Total Landscape Care Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/285789
cover story B efore fi guring out what methods they'll use to expand, owners fi rst need to pick a goal they want to reach. "One of the biggest challenges we have as landscape professionals is truly understanding the growth process and then, thereafter, planning the growth process," Cohen says. "We often allow our competitive market to grow our business versus the business owner implementing his own sound growth strategy." When planning, they need to make sure to set realistic goals and weigh the risk and rewards of each. Popular numbers to track are revenue growth (business volume) and profi t, but landscapers should remember to keep their companies' capaci- ties in mind when choosing numbers. "Failing to set realistic goals by being either too conservative or overly ambitious can have disas- trous results on your company," he says. (To read about choosing between conservative or ambitious goals, check out the sidebar on page 31.) After creating a growth plan, it's important to continually review it to make sure it's still aligned with the company's objectives. Plans and priorities can change, which is some- thing Andrea Wilson Mueller – owner of Inside Out Design in Frankfort, Kentucky, and TLC's 2014 Landscaper of the Year – found out. With a goal of a 10-percent growth every year, Inside Out Design has actually experienced closer to 15 to 18 percent. They originally wanted to become a $1 million company, but Mueller says she and her husband, Michael, realized they needed to put the quality of growth above the quantity. "We want quality workmanship and projects that are in keeping with our mission instead of focusing on money," Mueller says. "Part of our process is to make sure we are running as effi ciently as we can so that we are still profi table and so our employees are paid enough and our projects are a good value for the customer." 2 6 To t a l L a n d s c a p e C a r e . c o m A P R I L 2 014 Digging in