The Scoop Online - September 2016 by Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association

Having a Strong Guarantee

Also Inside

Profits Depend on Service Providers

Year-Round Pioneers Essential Oils Out & About

A SUMMER OF FUN AND FUNDRAISING MNLA members gathered to enjoy baseball, golf, BBQs, and beautiful gardens

Vol: 39 No: 9 Sept 2016 T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E M I N N E S O TA N U R S E R Y & L A N D S C A P E A S S O C I AT I O N

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Volume 39 No. 9 Sept 2016

CONTENTS 18

& 12

IN THIS ISSUE 8

Events

10 From the Executive Director What’s coming up this fall?

15 Front Line Service Providers Northern Green keynote speaker Eric Chester encourages employers to never forget that profits depend on service providers. 

18 Fluctuating Work Week Patrick McGuiness discusses the fluctuating work week as an alternate compensation method. 

25 Year-Round Pioneers Learn how two contractors live the dream: steady cash flow with 365-day staff retention. 

39 Essential Oils as Pest Control Research is underway to explore the potential use of essential oils as a “natural” chemical for pest control.   

47 Having a Strong Guarantee Tom Borg explains why winning return business depends on having a strong guarantee up front. 

65 Snow Industry Benchmark Report Five lessons from the Hindsite snow industry survey.  

 Landscape & Hardscape Install & Design  Garden Services & Landscape Management  Garden Centers  Growers: Nursery & Greenhouse  Irrigation & Water Management  Arborists & Tree Services  All

12 Out & About An initiative of the membership committee is to stay in touch and thank members with occasional visits. 31 Pruning Clips: Shapes of Green Professor Robert Schutzki explores shapes of green in this month’s pruning clips feature. 43 Garden Party The garden was full of unique and interesting plants and art, and the party featured complimentary drinks. 51 Northern Green Find out about the new schedule, registration packages, education, and events planned for January 2017. 72 MNLA Foundation Corner Jay Siedschlaw explains the importance of pointing youth to green industry careers. 78 Widmer Golf Tournament Celebrating 26 years of green industry fundraising! 85 Networking News MNLA’s 2nd Annual Night at the Saint’s Game. The Scoop, September 2016, Issue 9, is issued monthly, 12 times per year. All original works, articles or formats published in The Scoop are © Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association, 2016, and may not be used without written permission of MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave N., Roseville, MN 55113. Subscription price is $99 for one year, which is included with member dues. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Scoop, MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave N., Roseville, MN 55113. Editorial Contributions. You are invited to share your expertise and perspective. Article ideas and manuscripts should, whenever possible, reflect real and specific experiences. When submitting an article, please contact the publisher at jon@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987. MNLA reserves the right to edit all Scoop content.

september 16

MNLA .biz

AD LIST MINNESOTA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION Successful Businesses Grow Here!

1813 Lexington Ave. N. Roseville, MN 55113 651-633-4987 • Fax: 651-633-4986 Outside the metro area, toll free: 888-886-MNLA, Fax: 888-266-4986 www.MNLA.biz • www.NorthernGreen.org

MISSION: The mission of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association is to help members grow successful businesses. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

herman roerick, president

Central Landscape Supply 320-252-1601 • hermanr@centrallandscape.com

scott frampton, vice-president

Landscape Renovations 651-769-0010 • sframpton@landscaperenovations.com

tim malooly, cid, clia, cic, secretary-treasurer Water in Motion 763-559-7771 • timm@watermotion.com

randy berg, mnla-cp

Berg’s Nursery, Landscape/Garden Center 507-433-2823 • randy@bergsnursery.com

matt mallas

Hedberg Supply 763-512-2849 • mmallas@hedbergaggregates.com

mike mcnamara

Hoffman & McNamara Nursery & Landscaping 651-437-9463 • mike.mcnamara@hoffmanandmcnamara.com

john o'reilly

Otten Bros. Garden Center and Landscaping 952-473-5425 • j.oreilly@ottenbros.com

jeff pilla, mnla-cp

Bachman’s, Inc. 612-861-7600 • jpilla@bachmans.com

nick sargent

Sargent’s Landscape Nursery, Inc. 507-289-0022 • njsargent@sargentsgardens.com

cassie larson, cae

MNLA Executive Director 651-633-4987 • cassie@mnla.biz

STAFF DIRECTORY

executive director:

Cassie Larson, CAE • cassie@mnla.biz

membership director & trade show manager:

Mary Dunn, CEM • mary@mnla.biz communications dir.: Jon Horsman, CAE • jon@mnla.biz education/cert manager: Susan Flynn • susan@mnla.biz

regulatory affairs manager: Jim Calkins • jim@mnla.biz administrative asst: Gayle Anderson • gayle@mnla.biz accountant: Kris Peterson • kris@mnla.biz foundation program coordinator: Paulette Sorenson • paulette@mnla.biz

advertising sales: 952-934-2891 / 763-295-5420

Faith Jensen, Advertising Rep • faith@pierreproductions.com Betsy Pierre, Advertising Mgr • betsy@pierreproductions.com legislative affairs consultant: Doug Carnival

MNLA .biz

september 16

Volume 39 No. 9 Sept 2016

➾ G OS C

A Top Notch Equipment ................................................................................... 28 Albert J. Lauer, Inc. ........................................................................................... 71 Ancom Communication & Technical Center .................................................... 66 Anderson Nurseries, Inc. .................................................................................. 50 Arborjet ............................................................................................................ 77 Aspen Equipment ............................................................................................. 17 Bachman’s Wholesale Nursery & Hardscapes .................................................. 11 Beberg Landscape Supply ................................................................................ 20 Black Spruce Holdings, LLC ............................................................................. 40 Borgert Products, Inc. ....................................................................................... 38 Bridgewater Tree Farms ................................................................................... 68 Bullis Insurance Agency .................................................................................... 60 Carlin Horticultural Supplies/ProGreen Plus ..................................................... 67 Central Landscape Supply ................................................................................ 60 Cushman Motor Co. Inc ................................................................................... 68 D. Hill Nursery Co. ............................................................................................ 56 Dayton Bag & Burlap ........................................................................................ 56 Edney Distributing Co., Inc. ............................................................................. 76 Erosion Products LLC ....................................................................................... 28 Frontier Ag & Turf ............................................................................................. 77 Frost Inc ............................................................................................................ 50 Fury Motors ...................................................................................................... 74 Gertens Wholesale & Professional Turf Supply .................................................. 2 Glacial Ridge Growers ...................................................................................... 57 GM Fleet and Commercial ................................................................................. 3 Gopher State One-Call ..................................................................................... 66 Great Northern Equipment .............................................................................. 24 Haag Companies, Inc. ...................................................................................... 58 Hedberg Supply ................................................................................................. 4 Hiway Federal Credit Union ............................................................................. 70 Jeff Belzer Chevrolet .................................................................................. 44–45 Klaus Nurseries ................................................................................................. 23 KTI Fencing, Inc ................................................................................................ 84 Kubota Dealers ................................................................................................. 82 Landscape Alternatives Inc. .............................................................................. 23 Maguire Agency ............................................................................................... 28 McKay Nursery Co. ........................................................................................... 80 Midwest Groundcovers LLC ............................................................................. 26 Midwest Transmission Center / DBA Clutch & U-joint Proven Force ............... 50 Northern Family Farms ..................................................................................... 67 Northern Salt Inc .............................................................................................. 17 Out Back Nursery ............................................................................................. 60 Plaisted Companies ............................................................................................ 7 RDO Equipment Co. ........................................................................................ 22 Resultants for Business, Inc. (RFB) ................................................................... 22 Rock Hard Landscape Supply division of Brian’s Lawn & Landscaping, Inc. .... 50 The Builders Group .......................................................................................... 40 Tri-State Bobcat, Inc. ............................................................................ 14, 30, 64 Truck Utilities, Inc. ............................................................................................. 57 Unilock .............................................................................................................. 42 Unique Lighting Systems .................................................................................. 46 United Label & Sales ........................................................................................ 28 University of Wisconsin — River Falls ............................................................... 60 Versa-Lok Midwest ........................................................................................... 52 Wheeler Landscape Supply .............................................................................. 49 Xcel Energy ...................................................................................................... 76 Ziegler CAT ......................................................................................... Back Cover

