Getting customers thinking about snow equipment maintenance and spring purchases could lead to sales in the spring and a manageable winter in the shop.

Many landscapers swear by planting in the late summer and early fall to give plants a chance to take root before the cooler winter months. The late summer is also a good time for dealers to plant the seed about snow thrower maintenance and repairs. Now is the time to start reminding your customers to bring in their snow management equipment so it’s ready for the first snowfall.

By encouraging customers to come in before the snow season starts, you are preventing your shop from getting bogged down with repairs and leaving customers unhappy with turnaround time. You’ll likely still have customers that come in asking for their repair to be done yesterday, but even if only a few plan ahead it will lighten your load. A good way to encourage customers to come in early is by offering early bird deals on maintenance.

Read these articles on Selling Out Inventory with Fall Demos and Building Relationships with Demos.

Planning ahead and staying in front of your customers keeps you in their minds instead of the competition. It could bring the sales your way in the spring, while helping winter months in the shop to be more manageable.

- Lisa Danes, Associate Editor

I’ve spent a good bit of time interviewing landscape contractors who have gone through and/or are going through the Working Smarter Training Challenge. One thing that’s really struck out at me is that the little things can have such a dramatic impact on your bottom line, and company culture.

Contractors from Washington to Colorado to Chicago to Canada talk about changes they’ve made that have helped save their company literally tens of thousands of dollars, things like:

• Getting crews out 15 minutes faster
• Putting the kabosh (sp?) on morning coffee runs
• Changing the mowing pattern on a property
• Eliminating ineffective marketing efforts
• Switching to a four-day work week
• Cutting back to two-man crews

What are some of the “little things” you’re doing to work smarter?

~ Gregg Wartgow, Green Industry PRO magazine

I live in southern Wisconsin, and as recently as July 3 my lawn was so green and thick, full of moisture. In just a few weeks it’s dry as can be; haven’t had to mow in 11 days. This goes to show you just how volatile and weather-reliant this business can be. If you’re in an area hit by a mid-summer dry spell, hopefully your backlog of work is keeping cash flowing.

Let us know how you’re doing, and what you’re doing, to stay busy in the shop and also sell-down your wholegoods inventory.

~ Gregg Wartgow, Yard & Garden

I’m not in favor of illegal immigration, or criminal activity in general. I understand the plight of honest, law-abiding citizens in the border areas who fear for their safety and feel that their own rights and liberties are slipping from their fingers. It makes perfect sense to me that people—Latino, Caucasian, African-American or whatever—should carry proof of identification and citizenship. I agree that law enforcement should do all they can to apprehend and deport those who are in this country illegally.

Some in Arizona, including the governor and state legislature, feel the same way, which is why Senate Bill 1070 is a reality.

But here’s another reality: It is hurting many honest small businesses, namely landscape contractors.

As written in the Bill, “reasonable suspicion” leaves the door wide open. (“Reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person.”)

What is “reasonable suspicion”? Is a Hispanic operating a hedgetrimmer reasonably suspicious? From what I’m hearing, it might be.

It’s a shame that many landscape contractors who operate legally, ethically and professionally once again become collateral damage in an effort to stop those who don’t.

There are approximately 1,100 licensed landscape contractors in the state of Arizona, more than 50% of which “turn over” every six months or so, according to Judy Gausman, CEO of the Arizona Landscape Contractors Association (ALCA). Less than a third (350) are ALCA members. All of them are affected by SB 1070.

Gausman says ALCA members have been given the tools to comply with the law through information distributed in the ALCA Influence magazine and through mass emails. ALCA has also provided a number of seminars presented by attorney Julie Pace that instruct landscape contractor owners. Topics have included:

• How to conduct I-9 audits and correct I-9 mistakes
• Learn the Latest Regarding ICE Audits and ICE Investigations
• Learn Strategies to Demonstrate Immigration Compliance
• Implement Procedures to Respond to Government Investigations
• Learn about the Nuts and Bolts of E-Verify
• Learn how to Defend your Company against Violations under the new Arizona Employer Sanctions Law
• New Federal Regulations on SSA No Match Letters

Check back for updates as this story continues to develop.

~ Gregg Wartgow, editor-in-chief of Yard & Garden and PRO Magazine

Yard & Garden magazine just featured a new lawn tractor from Snapper in its enewsletter today: http://equipment.greenindustrypros.com/product/83193/Snapper_NXT_Rider. Now we just got wind of the fact that Dixon is coming out with a new line of lawn and garden tractors.

From 2003-2008 all we heard about was how zero-turns were gaining in popularity like crazy, even with homeowners. Then box stores also started to stock a bunch of zero-turns.

