this conversation will hit home in a very real way. Give Tussey Landscaping a follow: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tussey.landscaping/ If you're interested in learning more about SynkedUP, check us out:  SynkedUP - Landscape Business Management Software https://synkedup.com/  Follow us on Instagram: @SynkedUP

    1h 9m

  8. 11/10/2025

    Ep 87. Letting Go to Grow: How Trust Built NVS Landscapes | Sean Hotaling & Wes Trumpler

    When you've built your business from the ground up, letting go isn't easy. But for Sean Hotaling, it was the only way to grow. In this episode, Weston sits down with Sean and Wes from NVS Landscapes to talk about what it really takes to go from a one-man show to a thriving team. They talk about learning to trust others, giving your crew the freedom to figure things out, and trusting your gut when it comes to business decisions. Sean and Wes share what helped them build trust, structure, and profitability, and how using SynkedUP helped make it all run smoother. Give NVS Landscapes a follow: https://www.instagram.com/nvslandscapes If you're interested in learning more about SynkedUP, check us out:  SynkedUP - Landscape Business Management Software https://synkedup.com/ Follow us on Instagram: @SynkedUP

    33 min
See All (94)

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

The Cost of Doing Business Podcast is here to help business owners find the path to profitability. We look beyond the glamour and glitz of the Instagram highlight reel by digging into the behind-the-scenes work necessary to achieve our goals. Your host, Weston Zimmerman, is the co-founder of SynkedUP. This award-winning landscape business management software is making a real difference for owners looking for a budgeting and overhead recovery tool and helps with estimating and job costing.

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