The Landscape Business Pro Podcast: Expert Advice for Landscaping & Excavating Contractors

Stan and Marty Grunder discuss how leadership allows you to leverage your time and resources.  When things didn’t work out as Marty wanted and expected, he is able to trace it back to poor leadership.  When things go well, he is being a good leader.

5 Tenets of Successful Leaders

* Lead by example

* Have integrity

* Be enthusiastic

* Communicate

* Do a little bit more than the other guy/gal

Ask somebody to give you their honest opinion on how you rate on the 5 tenets.

The core values in Marty’s businesses are quality, teamwork, leadership, profitability.

“Whatever you allow, you encourage.”

Links from this episode:

MartyGrunder.com

1-866-Grunder

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Kim Julen with Finding Your Fiji discusses the importance of trusting your intuition to grow your business.  She discusses a few tests you can do right where you are to help determine whether or not you should do something.

So, how do you know it’s your intuition and not your ego?

Intuition feels natural, spontaneous, familiar

Intuition is uplifting – it feels good

Intuition is positive for highest good of all – no harm will come to others

Intuition is direct, to the point, and supportive

Intuition leaves a strong impression

Intuition is consistent

Intuition often leads to helping others

Intuition encourages making healthy changes

Intuition often comes to you through things you hear, see, think.  For example, numbers, words, animals, or triggers (if you see something and it makes you think of something else.)

Self-talk

How does what you say to yourself affects your reality?  Attract what you want instead of what you don’t want. The universe doesn’t hear a negative, so speak and think what you want.

Links from this episode

FindingYourFiji.com

Find Kim on Facebook –

Shad Holmstettser – What to Say When You Talk to Yourself

Josie Robinson – The Gratitude Jar

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Landscape Business Pro Podcast

Jim Bouchard goes over 8 universal strategies for personal and professional mastery that apply to large and small business alike.

* Discipline

* Focus – letting go of the distractions keeping you from the task at hand

* Understand and Cultivate Power

* Be Confident – Yet Humble

* Be Flexible, Adaptable, and Comfortable with Uncertainty

* Strap on Your Belt

* Keep “Beginners” Mind

* Be a Leader (Get 8 Strategies for Effective Leaders for free) – Be the leader you would want to follow

Perfection is not a destination; it’s a never-ending process.  The true masters has a beginners mind. A master has failed more times than a beginner has ever attempted.

Think Like a Black Belt

Sensei Leader

 

Building a business is about putting the systems in place by making sure all the little details are in place.

Nick’s goal is to work 33% of the time while creating a full time income.  When you have streamlined systems in your business, you don’t have to micromanage everything for consistent profits.

Every person in your business knows exactly what they should be doing and when, so you are free to focus on growing your business.

Have a good system means that the appropriate person knows what to do when XYZ happens.

For example, your office staff knows exactly what to do when the phone rings: 1. Answer the phone. 2. If they are requesting and estimate, ______. If they have an issue, ______. 3. Follow up with an estimate in __ days.  Or whatever the case may be.  There is no confusion and things don’t get forgotten.

Nick even has a system down for hiring new employees.  This ensures that he only hire applicants that are a good fit for his business.

Small Business Naked

The Chaise Lounge

Jeremiah & Rory from Construct-Ed join Stan today as they discuss a new way to get business education for you and your team.

Industry professionals who are experts in their field teach online courses on Construct-Ed. You no longer have to hunt down these professionals to try to get them to lunch or a cup of coffee so you can get tips and tricks out of them. Now, you can get insider information from the comfort of your home or office.

When you purchase a course, you can replay it an unlimited amount of time, so it is easy to share the information with members of your team over and over again until they have it figured out.

Topics covered include: business management, design and architecture, equipment, financial, marketing and sales, safety, software, trade skills, estimating and bidding, green building.

If you are an expert or have knowledge in a field, Construct-Ed is always looking to partner with new instructors, so contact them on their website to share your information and earn a little extra income.

