Let the immigration debate begin

It appears that the Great Immigration Debate of 2013 is about to begin in Washington, no doubt leaving many in the landscape industry on the edge of their seats until a bill is signed into law. 

A bipartisan group of eight senators said it has drafted a deal that would lead to a chance at citizenship for most of 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally, The New York Times reports.

The senators plan to unveil their plan today, a day before President Obama is set to reveal his immigration proposals in Las Vegas. 

Let the debate begin, and let's hope lawmakers reach the “tough, fair and practical" bill the senators are promising in a timely matter. --Marisa Palmieri

FD2B Talk Radio Insight of the Night: Bill Arman

One of the biggest complaints of landscape contractors is the inability to find good help.  Although there's no “magic bullet,” on last night's show, Bill Arman of The Harvest Group, provided some valuable tips on how you can solve this problem.

Arman says you need to interview employees by using your EAR (no, not the ones on the side of your head). EAR is the acronym for Example, Action and Results. Instead of having prospective employees submit a resume, Arman suggests asking them to answer open-ended questions, requiring well-thought-out answers, about a specific experience.

Interviewing candidates this way will provide you with valuable insight into how they think and deal with specific situations. You’re not going to get that kind of info from a piece of paper with their credentials listed on it.

Show: My pain is your gain
Guest: Bill Arman, The Harvest Group, Southern California
Date: Jan. 23, 2013
To listen to the full show, CLICK HERE.

Editor's note: As part of a partnership between Landscape Management and FD2B Talk Radio, we'll be posting an "Insight of the Night" every Thursday from the previous night's radio show. FD2B Talk Radio is a Green Industry radio show that broadcasts live every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Eastern. Its host and founder is LM columnist Jody Shilan, who's also the editor and founder of FromDesign2Build.com. 

Feel Good Friday: CLCA awards four for outstanding service

California is at it again, dishing out awards for hard work. The California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) jumped into the fray this time, honoring on January 9 four of its members for their outstanding contributions.

Here's just a short shout out to the honorees, Member of the Year Robert Wade, a past president of the CLCA (2011) and owner of Wade Landscape; and Associate Member of the Year Aaron Huxley, sales manager at Hunter Industries. Mickey Strauss, meanwhile, had the distinct honor of receiving an award that had already been named in his honor--the Mickey Strauss Grass Roots Award. The 45-year industry veteran received the honor this year for his lifetime legislative service to the industry and efforts over the years to promote grassroots involvement to fellow CLCA members. 

But the night's most prestigious award went to Jon Singley, a longtime CLCA member and owner of Blue Spruce Landscape. Singley was honored with the CLCA's Allegiance Award, reserved for people who have been an association member for at least 15 years and who have been active at the state level for at least 10 years.

Congrats to all these men. Keep up the good work, California!

--Beth Geraci

FD2B Talk Radio Insight of the Night: Kevin McLaughlin

Home shows and flower shows are a great opportunity for landscape contractors to “touch” their customers and promote their businesses, but they can get expensive. Between the cost of the booth itself, the materials and labor necessary to build the display and the time required to man the booth during the show, expenses can rise very quickly—regardless of whether you have a 10-ft.-by-10-ft. booth or a 3,000-sq.-ft. living landscape display.

To help minimize these costs, Kevin McLaughlin of Mac Events suggests asking your vendors to “participate” in the costs when building your display. In other words, ask your most frequented vendors to supply you with the materials you'll need to create your display.

Naturally you’ll promote the products they donated as a way of thanking them and promoting their businesses.

Don't forget to ask them to deliver the products right to your booth at the show, saving you even more time and money. While you’re at it, see if you can keep the stuff, too.

 

Show: Trade shows and home shows—an insider's look

Guest: Kevin McLaughlin, Mac Events, Spring Lake, N.J.

Date: Jan. 16, 2013

To listen to the full show, CLICK HERE. 

Editor's note: As part of a new partnership between Landscape Management and FD2B Talk Radio, we'll be posting an "Insight of the Night" every Thursday from the previous night's radio show. FD2B Talk Radio is a Green Industry radio show that broadcasts live every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Eastern. Its host and founder is LM columnist Jody Shilan, who's also the editor and founder of FromDesign2Build.com. 

