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Jul 2023

Posted at 09:39h in Blog, Money, Quoting + Tracking

STEP 1: Analyse Your 2023 P&L At this time of year, I analyse my clients' P&L from last year and check the critical percentages of materials costs, site wages, superannuation, and subcontractors costs. In other words, I see if their gross profit is what it should be. Similarly, we will check the maintenance and design costs, as well as the running expenses of the company. If you do this and find material costs are 10% higher than the benchmark, you may need to increase the mark-up on

Jun 2023

Posted at 12:22h in Blog

I receive many enquiries every month from landscaping, design, and horticulture business owners asking about my services. I’m often asked if I can help with issues they encounter in running their businesses, including: How to make better profits without having to work so hard. How to get a better understanding of financial info. How to create a better quoting system. How to create a better project management system. How to better manage employees and contractors. How to find and retain key employees. How to find

May 2023

Posted at 13:42h in Blog

Jim Collins wrote a book in 1994 called ‘Built to Last’. In that book, he introduced the BHAG or “The Big Hairy Audacious Goals”. “The power of the BHAG, is that it gets you out of thinking too small. In the end, the purpose of a BHAG is to make your organization better.” Collins said. It’s extremely easy to slip into complacency and concern when enquiries start to slow, but that is precisely when you should set some larger goals, and then plan the steps to

Apr 2023

Posted at 12:39h in Blog

Enquiries have been at a peak for the last few years, but with the media reporting interest rate and cost of living hikes, some prospects and clients may be reducing their original spend or even delaying a project. The market is still strong, and most homeowners would have gained increased equity in their properties during covid and want to transform their outdoor space. So what can you do to ensure the schedule stays full many months ahead? Step 1 Work on your Marketing Write down a

Feb 2023

Posted at 09:00h in Blog

When working with a new client, in the first 2 sessions I will analyse their P&L and highlight their four main expenses (as a percentage of their sales) and compare these to what the targeted percentages should be. As you may know, I have created a financial model that allows any landscaper or horticulturist to know immediately what expense is too high in relation to sales for a landscaping or horticultural business. It could be that one or more of the following expenses are too high:

Jan 2023

Posted at 14:58h in Blog

We as business owners are often busy being more hands on than we want to be, so when someone asks “are you happy with every aspect of your business?”, we might respond with “enquiries and sales are good, but systems could be better”. Now that it’s the beginning of the Calendar year, it’s a good time to be reviewing what you have been doing in the previous year or two, and look at it from a fresh, yet honest, perspective. Your Schedule Firstly, have a look at your

Nov 2022

Posted at 14:13h in Blog

Remember when you were keen to start your own business? You may have been doing small jobs on weekends, which gave you the confidence to launch your business full-time. I bet it was an exciting time. You probably had no idea where your next job was going to come from, but your enthusiasm for doing the best possible work for your current client was your focus. Your street sign attracted neighbours’ interest and sure enough you signed up your next few jobs. Each day you learned more

Oct 2022

Posted at 06:00h in Blog

Considering the challenges of the last 12 months (rain, COVID, increased materials costs), some business owners might think it is hard to plan business growth. They might say “I am just trying to organise my business from week to week, and maintain reasonable productivity due to the unprecedented rainfall”. However, I believe these challenges only increase the need for planning business growth! Please read on. Why do we need a plan for growth? Running a business has its challenges, even when the weather is fine. I believe

Jul 2022

Posted at 14:13h in Blog

Last month, we discussed the potential solutions for Designers and Landscape Construction Contractors who experience difficult clients, and how to qualify their enquiries. This month, I am talking to our maintenance businesses. Identify the clients that suit your business If you were to describe the clients you want more of, what would be their profile? Ask yourself these questions to create a profile of your 'best clients' and your '2nd best clients'. What areas do they live in? What typically is the scope of works you provide for their

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