Using Historical Weather Data To Lock In A Profitable Winter Season

As snow and ice professionals gear up to tackle another winter season, one of the biggest challenges they face is how to price their snow removal contracts. Weather can be one of the greatest wild cards for snow removal companies looking to make a profit each winter. However, understanding and analyzing your job location and its historical weather data may be one of the greatest assets in determining relationships between contract pricing and overall risk versus reward. So the big question becomes which source weather data is right for your company? That answer is not always easy and depends on various factors like the geographic region, the client’s needs and whether you are pricing the contract per inch, per push, time and materials or seasonal.

Inside this story, I have provided a thorough analysis of the different types of useful winter statistics for pricing out snow removal contracts (averages, extremes, median snowfall and event count). Diversifying your portfolio as you would in the stock market is one step to success, but understanding how to incorporate an extensive network of historical weather data will also allow you to professionally educate your clients and prospective clients during the process.

Boston’s rolling 30-year average is significantly lower than its average from recent years. The more long-term data you analyze, the more realistic your predictions will be for the upcoming year. Photo: Kevin Hopler, WeatherWorks LLC

Know Your Location

The first step in determining your contract price point involves comprehensive research of your actual proposed work location. The nearest airport providing weather data may in fact be very reliable but it may not always be representative for your exact “work” location once you factor in distance, topography, altitude and seasonal extremes. One example illustrating this case was during the 2013-14 winter season in the Detroit metro area. The distance between Detroit Metro Airport (KDTW) and Dearborn, Michigan was only 11 miles but represented a seasonal snowfall difference of 32.3 inches. Other factors like rising altitude over a short distance can often yield a 10-percent to 15-percent difference in 5-year and 10-year average snowfall.

Philadelphia’s rolling 30-year average is 15 inches less than its 5-year average. Photo: Kevin Hopler, WeatherWorks LLC

Average Snowfall

Some of the most common requests during the contract preparation period include 5-, 10- and 30-year averages for a particular location or zip code. Although a 5-year average will provide insight into the latest trends of snowfall data at a particular location, relying solely on this statistic can appear erratic and prove detrimental to a snow removal contract. A 10-year average, one of the more popular requests, will still contain some fluctuation but at least provides you with more data points to make a more educated decision. Thirty-year averages are also very common and often less influenced by recent trends but also typically have a lower bias than a 5- or 10-year average. There is no wrong answer to which average is best for your company, but one solution would be to use a moving average shown in the graphic above for the greater Philadelphia area. Keep in mind, if you were to use the 5-year moving average in 2013-14, you would be utilizing a total nearly 15 inches higher than the rolling 30-year average.

Median Snowfall

Only a small percentage of companies rely on this simple metric. The median snowfall is simply the middle point in the data set. This statistic can be very useful to snow and ice professionals in the planning stage of developing a new geographic market, especially when the average snowfall at a particular location is skewed by extreme snowfall seasons on either side of the spectrum. Median snowfall may offer a more realistic characterization of what is normal at locations that are often inundated with numerous smaller events in addition to some seasons with a few historic, large snowfall events.

The monthly seasonal event count can help you determine your number of plow events versus deicing events. Photo: Kevin Hopler, WeatherWorks LLC

Event Count Statistics

Finally, determine the type, frequency and amount of snow at a given location over a number of years (10 years is most common). This involves obtaining the highest resolution data possible and breaking down each season into your proposed billing increments so that you have an idea of frequency of plow versus deicer events and the risk for extreme snowfall events. Is the location susceptible to sleet or ice storms? If so, you may approach the bid differently and account for time and material.

So, before you jump into another season or new geographic region, make sure that your company is equipped with the most reliable and accurate weather data for your proposed work location. Avoid the pitfalls of relying on historical data too far from your job site and use more than just the nearest airport. Most meteorological consulting firms can prepare a detailed, site-specific snow climatology to assist with your preseason bid preparation process. The snow climatology report should then be used to test your pricing model. The outcome should provide the confidence needed to service your client in the most efficient manner and maximize your potential for a profitable snow season.

