Did you know Steve Jobs wore the same thing every day because he wanted to reduce the number of decisions he made in a day?

As business owners, we make decisions all day long. We make them so quickly that we often don’t even realize we are making them. In fact, it's estimated that we make around 35,000 decisions every. single. day. Each decision we make requires time and energy and depletes our willpower. The more decisions you make in a day, the quicker you will end up with decision fatigue.

There are 5 simple steps you can take that will help with this:

• Reduce the number of decisions you make when you wake up (This is when wearing the same thing, eating the same thing, getting up at the same time can be helpful.)
• Once you are at work, make your biggest decisions first. 
• Delegate what you can
• Simplify your life
• Create a daily routine. The more regular the routine becomes, the more the day-to-day tasks can be done on autopilot instead of you needing to consciously decide...

Owning a landscaping business comes with its fair share of stress. That it’s seasonal and weather-dependent only adds to the stress of business ownership, making the ability to be nimble, flexible and resilient critical for success. But when we do not manage the stress we end up in burnout which, if not dealt with can quickly cause business failure. 

The TGC Academy posted an article a couple years ago talking about burnout and how we can avoid it. The author, Monica Allene, shared the truth about burnout (and I think many of us can relate): “I think on some level I avoided it in the early years with the power of youth (I’ve been doing this since my late teens). Then, as I got older, I avoided it by sheer force of will. Then, as I “matured” (chuckling a little here), I began to struggle with keeping burnout at bay, and I realized that something in my mind had to change. As I tackled my own mental state and began to focus on my body and spirit, I...

Atomic Habits has been recommended to me a number of times so it got moved up to the top of my reading list and it did not disappoint!

In some ways, it’s just really practical. Habits take time. The more often you do something, the more it becomes a habit - whether good or bad.

What makes this book stand out in my opinion is how James Clear says we are to achieve the habits we want. It’s not about motivation, it’s about systems. Small actions over time equal big results.

My 3 biggest takeaways are:

• It’s practical. The framework for creating good habits professionally and personally is easy to understand.
• In order to lead your team well, you need to have good habits. An owner cannot expect his/ her team to have good habits if they don’t model that behaviour themselves.
• It’s self explanatory. Following the methods of the book will allow you more bandwidth for greater productivity in your life and business. 

Right now is the perfect time of...

Have you considered implementing a banked hours system for your core staff through the winter season?

It’s hard to live on an hourly wage during the snow season. Your pay is dependent on the weather, which is unpredictable. Moving away from a weather dependent pay scale removes the stress about money and allows you to keep your good employees.

Here's an example of how the banked hours system would work: 

• For the winter season, you’ve decided to guarantee your staff a minimum of 35 hours per week. 
• If the employee works 30 hours in a week, they will get paid for 35. The extra 5 hours (that they've been paid for but didn't work) is banked. 
• If in the next week they work 45 hours, they will get paid for 40 hours, because the 5 banked hours will be deducted from their paycheque. 
• If in the following week, they work 45 hours, they will get paid for 45 hours because there are no banked hours. 
• They will always get paid for a minimum of 35...

Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want by Michael Hyatt & Daniel Harkavy, is a book about living on purpose. It’s about making a plan for what you want your life to look like instead of drifting through life in reaction mode.

“The average person spends 5 hours researching and shopping for a new car. The average bride-to-be spends 40 days planning a three-hour wedding. However, the average person never spends 1 day planning his or her life.”

Growth and development as a business owner is crucial because success doesn’t just happen. It takes time, goals, direction and a plan to get there.

My thoughts on Living Forward:

1. It’s a step by step guide to building a life plan for your personal and business life instead of drifting through your life.
2. A great read to compete on a vacation or a couple of day sabbatical where you have time to read and reflect on who you are and where you want to go with purpose.
3. To achieve...

“If you’re going to build a business that is scalable and valuable, you must get your financial house in order.” - Jeffrey Scott

A few months ago fellow business coach, Jeffrey Scott, published an article on the Top 10 Financial Mistakes he sees business owners make. In it he shared that before taking on a new client he asks them to rate their financial involvement. I’d love to ask you the same.

How would you rate yourself in regards to your finances? 

Level 5. Review financial reports monthly and operational reports weekly, and other operational numbers daily, making key decisions along the way.

Level 4. Review financial reports monthly, making many decisions monthly.

Level 3. Look briefly at reports monthly (or every other month), making just a few decisions.

Level 2. Look at reports quarterly at best.

Level 1. Wait till year end to see how I did.

No matter where you are on the scale - you are not alone and there is always room for growth. Knowing your...

When we understand how to use it, technology can simplify our day to day operations and help ensure important tasks are not slipping between the cracks. When we don’t understand what to use or how to use it - it can add an additional layer of stress.

Did you know Nextra has an in-house IT department specifically for this reason? Technology enthusiast Jordan Robertson acts as both our Chief Technology Officer and on-site IT technician. Jordan is always looking for the newest technology and IT solutions to help our clients - and us - stay ahead of the curve, in and out of the office 

Nextra Network’s IT services include:

1. Purchasing, implementation and training of various softwares and programs

Microsoft Office/365/Teams, Slack, LMN, Aspire, accounting software, design and drawing programs, etc.

 2. Purchasing, installation and training on various hardware and hardware components/accessories

Landline phone systems, mobile phones, desktop and laptop...

As a small business owner, do you ever feel like the cards are stacked against you? The larger companies have greater buying power and therefore access to greater discounts. At Nextra Network, we want to level the playing field a bit. The Nextra Network buyers group allows smaller companies to combine their purchases in order to create more buying power - and therefore greater discounts - for everyone. 

We’ve been listening to you and have created a group of suppliers for the Buyers Group with your specific needs in mind. Our commitment is to work behind the scenes to bring these deals together for you while working with reputable companies that we can recommend you use without reservation.

Currently we are working with companies to get you:

• Licensed vehicles
• Equipment & large commercial vehicles
• Materials
• Software & Hardware
• Direct access to manufacturer reps

If you’d like more information on the Network and to request a meeting with Grant please click ...

“When Grant from Nextra Consulting asked us last year if there were any areas where he could help us, we jumped at the opportunity to work with him. Nextra Consulting helped us to not only see areas where we could grow our business, but to operate more efficiently on a daily basis. With his help, we have defined our vision, core values, immediate and future goals and added vital positions we did not realize we needed. We also run more productive team meetings with set timelines, agenda items and a rating system. If you're looking for a consultant to help you organize and run your business more efficiently, we strongly recommend Nextra Consulting.” (Mountview Landscaping)

Business coaching is about more than just having a cheerleader in your corner. A coach helps you gain clarity and create a long term vision for your company. 

At Nextra, coaching means having a sounding board when you want input or advice on company decisions. It means having accountability...