You work too hard to let your profits be list to mistakes, inaccuracies and neglect. Review these tips and be sure you’re capturing every dollar you can! Improve your bidding accuracy. Don’t leave money on the table by bidding projects using bad data. Update your job cost history to reflect rising costs for materials, labor, labor burden and overhead. Use …

Whether your company is facing increased material costs, increased wage growth pressures or a flood of new demand, 2019 is the year you will need to adjust your pricing strategy. When it comes to talking to customers about prices, many contractors are overcome by fear. Get over it, because your selling price has the biggest impact to the bottom line. …

Each month in our newsletter, we provide you with special insights that can help you tackle the unique challenges of managing a contracting business. If you missed these articles during this recent season, prepare for 2019 by reviewing them now: Signs Your Pricing Strategy Has Gone Wrong: Contractors are reacting too slowly to changes in costs, resulting in profit declines. …

A recent leadership academy at Cornell University’s SC Johnson School of Business tackled the topic of “Landscape Contractors in the Future”. The event was sponsored by the National Association of Landscape Professionals and was intended to give participants insights into our complex and challenging industry. Instructor Michael Hostetler engaged the group in a discussion of the landscape company of the …

Participate in Central’s 2018 Turf Early Order Program Plan your product needs now to secure the best pricing for the upcoming season. Participate in Central’s Turf Early Order Program. Buy Smart Lock in the best pricing and discounts by taking action now. Plus receive extended terms. Total Solutions Combine purchases from our wide selection of industry-leading suppliers for fertilizer, chemicals …

Central’s team recently attended GIE Expo in Louisville to meet with leading manufacturers and contractors to learn more about the latest industry trends. In talking with the leaders of the top companies, five trends kept coming up in conversation. We anticipate these trends to have a significant impact on contractors’ planning for 2019, so we wanted to share them with …

Are you prepared for material cost increases of up to 25%? They’re already happening! After years of predictably flat pricing, manufacturers have been aggressively raising prices in every category of landscape and irrigation supplies. For some, they’re forced to increase by tariffs and material costs. For others, they’re seeing an opportunity to raise prices after years with no changes. Central …

Many landscape contractors are now confident with designing and installing landscape lighting systems.  They’ve discovered that offering a basic package of fixtures with every landscape project gets customers to say “yes”. But what about the contractor who is ready to move beyond “basic lighting” to larger installations that bring more opportunities for design creativity and impact? Central has compiled a …

A motivating leader in a landscape company brings out the best in others, creating a work environment that matches the employees’ standards.  Good leaders communicate well, stating clearly what they expect and how well their team is doing in achieving it. Sometimes leaders can say the wrong things.  They use cliché statements that can be interpreted as uncaring or out-of-touch. …

You’ve been working extra hard all year. It sure would be frustrating to find that you’re making less than you should be! It’s common for successful contractors to be too slow in adjusting their prices to reflect new costs.    They don’t want to cause trouble with their loyal clients, even when their clients are willing to pay more. Cost increases …