Visit PlowSite.com for more forums on equipment, business management and technical information. Join the conversation in the largest community of snow and ice business professionals.

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Choose The Right Attachment

The bucket and the pallet fork are almost like a landscape construction professional’s right and left hands. You basically have to have them; without them, you’re pretty useless. Those are the two attachments most landscape construction professionals need, at a minimum, to make their skid-steer or loader that much more versatile at a job site.

“Every landscape job site would have those at a minimum,” says Gregg Zupancic, product marketing manager for Deere Construction and Forestry. “Forks for unloading materials off trucks for installation jobs, for example blocks for retaining walls. And buckets would be for shaping the land or simple excavation in preparation for installation.”

Tharen Peterson, construction equipment marketing manager for New Holland, says the forks have other uses, too. “Some guys use them to move tree balls. There is a slide that goes over top of the forks that are triangle-shaped, so you don’t rip the tree ball apart.”

There are different designs of buckets and forks, too. So, when buying a skid-steer and deciding what kind to get, the landscaper and the dealer both should have a good understanding of where the landscaper’s primary income streams come from.

“You have mulch buckets, which are larger capacity because it’s a lighter material, and that can sometimes translate into snow buckets because snow is lighter, too,” Peterson says. “In winter, landscapers are the same guys pushing snow, so having a higher volume bucket allows them to move more snow.”

An auger, like the one from Bobcat above, is a common attachment landscape design/build professionals may need on a job site.

If doing installation work, a landscaper might want a tooth bucket if they want a way to get down through harder ground. This will allow them to break it up so they can start moving material.

A rake from Caterpillar.

Outside of buckets and pallet forks, the most common attachment for landscape construction jobs is an earth auger.

“The reason is because they’re so versatile,” says Peterson. “Landscapers can use them to plant trees or do fencing jobs, so it kind of increases revenue streams and allows them to use a skid-steer or mini excavator for other jobs to help pay for them.”

Which attachments you will need, such as those from Bobcat, will depend on the jobs you work most. Dealers can help you determine what’s best to own.

Power rakes are also useful on a landscape construction site “to remove unwanted material and create a smooth seedbed for seeding,” says Jorge De Hoyos, Kubota senior product manager, skid-steers and compact track loaders, and Dan Base, product manager for Kubota branded attachments by Land Pride. These rakes can also be used for gravel driveway and parking lot renovation, removing grass and weeds, as well as re-leveling and freshening up gravel.

Zupancic agrees that using a dealer’s expertise is critical when shopping for attachments.

“Not everyone who is trying to get into the business is ready to buy expensive, hydraulically driven attachments,” he says. “So the dealer will be able to provide that list of attachments you need, either for rent or having it in inventory so that when the day comes when a job comes up where you need it, you can go purchase it.”

Kubota

Zupancic says the dealer having the right inventory for your needs boils down to them understanding your business and your future business needs. This will help them respond with additional attachments down the road. Distance and location of your dealer is critical, too.

New Holland

“It’s important that the dealer is close by in case they need to come out to drop off some attachments on the job site, or maybe if your machine needs some maintenance,” Zupancic says. “Make sure your dealer has the trucks and trailers to bring equipment to your job site if you can’t bring the machine to them.”

Common Attachments At Job Sites

If the area still needs to be cleared, then the following may be used:

• Brush and rock grapples to clean the area
• Rotary cutters to mow vegetation and small trees
• Tree pullers to pull trees that may not be replanted
• Stump grinders to remove unwanted stumps from level ground
• 4-in-1 buckets to grab and move or push objects out of the way and then scrape and grade the initial pass
• Power rakes and rotary tillers to prepare or remove unwanted material and create a smooth seedbed for seeding
• Post hole augers to aid in decorative posts or fencing

Once the area is prepared, then the greenery can be set with the use of:

• Graders to do the final grading
• Tree spades that can be used to relocate and plant trees
• Seeders that can be used to lay down grass seed
• Pallet forks to bring sod squares into the yard
• Brooms to clean driveways and streets of debris created by the construction and normal maintenance of the property

3 Mistakes When Choosing Attachments

1. Not understanding where your revenue streams are coming from or what your growth plans are. Buying certain attachments can get very pricey very quickly. For example, if you’re not out clearing trees a lot, you probably don’t need to invest in a mulching head. Renting is probably smarter than spending $20,000 to $30,000 on something you’re rarely, if ever, going to use. Work closely with your dealer — explain to him or her: “This is what I want now because this is where I make my money.”

