As owner of Meticulous Landscaping Inc., Waretown, New Jersey, Robert Kraft knows plenty about providing landscape services to commercial properties. His company’s expertise includes commercial lawn care, landscape design, construction and installation services, irrigation installation and maintenance, and tree care and snow removal services. He has also learned that touching base with his management team […]
You’re beyond the plan-on-a-napkin stage. It’s time to create your first business plan, or take one you already have in play to the next level. So, what now? How will you advance your planning approach so you can dig deeper into the business and get better results? As your business changes, so does the need […]
Preparation is the key to conducting an effective interview. This is your opportunity to get to know a candidate, and to determine if this person is a fit for your company culture. First, prepare a job description so you can determine what qualifications you are interviewing for. You must also know what skills are needed […]
Building a team is a multi-step process that involves recruiting, interviewing, hiring and developing team members. Ideally, you work through this process from beginning to end, because we know from experience if you skip any one of these steps, the result could be a very expensive mistake. Because hiring and onboarding is a process, it […]
The lawn and landscape industry has an interesting dynamic in that it involves quite a few “entrepreneurial couples,” a new term that is replacing “mom-and-pop.” The term refers to businesses owned by couples (spouses or life partners). And the truth is, there are more of them out there than people realize. Couples run many small […]
If you’re struggling to hire or retain employees, it’s possible you may need to revisit the way you do things. Today, the post-millennial generation (Generation Z) is arriving in the workforce—and their wants and needs are quite different than you might be used to. That means if you’re still employing yesterday’s approach to hiring and […]
There are a couple of effective ways to price your work for profit—and we do not recommend bidding all jobs at the same hourly rate (figured on your overhead and desired profit). In a competitive market, you’ll need to go deeper with pricing. Let’s illustrate how three different companies can price jobs three different ways. […]
What does it take to achieve great accomplishments in the lawn and landscape industry? Here are 7 valuable insights industry consultant Jeffrey Scott suggests to help accelerate your landscape business growth. Landscape Business Growth Truth #1: Nice Guys (and Gals) Finish First Some of the most attractive and compelling leadership traits are those of optimistic, […]
There are many ways to grow a business. And in the landscape maintenance industry, referrals are a common way to gain new customers. Today, these referrals come from social networks just as often as from noticing a landscaper’s truck at a neighbor’s house. But you can’t depend on referrals alone. Sometimes, referrals come from across […]
The dramatic setting overlooking Smith Mountain Lake in Huddleston, Virginia, lent itself well to big ideas, stunning design and creative landscaping. The Coopers were looking to maximize usable outdoor space by building a connected, flowing design that enabled interaction and incredible views for entertaining guests. They wanted luxury lakeside living. Over the course of two […]