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Branching Out: Balancing Autonomy and Oversight While Expanding

From increased purchasing power to providing growth opportunities to team members, scaling via branches can be a powerful tool for your business. However, branches can also be a double-edged sword if you fail to sustain your quality levels and company culture. Centralizing Overhead Tasks One of the benefits of a branch structure is being able […]

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Boosting Your Business: Connecting with Clients Through Design Narratives

When you work with residential clients, much of their decision-making is based on emotions. Obviously, logical aspects still play a factor in their decision, but connecting with homeowners through design narratives can be crucial for getting a sale across the finish line. Forging An Early Bond Finding common ground early on can help you quickly […]

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Protecting Your Business: Why You Need Contracts, Not Handshakes

When you’re on the smaller side or when your business is simply mowing lawns, you may think contracts aren’t necessary unless you’re working for a large commercial customer or general contractor. However, failing to utilize contracts for your jobs can leave your company wide open to lawsuits and leave you with no legal recourse if […]

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Faces of the Industry: Emilie Steinauer

In college, Emilie Steinauer was undecided about her major until she took a landscape appreciation course to fulfill a core credit requirement. Before taking the class, she had no idea the landscape industry existed as a career path. “That class opened my eyes to the world of horticulture, and I quickly realized my passion for […]

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Partners in Success: Collaboration Drives Growth

The lawn and landscape industry is built on relationships, which is why some companies prefer to see their customers more as partners. Choosing to have a collaborative connection with clients versus a transactional relationship has many benefits. Likewise, opting to view vendors as partners as well can provide critical support in times of need. Why […]

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Building Your Team: Set Your Company Apart with Superior Client Communication Skills

The importance of quality communication with your clients cannot be overstated. For many landscape companies, the level of communication they provide is one of their key differentiators. “Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful relationship,” says Kaylie Gibbons, maintenance business manager with Landcrafters, based in Pinellas Park, Florida. “By fostering transparency and professionalism across […]

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How to Attract and Retain Top Talent with Equity Compensation Plans

In the war for talent, sometimes you can feel like David going up against Goliath. One piece of ammo you can consider for your slingshot is equity compensation plans for key employees. “If you’re an owner-operator looking to maintain your viability in a market full of private equity-owned firms, then equity comp is an alternative […]

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Changing The Game: Exploring Ethoscapes’s Meteoric Rise Through M&A and Organic Growth

If you hadn’t heard of the company Ethoscapes five years ago, that would be understandable, as the business was created in 2023. However, since then, they have soared into the spotlight with their rapid M&A and organic growth. In 2024, the business was the second-fastest growing company out of Landscape Management’s Top 150, with 203% […]

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Team Building: Creating Goals Your Team Can Drive Toward

How often are you going to get in a friend’s car if you don’t even know where they’re going? Similarly, it’s going to be very hard to convince current employees and job candidates to stick with your organization if you don’t have concrete goals you’re aiming for. While you’ll always have that handful who are […]

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Conquering Challenges: Merging Modern and Traditional Elements Into a Cohesive Landscape

When a client contacted Environmental Management Services, Inc. (EMI), based in Plain City, Ohio, they wanted a residential landscape renovation that seamlessly integrated a contemporary design with a luxurious, functional outdoor environment. EMI delivered all this while preserving the homeowner’s century-old oak tree. In addition to earning a Gold Award of Excellence for the overall […]

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