May 2026 How to Navigate Rising Costs, Fix Slowing Enquiries, and use AI to help you
- Rising fuel costs: it’s time to pass them on
If you’ve been absorbing the hit in petrol prices and hoping prices will return to pre-conflict levels, it’s time for an honest conversation. The conflict in the Middle East has sent fuel prices surging. Diesel has jumped from around $1.60 to $3.40 per litre and now seems to have settled at around $2.50 per litre in May. That’s a near 60% increase for a commodity that every contractor relies on quite heavily. Prices are unlikely to return to pre-conflict levels any time soon.
If you haven’t increased your maintenance charge-out rates recently, now is the time. A modest rate increase, clearly communicated as a reflection of industry wide cost increases, is entirely reasonable. If you’ve raised maintenance charge-out rates in the last 10 months and another increase doesn’t feel right, consider introducing a temporary small fuel levy to reflect actual fuel costs per job. Construction charge-out rates can be increased as well.
Beyond fuel, don’t overlook other material cost increases. Suppliers are passing on increases, and so should you. Revisit your current supplier invoices and update your pricing templates accordingly.
- What you can do if enquiries slow
Winter naturally brings a quieter period for some businesses. With added global economic uncertainty and interest rate increases, it’s easy to feel anxious when the phone isn’t ringing. Here’s what to remember: the buyers are still out there. People have been more considered in their buying decisions in 2025 and 2026, but many are still deciding and buying.
Ensure you stay visible, stay connected, and stay confident. Post consistently on Instagram and social media. Showcase recent projects, share before and afters, and reels of your projects and team. The algorithm rewards consistency, and so does your audience.
Reach out to current clients asking if they are happy with the service and result. A simple message asking how the garden is going can lead to a follow-up job, a referral, or a glowing review. The same goes for your professional alliances like designers, builders, and architects who may be sitting on referrals they haven’t passed on yet.
When enquiries do come in, treat everyone as a long-term client. Give more time to your initial site meetings and quote presentations. Listen to what the client wants, understand their priorities, and work with them to find solutions that meet both their vision and their budget.
- Using AI to help your business
A revolution is happening across the globe right now, with everyone using AI tools, like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity, to name a few. Tasks that used to take significant time, such as writing emails, drafting social media posts, and brainstorming content – or even preparing responses for tricky staff conversations – can be posted in an AI platform, and 10 seconds later a good response can be yours to work with. (I say “work with” because you should also question what it delivers and make sure it suits your business, rather than just blindly copying, pasting and hitting send.)
AI is only as good as the information you feed it. And as most of you will know, it will need to be modified because the content it generates won’t immediately sound like it’s been written by you. So, take the time to personalise it and check its accuracy.
That said, over time, as you use it more, it becomes better aligned with your style and needs. For more complex tasks, like financial planning or detailed quoting, it can help create a basic framework, but everything it delivers should be carefully reviewed.
For example, I haven’t agreed with the financial model for landscapers that any of these platforms have created, so use the framework and adjust the numbers based on your experience. AI won’t replace what you do, but it will help you work more efficiently.
Ultimately, adapting to challenges, passing on costs, staying proactive, utilising marketing strategies, and valuing client meetings and all business relationships will position you to move through this period successfully.
Have a good month!
John Corban