Feel Good Friday: California town gets environmental grant

Good news for the town of Los Altos Hills, Calif. The town recently was awarded more than $83,000 from the Santa Clara Valley Water District. The grant is being used to provide educational outreach to local students and foster native habitat in a local creek that's been impacted by invasive species. 

By removing invasive species and adding native plants, the project aims to enhance plant diversity along the restored stretch of the creek and improve the natural habitat for wildlife in the area. Sixth graders at an elementary school down the road were eager to contribute to the project, and after being treated to planting demonstrations and ecology lessons, the more than 50 students planted 600 native plants in just two days' time.

It's nice to see young people striving to create change in their communities, whatever the cause may be. As for the Santa Clara Valley Water District, the total number of grants it's awarded so far is $3.4 million. The grants are all geared toward enhancing wetlands, riparian habitat and stream conditions, guaranteeing safe water conditions well into the future. Hats off to them.

--Beth Geraci

FD2B Talk Radio Insight of the Night: Mike Lysecki

We all know it's important to have a great estimating process, but what do you do with that information once the job is sold? According to Mike Lysecki of the Landscape Management Network, “A great estimate is also a plan for the job.” In other words, 50 percent of the value of an estimate is about determining the price (labor, materials, overhead and profit) but the other 50 percent is about job execution.  

For his crews to properly execute the installation, Lysecki provides them with what he calls a “job planner.” This job planner provides the production team with the information they need to install the job successfully and profitably. The landscape design shows them what to build, and the job planner is the breakdown or “recipe” of what they will need to actually build it, including number of man hours that are task-specific, material lists with estimated purchase prices and a list of the equipment needed to install the work.

Show: Stop “guesstimating” once and for all

Guest: Mike Lysecki, Landscape Management Network, Toronto
Date: January 9, 2013
 To listen to the full show, CLICK HERE. 

Editor's note: As part of a new partnership between Landscape Management and FD2B Talk Radio, we'll be posting an "Insight of the Night" every Thursday from the previous night's radio show. FD2B Talk Radio is a Green Industry radio show that broadcasts live every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Eastern. Its host and founder is LM columnist Jody Shilan, who's also the editor and founder of FromDesign2Build.com. 

Pay for production

Case Study: An Incentive System that Empowers Employees to Think Like Owners

By Jeffrey Scott, Consultant

The Problem

John’s labor rates were too high. John, a member of one of the Leader’s Edge peer groups (for landscape business owners), had just bought a company in in the mid-west. His labor costs were hurting profits, and he needed increased cash flow to pay off the note. Necessity is a great motivator.

The System

He decided to use the Pay For Production incentive system: he pays his crews a percentage of the revenue they bill out every day. We calculated he needed to get labor expenses down to 25% of revenue for the majority of his services, so he offered to pay his 2-man maintenance crews a total of 25%. The more work they did the more they earned.  He tracked their hours and overtime and made sure he complied with the law. He implemented this PFP incentives system in other parts of his company.

The Improvement

His labor costs were initially reduced on average by 15 percentage points—for the fertilizer, mowing, holiday lights—though this percentage changed slightly as the season wore on. John experimented with this program in his other 2 divisions.  With this new system his employees are able to earn more, though the quality initially dropped and customer complaints increased. We reacted quickly and implemented an effective quality control plan to correct and maintain standards.

Keys to Success:

• Crews can calculate their pay daily; this is highly motivating, and creates a sense of ownership.

• Crew wages increased dramatically, initially by 25%.

• Quality control and managing the company culture are key.  This system still requires guiding your employees on your company values, and teaching them about the cost of doing business.

In John's Words

I reviewed my plan with Jeffrey Scott and his Leader’s Edge peer group members, to get their candid feedback on the problems they foresaw with my PFP incentive; to find out what had worked and not worked for them. My ultimate success depended on the details of the implementation—they helped me work out the bugs and avoid many snafus.

