Author: Phil Harwood

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

Phil Harwood asks landscape business owners to take a close look at services provided to identify areas to eliminate due to a lack of labor.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

Phil Harwood shares how bumping up employee referral bonuses may seem like a good long-term idea but can often only have short-term benefits.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

Phil Harwood shares how examining your own resignations from jobs can help prevent attrition and improve employee retention at your business.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

It’s May. The grass is growing. The flowers are going in. But snow is inevitably coming and Phil Harwood explains why you should start prepping now.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

Phil Harwood shares how to telling clients you need to raise your prices for services can go off without a hitch like a Broadway play.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

Phil Harwood explains why it’s important to know the worth of your business and the best strategies for going through the valuation process.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

The renewal process takes many different shapes in our industry. The renewal process for residential work is different than that for commercial work and there are many variations within these general categories. All of this variation makes writing about the renewal process challenging. However, some common themes apply to most situations. As we consider our […]

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

Phil Harwood shares why strategic planning can play a key role in the future of your business.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

Phil Harwood shares how business owners can increase the potential for a successful transition if they’re planning to leave or sell the business.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

Phil Harwood shares how you should give more time to set your New Year’s resolutions by thinking about them now.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

Phil Harwood shares the dangers of the “not my job” mentality and how that can rot away at your recruitment and retention efforts.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

Phil Harwood shares how solving labor issues at your business includes taking a look at the relationships within your employees and past employees.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

Columnist Phil Harwood explains why perfect time to update our strategic plan, clarify goals for next year and develop budgets.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

Phil Harwood shares how your business can and should address the rising costs of doing business by raising prices to keep your gross profit margin growing.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

In this installment of Snow Strategy, Landscape Management columnist Phil Harwood discusses the strategy needed when negotiating snow contract terms.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

In his latest blog, Phil Harwood explains how companies can come together and enjoy the community they provide now that COVID-19 restrictions have eased.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

Landscape Management columnist Phil Harwood breaks down how revenue only tells us part of the story when it comes to a company’s success.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

Because we operate seasonal outdoor businesses, the weather is an important element to factor into our estimating systems, sales proposals and account management processes. As we do so, I highly recommend becoming well-educated in weather statistics and learn how to translate that knowledge into increased sales, customer satisfaction and profitability. First, historical weather statistics provide […]

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

In this installment of Snow Strategy, Landscape Management columnist Phil Harwood lays out the best practices when it comes to billing for big snowstorms.

Phil HarwoodNov 3, 2023

“Desperation recruiting” is when companies act impulsively, and sometimes unethically, to recruit out of sheer desperation. At its worst, it involves “stealing” people from a competitor’s job site. This type of recruiting appears every spring but increases in occurrence whenever the labor supply has substantially dried up. The rationalization behind desperation recruiting is that the […]