Here we are today, in the early-spring of 2010, and two well-established consumer mower manufacturers are launching tractors.

Keep an eye on www.greenindustrypros.com/onlinefeatures as the editors of Yard & Garden investigate what is happening in the consumer mower market right now to prompt these changes.

~ Gregg Wartgow, editor-in-chief of Yard & Garden and PRO Magazine

As Earth Day (April 22) approaches, Green Industry professionals are stepping up and giving back. Lawn equipment dealers and landscape contractors are organizing scores of community service projects across the country.

One such company is Carl’s Mower & Saw in Ferndale, WA. This servicing dealer is offering a free spark plug and air filter to anyone who comes into the dealership on Earth Day; customers must also bring in their old filter and plug for the exchange. Briggs & Stratton research shows that up to 50% of lawnmower emissions can be reduced by proper maintenance, which includes replacing the air filter and spark plug.

What are some other Green Industry Pros doing on Earth Day?

~ Gregg Wartgow, editor-in-chief of Yard & Garden and PRO Magazines

Just posted an item at GIP News based on an article I saw in the San Francisco Chronicle talking about the final passage of the San Francisco Landscaping Law. This green movement is real guys, so you’d better get on board quick (keep following our “Green Enigma” series in PRO, which kicked off in our March/April issue).

In a way, the law in San Francisco pumps me up, since the local government there has recognized the importance nature and landscaping play in a sound environment. But the law favors trees, rain gardens, eco-friendly hardscaping, etc., as opposed to healthy turf. In fact, at least 50% of new front lawns must consist of the aforementioned elements. Hmm … is that good news for a contractor making his living mowing and fertilizing grass, or a dealer who sells equipment to mow and fertilize that grass?

Now keep in mind that this is San Francisco (a much different place than most towns and cities in the country). But if the green movement continues on the path and pace it currently is on, landscape contractors and lawn equipment dealers will need to make some changes.

~ Gregg Wartgow, Yard & Garden and PRO Magazine editor-in-chief

In my mailbox the other night was a post card indicating that I could receive up to $35 because the manufacturer may have misled me about the horsepower rating on a push mower I bought in 2003. This class action lawsuit allots up to $75 for a riding mower.

Wow, I had no idea … for the past seven years my mower has done a really good job of making grass short. But the defendants, who you can learn about at www.lawnmowerclass.com, and the plaintiffs decided to settle – and now I and every other schmuck who bought a lawnmower up to 30 hp between January 1, 1994 and April 12, 2010 can benefit.

The guy who spearheaded this class action suit seems to be primarily driven by the fact that the defendants conspired to trick consumers into buying more expensive mowers, and then conspired to conceal their efforts. The defendants naturally deny any wrongdoing, but have decided to settle nonetheless, which is often the case in events like this.

And now they’re going to pay – and even people like me who haven’t for one second felt victimized are going to benefit. That’s the system.

Here’s the kicker: In lieu of that $35 or $75 cash settlement, I and many others could simply be awarded an extended warranty; sounds like that’s up to a given manufacturer to decide. So “making this right” could fall on servicing dealers. How “extended” the warranty will remain to be seen. My guess is that mowers that are more than three years old will fall into the cash settlement category. Mowers still in warranty will be granted another year.

What are your thoughts?

~ Gregg Wartgow, editor-in-chief Yard & Garden and PRO Magazine

Health care reform is a reality, at least for now. What does this mean for lawn and garden equipment dealers and landscape contractors? I’ve never met one of either who employs more than 50 full-time people who doesn’t offer health care. So, is this a good thing for those in the Green Industry trenches? Let’s hear ya’!

Social networking has been growing in many industries, and is now being used even more as a tool for the Green Industry. Dealers and contractors are using the free site Facebook.com to connect with peers and open discussions about the latest equipment trends, industry news, bidding on jobs, completing installation projects, etc. It can be a great tool for getting advice and sharing your own expertise.

Yard & Garden and PRO have Facebook groups for dealers and contractors. We hope these private groups will consist of forward-thinking dealers and contractors whose ideas will help keep our editorial content in line with reader cares and concerns.

But just like a good mower, Facebook is only going to help you get the job done if you know how to start and maintain it. Signing up for a Facebook profile is easy, as the website walks you through the steps. However, managing one isn’t such a no-brainer. There are several articles online that walk you through the steps of using facebook. Here is a series of eHow videos that can help get you started.

Already using Facebook? How are you using it as a tool to better your business? Tell us in the comment section.

Lisa Danes, Yard & Garden and PRO associate editor