Success Leaves Clues

The Leader’s Edge peer group members achieved 27% profit growth in their first year of membership. That is something to write home about!

Jeffrey Scott, MBA, author and consultant, grew his landscape company into a successful $10 million enterprise, and he's devoted to helping others share the same success. He facilitates PEER GROUPS for landscape business owners who want to transform and profitably grow their business. For more information, go to www.JeffreyScott.biz, email Jeff@Jeffreyscott.biz, or call (203)220-8931.  

www.GetTheLeadersEdge.com.

Are robots the future?

In the nursery market, new robot technology is solving some labor woes. Could a similar solution be the future in the landscape market?

As Marketplace reported last month, Harvest Automation sells small, battery-powered robots that move potted trees and shrubs around in a plant nursery. This work is typically done by migrant workers. Considering the industry's guest worker program challenges, you can't blame nursery owners for taking their chances with robots.

The manufacturer says the next step is to make robots that can prune and fertilize plants. Perhaps these robots can someday staff landscape company's supply yards? Although not in wide commercial use, robotic mowers are on the market. What else could the future hold?

New year, new enews format

The new year is a good time for change, isn't it? That's why so many of us make resolutions. It feels right to start fresh or change course after a month of eating, drinking and spending our way through the holidays. 

Here at Landscape Management, we resolved halfway through last year to cut down on the number of enewsletters we send you in favor of one improved weekly enewsletter. In 2013, we've rolled the content of our segment-specific mailings into a redesigned version of our flagship LM Direct. Look for it to hit your inbox this week, and let us know what you think.

If you don't receive LM Direct, but you'd like to get a concise weekly email that wraps up the top news for landscape maintenance, design/build, lawn care and irrigation professionals, you can subscribe HERE.

To submit press releases to be included in LM Direct, please email it to me. For advertising or section sponsorship information, please contact Craig McGregor. 

Happy e-News Year! --Marisa Palmieri

FD2B Talk Radio Insight of the Night: Jack Ferrell

Last night on FD2B Talk Radio, Jack Ferrell of Florasearch shared Green Industry recruitment and job search tips. 

Ferrell says the best way to keep your top personnel from looking for a job elsewhere or becoming “recruitable” is by investing time and energy in them. The biggest reasons that key people leave are because they feel undervalued, not respected or unappreciated. It’s not because of money.

One way to retain employees is by providing them education and training. Some owners and managers fear that helping their employees better themselves and develop valuable skills is expensive--and there's no guarantee that employees won’t leave. That's true, Ferrell says, but he points out the alternative: Not educating or training employees and having them stay. 

Show: Find the perfect Green Industry job or employee
Guest: Jack Ferrell, Green Industry recruiter, Florasearch, Sanford, Fla.
Date: Jan. 2, 2013
To listen to the full show, CLICK HERE.

Editor's note: As part of a new partnership between Landscape Management and FD2B Talk Radio, we'll be posting an "Insight of the Night" every Thursday from the previous night's radio show. FD2B Talk Radio is a Green Industry radio show that broadcasts live every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Eastern. Its host and founder is LM columnist Jody Shilan, who's also the editor and founder of FromDesign2Build.com.

Top 5 Landscape Management blog posts of 2012

Are you sick of all the "best of" 2012 lists yet? I'm not (you can find one of my favorite lists here!). And I hope you're not, because today we bring you our top 5 Landscape Management blog posts of 2012, measured by page views. Here we go:

1). A son's plea for safe driving
2). Big clients can kill you
3). Marketing in the new world order
4). Rebranding checklist
5). Improve, change or fade away?

Thanks for following Landscape Management--in print, online and via social media--in 2012. We appreciate your support. As always, if you have a good idea for for a blog post or story in 2013, please contact me anytime.  

Happy New Year! --Marisa Palmieri

FD2B Talk Radio Insight of the Night: Brad Groff

This week on FD2B Talk Radio Brad Groff, co-owner of River Valley Landscape and Pools in Wrightsville, Pa., shared how he uses technology in several different ways to keep his clients involved and engaged in the design process, while minimizing the amount of time that he wastes driving back and forth to their home.