2. Not choosing the right attachment for the machine, especially when you consider hydraulic attachments. This is less of a problem with augers and trenchers and standard-flow-type attachments, but you want to make sure the hydraulic motor on the attachment can handle the flow and pressure coming out of the machine. If the hydraulic motor is too small, heat, which is the enemy of hydraulic systems, builds up. The machine starts running more inefficiently and the attachment starts wearing out more quickly. The actual machine, too, whether a skid-steer or loader, can be negatively affected, and that is more expensive to replace.

3. Using a bucket or a combo (4-in-1) bucket that doesn’t cover the wheels and slows down forward movement of the prime mover.

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Story Of A Landscape: Dual Prize-Winning Project Built On A Foundation Of Drainage

Sometimes, what the client wants and what the landscape architect addresses are two vastly different things. A good example is a residential project undertaken by Atlanta-based Floralis Garden Design.

The property buyers were looking to beat back the overgrown plant life and create a place for their children to play. However, for landscape architect Lucinda Bray, a big part of the job turned out to be about drainage.

Photo: Laura Negri Photography

Bray explains that the homeowners were referred to Floralis by Michael Ladisic of Ladisic Fine Homes, Inc., who was doing an architectural renovation of the home, and the property — a shoebox-shaped lot of slightly more than eight-tenths of an acre — was purchased with both renovations in mind.

The clients had some very specific desires, as well. Along with play space for their children, they wanted a pool and some outdoor entertaining spaces. And, they wanted the color scheme of the landscape to be predominantly green and white.

“Many of our projects tend to be on the green-and-white line,” Bray says, “People are looking for an evergreen basis to their landscape, something that’s a little more consistent year-round. When we do color, we like to use it in dedicated garden areas or containers for seasonal color.”

Photo: Laura Negri Photography

Bray and Floralis took on the landscaping for the entire property. She says work on the front and side of the house were tied primarily to architectural changes made by Ladisic.

“They changed the front door and the area directly surrounding it,” she says. “We rebuilt the front steps and did a new front walkway. The front foundation plantings were also outdated and overgrown and needed to match the rest of the project.”

The rear of the property wasn’t nearly as simple. Along with overgrown plant material, the landscape architect found a mix of grade changes, some low walls, and an abandoned pond. The rear terrace was in disrepair and the existing outdoor spaces suffered from poor transitions, as well.

Photo: Laura Negri Photography

Floralis’ design removed the rear landscape terrace, steps and pond. The area was also graded to create an extended space leading from the house. Not only did that provide room for a new pool, but also a large bluestone pool terrace, which was continued into the covered patio next to the house with a built-in grill and dining area.

A separate seating area done in pea gravel with a painted brick fireplace provides an additional entertaining area. The upper end of the property, which offers a flat, grassy play area for the children, is reached via stone steppers.

The plant palette for the project was particularly important given the clients’ desire for that green-and-white look. Not only did Bray work to pair architectural elements with landscape materials, but simplicity was key.

Photo: Laura Negri Photography

She explains that evergreen landscape components were grouped to frame and focus the architecture while providing balance to the overall look. Near the terrace, lines of hornbeams were also paired with low boxwood hedges to soften the hardscape and provide a sense of separation between outdoor spaces.

It’s the softscape that Bray says is her favorite part of the project.

“No matter what time of year you view it, it has a level of structure and stability,” she says. “Even in the dead of winter is reads so green and bright, and it really grounds the architecture of the house.”

Photo: Laura Negri Photography

Not that there weren’t a lot of challenges in getting the job done. One was an ill-timed rainstorm that ended up filling the swimming pool with mud from the bare hillside. A much larger one was managing the stormwater runoff for the whole property.

