Things that we are thankful for vary from person to person. Most lists, however, would probably include good health, a loving family, a forgiving God, good friends, and some form of financial security… either now or soon. We can appreciate all of these and more, but as businesspersons we must be careful not to forget the life blood of our businesses…CUSTOMERS. Without a steady stream of them, we couldn’t have a business.
Read MoreOur summer sales in some areas are off to a slower start than we’d like, primarily due to wacky weather and an unstable economy. But in other areas, such as on the equipment side, we are having a fantastic season because of the big push for battery-powered equipment. Our nursery sales are also doing well. This reminds me of the old truism: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Landscape Warehouse offers a broad range of irrigation supplies and equipment for landscapers as well as a full line of plants, trees, and other nursery products from our nursery locations. This gives us a sound business foundation year ‘round.
Read MoreArtificial Intelligence is a hot topic lately, with people worried that it’s taking over our lives. Just imagine, it has only been a few decades since an IBM computer the size of a small house was technology’s crowning achievement. Today, that cell phone you’re glued to has 10 times the power and infinitely more capabilities than that old IBM dinosaur.
Read MoreCalifornia generally does not go through the four seasons like many other states. There they are on the calendar, alright, but our winters are usually filled with mild, mostly rainless days, and our summers start early and end late. That’s because we actually live in a desert.
Read MoreI believe that because of all this rain, the next couple of years should be easier for landscapers and those that supply them. Let’s hope there will be a reduction and loosening of water-related restrictions, which should result in more work being available for our industry. Sod growers and other suppliers hurt by the restrictions will begin enjoying life again, as will the landscapers and gardeners who install their products.
Read MoreYes, water restrictions are a big pain in the backside. But they can also provide a healthy new income stream for you. How? By your getting educated about ways to save water in the landscape which can make you a hero to your clients.
Read MoreJanuary brings with it the opportunity to plan great events, implement new programs and procedures for efficiency and growth, and ways to keep our employees happy while increasing productivity. Many businesses have similar plans for 2023, but those of us in the Green Industry will have to enact these plans while saddled with more than our share of burdensome water restrictions and anti-business legislation.
Read MoreThe end of the year is here and with it a new list of experiences and lessons learned both professionally and personally. We should all take the time before the ball drops to revisit our core values and remind ourselves to push on and repledge to our commitments.
Read MoreAs a young man newly arrived in Fresno and working on my uncle’s farm, my Tío Rubén gave me some advice that helped set me on the path for personal and professional growth. He told me to finish school and then find a trade in a field of endeavor I truly enjoyed. That’s good standard advice for any profession. But then he told me to learn as much as I could about my chosen trade, and never stop learning about it. “Education is the key to success,” he said. I have adopted that bit of wisdom, and it has never failed me.
Read MoreCovid, inflation, and the water crisis are affecting businesses in all sectors of the economy, and all households as well. But the landscape industry has seemed to dodge these bullets better than most. Yes, Covid placed burdensome and expensive regulations and brought nightmare staffing problems to our businesses. But the landscape industry was deemed “necessary,” and our businesses were able to continue operating, while other industries tanked. Something else happened during the worst of the Covid scare…grass kept growing providing continued business for stores like ours, plenty of work for contractors and gardeners, and uninterrupted landscape maintenance for homeowners and businesses.
Read MoreBecoming an active member of CLCA – or better yet, a member of our board – will increase your relations with other landscapers and our sponsors. It will also offer you the opportunity to give back to your community, to work on professional development, and to become a better leader not only in the association, but in your company as well.
Read MoreMost small businesspersons – myself included – start out wearing almost all the hats (serving in multiple positions) in the business. But as the business grows, hopefully we begin removing some of those hats and passing those areas of responsibility to trusted employees and consultants. Yes, I know they may not be able to work those areas as well as you can – or so you think – but if you don’t pass some of those hats to others, you will never grow your business, and you will never be able to take a two-week vacation away from it either.
Read MoreBeing quick on your feet is almost counterintuitive to what we’ve been taught by business coaches who tell us that those who fail to plan, plan to fail…that we’re to look before we leap…and that we’re to measure twice and cut once. All these sound business practices are still valid. But there’s no time to think and plan or measure when your car died on the tracks and the train is heading straight for you. That’s when being quick on your feet has to kick in and get you to safety. There is room in your business life for both approaches. You can both walk and chew gum, right?
Read MoreLife brings with it opportunities, and you must be prepared to act on them when they come along. You take the right classes, you get the right licenses, you align yourself with the right suppliers, and you make sure you can “staff up” when that opportunity becomes a reality. In a sense, you take control of the future by preparing for it today.
Read MoreIf I had to define in one word how we were able to grow Landscape Warehouse from a little blue house next to a lawnmower shop in Pasadena to eight irrigation supply and nursery locations in three counties, that would be the Spanish word “albur.”
Read MoreThere is a philosophy I have adopted over the years that involves the closest people in my life. I call it my Circle of Friendship and it includes family members, dear friends, key customers, and a few additional special people as well. Whether planned or it just evolved, I realize it determines how I think about these folks, how I interact with them, what they can expect from me, and what I might expect from them. I can count on them, and they can count on me. Just consider for a moment the tremendous value in that statement!
Read MoreIn the early days of Disneyland, patrons needed to buy books of tickets to be used on the various attractions. The tickets came in different colors with a big, bold letter signifying on which group of rides they could be used. The E-Tickets were the best ones and got you on all the major rides, including the big rollercoasters. The term remains as something adventurous, long after its original meaning is no longer. (Ask someone over 50!)
Read MoreMost of us are still recovering from all the activity of the Holidays, with our personal and business get-togethers, shopping sprees, and delicious but fattening Holiday foods. In our industry, business is generally a little slower this time of year, which gives us the chance to re-charge, re-stock, re-think, and to reinvigorate our staff and crews as we prepare for the excitement and crazy increase of activity just around the corner…when springtime arrives.
Read MoreIf you want the New Year to be better for you than the old one, then it would be wise to include some new projects, doing old things in new and better ways, and even adding new suppliers and new technical people to the way you do business. As difficult as it may be to add the right new things to your New Year’s to-do list, letting go of familiar things – and people that may be holding you back from making the changes you need to implement – is a hundred times more difficult.
Read MoreDecember is finally here and with it we close another successful CLCA year… in spite of COVID. For some of the year we had great gains and at other times a few losses directly related to the COVID shutdown. But without doubt we close 2021 overcoming adversity and looking ahead to a successful 2022.
Read More