Depending on the project, Groff will create a 2D concept plan in DynaSCAPE and/or a 3D model in Google SketchUp to make sure he's going in the right direction and to get some initial feedback on the design. However, instead of doing a presentation in person as most contractors do, he schedules an appointment with the homeowners using GoToMeeting and conducts an online presentation to review the drawings. Not only does this save him travel time but he can "meet" with both the husband and wife even if they're at two different locations. Another big benefit is he can schedule his meetings during regular business hours and not at night or on the weekends.

Show: It's all in the details. Or is it?
Guest: Brad Groff, co-owner of River Valley Landscape and Pools, Wrightsville, Pa.
Date: Dec. 26, 2012
To listen to the full show, CLICK HERE.

Editor's note: As part of a new partnership between Landscape Management and FD2B Talk Radio, we'll be posting an "Insight of the Night" every Thursday from the previous night's radio show. FD2B Talk Radio is a Green Industry radio show that broadcasts live every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Eastern. Its host and founder is LM columnist Jody Shilan, who's also the editor and founder of FromDesign2Build.com.

FD2B Talk Radio Insight of the Night: Tom Canete

Editor's note: As part of a new partnership between Landscape Management and FD2B Talk Radio, we'll be posting an "Insight of the Night" every Thursday from the previous night's radio show. FD2B Talk Radio is a Green Industry radio show that broadcasts live every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Eastern. Its host and founder is LM columnist Jody Shilan, who's also the editor and founder of FromDesign2Build.com.

Just like an investment portfolio, snow contractors need to have a diversified portfolio that fits your business' short-term and long-term goals and objectives, according to Tom Canete, CEO of Canete Snow Management. He says you should not only have a proper mix of residential and commercial accounts but also a proper mix of contract types. Canete recommends against having just one type of contract in favor of a mixture of contracts that are per push, per event and per season, so you can better manage your risk. This way, no matter what type of winter you have, above average, below average or average, you will be generating revenue.

In addition, Canete suggests having a diversified mix of clients. Not just residential vs commercial but a portfolio of clients with properties that need to be open 24/7, others that might be able to wait a few days (i.e churches) and everything in between.
Show: Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
Guest: Tom Canete, CEO of Canete Snow Management, Wayne, N.J.
Date: Dec. 19, 2012
To listen to the full show, click here.

Heartbreak and hope

Today we're thinking about all those impacted by the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The shooting will no doubt  make parents go home and hug their kids a little more tightly today. At a time of year fabled to be full of cheer and good will to men, it's all the more heartbreaking to think about the enormous void it will leave in these families' lives at the holidays and every other time of year.

Instances like this are becoming all the more frequent. But on a day with such tragedy, it was nice to hear about a landscaping company that's taken steps to help kids lately, Ruppert Landscape. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Brandon Simmons, an area manager in Ruppert’s Baltimore Landscape Management Branch, and his girlfriend, Teresa Hiebler, took a trip to Point Pleasant, N.J. to help with relief efforts. They returned a week later with 14 additional recruits, bringing food and monetary donations.

“Through our work with St. Mary’s By the Sea Parish and their food pantry in Point Pleasant, we learned of the additional need for toys for the upcoming holiday season,” said Simmons. “I enlisted the help of my company and we put the word out internally for toy donations at each of our branches and Teresa put the word out at her son’s school, St. Casimir’s in Canton. Before we knew it, this toy drive had grown exponentially."

Helping the effort was 5-year-old Sadie Mirjafary. In addition to donating her own birthday toys she’d received a few weeks earlier, Sadie and her mom posted her request for toy donations on Facebook. 

Together, all of those involved in the effort collected nearly 2,000 toys. Let's hope we continue a lot more efforts like this. Enough with the wrath that we saw today.

Lawn Care Forum launches at Reunion!

This week we're at beautiful Reunion Resort near Orlando for our inaugural Lawn Care Forum. So far, it's been a great meeting. Thanks to our first round of attendees for taking time away from their businesses to join us and thanks to our sponsors for their support.

