Knee-deep in a no-excuse business, snow management companies must find ways to operate efficiently before, during and after snow events. “We only get one chance every one or two weeks to make money, so we have to be spot on,” says Doug McIntosh, owner and founder of Milan, Mich.-based McIntosh Grounds Maintenance, which has performed all-commercial snow services since about... read more
Within a few years of founding Stickle Lawn Care in 2012, owner Cody Stickle realized he couldn’t be everywhere at once. That was when the Hampton, Va., company incorporated a client satisfaction software system called Quality Driven Software (QDS) into its operations. “Being that we’re continually growing, I’m not able to go out and look over every single client’s yard,”... read more
U.S. Army veterans Brian and Kristy Boase are in their second season operating Mil-Spec Lawn Care in Clarksville, Tenn. The husband and wife team recognize it’s difficult to add employees, so for now, they’re remaining a two-person show. Yet, they say they’ve been able to grow thanks to the online invoicing platform they’ve selected: Jobber. They have about 60 maintenance... read more
With more than 15 percent of Country Club Lawn & Tree Specialists’ 30-plus employees starting work remotely on any given day, Co-owner Mark Black knew he had to find a time clock that fit his company’s needs. Black consulted with his peers, and about a year ago, the South Roxana, Ill.-based company implemented TimeStation, a cloud-based time clock that allows... read more
No matter what you call it, a companywide effort to run more efficiently has the potential to sound negative to the crews you’re hoping to encourage. Depending on how you deliver it, “work smarter,” “run lean” or “improve productivity” could sound like “move faster,” “work harder” or “you’re doing it wrong.” If that’s how your team members hear your message... read more
In what one area could most landscape companies be more efficient? Landscape Professionals Richard Bare Arbor-Nomics Turf Norcross, Ga. “Have someone look into the back office to see if dollars are being wasted. Credit card rates, processing fees, insurance costs, accounting fees—stuff like that. We no longer take Am Ex (a $20,000 per year savings), we cut our credit card... read more
