You must know your stuff. That’s the relatively easy part. If you’re reading this, you are likely a seasoned pro with experience in the field of outdoor living design and construction. If you’re a student or just thinking about starting out, don’t start in sales. Get out there and do some construction before you go […]
Most people don’t take on a new job thinking they want to fail at it, get fired, or leave. That said, not everyone will be right for your company or for the position you have open. I previously wrote an article outlining the process of hiring called “A 5-Step Values-Based Systemic Solution to the “I […]
Systems facilitate spontaneity, excellence, and growth Building a systems-based business is a strategy Systems are the structure through which amazing things can happen. If you’ve thought about it or not, the business you have right now has systems. Ways of operating, that mostly happens the same way over and over again. If these systems were […]
Creating the business that you want, requires a well-defined description of that future business. You need to be able to clearly see your business in your mind’s eye. In this way, you can guide the business from where you are today to your vision of your business’s future . The Leadership core function holds all […]
While operations is where your branding can have a big impact on differentiating your business from your competition, administration processes are more similar from company to company.
The accompanying chart, taken from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s March 2014 Frequently Asked Questions report, tells a tale of heartache and concern. The data include entrepreneurs and existing, large firms. But mixing large and small companies together skews the numbers so it doesn’t look as risky as it really is for small landscape companies. […]
Art Life can be beautiful and with the right perspective. It is possible to see that we are surrounded by art. Studs Terkel’s musical, tells it way better than I can. He illustrated the dignity and art of “Working”. Suffice it to say, if you look, you can find art in all kinds of work. […]
In those moments when your team, your customer service people, the front line make a mistake, what they do next, says everything about your brand. Mistakes happen to all of us. Great leaders of extraordinary brands own up to them. In today’s digital world being good is expected. Being good may get you “liked”. Being […]
Why did you start a business? Freedom to set your own hours, be your own boss and enjoy your life more. Felt trapped by the corporate mentality of big business. Whatever it was, if you’re perfectly honest, it’s probably not working out as well as you had imagined. In fact, studies show that most businesses […]
There is a low bar for entry into the landscaping business. Many people get into it with the best of intentions and high hopes of achieving success. How can you distinguish your business from all the rest? The answer is found in “Why”. Why are you in this line of work? The answer is at […]