➾ C ALE N DAR

MNLA Event

SEPT14 TREES IN AN URBAN SETTING: Guided Walking Tour

MNLA Event

Minneapolis

SEPT21

MNLA.biz

MNLA SHOOTOUT

➾

This walking tour of Minneapolis will highlight the good and bad of urban tree performance, planting and maintenance. Gary Johnson and Chad Giblin of the University of Minnesota Urban Forestry Outreach, Research & Extension Nursery will be our tour guides.

Minnesota Horse & Hunt Club, Prior Lake

SEPT22 ➾

MNLA.biz

2016 CLEAN WATER SUMMIT Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska Arboretum.umn.edu

Don’t miss this annual sporting clays charity event to raise money for scholarships! The course runs at a beginner’s level — the focus is on fun. Proceeds benefit the MNLA Foundation Scholarship Fund.

The Summit will feature national and local research and innovation in green infrastructure practices for retrofit and redevelopment sites in order to reduce surface runoff and improve water quality.

MNLA Event

➾

OCT 20–21 HARDSCAPE NORTH AMERICA Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville, KY Hardscapena.com THE Hardscape Show for Contractors and Dealers! It is the only national trade show devoted entirely to the hardscape industry.

MNLA .biz

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NOV18 MTGF/MNLA PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION WORKSHOP North Metro Event Center, Shoreview, MN MNLA.biz This workshop meets MDA’s commercial pesticide applicator recertification requirements for Categories A (Core), E (Turf and Ornamentals) and P (Vertebrate Pest). Registration options: A and E OR A, E and P. This is the last chance to renew in 2016!

DEC5–9 ➾

2016 IRRIGATION SHOW & EDUCATION CONFERENCE Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV Irrigation.org The Irrigation Show is the premier event to enhance your industry knowledge, network with peers and visit hundreds of exhibitors to find solutions to your on-the-job needs.

2016 MNLA seminars generously supported by:

SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS • PARTS

MNLA Event

OCT12

OCT 16–19

MNLA SNOW DAY Dairy Building, Minnesota State Fair MNLA.biz

➾

Join us for a day of networking, equipment, supplies, and education to gear up for the next snow season. Generously supported by:

2016 UPPER MIDWEST INVASIVE SPECIES CONFERENCE La Crosse Center, La Crosse, WI www.umisc.net The latest in invasive species management, research, policy, and strategic education.

➾

OCT 19–21 GIE + EXPO Kentucky Exposition Center Louisville, KY gie-expo.com The green industry and equipment Expo features indoor exhibits and 20 acres of outdoor demonstrations and test driving.

MNLA Event

➾

JAN 10–12 NORTHERN GREEN — Where Outdoor Pros Connect + Grow Minneapolis Convention Center Northerngreen.org A new name and a new schedule… See what else is new in 2017! Attend the premier event for green industry professionals in the northern region. Exhibit contracts are available.

KEY:

Event Education ➾

All information on these and other industry events are online at MNLA.biz. september 16

MNLA .biz

➾ F R OM THE EXECUTIVE DI R EC TO R

What’s Coming Up? MNLA staff has had the opportunity to visit with a wide variety of members during the recent summer months. One question we always get asked is, “How are things at the association?” Our immediate reply is always, “BUSY”!

Cassie Larson

MNLA Executive Director

There are several new programs and services being offered and some great returning items that continue to be valued. I thought it might be fun to highlight just a few things going on this fall… 1

The Green Industry Leadership Institute has hit the halfway mark and will continue to meet monthly through the end of the year. This leadership based cohort program is now in its third year and continues to provide career growth for future industry leaders. We’ll soon be recruiting for the next class of industry professionals…look for information in January.