“As grading moved forward, subsurface drainage was installed,” Bray says. “There’s a fanned French drain system beneath the level play lawn on the uppermost level; a second, smaller French drain system beneath the formal lawn; strip drains along the stairs; area drains within the landscape planters and strip drains on the pool terrace.”

All of them pipe underground to a holding tank beneath the pea gravel fireplace terrace.

And, all this had to be done while keeping the logistics of the project in mind. Bray says that was the most-challenging aspect of the project, and she describes construction as being phased, with the architectural renovations being completed first, followed by the completion of the rear grading and upper lawn terraces.

“The last steps were the pool and lower wall being put in place,” she says. “This cut off all access to the rear of the property.”

Photo: Laura Negri Photography

Floralis utilized a general landscape contractor, Michael Jackson Landscape, to handle the grading, larger tree installation and lawn areas, while Ladisic folded some of the masonry work into his scope of the project, including the pool deck and the retaining walls.

“We also had an outside contractor, Irrigation Atlanta, come in to address the irrigation,” says Bray. “Otherwise, the landscape plantings, including the shrubs and hedges, were done in-house.”

Initial work on the redesign began in January 2015, and construction began that April with tree removals and the initial clearing and grading. However, because the project included the architectural renovation, Bray notes that construction wasn’t completed until July 2016.

The project won recognition from both the National Association of Landscape Professionals for projects in the $100,000-$500,000 range, and from the Georgia Urban Ag Council for projects of more than $150,000. However, Bray says she’s most proud of her relationship with the clients.

Photo: Laura Negri Photography

“Certainly, there are some bumps along the way with any project,” she says. “I think it’s how you deal with them and get past them to make sure that things are done property and to a quality standpoint. At the end of the project, if you have a great relationship, it speaks volumes on how you’ve handled yourself during construction.”

She has plenty of evidence to back up that success. While a job transfer took the owners out of the Atlanta area less than a year after the project was completed, Floralis has developed a new relationship with the people who bought the property. And, the company is also landscaping former owners’ new home — in Ohio.

While enjoying the plaudits from the project, Bray says from the perspective of learning something, this one was still all about the drainage.

“You plan for your standard rain event, and you expect that when it rains the installed drainage will function as intended,” she concludes. “But, when you’re designing drainage, you have to think about that one rain you don’t expect, the one that will drop a few inches of rain in an hour; you have to think about what’s going to happen then.

“It opens your eyes a bit too, to development in the city,” Bray adds. “What happens when the neighbors develop their property? Every time someone builds something, it changes the way the water runs, so we had to make sure we can accommodate it or have the future capacity to do so.”

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What’s In My Truck: Bob Grover, Pacific Landscape Management

Based in Portland, Oregon, Pacific Landscape Management hasn’t always dealt with consistent snow as areas like the Midwest and Northeast do. In fact, oftentimes they find themselves dealing more with ice. But Bob Grover, president of the company, says this past snow season was probably the “craziest” in his 30-year career. With six separate events — the biggest being a week-long event with more than a foot of snow — Grover says the team amped up their efforts and pulled off a successful season. That’s quite the accomplishment considering the company primarily uses rental equipment and a network of subcontractors. With inconsistent snow events, Grover says it simply hasn’t made sense to invest in anything more permanent. To handle the variability from season to season, Grover says the team must be “creative and adaptable” — and that’s just what they were. He says that going into this past season they didn’t “feel prepared” but they figured out what they had to do — and got it done. Here’s how Grover handled the last snow season.

Thank heavens for 24-hour drive-throughs. I take a coffee cup with me on the road but I’m not good about taking snacks. I’ve been lucky enough to find the occasional 24-hour drive-through to quell my appetite.

I always have my mobile phone to take photos. We take pictures as we complete jobs and send them to the customers to verify the work was done and when. An update of the job being complete with a timestamp on the email in the middle of the night is impressive to them.

I have never had trouble staying awake while plowing — even in the middle of the night. You are so active monitoring the surroundings that you really don’t have an opportunity to fall asleep. I will sometimes buy coffee between projects but have to drink it right away as I’m too active while on site to touch anything other than the steering wheel and plow controller.

