In my conversations with business owners, there are issues and problems that seem to arise over and over again. They’re the same problems most owners deal with, the same ones I deal with. We found this article by Roberta Matuson to be very practical and helpful - 7 common mistakes business owners make and how to avoid them. I’m all about avoidance when it comes to mistakes! Take a look and let us know what you think. Do you have any other tips to add to the list?

____________________________________

I've been in business for over 20 years and have seen my share of mistakes made by business owners — many that certainly could have been avoided. Here’s my list of common mistakes business owners make, along with advice on how to avoid following suit.

1. Failure to hire for fit.
Think about a job that you worked in that didn’t work out. Was it because you didn’t have the skills to do the job, or was it because your values did not align with the organization’s?

I’m betting it was most likely ...

A lot has changed in the last year. But one thing that’s remained the same is the struggle with hiring. It doesn't matter who you talk to in the landscape world, everyone says the same thing: there are not enough people. In this market, it can be tempting to hire anyone and everyone and not fire those who need to be fired. I want to caution you about this, as it is more costly than you may think.

Long, long ago on my very first day in landscaping, I showed up and was put on a crew without any training. You simply cannot do that anymore - properly onboarding new staff has become crucial. New staff need to be aware of how things are done at your company. Having all your staff trained for their position ensures that everyone knows what is expected of them, and their supervisors know what they’re required to teach. It streamlines the process, allowing new staff to feel prepared and supervisors to feel confident that their staff are well trained. It also reduces supervisor frustration beca...

80% of new businesses fail every year. 

While that number seems staggering, it’s not all that surprising. Owners get on the hamster wheel of being a technician and working in the business 24/7 instead of on the business and before long they are burnt out and have no money to show for it.

I have been there; I get it. Thankfully there is a better way.

Today’s book recommendation is a good one for this topic. The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz walks you through a different way to look at and run your business by comparing it to the process pumpkin farmers use to grow the biggest pumpkins year after year.

While there is a tonne of incredible information, there are 3 things that really stood out to me:

1. The way he recommends asking for referrals. Instead of asking clients for referrals, Mike recommends that you ask them for the name of contractors that they are working with and that you build relationships with those people because they probably have a hundred clients they can recom...

If your staff are not making a living wage all winter long, chances are they will be looking for employment elsewhere. This can be challenging during winter months when you are reliant on snow events to provide them with hours. You’re going to need to get creative.

Can you work on a banked hours system through the summer? They wouldn’t make overtime but the banked hours could top up their pay throughout the winter months.

What about the SUB program we've chatted about previously? Look into it and see if your staff are eligible for it. You can read more about it HERE.

Can you set up an on-call schedule in advance (like some of our clients do) so that your staff know in advance when it’s their turn to watch the weather as opposed to being on-call all season long?

What about offering them new or late model equipment, training, regular communication and employee events during the winter to maintain culture? Whatever you do in the summertime for your staff - bbq’s, weekly staff meetings...

Have you asked your clients how they prefer to be contacted? Phone? Email? Text?

Choosing to communicate with your clients in the way that they prefer may seem like a simple thing, but it’s a simple thing that shows clients you are truly listening to what they are saying to you. 

If you are using their preferred method of contact, are you communicating well with that format?

Communicating well means being proactive in your communication about their project. Is it going to take longer than expected? Will a rain day or scheduling glitch mean a delay before you're back on their site? Communicate this information with them as soon as you know instead of waiting for them to ask.

Proactive communication builds confidence and trust. People who trust their contractors are more likely to them to their friends and family. It’s the simple things, like texting (if they prefer a text), that can make a huge difference.

Once you have great communication you can use things like a CRM, social medi...

Are you asking for customer feedback after every job? Not some jobs, but all of them?  

Gathering feedback from every client provides you with insight that will help your company understand your customers wants, needs and the necessary information to help you stay relevant in your industry. Surveys are important tools for improving your business and ensuring your customers send you referrals.

Over the years I’ve found customer surveys to be one of the most consistent and effective ways for receiving customer feedback. You can get great insight with only three questions: 

1. How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?
2. What’s the biggest factor in your answer?
3. What can we improve on?

There are a lot of platforms available for surveys, but two that I have found to be easy to use and cost effective are:

Survey Monkey

Survey Sparrow 

Customer feedback is one of the best tools we have - take advantage of it!

Do you have a client that needs to be fired? Does that question cause you to recoil?

I know it seems counter-intuitive. You feel like you can’t possibly do that; you need the work and you don't want to tarnish your reputation. But hear me out.

I’m not saying you should cancel a contract mid-season, though that may be appropriate at times. What I’m talking about is reviewing contracts at the end of the season and rating them based on a few different criteria to ensure it makes sense to continue a working relationship with them. 

We can often feel like we need to take all the work that comes our way because, well, we need to make money. The problem with that mindset is that we can get booked up with small jobs that aren’t especially profitable and then don’t have time to complete the bigger, more profitable jobs that come our way.

An article from Landscape Management listed these six variables to take into account before you renew contracts:

Revenue size. Generally, larger accounts ...

Legislative requirements regarding overtime pay are often changing and being updated, making it hard to keep up.  We are all familiar with the classification of “Landscape Gardener” as per the Employment Standards Act and the exemption in the Act for paying overtime, public holiday/public holiday pay and excess hours. (Landscape Gardener Classification Exemption ) 

But are you aware that building retaining walls for structural purposes, installing lightning systems, or spraying roads and industrial sites for weeds would not fall under that exemption? (Landscape Gardener Classification Exemption ) That would mean that any construction, including the building of retaining walls, would be classified under “CONSTRUCTION” and therefore the employee is eligible for different things, such as overtime after 44 hours/week. (Construction Classification Exemption)

The real kicker, though, is Snow Removal business operations. As per the Employment Standards Act and special rules (O. Reg. 285/01 ...

Successful businesses don't happen by accident. Business growth requires strategic planning and a commitment to work on your business and not just in your business. There are 5 important reasons why your business isn't reaching its full potential, despite all your time, energy and hard work. 

Mistake #1 - NOT SHARING YOUR LEADERSHIP ROLE

Are you trying to do everything yourself? We encourage you to start by looking at your own leadership role in your business. Have you identified what kind of leader you are? Is your leadership style serving your team well so that your business can grow and operate without you?

Mistake #2 - NOT LISTENING TO YOUR CUSTOMERS

Do you understand your customers?

You wouldn't have a business without your customers but at the end of the day, do you understand their behaviour? You have the power to create loyal ambassadors to your company by giving your customers a great experience and managing their expectations.

Mistake #3 - NOT INVESTING IN YOUR STAFF

A...

How has the last week gone? Were you able to implement any of the tips suggested to help alleviate feeling like a firefighter? As promised, here are a few more from Bruce Wilson of the Wilson-Oyler Group:

1. Delegate. Take a look at your to do lists and identify what can be done by others. It may take them a little longer than it would you, but that’s okay. It’s better if a job takes a little more time and gets completed, than to not get done at all because you’ve run out of time. You can’t do it all, delegate to your staff.
2. Slower can be faster. Sometimes you go so fast trying to keep up that you lose sight of the big picture. Prioritize so you don’t miss what’s important.  
3. If your crews are scheduled to work in inclement weather make sure scheduled tasks can be done effectively in the rain.
4. Rely on your team. When you start falling behind, don’t be afraid to ask for help .Senior managers are there to help you be successful. 
5. Important, not urgent, things usually have the most im...