2. The Digital Plant Product team is meeting to take the next step toward the release of a new plant app which will help provide your customers with a fun way to explore regional plant material! 3. A team of MNLA volunteers will be meeting to review proposals received for a redesign of the MNLA office building landscape. 4. MNLA will be exhibiting at the Foster’s Show in early September! If you’re there, stop by and say hello…we’d love to hear from you. 5. We’ll host our first ever Urban Walking Tree Tour in Minneapolis on September 14 with Gary Johnson and Chad Giblin from the University of Minnesota. 6. The MNLA Foundation Clay Pigeon Shootout will be in a new location at the Horse and Hunt Club in Prior Lake on Wednesday, September 21.

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7. MNLA Leadership will attend the Great Lakes Conference to learn from and share with other state and provincial associations in our region. 8. Snow Day returns to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds on October 12. Come learn how to improve your snow business and visit vendors who can help with unique products and services related to the winter months. 9. The MNLA Board of Directors will be embarking on a strategic planning retreat in November and will take time focus on the future of the industry and the association. 10. The Certification Task Team will host two dates to take the certification exam. This fall: Friday, October 28 and Friday November 11. Interested? Sign up now! Space is limited. 11. There will again be a Pesticide Recertification seminar in November. Registration is online now if you need to recertify by the end of the calendar year. 12. And then there’s Northern Green, January 10–12, 2017 — the can’t miss event of the year! I hope you’ll be able to join us at one of the events listed, participate as a volunteer on a committee (see page 81 for some opportunities), or take advantage of one of the new products or services coming soon. We value your participation and support!

CASSIE LARSON can

be reached at: cassie@mnla.biz.

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➾ OUT & ABOUT

AN INITIATIVE OF THE MNLA MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE IS TO STAY IN TOUCH AND THANK MEMBERS WITH OCCASIONAL VISITS.

MNLA Executive Director Cassie Larson with Teresa Craig at Grove Nursery, Inc.

MNLA Administrative Assistant Gayle Anderson and Cassie Larson with Heidi Heiland at the newly opened Heidi’s Growhaus.

MNLA Foundation Program Coordinator Paulette Sorenson at Green Valley Greenhouse.

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september 16

Dawn Connell with MNLA Education & Certification Manager Sue Flynn at Engwall Florist Greenhouse Garden Center.

Trish Crego and Rhonda Anderson with MNLA Membership Director Mary Dunn at Miller Creek Lawn & Landscape.

Mary Dunn with Eric Grussendorf at Grussendorf Nursery, Inc.

Great Northern Equipment was onsite at the Central Landscape Supply open house and was providing demos for attendees.

The Wolcyn brothers took Jon Horsman 4 four-wheeling through the trees at Wolcyn Tree Farm.

MNLA Communications Director Jon Horsman brushes up on his putting skills with Vonda Beckman at Northland Landscaping and Nursery.

Pauli and Herman Roerick, Central Landscape Supply with Hermanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother Theresa at one of their open house events this summer.

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MNLA .biz

CHIP IT. GRIND IT.

RENT IT.