One of my biggest motivators in business is to help customers in difficult or crisis situations. I tell people all the time, “I just want to be a hero” — that’s my greatest motivation and keeps me going. Storms are a crisis and when we pull off a successful service, we truly are being heroes and there’s no better feeling.

The Essentials

Granular de-icer: To assist when even the plow truck slips.

Spare tires and jacks: Because a flat tire in the middle of the night can shut you down.

Extra Chains: So even when you lose one, you can stay in action.

Flashlight and tool kit: So you can see and fix small problems.

Mobile phone and charger: So you never run out of battery life or lose the ability to communicate with the team.

Travel mug: For coffee, of course.

Radio: I’m a product of the Rock’n’Roll generation so I listen to that.

Pocket change: For the 24-hour drive-through.

Pacific Landscape Management was named one of the best-run companies in the industry.
Read more: Best-Run Companies: Pacific Landscape Management

Visit PlowSite.com for more forums on equipment, business management and technical information. Join the conversation in the largest community of snow and ice business professionals.

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Robot Mowers Role To Grow For Commercial Cutting

They don’t look like they could do a whole lot of work. After all, they’re small and they’re not particularly fast. But they’ve got their share of good points, many positives in fact. For starters they never work with a hangover and they work any time you want them to work, even at night. They’re also much quieter than their bigger brothers — the commercial mowers that now dominate America’s huge lawn maintenance industry.

We’re referring to robotic mowers, of course.

If you attended the record-breaking 2017 GIE+EXPO you may not have even noticed the few robotic models on display. Many of you likely spent most of your time checking out the ever-growing number of different brands (and models) of powerful and brightly colored zero-turns there. Almost surely you put some of them through their paces in the huge outdoor demo. The weather was perfect for testing equipment.

And if you did notice the few robotic mowers at the EXPO, perhaps you dismissed these squat, beetle-like units as something homeowners might buy if they have neither the time nor the desire to mow their own yards. Or perhaps, at-a-glance, you pegged them as something a consumer might buy to impress neighbors with their newest “toy.”

Photo: STIHL

Make no mistake, today’s robotic mowers are not toys given the incredible innovation leading to their development. Regardless of brand, these are very sophisticated machines. They represent yet another solution for specialized mowing applications. Some of the biggest suppliers in the market feel robot units will emerge as yet another welcome solution — albeit it a specialized solution … at least at first – that contractors will embrace in the increasingly competitive, labor-stressed environment they are facing.

Evidence of this is the work being done by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) to develop ANSI standards for robotic mowers. ANSI is the acronym for the American National Standards Institute, which coordinates the development of voluntary-consensus industry standards. The ANS (American National Standards) are developed as voluntary documents that are recognized by U.S. federal, state and local bodies for regulatory and other related purposes.

“The first ANSI standard is going to be an OPEI standard,” said OPEI President and CEO Kris R. Kiser at the recent EXPO. “We’re just about done with it,” adding it expects the standards to be completed next spring.

“One the standards is complete and it is final the manufacturers (of robotic mowers) will get a better sense of liability.”

Kiser added that he sees much greater adoption of robot mowers by both homeowners and commercial cutters.

“They are a big chunk of the future,” added Kiser. “You’re going to see landscapers buy them, put them at houses and let them do their work. They always show up for work, they run at night and they don’t call in sick.”

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6 Things You Need To Know From GIE+EXPO: October 20

Couldn’t make it to GIE+EXPO this year? We’ve got you covered. The editors of Turf Magazine are on the ground, covering everything you need to know at the show. At the end of the day, our editors come together and curate the top moments from the busy day’s events — from announcements at press conferences to inspiring advice from educational sessions. Here are some of the top moments from the last day of the show.

1. Top 4 Ways To Be More Efficient In Hardscaping

Photo: Nicole Wisniewski

Need to find ways to save more time during your hardscape installations? Joe Raboine with Belgard shared some ideas during the GIE+EXPO.

