6 Reasons to be Thankful for Your Small Landscape Business

It’s that time of year again. Time to be grateful.

There’s research that supports the idea that experiencing gratitude can positively impact both your personal life, and also your ability to achieve business success.

Plasticity Labs research says companies that embrace a culture of gratitude experience higher job satisfaction, a stronger sense of community and increased performance levels.

Unfortunately, people are less likely to express thankfulness in the workplace, according to a John Templeton Foundation gratitude study. The study says:

• Only 39 percent of employees are grateful for their current job.
• 74 percent of employees will never express gratitude to their boss.
• 70 percent of employees would feel better about themselves if their boss were more grateful.
• 81 percent of employees would work harder if their boss were more grateful.
• 94 percent of men and 96 percent of women agree that a grateful boss is more likely to be successful.

It’s Time to Be Thankful for Your Small Landscape Business

The thankful season kicks off with Thanksgiving, followed by Black Friday, and then Small Business Saturday, a national holiday celebrating small businesses that was started by American Express in 2010. Cyber Monday finishes the long weekend.

Understanding small businesses and their impact on the American economy helps one understand the significance of Small Business Saturday. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) defines a small business fairly broadly—up to 500 employees or $7.5 million in annual revenue. Using this definition:

• There are 28.8 million small businesses in the U.S.
• Small businesses account for 99.7 percent of all businesses in the U.S.
• Since the end of the Great Recession, small businesses have created 62 percent of all net new private sector jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Among those jobs, 66 percent were created by existing businesses, while 34 percent were generated through new establishments. (Go here if you are looking for a landscape industry job.)

American Express offers free resources and marketing materials geared toward small business owners for Small Business Saturday, including custom flyers, social media assets, signs that you can customize with your brand name. The company also offers tips on how to host Small Business Saturday events and specials.

5 More Reasons to Be Thankful For Your Small Landscape Business

Small Business Saturday is one reason to be thankful you’re a small business; here are a few more.

1. You can be nimble. Sure, you don’t have the budget of a larger company, but you do have more chances to make decisions and changes on the fly. Therefore, you can adapt to market trends and run with new ideas quickly.
2. You know your employees and they know you. You can create more family-like cultures and work environments because you have fewer than 50 employees. Consequently, employees at small, locally owned businesses have the highest level of commitment to their employers, says a Baylor University report. With that commitment comes less absenteeism and lower turnover. That’s plenty to be thankful for right there.
3. You know your customers and they know you. Small businesses offer a personal touch because you deal directly with your customers and provide personal service. As a result, you can more deftly solve customer complaints.
4. Despite the fact that small business owners work longer hours (50 percent work more than 50 hours weekly, says The Alternative Board survey), they have more flexibility. For instance, they can leave for a child’s event, bring a dog to work or close the shop early.
5. Your hard work benefits you and your family directly as a small business owner.

Being Thankful for Your Small Landscape Business Happens Daily

Give thanks to your employees and customers—not just this week but throughout the year. Gratitute breeds gratitude. “Truth is, without gratitude, we would have no sustained growth,” adds Lori Worth, president of Vibe Communications. “For teams to thrive, for people to connect and for the mind to be open to learning, we must practice and show thankfulness.”

Editor’s Note: NALP is thankful for its members! Thank your employees (or yourself for a great year) to a helpful business resource in our NALP bookstore and enjoy our Cyber Monday specials! Use code CYBER18 Nov. 26-Nov. 30 for 20 percent off!