BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Tieskoetter Lawn Care

OSSIAN -- Tieskoetter Lawn Care is your local one-stop-shop for all things lawn-related. According to father and son duo Bryan and Austin Tieskoetter of Ossian, IA, and their nine-person team, they take pride in offering lawn care solutions to NE Iowa families at an affordable price. The four-year-old business offers a wide range of products and services to its customers, Austin said. It includes spraying and fertilizing lawns and pastures, mowing and trimming commercial and residential lawns, aerating, overseeding, spring clean-ups, fall clean-ups, dethatching, rock sweeping, ornamental trimming, mulching, lawn restoration, seeding new lawns, lawn rolling, edging, and commercial and residential snow removal. In addition to the lawn service business, Tieskoetter is also a certified Gravely lawn mower dealer, certified Kawasaki engine repair technician and Echo power product dealer. They also provide tire repair, new tire sales, and oil changes. DecorahNews.com spoke with Austin Tieskoetter about the business. DN: What inspired you to start this business? AT: My father and I decided to start this business when he sold the family dairy cows. We both liked the outdoors and we thought mowing lawns would be a good way to keep active and be outdoors. DN: What is your background and how did you develop your skill set? AT: My first job ever was mowing, trimming, and spraying the DeSale's Cemetery in Ossian. I went to Hawkeye Tech for agricultural business management, where I learned a lot about business and weeds. We developed our skills through hard work and dedication to learning new information. DN: Tell us how you market your business to grow sales. AT: We have a website. We also market with DecorahNews.com, LA communications and word of mouth communication throughout our communities. DN: What has been your biggest success to date? AT: Our unbelievable growth from us starting with 40 total customers our first year in business to over 700 total customers in a matter of four years. DN: What is the best thing a customer ever said about your business? AT: That it is a pleasure working with us because we are a family business. They said it was nice seeing a father and son being able to work as well together as we do. DN: What inspires you to get out of bed every morning? AT: The ability to talk and interact with our valued customers. DN: What is the best business advice you've ever received? AT: Treat your customers' property as if it were your own. DN: What are the one or two things within your business that you need to improve upon over the next 12 months? AT: Time management and employee communication. DN: What interesting fact about your business don't most people know? AT: We started with only one mower and having other part-time jobs to help start the business. DN: What one bit of advice would you give to a young person looking to get started in operating their own business? AT: Be able to work more hours than you can play for the first few years. Don't be afraid to take a small challenge here or there to excel your business. Editor's note: Business Spotlight is produced by the newsroom of DecorahNews.com and is not a paid advertisement. The goal is to recognize area businesses by telling their stories. It is challenging to be an entrepreneur, regardless of the type or age of the business. DecorahNews.com recognizes the huge role that businesses play in our rural communities. If you own a business in Decorah or Winneshiek county and would like to be considered for an upcoming Business Spotlight, tell us about your business here.