1. Use an advanced dry mudset for concrete overlays. This enables you to eliminate the step of breaking up concrete before laying paving stones; instead you lay paving stones right on top of the concrete.
2. Reduce your number of client visits and boost your close rate by using technology that showcases what the completed design will look like on the client’s site … or better yet offer this visual through a virtual reality tool.
3. Use stones that can be laid in linear patterns, which are simpler to install, creating a cleaner, more contemporary look. The look is growing in popularity and is reflected not in the material of the stone but more in the lines used to create the pattern.
4. Try using porcelain pavers on clients’ properties. While they cost more upfront (approximately double), they are quicker to install, requiring less of a base, and connect the indoors and outdoors more seamlessly. They are denser and impervious to stain so they look new and last longer.

Photo: Nicole Wisniewski

2. Top Attachments Typically Purchased With Loaders

When landscape professionals purchase a skid-steer loader or compact track loader, these are the top four attachments they purchase with it, shared JCB’s Randy Tinley during the GIE+EXPO.

1. Bucket (standard bucket usually comes with the machine)
2. Scrap grapple (popular for cleanup)
3. Auger
4. Mower

3. New Pollinator-Friendly Insecticide

Bayer’s Altus insecticide provides broad-spectrum control of sucking pests with flexible or drench applications that are made before, during or after bloom. Altus is very beneficial for pollinators and there are no restrictions on when to apply the product. According to Bayer, Altus features systematic and translaminar protection of existing and new plant growth and controls pests that include whiteflies, aphids, leafhoppers, mealybugs, psyllids, lace bugs and hard and soft scales. Bayer recommends wearing PPE: long-sleeved shirt and long pants plus shoes with socks and chemical resistant gloves. Foliar applications can last up to 28 days and drench applications can last up to 42 days.

4. Steps Toward More Comfortable Mowing

Mowers were all the rage on the GIE+EXPO show floor. Since landscape professionals spend roughly eight hours in a mower seat daily, comfort is crucial. Mike Simmon from Grasshopper shares some key trends in mower ergonomics.

1. Look for a machine with more isolation points or vibration dampeners.
2. Visibility from the seat is important.
3. Make sure you’re not sitting too high off of the ground. If your center of gravity is lower, your weight is more evenly dispersed and you get better traction and cut quality.

5. Looking To Add Irrigation To Your Business?

Want to add irrigation to your service mix? Conserva Irrigation, the first conservation-based franchise irrigation company, launched in June and made its debut at the GIE+EXPO. Conserva Irrigation was founded by Russ Jundt, who became increasingly disturbed by the amount of water wasted by the typical irrigation system, especially considering there are 45 million residential irrigation systems across the U.S. As a solution, he developed a proprietary process to audit irrigation systems to rate water efficiency of a system based on a numerical scale. This allows homeowners to understand how much water their sprinkler systems are wasting and what improvements they can make in order to reduce water consumption and lower water bills. Today, Conserva Irrigation offers franchises in 32 licensed territories that cost roughly $43,550 to $80,250 each for the initial investment.

6. Leader In Propane

RCI, one of the largest, full-service landscape companies in the southeast U.S., won this year’s Propane Leadership Award from the Propane Education & Research Council, the organization shared at the GIE+EXPO. In 2011, the company changed one-third of its fleet to propane within a year. Now the company uses nearly 100 propane mowers, as well as close to 100 propane autogas-powered trucks. Owner Brandt Martin said the first propane mower he tried simply outperformed their existing gasoline or diesel mowers on operations, maintenance and dependability.

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9 Top Business Insights And Principals From GIE+EXPO

Couldn’t make it to GIE+EXPO this year? We’ve got you covered. The editors of Turf Magazine are on the ground, covering everything you need to know at the show. At the end of the day, our editors come together and curate the top moments from the busy day’s events — from announcements at press conferences to inspiring advice from educational sessions. Here are some of the top moments to help you run a better business.

1. The 4 Villains Of Good Decision Making

There are villains among small business owners. They are the four villains of good decision making. Avoid them at all costs to make better, smarter decisions in your business, said Gary Schwantz of Schwantz Inc. at his GIE+EXPO/NALP LANDSCAPES session “Decision Making Made Practical.”

