Building a Business

Jeff Wilcocks, a former electrician, and his wife, Donna, who used to be a travel agent, have parlayed sound management principles into two successful businesses in Regina, Sask., Canada. Several years ago, while working at their previous jobs, they purchased a used Bobcat® 743 skid-steer loader. Jeff started taking on odd jobs evenings and weekends. Soon they had a part-time business. Within a year and a half, Jeff gave up his electrician's job for the prospect of developing a year-round business based on Bobcat equipment. Today, Jeff, 30, and his wife operate Waxy's—a Bobcat loader service and landscape materials supply business that keeps them busy throughout the year. Their equipment inventory includes seven Bobcat loaders (a 440, two 743Bs, two 751s and two 753s). They have five full-time employees and add another half dozen workers during the summer. Donna dispatches the equipment, looks after the books and manages the landscape supply center. Her knowledge and skills include operating skid-steer loaders in the supply yard. Jeff runs the loader service. The work includes excavating, concrete removal and snow clearing. “There's not much hand labor,” Jeff says. “If we can't do it with a skid-steer loader, we don't do it.” Having two operations that complement each other helps explain the relatively fast growth of their business, says Donna. “Both of us had developed good contacts through our previous careers,” she explains. “Plus, we're a locally-owned family business and many customers like that.” Sound business management principles, respect for employees and customers and plain common sense have also contributed to their success.

Excellent Service

The landscape supply center began four years ago. “We had expanded our space in order to store our skid-steer loaders and related equipment,” says Jeff. “So when our customers requested landscaping materials we saw an opportunity to grow that part of the business. We stock a wide range of landscaping supplies—from paving stone and patio pavers to plants.” These supplies, in turn, create a need for their loaders to prepare landscapes and install the materials. It all revolves around serving customers. The 440 loader comes in handy for loading bulk materials such as soil and landscape bark into the back of pickup trucks covered with a topper. That extra service brings in customers. “They know that they won't have to load their pickup by hand, like they do elsewhere,” Jeff explains.

Effective Communication

Since Donna works either in the office or at the landscape supply center, she's able to catch just about every call from customers. That's when her eight years' experience as a travel agent pays off. “She learned how to talk with all kinds of people, whether young, middle age or older,” says Jeff. “She's also very knowledgeable about our services and materials. That's important for building customer trust in our business.”

Qualified Equipment Operators

When it comes to hiring operators, Jeff prefers those with good operating habits. He also likes to hire people who were raised on a farm, like himself, and know how to work with machinery and hydraulics or have experience with construction equipment. Most of his operators also have families. That tends to result in more responsible operators, he adds.

Top-Notch Care of Equipment

Jeff stresses first-rate care and servicing for his loaders and other equipment. The loaders are greased every day. Items such as oil, coolant, and filters are changed according to Melroe-recommended frequency, or sooner, if needed. “Our oldest Bobcat loader is a 1993 model and we have no down time,” Jeff says. “The machines, which we purchased from Barber Equipment, are exceptionally good.” Each employee is assigned responsibility for a truck, trailer and their own individual jobs. They're also responsible for taking care of their equipment which includes all required servicing and frequent cleaning, including waxing the loaders.

A Fair, Personable Approach

Jeff and Donna strive to treat their customers and employees the way they like to be treated—fair and square. Each complements the other's ability to work well with customers. They make sure customers know exactly the types of services and materials they will receive before paying. If they quote a customer a certain price for a particular job, that's it. They don't nickel and dime customers with little, unexpected extra expenses.

Smart Marketing Moves

Much of their marketing efforts are designed to establish a high quality image and set the business apart from others. That includes using “Waxy” in the name of their business. Waxy was a nickname for Jeff's grandfather. His father used that same name for a business he operated. Jeff and Donna adopted it for their business, and not just for sentimental reasons. “People remember the name Waxy,” says Jeff. He insists on clean, sharp-looking equipment. Like their Bobcat loaders, all trucks and trailers are painted red and white, identified as Waxy's. The paint is touched up whenever necessary. “I'm a real stickler when it comes to appearance of the equipment,” says Jeff. “My guys know I like clean equipment. So, they keep it clean.” As Jeff sees it, this regular care and service does more than protect Waxy's investment in equipment. It's also good marketing. “A scratch on a loader means someone has scraped a house, a fence or other customer property. And that,” he emphasizes, “is bad advertising.” Speaking of advertising, one of the first efforts to promote Waxy's landscape supply center was a newspaper flyer insert to target specific areas of Regina. But that proved too costly. Now, when Donna and Jeff announce special promotions, like a week-end sale, they use a newspaper ad and several portable roadside reader boards placed on high-traffic streets. Both media allow them to advertise on short notice. “We've found that the portable signs are most effective if we change our message frequently,” says Donna. “Otherwise, people tend to ignore them.” However, she and her husband note, the best source of new business is satisfied customers. “We treat customers well,” Jeff says. “Word of mouth is still the best advertising.”

MAIL: 1600 Ottawa Street, Regina, Sask, Canada, S4P 1N9

PHONE: 306-949-3324 FAX: 306-546-4686

CONTACT: Jeff OR Donna