Links from this episode

Construct-Ed.com

If you don’t have a landscape designer on staff, partnering up with one is a great tool to have in your back pocket. When a customer asks you, “Can you draw this up for me?” it is much better to be able to answer, “yes, we have a specialist who does that” than send them on their way to find someone who can. This adds great value to you as the contractor because you make the customer’s life so much simpler.

Stan talks to Joanne Shaw, the owner and operator of Down2Earth Landscape Design. A graduate of Ryerson University in Landscape Design, Joanne has over 15 years experience in designing gardens and more than a decade in landscape and related business, both for her own clientele and established local nurseries.

Learn how to create a business relationship that is beneficially to both you and the landscape designer!

Links from this episode

Down2Earth

Joanne on Twitter

Maintaining and growing romantic and familial relationships can be difficult when starting a business. Having a successful marriage, family, and business requires a unique balance of time, money, and resources.

Stan sits down with Keith & Ashley Kalfas after the 2015 GIE Expo to discuss the early years of their relationship and marriage. How did they make it through the rough patches of endless work?

Ashley opens up about her trust issues that stem from childhood and how she and Keith were able to work through them.

Stan and Keith discuss the way that arguments with their spouses affect their production. How do you respond to arguments? Does it fester and bother you all day or can you work through them and resolve them at the appropriate time?

 

Links from this episode

Landscaping Employee Trap on YouTube

Keith Kalfas on Twitter

LandscapingEmployeeTrap.com

Ashley Aprons

You’re not just a number cruncher.  Stop estimating jobs, and  start selling them! What is your sales process?  Shawn reviews the three bidding styles and how to perfect your presentation strategy.

1. Estimator

2. Schmoozer

3. Consultative

“Whether you buy from me, or somebody else, you’re going to have the tools and information necessary to make a good decision for your home and for your family.”

You want to set yourself apart from your competition. Every step of your process should be making yourself different.

CCN Process:

Step 1 – Attitude and goals

Step 2 – Pre-Approach – 3rd party sales tools that are sent out before you go out (for example: “How to Make a Successful Construction Investment.”  A reminder of appointment time and picture of who is coming out.

Step 3 – Measure call – Needs analysis call to find out the specific needs of the customer.  29 Questions you should ask your customers (you can get a free copy of these questions when you sign up for a free 30 minute business coaching call with Shawn)

Links from this episode

Request FREE coaching call with Shawn

www.contractors.net

With over 20 years  in the home improvement industry Shawn Feurer is experienced in all aspects of owning and running a successful remodeling company.  His company, Norton’s Quality Exteriors served the greater Salt Lake area  and were members of Certified Contractors Network for 10 years.   Shawn has always had a passion for homes and helping people.  He is very knowledgeable in the CCN best practices and has had years of experience implementing them into his business.  He now uses this experience to help others working for CCN  in member support and business development.

 

What are Facebook “dark posts” and how can you use them to promote your business in a targeted and cost-effective way? Today Stan talks with business owner and social media expert Tyler Olson. If your company is on Facebook already, then sponsored posts and dark posts are an awesome way for you to reach more potential customers in an inexpensive and targeted way. Roughly 80% of Americans are on Facebook, and about 50% login every single day. The engagement level is huge, so it can be very build an audience, attract customers and generate business. Tyler and Stan layout some awesome ways you and your company can utilize dead-simple ideas on Facebook — like before-and-after pictures — to grab attention and grow your business.

Links from this episode

www.smcpros.com

On Twitter @tyolson

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Landscape Business Pro Podcast

If you want to run a successful business, forget about your craft. You can be the best landscaper…the best excavator…the best contractor around – but ultimately, none of that matters if you don’t know how to communicate. The hard truth is, it doesn’t matter how good you are at your craft, people skills are absolutely vital to your success. Jeff Johnson is an author, business owner, and former gubernatorial candidate for the state of MN. All these experiences have taught Jeff about the importance of connecting with people. Jeff and Stan talk about the importance of small talk, remembering names, and following up with people – these things matter!

Links from this episode

www.jeffjohnson.org

Find us on iTunes

Landscape Business Pro Podcast