Editor's Focus: Feb. 1997

It’s not my business to judge anyone on their philosophy of business. As with most things in life, those decisions are personal. If you are any kind of communicator at all, your employees will know where your business is going by the manner in which you drive it. Your excitement, or complacency, is contagious. Your goals, however soaring or modest, eventually become clear to everyone on board.

The problem can come if you have no direction, because surely your business will go nowhere without a direction. And even if your goals are extremely modest, at least they are goals. What counts is how well you manage your business.

Too often, I hear about landscape contractors who are strong in horticultural skills and weak in business. I know - many contractors got into the business because they love the landscape, because they like people, because they like the outdoors. That’s great. But they still have to realize it’s a business or it’s nothing.

The good news is that business management isn’t magic. It can be learned. The basics of accounting, pricing, personnel management, marketing, operations management and more are subjects almost everyone can master. But you have to make the effort.

There’s really no excuse anymore for not paying attention to your cash flow, your employees’ needs and your customers’ expectations. You don’t have to learn everything within a week, but anytime is a good time to start learning more about business management. Some of the most successful and advanced corporations in the world describe themselves as learning organizations. They value information that is applied, people who can think, imaginations that can benefit the company.

You should, too. If you’re already getting into the start of a busy landscape season, make sure to schedule some time for courses, meetings or seminars that offer the kind of business management training you need. Look around - you may be surprised how many courses are specifically aimed at the lawn and landscape contracting industry.

No matter how far you intend to take your business, there are ways to improve yourself and your employees that will make the trip more interesting, enjoyable and even profitable - if you make the effort. Consider it a gift to yourself and your business. It’s one of the most positive things you can do.