Sell more: Make technology part of the plan
Use technology to be disciplined and detail oriented in your sales strategy. read more
5 things that will change the way we do business
In my business lifetime, I’ve experienced many innovations that changed the way I worked: the copier (yes, I’m that old), the computer, the laptop, the Internet, the cell phone and the smartphone. These technologies were all once considered groundbreaking and are now the norm. In the five short years since I started a technology company, I can see firsthand just... read more
Pricing, overhead tips
Even the most astute contractors struggle to understand and manage pricing. There are clear principles you can apply—with some amount of science and art—that can help you handle this more confidently. The principles are: Pricing is a function of item costs (labor and materials) plus a markup and a profit margin. All overhead is recovered through markups on item costs... read more
Let’s Grow: Year-round spring cleaning
It’s the end of renewal season, and spring work is about to commence. While sitting at your desk late in the day, you receive an email. The message is from a customer. It essentially says, “Thanks for your service, but you’re fired.” After considering some options, like begging or “getting a drink,” you might want to consider, “Is this good... read more
Resolve to raise prices
Everything is going up: the stock market, gross national product, the cost of labor, your overhead expenses. Yes, everything is going up except your pricing. Resolve that this year, you will raise your prices. This simple act doesn’t require a big announcement with balloons and confetti and letters to customers. You don’t have to raise prices everywhere and all at... read more
The secret to growing your business
The secret is not really a secret. Like the secret in life is “hard work,” the secret to sustainable growth is “the system.” There are at least 90,000 landscape maintenance, snow and construction businesses in the U.S. and Canada. Fewer than 10 percent of these ever grow larger than $1 million in annual revenue. There’s no crime in that, as... read more
