As each day passes I notice more and more landscapers across the country who continue to struggle to grow their businesses. I feel compelled as a fellow landscaper to share just how my company continues to grow at a very healthy rate each year. 1. First of all, there are no real secrets. Half the battle is following through on what you say. For example, if you tell someone you are going to be there at 8 a.m. to start work, have your crews there at 7:45 so they are ready to start at 8. 2. Once employees understand that they must be on time, the next tool we have used to manage growth is understanding the art of not overpromising to customers. If you tell someone that you're going to plant 50 annuals in their bed areas by Tuesday...

Landscapers are busy people, so we don’t hear from our readers as often as we might like. If I’m ever dying for some reader interaction, though, all I have to do is publish a photo of a worker that’s not wearing a uniform. There is a segment of our readership that is adamant about the donning of uniforms. Uniformed crews, they say, help elevate the level of professionalism in the Green Industry. That helps bolster public opinion about the industry. And that helps landscape contractors charge more for their services. That is nonsense. First of all, the industry is a lot more “professional” than it was when I started covering it in 1997. However, the average lawn maintenance contractor today is charging less than he did back...