We often get so busy that we believe we don't have time to slow down or teach someone else to do a task, but over the years our team has realized that the opposite is actually true. We should always be empowering others in our organization and developing new leaders in the process.

This year is busier than any in recent memory, and our salespeople are fielding calls from new prospects constantly. On top of that we're hearing from landscape pros across the country that scheduling is a challenge with staffing problems, material shortages, and the usual disruptions from the weather. Demand is at an.

An important metric for owners, sales people, and even production team members to understand is the company's costs. Everyone reading this Great Idea understands that if you bid a job for $10,000 and it costs you $20,000 to do the work it's a problem. A less obvious problem we sometimes see is when a company is.

Years ago, Grunder Landscaping Co. frequently had a surplus of plants and materials at their shop waiting to be used on jobs. Materials may or may not have been allocated to a specific job, it was pretty common for the plant procurement team to just buy a few extras when they found great quality or a great price and.

Last week we talked about how acute the labor shortage is this year and shared one tactic that Grunder Landscaping Co. is using to try to find the workers that they need to get the work they've sold done. This week, we're sharing a new perspective from someone we hope you'll get to know well in the coming year. Marty.

The biggest challenge for landscaping companies right now is the same across the country: labor. Finding, hiring, and retaining talented team members is challenging every year, but this year the problem is particularly acute. Grunder Landscaping Co. has not gotten their H-2B workers for 2021 and they don't expect to.

Team Leaders at Grunder Landscaping have a lot responsibility. They are our eyes and ears in the field, project managers on jobsites, and play a key role in ensuring our entire team is trained in best practices. Each day our crews spend about 30 minutes total at our shop, but they spend hours with their own crew on.

Many landscape professionals across the country, both those who joined us in New Orleans in February and those who couldn't make it, have been waiting with baited breath for us to announce our destination for GROW! 2022. We've been dropping hints on social media all week, but the secret is officially out: GROW! 2022.

Led by Marty Grunder, The Grow Group is a premier consulting firm for green-industry professionals, providing innovative programming, peer-group and one-on-one coaching, and real-world resources to help business owners and their teams succeed. In addition to The Grow Group, Marty leads the team at Grunder Landscaping.

It is without a doubt the busiest time of the year for most landscape professionals across the country, and during this busy time it's easy to become so focused on getting the work done that we move too quickly, make mistakes, and waste our precious time. Before we start another week, take a moment to slow down. For.