Entrepeneurship

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Jun 2026

Posted at 07:27h in Blog, Entrepeneurship, Money, Quoting + Tracking

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

May 2026

Posted at 07:58h in Blog, Entrepeneurship, Leadership

Imposter syndrome is the feeling that you’re not as capable, qualified, or deserving as others think you are even when there’s clear evidence that you are. It’s that internal voice that says: “I don’t really know what I’m doing… I’ve just been lucky.” And there is often an internal story that says - “I’m not good enough to be running this business”. Imposter syndrome doesn’t always look dramatic or obvious. For a landscaper or horticulturist who has built a small team and is starting to grow, it often

Apr 2026

Posted at 08:05h in Blog, Entrepeneurship

Phil Antcliff and Jack Hayes have operated Fifth Season Landscapes, a premium, successful, multi-award-winning Design/Construction, Pool and Maintenance Business in the North Shore of Sydney for the past 16 years. In this interview, my clients and I had the opportunity to ask Phil and Jack questions about their business. A condensed version of our 80-minute Zoom meeting is summarised below. The First 5 Years of Business Q: How did your partnership begin? A (Phil/Jack): We came from similar backgrounds. Sporty, outdoors and a strong work ethic and ran small

Mar 2026

Posted at 19:32h in Blog, Entrepeneurship

Running a landscaping business is not easy. The early mornings, the physical work, the constant problem-solving, the pressure of keeping jobs profitable, keeping staff happy and wanting to stay, and clients satisfied - all of this can wear anyone down. If you’re feeling stretched, tired, or frustrated at times, that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong, it means you’re in the thick of running a real business. Every business owner goes through some or all of these challenges from month to month. And yet, despite how

Feb 2026

Posted at 10:40h in Blog, Entrepeneurship, Uncategorized

Right now is a great time to review how your business performed in 2025. A simple, honest review will help you identify what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus your energy in 2026.   Part 1 – Quick Rating Exercise Start by rating the major areas of your business out of 10. Be honest: this isn’t about judgement, it’s about clarity. Think about how each area actually performed, rather than how you wanted it to perform.   Example: Time Management If you plan the following week every Friday, create your personal

Oct 2025

Posted at 13:39h in Blog, Entrepeneurship, Leadership

Setbacks are an inevitable part of a business. A challenge can feel discouraging when it happens unexpectedly. However, the ability to recover, learn, and stay motivated during tough times often separates resilient business owners from those that struggle. Below, I explore some common examples of setbacks faced by landscaping businesses (such as financial losses or losing a valuable team member) and offer strategies to bounce back while keeping morale high.   Example 1: Losing Money After Finishing a Project One of the toughest situations for a landscaper is

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

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

May 2024

Posted at 06:30h in Blog, Entrepeneurship

A time in your business when you were outside of your comfort zone Think back to when you decided to start your business. You probably had feelings of anxiety, discomfort and excitement. And although you were somewhat afraid, what potentially lay ahead (freedom to pursue your passion, generate a greater income, and have autonomy) provided the strong reasons to help propel you forward. During the first 12 - 24 months you would have been learning new tasks - selling, quoting, invoicing, admin tasks, recruiting, managing employees and

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