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Jun 2022

Posted at 15:16h in Blog

They change their mind repeatedly, and remove parts of the quote - leaving the potential project segmented, which you know will end in an average result. They show disappointment with small details after work has been done, they question variations, and refuse to pay invoices. Remember that last time you had to deal with a painful client? So, how can you identify such a client in the first couple of meetings, before it’s too late? And if early identification doesn’t happen, how do you manage a

May 2022

Posted at 13:06h in Blog

When you are flat out running your landscaping business, it can be hard to find the time to focus on social media. It can be even more difficult to work out what to post and when to make sure you are attracting the right clients for your business. But, as a landscaping business in 2022, you can’t ignore social media. Now more than ever, it’s so important that you elevate your business profile online, or risk being left behind. You may be working away at your

Apr 2022

Posted at 10:27h in Blog

You have undoubtedly experienced previous projects that did not work out the way you had anticipated. For example; Construction mistakes that had to be rebuilt, different parts of the scope that took much longer to build than was quoted, material costs increasing and clients that ended up being difficult to work with

Mar 2022

Posted at 10:31h in Blog

Do you prepare your quotes on a fixed quote or a cost-plus basis? If you run a maintenance business, the basis is cost-plus generally, however, many clients want the service capped at a certain number of hours. In a landscape construction business, most offer a fixed quote rather than a cost-plus, however over the last few years in the residential sector, I have witnessed a small shift toward cost-plus quoting.   Let’s look at the pros and cons of the 2 offers. FIXED PRICE QUOTING Fixed price quoting means

Feb 2022

Posted at 12:33h in Blog

The Landscape industry has benefited from increased enquiries since the pandemic started. But, we should never expect enquiries to remain strong without a proactive approach to our marketing. So to assist you, I have highlighted some marketing trends that emerged during the pandemic and will remain strong throughout this year and into the next. HOW YOUR BRAND IMPACTS THE ENVIRONMENT With climate change as an important global issue, consumers are selecting brands whose business practices impact the environment less. Making your clients aware of how you care

Dec 2021

Posted at 12:13h in Blog

At the beginning of 2021, we were hoping the worse of COVID might be behind us, and some sort of normality could be experienced. But no, the delta variant, prolonged lock downs and imposed vaccinations dominated the year. Considering this year was even crazier than last, the Landscape Industry, and most businesses operating in this area, have done very well. Now that we are at the end of the year, let's reflect on what worked well and what could be done differently next year. Some ideas

Oct 2021

Posted at 14:36h in Blog

Think about how often you have said yes to a request in the last couple of months but wish you hadn’t. You may have arrived at a job, realised it wasn’t the right project for you, but you agreed to quote it anyway. You may have agreed to a wage increase for an employee, but realised the increase was too great, and now you will likely need to increase the wages of some of your other employees. Or, you may have told a client you would

Sep 2021

Posted at 11:21h in Blog

When it comes to growing a business and succeeding, billionaire Richard Branson is a guy we listen to. He founded the Virgin Group in the 70's, which today controls more than 400 companies in many diverse sectors from travel, to telecommunications, health, banking, music, and leisure. Below are some of his tips for growing a business. PLAN FOR THE LONG-TERM "Setting some milestones for you and your team to work towards will keep you motivated and driven. If you have a clear vision of where you would

Aug 2021

Posted at 15:30h in Blog

Since COVID began, I have taken a stronger interest in golf and am playing more regularly. I always found this game quite frustrating, but the more I play it, the less frustrating it is. Funny how that works! Playing regularly has helped me to refine my technique, practice more, and know what I am doing wrong when my game isn't working. And running my business has always been similar. Here are some business lessons playing golf has taught me. LESSON 1: KNOW WHAT LIES AHEAD, SO YOU

Jul 2021

Posted at 13:27h in Blog

Years ago, Stephen R. Covey wrote a ground-breaking book, titled “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” that changed the way many leaders manage their business and life. In this article, I summarise the 7 habits, so you can choose to apply some, or all of them. BE PROACTIVE A proactive person takes responsibility for all the good and not so good that happens in his life and business. A proactive person focuses their time and energy on things they can control. They plan what they want

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