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NEVER FORGET THAT YOUR BOTTOM LINE PROFITS ARE IN THE HANDS OF YOUR

FRONT LINE SERVICE PROVIDERS Eric Chester | Center for Work Ethic Development

➾ S E RV I CE PROVIDERS

ast week I happened upon a coupon for $10 off an oil change and tire rotation at a nationally branded auto service center with a location not far from my house. I called the shop and after a half dozen rings, my call was answered by Dustin who said that the soonest he could get me in was the following morning. I told him that I had a lunch appointment and that I’d have to have my car back by 11 o’clock. He promised that was no problem providing I brought it in before 8:00 a.m. When the shop opened at 7:30 a.m. the following day, I was the first person through the door. I completed the paperwork and reiterated to early twenty-something Dustin that I would be back by 11:00 a.m. He assured me that he had planned on me coming in and that this job is a snap, so I walked back to my office. At 11:15, I headed back to the service center only to find that my car was still up on the jacks with all four tires removed. “Dustin, what’s the deal, man? You promised you’d have the work done and that I could pick it up 15 minutes ago!” With a look of despair that seemed like he had given it a thousand times before, Dustin apologized profusely. When I pressed for an explanation, exasperatedly he confided in me as if I owned the place. “I’ve been here for over a year and it’s like this every day. Every day, man! They tell me to give friendly personal service to every customer and to suggest other things we can do for their car, but then they short staff me and I end up answering the phone every 2-to-3 minutes. There isn’t even a voicemail system to help handle the barrage of calls that come in from the ads they place, so instead of handling the scheduled flow of cars and keeping things moving on the shop floor, I wind up with this phone glued to my ear trying to convince new customers to come in and very little time helping those we already have. This means we are constantly running behind and, ultimately, very few customers get the service they’ve been promised. Most leave less than happy. I say I’m sorry a thousand times a day while I pray for my shift to end.” I’m no therapist, but it doesn’t take Dr. Phil to realize that Dustin is not going to be working there in six months. (Heck, I’d be surprised if he made it six more days.) And when he finally quits, the manager at this service center will attempt to find another front line customer service cog to plug into his operational wheel of inefficiency. It’s a crying shame, too. Because if Dustin had just a little support from up above, he’d be a safe bet for long-term employment and his value would only increase with experience. If management in this operation observed what I did, they’d be the ones listening to Dustin, and they’d most certainly provide him with the resources (another counter person, etc.) and the tools (voicemail, etc.) he needs to succeed. That would dramatically improve the service experience for this auto center’s customers; the kind they’d tell their friends about. And those referrals from delighted customers would have a substantial impact on revenues, decreasing their reliance on expensive couponing and marketing gimmicks to get new customers into the store; not to mention the repeat business 16

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they’d get from their existing customers. Unfortunately, this story doesn’t end like that. But yours can. Here are 3 essential considerations you must act on to ensure that your front line associates are able to provide the customer service experience you desire: 1. Arm your troops with the 3 T’s — A respected general

would never send his troops into battle without the weapons they need to survive and to win. Make certain your foot soldiers have the resources they require (tools, technology, and training) to provide the kind of service your customers deserve. Don’t expect them to drive sales, service, and profits for you until they are fully armed and adequately prepared to handle anything that comes their way. 2. When in doubt, overstaff — While you certainly want to

keep an eye on your labor costs, don’t be penny-wise and pound-foolish by scheduling one front liner to do the work of three, or three to do the work of five. This is a sure-fire way to disengage your service providers and burn them out well before their time. 3. Proactively listen to your people — You survey your

customers and go out of your way to engage them and get their feedback, but do you go to the same lengths to gather feedback from your front line associates? What instruments do you have in place to determine if you have a frustrated Dustin on your payroll that can’t wait for his shift to end, or who have given up trying to delight your customers? Your managers should be proactively seeking this kind of employee feedback — and more importantly — acting on it. One of the most important questions that you can ask your associates is, “What do you need to do your job better?” Bill Marriott told me that one of the major reasons his hotels are consistently ranked as one of Fortune Top 100 Great Places to Work is that Marriott managers and supervisors are trained to ask that exact question of every employee, every shift. POST NOTE: Dustin apologized again when he called me at 12:18 p.m. to tell me that service to my car was finally completed. He said one of his auto techs went home sick and that he had to rotate the tires himself.

is a keynote and CEO Track speaker at Northern Green 2017 and the author of 5 books for business leaders, including his most recent, On Fire at Work: How Great Companies Ignite Passion in Their People without Burning Them Out. He is also the Founder of the Center for Work Ethic Development. He can be reached at 303-239-9999 or at eric@EricChester.com or follow him on Twitter at @eric_chester. ERIC CHESTER

â&#x17E;¾ W OR K WEEK

HOW TO SAVE YOUR BUSINESS MONEY!

