What do running a marathon and operating a business have in common? Everything, according to Nick DiBenedetto, CLP, partner in ND Landscaping, Inc., Topsfield, Massachusetts. He has run in nine Boston Marathons. In some races, he was fast; in others, slow; in still others, slower yet. The point is, though, he reached the finish line in every race, despite the obstacles. "Running a successful business is similar," he notes. "It requires setting goals and having the endurance to reach those goals, no matter how long it takes."

DiBenedetto was 18 years old when he started his company, and it took him 15 years to grow it into a $1 million operation. During the early years, he says there were plenty of times when he wondered why he stayed in business. This year, the company looks to generate $5 million in sales.

How did DiBenedetto and his partner, Manuel De Souza, grow their business to five times its size in six years? This entrepreneur goes back to the word "endurance" and then talks about maintaining a sharp focus on goals. As he tells it, there is a direct link between the 15 years of learning experience and six years of recent growth. "I think it is really true that you have to cry to smile," he says.

He continues, "Most entrepreneurs will tell you that they endured hardships during their start-up phase. We were no different. We did not turn a profit for the first 10 years in business. When I finally came to terms with that, it was too late; I was in too deep."

Making a profit, however, was only one measure of success for DiBenedetto. If it were the only measure, he may have bailed out before his business became profitable. No, during those early years, he set other goals for himself. "Yes, I'm a classic entrepreneur," he admits. "From the very beginning, I enjoyed the thought of having the power associated with running my own business. I relished the recognition, the competition, and the potential financial rewards that come with being in the game. But, as the years went by, I started to use a different measuring stick. Instead of profit and rewards, I looked at my children, my wife, my partner, my managers, crews, and customers and asked myself, "˜Are they getting what they want out of this relationship?'" They became the focus of his attention and his reason, if not reward, for being successful.

With those goals in mind, DiBenedetto forged ahead. The experience he gained in those early years, combined with sharing more experiences with ALCA members and other industry peers, helped him over the top. The end result is a thriving residential design/build maintenance company that this year projects a revenue stream between $4.5 and $5 million divided among three divisions ' design/build, maintenance, and snow removal.

"I surrounded myself with great people who believed in me," he explains. "I also began to network and spend more time with other professionals in the industry. What I discovered was that there was no such thing as a unique problem and that there was a solution out there for every obstacle I ever encountered."

Yet, when talking about his success, DiBenedetto downplays the sales figures and looks instead to his other measuring sticks. "Am I successful. What is success? Success for me is everything ' having a great family, having a good business, and having the time to enjoy life. In my mind, I'm successful because I can take time off to see my daughter sing in the chorus, and that opportunity may only present itself four a five times. You can't afford to miss those opportunities."

Again, DiBenedetto has a broad definition of success. He emphasizes how important it is for all business owners to keep a sharp mental image of what they are building and to continually overlay that image on what they want out of life, to make sure the two are compatible. Endurance has been an important ingredient to his success, he points out, but only so far as it helped him toward his life's goals. The two ' having endurance and setting goals ' have helped him finish many marathons and turn his business into, in his words, "A 20-year overnight success."

3/03

By Rod Dickens, ALCA Contributing Writer