Included in this month’s issue of Landscape Management is a special publication — “The Landscape Pro’s Playbook” — that my team and I, along with the LM staff, have worked hard to bring to you. It started as an idea I got from a monthly newsletter I received in the mail in the early days of running Grunder Landscaping Co. This newsletter spelled out exactly what landscaping business owners should be doing and focusing on during that month. It really helped me to stay focused as I was learning the ins and outs.
I’ve long wanted to do something similar for the industry, and it’s partially what inspired the weekly “Great Idea” email we send out at The Grow Group and these monthly columns in LM. But we wanted to package our best tips for the year all in one reference book that you could hang on to and refer back to throughout the year.
I hope you like what we’ve put together and find it useful for your business. It covers all the topics and organizes them under the Four Pillar framework that we use at The Grow Group to organize our content and teach — Platform, People, Process and Profits. Here’s what I hope you do with this piece.
Read through it
Each entry is 400 words or less, making it a fast read. Flip to the section that’s most relevant right now and save the others for other times of the year if you need to. Whether you’re an owner or a leader at a landscaping company, there’s information in there that can help you.
Support our sponsors
We had strong support from industry suppliers, which made this publication possible, and all the sponsors are companies that I know, work with and whose services, equipment or materials we use at Grunder Landscaping Co. They’re great brands with great offerings that can help your business be more efficient. Evaluate if their offerings are a fit for you when you look at your plans for 2026.
Save and reference the calendar
We’ve included a calendar that you can tear out of the Playbook that can be your chronological guide to what content to focus on and when. Listen, I have ADD myself, and I know that it can be an entrepreneur’s superpower as much as their downfall. The calendar makes this more digestible to those of us who like to move quickly. Flip directly to the pages that correspond to the month you’re in and work on those things now. It’ll help you prioritize what’s most important throughout the year.
Keep in mind: We had a page limit
One of the hardest steps in writing this piece was cutting down the topics we would cover to our final list. This Playbook is a starting point: If we covered everything you need to know to run your business, it would’ve been the size of a textbook.
Supplement what’s in this Playbook by continuing to read LM monthly, by signing up for The Grow Group’s weekly “Great Idea” email and by engaging with your colleagues in the industry. There’s so much great information out there that can help your business now; use every advantage you can.
A lot of thought, energy and effort goes into running a landscaping business. I’m no stranger to that myself. As we near the end of 2025, it’s time to reload, plan ahead and set ourselves up for success in 2026. I hope “The Landscape Pro’s Playbook” is one tool in your arsenal as you approach the year ahead.
