He also expects gross revenue to grow by 10 percent compared to revenue. You can also find our Benchmarking Your Business calculator to give you an idea of how you stack up in your region, and to download segment-specific budget calculators at www. Today, there are more opportunities than ever to use data to gain the knowledge you need to grow a more sustainably profitable business in the landscape industry. Benchmark data is a valuable tool for understanding how your business compares to others across the country.
It shows where you excel, so you can use that information to your advantage. It can also highlight opportunities for improvement that you may be able to profit from as well.
The Benchmarking Your Business report offers the most current contractor data, so you can quickly understand how your business stacks up in areas such as profitability, budget management and contractor spending, among others. When combined with the real-time customer feedback you can gather via social media and online professional review sites, the Benchmarking Your Business report can give you a big-picture view of your business and opportunities for growth.
At Exmark, our focus is on building state-of-the-art, yet easy-to-use commercial mowers and turf management equipment. Our goal is to give you, our customer, better, more productive, and cost-effective equipment that helps your business grow and be profitable. We share your passion for your work, and your steady stream of feedback helps us refine our designs and develop new technologies to better meet your needs.
If you are not a current Exmark customer, I personally invite you to visit your local Exmark dealer and see how our machines can help you raise the bar for your business. Learn more about the Exmark Advantage, or locate your local Exmark dealer, at Exmark.
About 10 years ago, most UTVs were rugged work machines that featured very basic cab designs with no added bells or whistles. Today, the UTV is starting to look and function like an everyday car or pickup truck.
More manufacturers are adding technology to the cabs: touchscreens, navigation tools and rearview cameras. Manufacturers agree the automotive industry is driving advancements in the UTV market to make the cabs more like that of a car or a truck. Features such as adjustable seats, tilt steering wheels or cup holders are becoming the norm for UTVs. An increasing number of UTVs offer entirely closed-cab designs so they can be used in cooler climates. Some models feature full-sized doors instead of bars to make it easier for contractors to hop in and out.
Frankly, you can work all day long in them and on the weekend use them to go trail riding or hunting or for recreational purposes.
On top of the creature comforts being added to UTVs, manufacturers say UTVs are also becoming more accessorized and versatile. UTVs can be used for myriad purposes, with the help of accessories and attachments. Adding one or two attachments can turn a basic UTV into a variety of vehicles: a snow plow, a mini hauler, a fertilizer spreader or a vehicle to cart workers around the jobsite.
Because versatility is important to contractors, Reece says Mahindra offers more than 50 accessories and attachments for UTVs, such as post hole diggers, spreaders, tillers, mowers, rakes, cutters, hitches, lifts and blades to name a few. He says there are also different tire treads and tire patterns to pair with these vehicles so they best fit the application needed. Both models incorporate a cargo box that folds down on either side of the tailgate to convert it into a flatbed trailer.
This feature allows landscapers to transport mulch, hay or other tools around a jobsite. Cub Cadet faces similar demands from landscapers. Mielke says the company offers a variety of storage options to best serve these customers. Insecticidal soap is an effective chemical solution when applied locally. Grubs - Grubs eat the roots of Bermuda, St. Augustine and Zoysia grasses. Nematodes—roundworms that enter grubs and kill them within a few days—are the most active solution to rid your lawn of these pests.
Fire ants - If found in small mounds, pouring boiling water on the mound can be effective. Moles and voles — If you see broken sod and mounds forming in the yard, try pouring liquid or granular mixes of castor oil around the yard. Japanese beetles, mole crickets, cut worms, army worms — Neem oil and sprays containing potassium bicarbonate can be effective on beetles. Treat army worms with the natural insecticide, Spinosad—a natural substance made by a soil bacterium that can be toxic to insects; or the caterpillar spray, Bt—an easy-to-mix liquid concentrate that kills worms and caterpillar stage insects but has no effect on birds, earthworms or beneficial insects.
European crane fly - They feed just below the surface, destroying plant roots and stems. Treat with SaferBrandGrub Killer, an insecticidal soap potassium salts of fatty acids and pyrethrin, and clarified neem oil. It helps to know which of your plants will only last one year and which can last for a much longer amount of time. Your yard service contractor will also know which flowers and vegetables would be good to plant again for the following year or how to change it up so you landscaping still looks good.
Should your garden include blooming perennials like roses, etc. Waterproof your deck. For those who have the opportunity to spent some of their summer months enjoying a deck, the fall is the time to give it a power wash to help prevent any growth of mold and mildew.
Be sure not to use the washer at its highest setting so as not to damage the surface of the wood. Once it has been cleaned and left to dry, apply a weatherproofing stain to prevent moisture damage from impacting the wood during the winter.
Oil and store your tools. After your garden implements have served you faithfully over the spring and summer, give them a final cleaning for the season followed by a light application of oil to keep rust at bay. This way, they will be sure to give you years of service when you take them back out each spring.
Clean out your gutters. Leaves in your gutters will build up quick. Looking after your yard can take a chunk of time and effort, as there is a wide range of things that need to be taken care of to protect the yard during the winter and best position it for a glorious rebirth in the spring. Here are a few common questions I've received over the years related to charging a consultation fee:.
What if none of our competitors are charging a fee? Won't we be at a disadvantage? Quite the opposite. You'll be viewed as different , which is exactly what you want. Personally, I never charged a fee when a prospective client came to my design studio for our initial meeting.
I felt like this displayed enough of a commitment that a fee on top of that would be unnecessary. I think the fee needs to be considered low risk by your prospect but still serve as the first small investment and commitment to you. Raise the fee until you sense resistance. Your threshold may be different. In my opinion, this credit erodes the position you're building as the expert.
I think it shows weakness and creates doubt in the mind of the prospect. It's a total landscaper move- I don't know another industry where a professional would voluntarily return their fee. What if we don't charge design fees? Should we still charge a consultation fee for complex projects that require a landscape design?
If you don't have a problem giving away your expertise for free in the design phase why would you bother charging a consultation fee? It would only get in the way of your foot-in-the-door offer the free design. Charge your prospect's credit card at the same time you schedule the consultation so you collect the fee prior to the actual visit.
In the next article I'll share my pricing strategy for structuring a landscape design proposal and the associated fees. Make sure you are subscribed to our blog to get the next article delivered to your email.
You can subscribe using the form below or just go here. We get more leads in historically slower months than we used to get in the peak of spring and it's just continuing to grow! In marketing, when you can get stretched so thin, Landscape Leadership has been an awesome resource to keep us moving in a positive direction.
Working with Landscape Leadership has had an immediate impact on my business. I have used several other marketing agencies in the past and only wish I found them sooner to help grow lawn care, tree care, and pest control. In other words, I left a lot of money on the table. Let's start at the very beginning of the sales process with the consultation.
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