It is important when running a business to be able to know at any time how well your business is progressing toward your goals. Some owners may say, “if I am getting lots of enquiries or doing lots of quotes things are going well”. Others will say “if we are booked up 3 months in advance, we are going well”. But wouldn’t it be great if you had a number that could tell you more accurately if your business is on track to hit your
With a construction boom in full swing in Sydney at the moment and just 10 weeks to go till Xmas you are probably fully booked with construction projects and/or maintenance clients. So how do you make the most of this period? Put prospects under pressure to sign Most of you will have full schedules till Xmas but in case you don’t let your prospects know that if they don’t sign off on the project/makeover now, they will have buckleys getting it done before Xmas. Sign clients for
This article is for any owner of a landscape construction or maintenance business, whether you run a 2 man or 20 man team. It’s about preparing mentally first to take your business to the next level. Not everyone wants a $1million business and that’s fine Not everyone wants to have a 6 man team and sales of a $1million a year and that's fine, you can still take your business to the next level without having too many staff. Regardless of how big or small you want your
Every landscape contractor would love to charge more for their service but feel that they must deliver a competitive quote because price is the major determining factor a potential client uses to decide which company they use. Price is important but not as important as you may think. Here are some points to help you think differently about selling a construction project or maintenance contract and how to charge more. 1. Don’t sell to your potential client Go to your next sales meeting with the intention of just
When was the last time you looked objectively at your business to see where you could make some simple changes to be more competitive. Truth is; most guys are so busy working in their business they forget to look where they can simply improve, so they stop struggling to be competitive. Let’s have a look at a few areas: Your Website: Your potential clients will always look at your website to develop an impression of your business. They form an impression of your business within in the
I was speaking with a landscaper yesterday and he said one of the reasons his business hadn’t grown is that he finds it so hard to let go and trust his leading hand to totally look after a job. I told him that it a major challenge that many business owners go through. I found the same thing in my previous business. When it was starting to grow, I found that it was often easier and a lot faster to just do the work than explain exactly
I often hear landscapers tell me that they should plan their jobs better but they just don’t have enough time, because one job finishes late and the other is late starting. Ironically, the investment in planning your jobs better will save you much time throughout the week in phone calls and extended site visits or having to pick up tools and materials you have forgotten to plan, not to mention saving money and increasing profit because your jobs run smoother and with less mistakes. But every
When I met Steve, a landscape contractor, he said he felt that there was never enough time in the day to do everything. Work on site and instruct the guys, buy materials, see new potential clients, draw up designs, work out estimates, do invoicing and basic bookwork and then have some time with his family at night and on weekends. He needed a better way of managing his time. He said, "John, I need your help, my business is taking all my time and thoughts". So I
How long does it take to really improve a business? Much less time than you think. I have seen many businesses improve quickly by focusing on 2 fundamental questions to begin with. These 2 questions are fundamental to a landscape business. So here are 2 questions that help you improve yours. Question 1 Where do my leads come from and is that source still working? Most Landscapers don’t give this fundamental question anywhere near enough time each week. They know they should be doing more but choose to get involved
I was talking with a landscape contractor last week and he was saying that he is tired of experiencing some growth and success in his landscape business but he never allows himself to really take his business to the next level. I said that is pretty common in business, many business owners experience that 2 steps forward and 1 step back pattern. He acknowledged that a subconscious self sabotage was probably at play because he secretly had a fear of success and what increased sales and