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Author: Jeffrey Scott

Jeffrey Scott

Jeffrey Scott

Jeffrey Scott, MBA, author, specializes in growth and profit maximization in the Green Industry. His expertise is rooted in personal success, growing his own company into a $10 million enterprise. Now, he facilitates the Leader’s Edge peer group for landscape business owners. To learn more visit GetTheLeadersEdge.com

Video: Ramp up referrals with the 3 Ps

  Referrals are both the fruit of your success, and the magic ingredient for future growth. The recipe for “ramping up your referrals” requires three ingredients, all added in consistent high amounts. Use this video to educate your team on how to expand your business and profit through managing your product, process and people relationships. […]

Profit Power: How to compete with ‘the big boys’

If you’re trying to compete with “the big boys,” like Brickman and ValleyCrest, you need to be aware of how the larger commercial property management firms operate. They have a sophisticated approach to decision making (it’s different from an owner-operator of a strip mall). The approach You need to find out: At what level the […]

Video: 10 roles of the (successful) CEO

Entrepreneurs must make the transition from working in the business to working on the business. Here are the 10 roles that a successful CEO must play in his or her business to propel its growth.

Profit Power: 7 steps to double your income

I spent a week in Maryland earlier this month. We boated around Washington, D.C., and Annapolis, plus I spent two and a half days leading a peer group retreat with nine contractors from around the country. It was a special time because everyone brought his or her spouse. One of the participating companies had built […]

Video: Inspire your staff without demotivating them

You can inspire your staff, but you can’t motivate them. Learn what to do and what not to do, to get the most out of your employees. The only thing worse than unmotivated employees, is an uninspiring boss. Watch this video to learn how you can clear out the clutter that can demotivate your employees.

Video: Train employees to think for themselves

As a business owner, there’s never enough time in a day. Shave off a few minutes and meetings by training your employees to think for themselves. Watch this video to find out two techniques for how to get their wheels turning.

Profit Power: Employee loyalty equals client loyalty

In a recent consulting visit with a contractor in the South, my client raised the issue of attrition of her commercial clients. Her retention numbers were far below expectations. She lamented that her firm could easily be in the $10 million range, if she could figure out why she is losing clients. I took a […]

Video: How to sell on value

The “old saw” of price, service and quality is what used to define value. It used to be said that customers could control two out of the three, and having the right combination of these would optimize value in their minds. But that’s no longer the case. Watch this video to find out why and […]

Profit Power: When to lead and when to manage

Owners who are active in the business have two roles: As leaders, answering the questions “why and who;” and As managers, answering the “what and how” questions. Are you spending enough of your time in the right role? During a conversation this week with one of my Leader’s Edge peer groups, a member raised the […]

Profit Power: 5 time-management tips for spring

It’s almost impossible to keep all the balls in the air in the spring. Use these five time-management tips to get more done in less time. 1. Come with two answers. Teach your direct reports and all employees to answer their own questions. When they want to ask you a question, tell them they first […]

Profit Power: 10 traits of a strategic thinker

Successful business leaders remain focused on the future when dealing with short-term problems and opportunities, even when dealing with urgent ones in the heat of the season. They are strategic thinkers and, as so, exhibit the following 10 traits when planning, doing, leading, reacting, correcting and motivating the team. Are you a strategic thinker? 1. […]

Are you 80% efficient?

The ultimate definition of productivity is your ability to keep your laborers on your clients’ properties and, more importantly, to keep them working while on those properties. You don’t make money when they are traveling to and fro, even if your clients pay for the travel. And you make no money with them loading and […]

M&A considerations

Transactions are on the rise. The economy is picking up. Now is a good time to buy or merge with a company to take advantage of growth prospects. There are many owners out there who are looking to sell their company and perhaps become part of your company. I have spent a lot of time lately […]

Maximize your subcontractor markups

Some contractors mistakenly think the markup they make from subcontractors is pure profit, but if you do this you are underestimating your overhead recovery. To understand better, do the following: 1. Calculate your overhead activities and costs associated with subcontracted work. It consists of marketing, sales, billing administration, project management, some insurances, warranty, risk, etc. […]

The measure of success: net to owner

How much should an owner pay him or herself? Some of you might say “as much as possible.” The real answer is a bit more nuanced. Let’s first define earnings. I define owner’s income as follows: Net to owner = a combination of owner’s salary and company net profit after company incentives and bonuses are […]

How overtime can make you more money

There’s a myth circulating around our industry that overtime (OT) is bad. Owners and managers believe this is true because their employees are inefficient; therefore OT is a waste. But inefficiency is a separate issue. Owners are also worried about time-and-a-half pay because they’re running on razor thin margins, yet that too is another distinct […]

Manage your 3 financial bottom lines

The quickest way to grow the value of your company and to ensure it’s well positioned for growth is to manage your three financial bottom lines, namely: 1. Net profit; 2. Operating cash flow; and 3. Return on assets. We all know the first one: net profit. It’s imperative that you measure this on accrual […]

Exit planning: Choosing and navigating your route

There are seven paths to exit your business: Sell it to an outside party. Sell it to your family. Sell it to your employees. Liquidate it. Have someone run it for you as a semi-active owner. Have someone run it for you as a passive owner. Die and let it go into your estate. No […]

What key performance indicators should I track?

Landscape firms often want to know what metrics will keep them on track. Use this list of key performance indicators (KPIs) to stay focused on what’s most important in running your business. The beauty is once you understand and can measure KPIs, you can use them to motivate employees. 1. Sales The most important sales […]

Simple systems are successful systems

Many landscape contractors have highly creative processes and build great systems, but sometimes they would be better off if they simplified things. For example, one contractor I work with has an excellent referral bonus system, but it is too complicated. It takes too many steps in the process to make it work. When you are […]

EBITDA: 4 reasons it’s a flawed measure of profit and value

Are you looking to raise the value of your firm and sell it one day? There are many factors that determine the value of your business. Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) is one important indicator that is often touted as a silver bullet –but taken on its own, it can be misleading and even dangerous. EBITDA is a […]

Recruiting is like marketing

I was giving a short talk a month ago to five new members of my Leader’s Edge peer group, as we discussed the difficult situation of finding the right and best foremen. A contractor working in Massachusetts suddenly found himself in need of a better lead guy to handle all the business coming his way. […]

Techniques for increasing spring sales Pt. 2

Last month, Landscape Management published Part 1 of this post. Now, here is Part 2, a collection of more important ways you can stay on the right track this season. 1. Find out how they make decisions. It is important to know that you are speaking to the decision maker. But it is not always polite to […]

Five steps for successful strategic planning in 2013

Now is the time to assess this past year and make plans for improved performance next year. Involve your staff and create a strategic plan that everyone can support. Here are 5 steps towards improved profits. 1. Assess your financials. Compare your numbers to last year, and of course, to your budget.  But don’t stop […]

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