It’s in the Roots
- Jodi Brunner
- Sep 11
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 16
Article and photos by Jessica McCafferty
Jacob Jabaut never dreamed of property management as a career. In fact, he thought he wanted nothing to do with it. He had helped his father, who owned a similar business, since he was ten, mowing his fair share of lawns while dreaming of brighter pastures.
He chose to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Television Video Production at SUNY Plattsburgh, but after graduation found available job openings didn’t align with his career goals.
To tide himself over and keep busy while he was job hunting, Jabaut decided to take on a few lawn care jobs to pay the bills. A few months in, he was not only paying his bills, but he saw a business opportunity. He was enjoying being his own boss and, just like that, his career path came full circle and he found himself starting a property management business like his father before him.
That was five years ago. Today Jabaut is 27, soon to be married and the proud owner of JJ Property Management (JJPM) which has grown to include ten employees, a fleet of mowers, five trucks, two dump trailers, several landscape trailers, and one enclosed trailer. Jabaut and his team provide both commercial and residential service in Clinton, Franklin and Essex counties. You’ve likely seen one of their trucks and care teams around town.
“We focus on groundskeeping — mowing, trimming, landscape maintenance, weed control, and fertilizing in the summer months and snow removal, plowing, shoveling, and sanding/salting in the winter months,” Jabaut commented. His philosophy is “perfecting a simple model for the business, creating systems that can be easily followed and adapted in order to guarantee the same great results every time.”
Bringing in the Business
While Jabaut has done direct mailings, along with a few Google and Facebook ads, he has found his best marketing tool is his current clients and word of mouth. JJPM has a 4.9-star Google rating and the reviews sing the company’s praises. When asked about the accolades, he said with a shy smile, “We are just trying to provide the most value in the easiest way possible, and our clients appreciate that. It’s great they tell others.”
When quoting a job, one of the tools Jabaut utilizes is satellite imaging. Prospective clients often want on-demand estimates and the images allow JJPM to get property measurements and see terrain that might cause problems. While it doesn’t replace on site review of a location, the technology has proven helpful, along with spreadsheet formulas that consider the lot size, grade, obstacles, and necessary labor.
Communication tops the list of core principles at JJPM. Jabaut likes to be straightforward with clients, mapping out where extra charges can be incurred and how to avoid them. He offers regularly scheduled appointments for places with obstacle heavy lawns — like daycare centers — so the owners know when all the toys need to be corralled for “mow day” or they will be assessed a fee for pick up. “It allows them a choice to save money as well as the peace of mind knowing if they can’t get to it, we have them covered” he stated proudly.
Jabaut’s greatest assets — labor and equipment — are the backbone of JJPM. He has a great team he projects will grow as the company branches out to other locations. Their equipment of choice is Toro, but he commented, “Equipment is all very comparable; it’s the service that makes a difference.” He gave a shout out to McLane’s Power Equipment on Route 9 in Plattsburgh. “They have really good service and keep our machines in top form.”
When asked about automation concerns, Jabaut said, with confidence, he couldn’t be replaced anytime soon. “I’ve been to trade shows and seen the autonomous commercial mowers and learned about their expenses. Eventually they will be affordable, but the business is adaptable so I am not concerned. You still need someone to drop them off and set them up. With all the jobs that could be automated, I don’t see them rushing to replace people like us.”
The Weather Wild Card
The largest challenge any outdoor service business faces is the weather. Unlike the rest of us who curse the rain or the snow for ruining plans, Jabaut and his team rely on it. Though a rainy day can affect mowing plans, without enough rain the greenery isn’t growing. And while warmer winter months save the rest of us on heating bills, it also means less work for those who plow and shovel. Mother Nature plays a big part in how well JJPM does in any given quarter.
“Sometimes we’re required to adapt significantly,” observed Jabaut, “If our teams are rained out a few days in a row, we need to communicate with clients and work them into the next week’s schedule.” Situations like those make him grateful for summer’s extended daylight hours. In the winter, Jabaut and his team must remain fluid as they deal with unpredictable snowfall. “It is often feast or famine,” he observed. Scheduling must give priority in the aftermath of a storm. Which businesses are opening first and which can wait are all considerations factored into JJPM’s plan of action.
Things have come a long way for Jacob Jabaut, from helping his father to building his own thriving property management business. It is a testament to his hard work, adaptability and a commitment to ensuring customer satisfaction. With the strong team he has built and the simple philosophy of “Do one thing and do it your best,” JJ Property Management is well positioned for continued growth.
JJ Property Maintenance
706 Mason Street
Morrisonville, NY 12901
(518) 335-3715