THE FLUCTUATING

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Patrick D. McGuiness | Zlimen & McGuiness, Attorneys at Law

WORK WEEK

Hopefully by now you have heard about the Department of Labor’s regulatory changes to the minimum salary requirements for employees. In short, the minimum weekly salary requirement has more than doubled from $455 per week to $913 per week! If your business has employees on salary but your bottom line can’t support doubling their weekly wages, you may have to change their compensation to an hourly wage. There is another option though — the Fluctuating Work Week compensation method. It is similar to a salary, but without the high minimum pay.

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MNLA .biz

➾ W O RK W E E K

he Fluctuating Work Week involves paying a worker the same base rate each week they work (similar to a salary), but there is still an overtime payment that must be made when the worker works more than 40 hours in a work week. In order to properly compensate an employee using the Fluctuating Work Week method, four criteria must be met: 1. The employee’s hours must fluctuate from week to week; 2. The employee must receive a fixed salary that does not vary with the number of hours worked during the week (excluding overtime); 3. The fixed salary amount must be sufficient to provide compensation every week at a regular rate that is at least equal to the minimum wage, and the employee must receive at least 50% of their regular hourly pay for all overtime worked; and 4. The employer and employee must share a clear, mutual understanding that the employer will pay that fixed salary, regardless of the number of hours worked. This seems simple enough, but each factor has some complexities which should be addressed.

The employee’s hours must fluctuate from week to week.

In the tree care industry, this is rarely hard to accomplish. The weekly hours do not need to fluctuate by a large amount, but the worker’s hours cannot simply be factory style scheduling of a block of hours that never change. The employee must receive a fixed salary that does not vary with the number of hours worked during the week.

This portion of the compensation is similar to that of any other salaried employee. The employee is paid a flat weekly amount for each week in which work is performed. This means that if the employee works only 1 hour in a given week, they still must be paid their full weekly pay rate. This weekly payment covers all work the employee does, 20

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up to 40 hours in a work week. The important part to remember about this factor, is that employee pay cannot be reduced, lowered, or docked if the employee only works a few hours in that week. The fixed salary amount must be sufficient to provide compensation every week at a regular rate that is at least equal to the minimum wage, and the employee must receive at least 50% of their regular hourly pay for all overtime worked.

There are two parts to this. The first consideration is minimum wage. In order for the Fluctuating Work Week compensation plan to be compliant, the employee’s wage must be greater than minimum wage (in Minnesota, $9.00 per hour), even if they work a large amount of hours in a week. So, (base pay + overtime premium pay) divided by total hours worked, must come out to be more than $9.00 per hour for all weeks the employee worked. This is important because the overtime premium is “half-time” and consequently has the effect of lowering the employee’s hourly wage the more hours the employee works beyond 40 hours. The second part of this factor explains the necessary overtime premium pay. For all hours over 40 in a work week, the employee must be paid “half time.” This is calculated with the following formula. 1. Total base pay divided by the number of hours worked in a week equals half time rate.

In order to be fully compliant, the employee being paid using the Fluctuating Work Week method must understand the terms of their compensation. This can be confusing because the “half time” pay does not remain consistent but instead changes based on the total number of hours worked in a given work week. The employer and employee must share a clear, mutual understanding that the employer will pay that fixed salary, regardless of the number of hours worked.

In order to be fully compliant, the employee being paid using the Fluctuating Work Week method must understand the terms of their compensation. This does not mean that they must be able to calculate to the penny how much they will earn in a given week, but they must have a general understanding of the system. Included in this understanding must be the knowledge that they will earn the same base rate for every week in which they work at all. Additionally, the employee must understand that they will receive an overtime premium which is “half time” and will not be as high as the traditional time and a half overtime compensation.

2. Half time rate multiplied by the number of hours over 40 in a work week equals overtime premium total for that work week.

