If this is any comfort in this economic climate (and in the spirit of misery loves company), landscapers in UK are experiencing the same challenges as we are. A group of 15 landscapers met recently there, and Wyevale garden center trainer Neville Stein offered these 13 suggestions to keep them going:
• Overhaul your website – it needs to have great images and customer testimonials
• Stay in touch with customers, colleagues and industry experts
• Respond fast to every enquiry
• Word of mouth – astound customers with your service and they’ll talk about you
• Debtor ledger – keep on top of what people owe you, reduce your “debtor days” or the amount of time it takes for customers to pay you
• Negotiate discounts with suppliers for paying on time
• Internal cost cutting – examples are mobile phone contracts or vehicle costs
• Review your bank account
• Sell off assets you don’t use – eg a piece of kit you don’t need
• Set financial targets
• Think about a five-year plan – it will help you stay focused
• Come up with a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that sets you apart from other landscaping firms
• Get off the tools – it might only be for a couple of hours but use the time to think about your business and plan for the future
Source: hortweek.com (Click on the headline to keep track of what your colleagues in the UK are doing and to sign up for their weekly enewsletter.) — Ron Hall