1. Narrow framing – unduly limiting the options we consider.
2. Confirmation bias – seeking out information that bolsters our beliefs.
3. Short-term emotion – being swayed by emotions that will fade.
4. Overconfidence – having too much faith in our predictions.

2. Catch Your Team Doing Things Right

In his session “Soft Skills for Hard Work” at GIE+EXPO, Marty Grunder says that catching your team doing things right is one of the greatest ways to motivate them. For example, he suggests using a private Facebook page just for your team to post things for them to see. Snap a photo of someone doing something great and post it to the page. Compliment one of your team members in front of everyone. Create a board in the office where you can post things that motivate employees such as photos of a job well done or quotes from a satisfied client. Focus on the positive. You will get a lot further with praise than you do with criticism.

3. Hire People With Complementary Skills

John Puryear, president of Puryear Farms in Gallatin, Tennessee, says that it doesn’t help your company to try to hire clones of yourself. During the CEOs “Unplugged Design/Build Session” at GIE+EXPO, he says that’s because everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and you don’t want everyone to be the same. “I’ve learned that the best music is made by an ensemble of different instruments,” he says. “I encourage you to identify your own weaknesses and surround yourself with people who have strengths where you have weaknesses.”

4. Video: A Successful Marketing Strategy

Video is huge right now. Christopher Yates, president of Success Landscape Marketing, says that doing some authentic video that helps make a personal connection with your customers can have a huge impact. Create a video that talks about who you are and what you do. You want it to be compelling so they keep watching, but not too long that they lose interest. In addition to connecting your clients to you, video also helps with your bounce rate, which is how long someone stays on your site. It’s not enough for viewers to just stop at your site briefly, you want them to stay there — and video can create those opportunities.

5. Develop Success And Profit With Networking

There is great power behind networking. You need to have thought partners. Thought partners are the people you can call up when you need to troubleshoot a problem. How do you find a thought partner? Join a peer group, meet people at the trade shows, introduce yourself to peers. Nick DiBenedetto, of ND Landscape, Inc., shared these recommendations during the session “How to Develop Success and Profit with the Golden Trilogy” at the GIE+EXPO.

6. Developing A Game Plan For A Successful Exit

Ron Edmonds, principal consultant for The Principium Group, presented on how to make a game plan for a successful exit if you are selling your business. A business owner has to be prepared for anything that might be thrown their way. Whether your business sells quickly or takes a while, here are eight business value factors to be aware of when putting your business on the market.

1. Growth potential
2. Financial performance
3. Overdependence
4. Cash flow
5. Reoccurring revenue
6. Unique value proposition
7. Customer satisfaction
8. Strength of management team

7. Jaws’ No-Brainer Principles

Ron Jaworski, NFL Pro Bowl quarterback, fondly known as Jaws, gave the keynote speech for NALP at the Opening Kick-Off and shared his seven no-brainer principles for businesses. Here’s what he had to say:

1. You must really like people: how can you be a strong business person if you don’t like people?
2. You must be a good example: that means do the little things that will make you successful
3. Create an atmosphere where people enjoy coming to work
4. Define the goal, delegate responsibilities, and lead
5. Empower your people
6. Build relationships within your business: technology has its place, but nothing tops face-to-face contact
7. Be sincere: in other words, be yourself

8. Creating A Team Mentality

At his recent GIE session, green industry consultant Marty Grunder, founder and CEO of Grunder Landscaping, Co., in Miamisburg, Ohio, said that one way company owners can help lead their teams to success is to realize it’s not all about them. He says that it’s not about you but rather, it’s about your team — and how you work together. Grunder says that business owners need to recognize that fact in order to be better leaders.

9. Attributes Of Successful CEOs

Becoming a chief executive officer (CEO) is tough. They have to work through a lot of different problems and become master problem solvers to make their business the best they can be. How did they get there? Here are the four key attributes for successful CEOs:

1. Be decisive
2. Engage for impact
3. Adapt proactively
4. Deliver consistently

The post 9 Top Business Insights And Principals From GIE+EXPO appeared first on Turf.

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