The Lawn Care Forum is a new concept in our market. We've brought together some of the industry's leading lawn care operators to network with each other, learn from top presenters and visit with suppliers in a one-on-one format. Here are some highlights from the first two days' events.

Pat Roberts, Tom Lynch, Matt Owens & Craig MacGregor play Reunion Resort's Palmer Course on day one of the Lawn Care Forum. Reunion is the only golf resort to boast Signature courses designed by legends Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus.

On Monday night, RISE's Karen Reardon encouraged Lawn Care Forum attendees to stay on top of local and state regulations and engage with officials on a proactive, rather than defensive, basis. 

Chris Heiler, Tuesday's breakfast speaker, addressed attendees about inbound marketing. He said 70 percent to 90 percent of people visiting your website aren't ready to buy. They're in fact-finding mode, and it's important to provide them with education content and get them into your sales funnel.

Thank you to our sponsors: Dow AgroSciences, Direct Solutions, FMC, PermaGreen and Lebanon Turf.

Interested in joining us next year, at a location TBA? Email me if you're an LCO or contact LM Publisher Jason DeSarle to be a sponsor.

Are you pinning? Consider a business account

Did you know Pinterest added a new feature: business accounts? I just read about it today. I'll have to investigate whether it's the right move to convert Landscape Management's account, but I'm leaning toward yes, based on what I've seen so far and based on the fact that it offers analytics.

I encourage you to look into it, too. Or, if you don't already have an account, this may be the time to jump on board. Luckily, Pinterest offers some case studies to show how other businesses are benefiting. One in particular, an interior design firm's, offers some clues for Green Industry businesses. 

See if joining Pinterest or converting to a business account makes sense for you. Then, pin away! --Marisa Palmieri

An altruistic gesture

A landscaping firm is showing that altruism is alive and well. In honor of its 20th anniversary, Blue Ridge Landscape & Design in Winchester, Va., thought it only appropriate to give back to the city that has brought it so much success. So, Blue Ridge has donated 20 trees to the the city's Jim Barnett Park.

Blue Ridge owner Carl Thomas told the local paper, the Northern Virginia Daily: "We wanted to donate something to the city who has really been good to us over the years. [We] started calling it 20 trees for 20 years."

The gesture comes after the city and park lost 200 trees in a storm last summer. The team at Blue Ridge has children who play in the park, and people noticed there were no more shady trees by the playing fields. So, Blue Ridge planted a variety of trees that would provide shade, including dogwoods and maples. 

The generous move is proving to be contagious; two other businesses--Skyview Tree Experts and Greenleaf Tree Service--have each committed to donating 15 more trees. 

The landscaping industry does a lot to show they care about their communities. Way to go, Blue Ridge, for doing your part!

--Beth Geraci

U.S. Lawns makes franchise list

In a report that appears on MSNMoney.com, Kiplinger rounds up "Seven fast-growing franchises." U.S. Lawns made the cut.

"All have demonstrated solid growth despite the harsh business climate," the site reports, "and none of them require exorbitant startup fees. We focused our search on franchises with growth of 70% or more since 2006 (or 10% or more since 2010 for new franchises). Then we narrowed that list to those with franchise fees of $50,000 or less. Finally, we sorted by franchises in industries that are doing well and are expecting continued growth, according to experts."

Of the Orlando-based firm, the report states that "during hard times, commercial lawn care services are more likely to keep their customers—office parks, shopping centers and municipal centers—than residential services are. Businesses and governments regard lawn care as a business expense, while homeowners tightening their belts regard it as more discretionary. U.S. Lawns doesn't require potential franchisees to have previous landscaping experience. Franchise growth has been impressive: 77% since 2006."

You can see the full list here: http://money.msn.com/small-business-smarts/7-fast-growing-franchises. Congratulations to U.S. Lawns on the recognition!

— Heather Gooch

One night only: trading my pen for a mic

I'm a writer and a reporter for a reason. I'm most comfortable behind the keyboard, telephone or notepad as the one asking the questions. That's why I'm nervous but excited to have the tables turned on me by LM friend and columnist Jody Shilan next week. I'll be the featured guest on his FD2B Talk Radio show. We all should get out of our comfort zones every once in a while, right?

