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May 2025

Posted at 05:26h in Blog, Leadership

Charles M Schwab was one of the world’s most successful business leaders during last century. He was paid an enormous amount of money each year to run US Steel Corporation and manage its thousands of employees by owner Andrew Carnegie. Schwab's unique approach to understanding, connecting and inspiring his employees is still highly admired throughout the world today. Here is a summary of Schwab’s approach. He Avoided Criticism and Used Encouragement Schwab believed the way to get the best out of people was through genuine encouragement. He didn’t

Apr 2025

Posted at 09:21h in Blog, Quoting + Tracking, Sales

Over the past few years, I have been increasingly asked about the Cost-Plus Estimate, how it works and whether I think my clients should put it into practice. The reason for the increased interest in the Cost-Plus method is that many business owners who have been using the Fixed-Price method have had the experience of actual labour hours exceeding what was quoted, resulting in little or no profit on more projects than they would like.   Let me explain how it works Firstly, it is an Estimate and not

Mar 2025

Posted at 16:02h in Blog, Money, Quoting + Tracking

I have spoken with hundreds of Landscapers over the years, and two quoting terms that are often misunderstood are Markup and Margin. Some Landscapers assume these two terms mean the same thing, however, there is a significant difference between the two! And knowing the difference between them can be a key factor in your business either making a profit or a loss. Simple Explanation Margin and Markup are both business terms related to calculating profit, but they represent different ways of looking at the same transaction: Markup represents the

Feb 2025

Posted at 11:04h in Blog, Entrepeneurship, Systems

The Challenges Two Clients Faced In 2023, two clients joined my program with a similar goal: to increase profits and improve systems. Both were committed to improving their businesses but needed guidance on how to achieve sustainable growth. The first step was a thorough assessment of their profit-and-loss statements, loan repayments, cost structures and current processes being utilised. By pinpointing where their costs were too high relative to sales, we were able to develop an actionable plan. The initial plan involved: Refining Cost Structures: We analysed staff

Nov 2024

Posted at 07:43h in Blog, Sales

When you first meet a prospect, they don’t know you and will likely have their guard up while discussing their needs. An indication of this is when you ask them how much they have to spend and all you get is silence, or "I have no idea". So your first intention should be to build a relationship with a client and that means having their best interests at heart. In this article, I will discuss how you can make a potential client trust you faster so

Oct 2024

Posted at 06:00h in Blog, Leadership

Why do some businesses and sports teams have great cultures and long-term team members? Dan Coyle found when researching this topic for his book, ‘Culture Code’, that the main reason great companies retain staff for longer is they satisfy their team’s innate human need for belonging and purpose. Culture is built on relationships, connectedness, growth, and a shared goal. Culture, like any relationship, is built up over time through everyday moments. Shaping your company’s culture hinges less on big moments and more on those seemingly mundane interactions

Sep 2024

Posted at 08:12h in Blog, Entrepeneurship, Leadership, Marketing, Systems

In early August, I interviewed Grant Boyle from Fig Landscapes on Zoom. I invited my clients to attend the meeting and ask Grant questions about the way he runs his business. We are all fans of his work and loved his humble, open and honest chat with us. Here is a summary. John: What do you attribute your success to? Grant: "Having passion for this industry, and for designing and building gardens. I live and breathe landscaping. I am always researching materials, designs, trends. I find it hard

Aug 2024

Posted at 05:37h in Blog, Entrepeneurship, Leadership

What does above the line mean? It starts with thinking and playing above the line of responsibility. When you take responsibility and ownership for all that is happening in your business (good and bad), you are empowered to do whatever it takes to make your business successful. When you don’t operate above the line of responsibility, you are not in control and operate from the area of being a victim and feel at the effect of everything. Let’s go into this important explanation in a little more

Jul 2024

Posted at 08:29h in Blog, Money

The new financial year has begun, and now is the perfect time to analyse your P&L from the year just finished. By following my simple steps outlined below, you can analyse your numbers and percentages. Then, use the analysis and forecast the coming year to drive sales and marketing, as well as making changes to the way jobs are managed. STEP 1: Analyse Your 2024 P&L In July each year, I analyse my clients’ P&L from last financial year and check the percentages of Materials costs, Site Wages, Superannuation

Jun 2024

Posted at 11:22h in Blog, Uncategorized

"I hate Plan B, people perform better, in sports and everything else, if they don't have a Plan B. I've never, ever had a Plan B." ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger I agree with Arnie's beliefs on a Plan A for our MAJOR DECISIONS in life and business. When someone makes a decision to do something that will benefit his/her business or life, (like starting a new income stream, employing a new manager, upgrading their design system or buying a new home), having a Plan A (and no Backup

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