Author: Jody Shilan

Jody ShilanNov 9, 2023

Landscape Live! host Jody Shilan interviewed Jukka Lyly-Yrjainen, president of Avant Tecno USA, from the Landscape Management booth at GIE+EXPO 2013. Listen to learn more about the company’s articulated compact loaders and attachments.

Jody ShilanSep 13, 2013

I don’t think that I have ever met anyone as knowledgeable or enthusiastic about plant material as Chris Rubino of Monrovia Growers. When it comes to selecting plants for an installation he recommends that all of your plants pass his “5-4-3-2-1” test if you want to create a better landscape. 5:  The number of senses […]

Jody ShilanSep 5, 2013

Joe Pedatella says he no longer feels guilty to let go a bad employee. Yet, when his employees decide to fire themselves, what’s there to feel bad about? Let me explain. Pedatella focuses on instilling personal responsibility and accountability into his employees. For example, when one is habitually late, he will sit them down and […]

Jody ShilanNov 3, 2023

Question: We’re a smaller landscape design/build company. Most of our projects are between $2,500 and $5,000 and rarely get over $10,000, so selling design fees is really tough in our market. Any suggestions on how we can improve our closing rates without a plan?—Jonathan Chaseman, JC Landscape Construction, Gresham, Ore. Answer: As much as all […]

Jody ShilanAug 29, 2013

President of The Principium Group Ron Edmonds weighed in on what business owners need to think about when developing an exit strategy. Successful exit strategies require several key components. Foremost, they need to be planned out well in advance of your future sale of the business and retirement plan, sometimes as far out as five […]

Jody ShilanAug 23, 2013

When developing a fertilization program for your business you don’t have to choose between being 100 percent organic or 100 percent synthetic. Many landscape contractors and lawn care operators create their own recipe by blending the two product types, providing their clients with a quality lawn that’s also environmentally responsible, said Nicole Wise, head of […]

Jody ShilanAug 15, 2013

A landscape company’s sales process needs to be organized like a recipe from a cook book, said Danny Wood, a consultant and Sandler Training expert. The main ingredients in the recipe are your behavior, attitude and technique. If you have all three, mixed in the right order with the correct proportions, your chances of success […]

Jody ShilanAug 9, 2013

Dominick Mondi, executive director of the New Jersey Nursery & Landscape Association, expressed some insights into immigration reform and the Green Industry’s need for a comprehensive and well-developed plan. The country needs to retain government programs like H-2A for agriculture and H-2B for landscape, Mondi explained, and he dispelled many of the misconceptions surrounding them. […]

Jody ShilanJul 18, 2013

It’s rare that somebody puts a spin on a topic that I thought I knew quite well. But that’s exactly what Tom Shay of Profits Plus Solutions did on FD2B Talk Radio last night. Instead of running through a laundry list of characteristics of what a loyal customer is, he changed the concept of customer […]

Jody ShilanJul 11, 2013

With his laid back southern style and more than half a dozen y’alls throughout the evening, consultant Jerry Gaeta provided some important insights about job costing. Gaeta says job costing is something that must be done during the project and not after it’s completed. He compares it to a football coach who has one plan […]

Jody ShilanNov 3, 2023

Q. When creating job descriptions, what’s the best way to separate the roles of design and production? —Mark Muzio, The Landscape Design Group, Waltham, Mass. A. This is a great question that companies of every size constantly struggle with, regardless of how many years they’ve been in business. Although my answer is straightforward and simple, […]

Jody ShilanJul 8, 2013

One common problem landscape design/build contractors face is providing seasonal color for their clients without creating a “landscape buffet” for the local deer population. Author and gardening expert Stephanie Cohen, aka “The Perennial Diva,” shared some tips about “Tried and True Perennials for Your Landscape” on FD2B Talk Radio on July 3. In the early […]

Jody ShilanJun 26, 2013

On last night’s show, Green Industry consultant and Landscape Management columnist Frank Ross discussed the financial reasons so many landscape contractors fail in business. Some fail to make a profit, some fail to control labor and some just don’t have that “fire in their belly” that pushes them to succeed every day. Although we didn’t […]

Jody ShilanJun 21, 2013

According to Rich Goldstein, president of Green Meadows Landscape Contractors in Oakland, N.J., one of the most important things you need to do when trying to break through the million-dollar mark is to learn how to let go. What does he mean? To successfully grow your business you need to find managers to oversee your […]

Jody ShilanJun 21, 2013

When creating a logo, it’s just as important to consider who you are as a company as it is the message you’re trying to convey, says Adam Sokoloff, president of Philadelphia-based Sunrise Signs. Are you a high-end residential design/build contractor that provides a full service, turnkey operation to only the most discerning clients? Or are […]

Jody ShilanJun 6, 2013

When thinking about becoming a “green” company, you need to do more than talk the talk. According to Green Industry consultant Judy Guido, “green” can’t just be a sales pitch you use in your marketing and advertising. “Green” has to be embedded in the fabric of your company for it to be believable and sustainable. […]

Jody ShilanNov 3, 2023

Question: How much money should companies require as an initial deposit? I’ve heard various theories on this and wonder what your experience is with deposits.—Benjamin Parsons, Living Landscapes, Andover, Mass. Answer: That’s a terrific question, Benjamin. First, let me begin by making a distinction between a deposit toward a design fee and a deposit toward […]

Jody ShilanMay 30, 2013

As owner and CEO of HighGrove Partners, Jim McCutcheon feels his role is to provide a vision for his business, help his employees understand it and then motivate them to help achieve it.  A vision is not just a mission statement or strategic plan that’s created and discussed once a year at a holiday party, […]

Jody ShilanMay 24, 2013

Accidents are no accident. That’s according to Pat Donovan of Risk Prevention Consultants. As both a seasoned landscape contractor and retired New York/New Jersey Port Authority police officer, Donovan understands both sides of “the ticket” when it comes to safety violations for trucks and trailers as well as personal protection equipment (PPE). One thing he’s […]

Jody ShilanMay 24, 2013

Dave Maciulis is an upscale landscape designer and the publisher of Natural Landscapes, an outdoor design and lifestyle magazine, making him the perfect guest for a discussion on landscape trends. Although we discussed many exciting industry trends, some of which could be considered “R” rated, there were two big insights from last night’s show. The […]

Jody ShilanOct 11, 2013

Many of you may know that “girdling” may cause a tree to fail over time. Girdling occurs when a tree root wraps itself around the trunk of the tree, literally choking it to death. The typical cause of girdling, according to Mark Chisholm of Aspen Tree Expert Co., is too much organic material, such as […]

Jody ShilanNov 3, 2023

Question: We work in a very competitive market and quite often our clients want to negotiate the price when we present the proposal. We don’t want to artificially inflate the prices to give us some wiggle room, but we also don’t want to lose money. What’s the best way to handle this?—Edward Thompson, Sunrise Landscape, […]

Jody ShilanNov 3, 2023

I was at your workshop last week at the Green Expo in Atlantic City, N.J. (It was great, by the way). Can you explain what you mean when you say, “Everybody gets the same leads.”? One thing’s for sure, I definitely don’t get the same calls as some of the bigger companies. —Helen Somerset, Pinelands […]

Jody ShilanNov 9, 2023

Q: Can you explain the concept of using a retainer agreement instead of a design fee to get a commitment from the client toward both the design and the installation? —Dylan Mickelson, Bright Lights Landscaping and Outdoor Lighting, Las Vegas, Nev. A: I just got back from PLANET’s Green Industry Conference in Louisville, Ky., where […]