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What’s one preseason task or habit that you have seen consistently pay off for a landscaping business?
Landscape Professionals
Paul Fraynd
Sun Valley Landscaping
Omaha, Neb.
“Education and rest. We encourage our team to ‘sharpen the saw’ over the winter by learning, developing new skills and preparing for the season ahead. We also emphasize taking time away to recharge, so they return focused and energized for spring.”
Mike Giese
Perfecturf Lawncare
Mt. Pleasant, Wis.
“Proactive equipment maintenance and service. This helps prevent costly breakdowns and delays during our busy season. We also pay attention to streamlining client communication and scheduling to lock in recurring revenue.”
Bryan Stolz
Winterberry Landscape & Garden Center
Southington, Conn.
“Our off-season habit is to change. Our goal is focused less on the project itself than on building a team that is comfortable with change. That way, when a great idea comes along, we can take advantage of it. And most importantly, it is practice for those tough times when change is a necessity, not a choice.”
Industry Consultants
Marty Grunder
The Grow Group
Dayton, Ohio
“A great spring doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of thoughtful preparation done well ahead of time. Once the season begins … it’s too late to redesign the playbook. Now is the time to sell, produce and lead. Keep a list of what doesn’t work as well as it should, and when the season winds down, let those lessons shape a stronger plan for next year.”
Jeffrey Scott
Jeffrey Scott Consulting
New Orleans, La.
“The Super Bowl is won with the basics, so retrain your team on your core systems and software, re-onboard each employee on how they can win the day. To support your team’s incentives and gamification, play the penny game so they understand all the various costs that go into making a profit, including how profits are spent on taxes and reinvestment, etc.”
Phil Harwood
Tamarisk Business Advisors
Grand Rapids, Mich.
“Get pay scale, cost-of-living and merit pay adjustments done before spring hits.”