COMMON PROBLEMS IMPLEMENTING THE FLUCTUATING WORK WEEK

3. Base pay plus overtime premium total equals total compensation due to the employee for that particular work week.

On paper, implementing the fluctuating work week seems to make sense simply based upon the amount of money it can save a business september 16

MNLA .biz

➾ W O RK W E E K

in a given year. However, implementing it can have some challenges. Do your supervisors or foremen perform much of the work along with the crew? If so, then they are not eligible for any of the regular salary exemptions, but may be excellent candidates for the Fluctuating Work Week payment plan. Here are some tips for deciding whether the Fluctuating Work Week is right for your company and how to best implement it. Overcoming Employee Fear

There is often employee fear associated with changes to the compensation plan, so what is the best way to ‘sell’ employees on the Fluctuating Work Week? The biggest employee benefit with the new plan will be the security of a reliable paycheck. Every pay period will have the same amount of base pay on the check, even if the employee only works 20 hours in a week. This stability of income will allow the employee be better able to manage their personal budget and the additional half-time overtime pay will still be an alright bonus during the busy times. It is not required that all employees be paid via the fluctuating work week plan, so if you are unable to convince a key employee after explaining the merits of the plan, you can still pay them the traditional time and a half overtime if necessary. The Accountant Doesn’t Get It

There is no question that the fluctuating work week is a non-traditional payment plan. It is often resisted by bookkeepers, accountants, and controllers who don’t understand it and don’t like the fact that it doesn’t fit into their pre-existing systems. It is important to thoroughly explain the benefits the plan has for your business, and the competitive edge it can give the company. It is actually very easy to create a spreadsheet which automatically calculates hourly wage and half-time overtime, simply by inputting the weekly base pay rate. It may result in a very small amount of increased data entry for the accounting department, but the savings are still very significant. Confusion Among Employees

Because the fluctuating work week is 22

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Go over the competitive edge the new plans give the company and reiterate that these employees’ compensation and overtime pay is not changing.

often only offered to key employees, rumors can start among other employees about overtime going away. The best way to handle this is to have a meeting explaining the plan to employees that are not being offered the plan. Go over the competitive edge the new plans give the company and reiterate that these employees’ compensation and overtime pay is not changing. Another good idea is to try and sell the fluctuating work week to hourly workers as a plan they can strive for by becoming supervisor qualified. Conclusion

The Fluctuating Work Week compensation method may be a bit confusing at first glance, but it is a very useful tool for the green industry and other industries which are seasonal in nature. When properly implemented, it can save a company tens of thousands of dollars per year in overtime payments to employees.

d v c w y c in o h y th

This article provides general information on employment law matters and should not be relied upon as legal advice. A qualified attorney must analyze all relevant facts and apply the applicable law to any matter before legal advice can be given.

PATRICK MCGUINESS is one of the founding partners of Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC. His law practice focuses on assisting green industry business owners. He can be reached at pmcguiness@ zmattorneys.com. If you would like more information regarding employment law or other legal matters, please contact Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC at 651-331-6500 or www.zmattorneys.com.

W september 16

MNLA .biz

– id

DO MORE WITH YOUR MOWER!

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➾ P I ONEERS

or landscape contractors not interested in winter snow and ice service, retaining quality staff members, as well as covering bills and overhead, can be a significant challenge. “It was like a constant I.V. drip of money coming out of the bank account with nothing coming in to replace it,” says Adam Gracey, owner of D.A. Gracey and Associates. “Like a lot of people in this industry, I had done snow plowing as a kind of subsidy, but it wasn’t right for my business. So the issue became covering 12 months of bills and overhead with eight or nine months of revenue.” That changed about 10 years ago, when Gracey implemented a system allowing his Vaughan, Ontario-based landscape construction company to do outdoor masonry all year long. “We stretch the season through the winter by working on projects that involve concrete foundations,” Gracey explains. “Typically, it involves larger jobs and some examples would be basement walkouts, retaining walls and raised terraces; we often do flagstone work, stone veneers and patios. Really, our method works for any project where you are applying stone to concrete.” The key, he explains, is to prepare each job site in the fall, completing all the necessary excavation and pouring the concrete foundation before the ground freezes. Then, his staff sets up tents and tarps to enclose the work area, which is heated by propane. “It’s critical to spend the time and effort on making really good enclosed structures,” Gracey says. “Instead of trying to do it on the cheap, we spend the money to do it right. That includes solid framing with two by four studs and scaffolding, as well as making sure the space is well lit and ventilated.” Upscale clients happy to pay