At least I'll be discussing a topic I know well: How landscape companies can grab the attention of the media and get featured in various news outlets, like their local papers, regional magazines or the trade press. Let me now if you have any questions you'd like me to address beforehand--or you can even call in live during the show.

If you're not familiar with Jody's show, you should check out some of the archived episodes. Personally, I can't always listen to the show live, but I've made it a habit to tune in to the archives during my commute. There's a lot to learn from some interesting Green Industry players, like Kevin Kehoe (another LM columnist!), Ed Laflamme, Chris Heiler and others. 

Tune in next Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. Eastern. To get updates about the show, click here and click on the "follow" button below the FD2B.com logo.

--Marisa Palmieri

Five steps for successful strategic planning in 2013

By Jeffrey Scott, Landscape Business Consultant

Now is the time to assess this past year and make plans for improved performance next year. Involve your staff and create a strategic plan that everyone can support. Here are 5 steps towards improved profits.

1. Assess your financials. Compare your numbers to last year, and of course, to your budget.  But don't stop there! Assess each of your divisions as separate profit centers in order to see which areas are dragging you down. Then go deeper:  Assess each of your crews as profit centers. Are they all meeting their budgets and making money? Now take it one step further: Assess each of your client types. Are any of them dragging down your profits or simply falling outside your business model for profitability?

For those of you who want to drive your success even further, you should compare your numbers to industry benchmarks. Not just financials, but other key indicators. I have developed a set of these for our Leader's Edge landscape peer group, www.GetTheLeadersEdge.com.

2. Set goals that motivate. Update your long-term goals (2 to 5 years), and set your one-year goals. Get your employee buy-in to your goals. Get their input at some point during this process, either in creating the goals or assessing the goals. Also, does your company have a "mission" statement that empowers your employees? Most mission statements are boring and too long! If you have to pay someone to recite it in front of your team, it fails the litmus test. You are better off with a "one sentence" call to action that is emotional and ingrained in everyone. 

3. Create a budget. Set a budget for next year, with clear objectives/milestones and metrics. The budget should not rest on your shoulders to execute. Your employees need to buy in to the budget in order to drive it. It is not enough to have year-end budget numbers; they have to be broken down into monthly objectives, with milestones and clear ways to measure performance. You also need clear assumptions, so as conditions change, you are made aware that you need to make changes in your plans. 

4. Make roles clear. At this point, you want to make sure your roles and job descriptions are clear. Does everyone know who will be doing what? Just as important, you need Relationship Agreements in place, where key employees know how they support one another. (This is the magic sauce to making an organization hum!) Your company should have a clear organizational chart so everyone can see the reporting relationships. You need both a current chart hung on a wall for everyone to see, and a second chart that reflects your 2 to 5 year goal. (This one should have blank roles not yet filled in, shown in a different color, so it is clear when you look at it who you need to be recruiting or training.)

5. Refine incentives. Finally, compensation and incentive plans should be created and fine-tuned. There is a LOT to this, so I will cover this in a separate upcoming blog post. 

A good strategic plan should pass the 3-way test. Is it good for the employees, owners and your clients? Could any one of these groups read your plan, and see that their needs are being met? If not, there is a problem with your plan.

Lastly, careful about setting a goal that is too low. If you are too conservative in the short term, you may not reach your goals in the long term.  Now is the time to win big! The way to stretch your staff, and still keep them excited, is to set a "realistic stretch" goal, one that appears to have a 50-50 chance of being hit. Come up with a goal that stretches your people out of their comfort zone yet still feels possible to hit.

If you need help with any of this, reach out to me at jeff@jeffreyscott.biz.

Jeffrey Scott, MBA, author and consultant, grew his landscape company into a successful $10 million enterprise, and he's devoted to helping others share the same success. He facilitates PEER GROUPS for landscape business owners who want to transform and profitably grow their business.  For more info go to www.JeffreyScott.biz, email Jeff@Jeffreyscott.biz, or call (203)220-8931.  

www.GetTheLeadersEdge.com.