Pricing right is the fastest and most effective way for contractors to increase profits. For the typical landscape contractor a price increase of 1 percent would generate nearly an 8 percent increase in operating profits, assuming stable volume.   (And we would guess no customers would leave for a 1% increase!)   Whether your company is facing increased material costs, increased wage …

There’s nothing wrong with hard work. For many, hard work has led to great success. But sometimes, hard work is doing work that doesn’t need to be done.  The key is to work smarter:  work more effectively so that effort generates the best return. Here are some things to look for: Do things in the correct order.  Experiment to see …

Take advantage of the popularity of outdoor spaces by offering a full range of products for the ultimate backyard living experience. Central makes it easy for you to offer outdoor sound systems as part of your service offering. They’re a natural complement to landscape projects and are often installed together with landscape lighting. We offer the TruAudio system which is …

Mosquitoes, ticks and fleas thrive in warm humid weather, reproducing and multiplying rapidly.  They’re not only a nuisance, but also they transmit dangerous diseases.  They’re at their peak in mid-summer, which creates a great business opportunity for you! While you’re on the property performing other services, it’s a logical upsell to also offer insect control. Understanding The Opportunity Contractors typically …

By the time July rolls around, your irrigation service department starts to experience a slowdown. If you want to stay busy, you will need to work harder to find the customers who need you.  Smart Irrigation Month comes at a great time. You can promote intelligent new irrigation products and practices that make their aging systems better. Customers’ water bills are …

With the HCC controller, Hunter expands the Hydrawise multi-site irrigation management capabilities into larger commercial projects, with up to 54 stations on a single controller. With Hydrawise you can create a steady revenue stream, converting the customers seen only once or twice per year into managed accounts whose irrigation systems are monitored real-time.  Enjoy recurring revenue without the need to …

It pays to be picky! In building a business, it’s tempting to say “yes” to every customer and every project.  Companies can fall into a trap of trying too hard to win projects at any cost.  Other times, they bend to unreasonable or nonsense customer requests in attempt to make the sale. Finding the Right Match Figuring out your compatibility …

Our new irrigation controls partner, Baseline Irrigation Solutions, and our pump partner, Munro, set the standard for irrigation system integration when they partnered to offer an unprecedented level of monitoring and performance. Simple monitoring and reporting Off-the-shelf options offer easy integration for your Munro Pump Station with a BaseStation 3200, without extra hardware, proprietary programming, or add-on services or fees. …

Is it time to refresh the marketing materials that you provide with your project quotes? A good presentation package is an unbeatable way to demonstrate your expertise, put a human face on your company and supercharge your chance of winning the job. Avoid being just another contractor who hands out manufacturer cut-sheets in a freebie folder.   Take action to develop …

In the good old days, often the best path to hiring a qualified professional was through a referral from a friend or neighbor. But what if your friends and neighbors didn’t have a good contractor to recommend? Now many turn to the internet for information. Online reviews are the new hot topic. Over 90 percent of consumers read online reviews …