Editor's Focus: Jan. 2001

A survey we recently conducted indicated that 89 percent of the professional lawn care and landscape companies in the country generate less than $1 million in annual sales. In fact, about 80 percent of the companies comprising this industry bring in less than $500,000 in annual revenue.

Those findings shouldn’t shock anyone. We all know this is an industry of entrepreneurs and “mom-and-pop” business people.

However, this research should remind everyone of the integral role the smaller companies play in the industry. This group’s significance is reinforced to us regularly as readers encourage us to profile smaller contractors and continue writing about issues of importance to the companies working to establish themselves as legitimate businesses.

These conversations resulted in the addition of our Minding Your Business department last year. This month we dedicated an entire magazine to issues small contractors must address in order to succeed – financing growth, setting up systems and structuring the business for efficiency, to name a few.

Also, the coming months bring some of our largest issues of the year, which means more information for you. One way we will take advantage of this opportunity is by seeking out more progressive, successful businesses to profile. We’ll continue to present you with a look at some of the larger, well-established companies in the industry because they’re the ones who have found solutions to many of the obstacles in a company’s growth path. But we’ll also introduce you to the green industry’s next wave of leaders who are starting to make a name for themselves as well.

At the same time, we’re launching a monthly department called Labor Solutions, which is a self-explanatory title if ever there was one. There’s clearly no greater challenge for contractors today than hiring and retaining quality labor, so we’re going to offer ideas and programs that have proven successful for others in the industry.

These efforts are all part of our commitment to delivering the best magazine to you each month. If you have suggestions relating to these topics or other articles you would like to read, or if you’re involved in a business that generated less than $1 million in average sales last year and would make a good profile subject, please contact me at 800/456-0707, ext. 239 or at bwest@gie.net.