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BUSINESS MANAGEMENT PHOTO BY LARRY DECKER "In business, growth is imperative, not optional." This is a pervasive theme in the business world, but it's ok to question it. A few years into my landscaping business of 10 years, I started turning away work because, above all, I wanted to keep the simple business model that made me happy. I did not want to grow just for the sake of growing. Every small business owner has to assess what level of growth will make him or her financially secure, but, just as important, happy and fulfilled. Here are some things to consider when you find yourself at a business-expansion crossroads. SEVEN YEARS OF BLOOM Liz Elkin began Bloom Landscape and Fine Gardening Service in 2008 in New Paltz, N.Y. Her background was in organic gardening and farming, permaculture, and landscape design, and in the environmentally conscious college town of New Paltz, her interests aligned with those of her future clients. "When I started Bloom, it was just me, my favorite Japanese gardening knife, a passion for plants, and a vision," Elkin said. Bloom got off to a great start, and business picked up fast. Within a few months, Elkin enlisted a friend to work with her to keep up with new garden accounts. After the first year, it was very clear that Bloom needed to start bringing on more people, so Elkin hired one crew of three full-time gardeners. The following year, business was booming and Bloom purchased a company van to transport crew and tools from site to site. Every year since, Bloom has added another crew or a vehicle, usually in the spring. At the start of the 2015 season, Bloom had five vans and five crews of varying sizes working at different accounts. In addition to field crews, Elkin brought on full-time office staff, including an office manager, an operations manager, and a landscape architect. "They are all a great help in keeping all the wheels spinning!" she said. When asked about what rate of growth makes her happy, Elkin replied, "That is a great question, and one that is most definitely a moving target. The rate of growth that makes me happy correlates directly with the strength of the entire Bloom team. Business growth and expansion becomes more feasible when your staff is capable and dedicated. It's the collective efforts of every employee, including the owner, that determine how the business thrives." Elkin recommends small business owners work hard to surround themselves with the best people they can find. "Put the effort into finding great field crews and office staff that you can trust," she said. "They are the people who make your business run smoothly on a daily basis. Without solid managers, you have to be in too many places at once, and end up limited to only what one person can do daily." Case studies and considerations for when you reach business expansion crossroads ■ BY MICHELLE SUTTON 14 November/December 2015 Landscape and Irrigation www.landscapeirrigation.com Critical Junctures A Bloom Landscape contemporary design.