There is absolutely no drop in quality and craftsmanship, Gracey adds. If there was, he wouldn’t do it; it’s that simple. And neither will he incur the costs associated with tenting and heating. “We typically charge about five per cent of the job to cover the additional expenses,” Gracey says. “We’re not doing this for $10,000 patios. So if you look at it for a $200,000 job, the client is going to pay $10,000 more. But if it means they can be swimming in their pool by May 24 instead of August 24, a lot of people out there are willing to pay a premium.” Working through the winter also means clients don’t lose access to their outdoor spaces when the weather is nice, Gracey adds. It all amounts to a compelling sales pitch once the client is educated on the process. Not only is winter construction a win-win for the client and the business owner, perhaps the biggest impact is on employees. “My staff members are masons and carpenters; those are their trades and that’s what they’re skilled at,” Gracey says. It doesn’t make sense for them to plow snow when they have a passion and talent for landscape construction; especially when there is a viable alternative. This way, “My guys get to come into work in January and February with shorts on inside our enclosures where we have music playing and it’s a very comfortable environment,” Gracey says. “They love it.”

Nearly everything is done inside the warm, dry enclosure, except for cutting stone. Staff members still get vacation time during the winter — rotated through each crew — with the added bonus of being able to travel abroad without violating unemployment insurance rules. And when they return, they get right back to working full-time and earning a full paycheck. “Commercial construction companies and home builders have been doing masonry work outdoors year-round for generations,” Gracey says. “We can do it too.” Year-round in Alberta

Bruce Kay, owner of the Cochrane, Alta.-based landscape design and build company OnGrowing Works, believes winter construction is key to the industry’s future. “I first started in the trade back in 1984, and what I discovered as a young tradesman was that as much as I liked the trade, it’s actually a really hard career because of its seasonal mindset, its seasonal nature and its seasonal reality for most business owners,” Kay says. “The part-time mindset just simply doesn’t make it easy to pay a mortgage or raise a family.” september 16

MNLA .biz

BRIAN FERGASON, CPCU 651.635.2781 612.247.7346 Cell bfergason@maguireagency.com www.maguireagency.com 1970 Oakcrest Avenue, Suite 300 Roseville, MN 55113

➾ P I ONEERS

Another, less explicit consideration in paying for employees to go to school during the off-season was to keep them engaged and involved in the company and the industry. Seasonality also puts the landscape industry at a significant disadvantage when it comes to drawing in young talent, Kay says. “Parents, if they’re going to make recommendations to their kids when they’re in high school, if they are trade-oriented students, landscape horticulturalist is pretty low down the list in comparison to carpentry, electrical work, welding, and so on.” And so Kay left the industry for the better part of 15 years. But by the late ’90s, he missed landscaping and decided to start his own business. “It didn’t take long for me to realize that if we were going to really be an effective business and powerful in our relationship with our clients, it was first of all going to be with what we describe in our business as the ‘Be, Know, Do’ philosophy.” Kay uses sports to illustrate what that means. “We have this attitude towards things where, like in hockey, you can’t teach speed, but all other skill sets can be developed. So for us, we look at character first when we are trying to hire. Morals, principles, and values are key, but the next aspect is the craft and the trade itself, and we know that we can send people to school or courses and take an active and aggressive role in developing trade skills.” Once you start investing in your staff, keeping them in the fold becomes vital to the bottom line. “The apprenticeship program here in Alberta is a wonderful way to develop trade skills,” Kay says. “Typically it’s a mentorship-type program, four years long. We started sending folks away to school and part of the mindset was it had been really beneficial for me, so let’s encourage other people to do it.” Another less explicit consideration in paying for employees to go to school during the off-season was to keep them engaged and involved in the company and the industry. “I didn’t want to lose these employees because we were really starting to invest in them and we knew they were quality people,” Kay says. “But what else could I do with them for two months during the winter?” According to Kay, it was “less expensive to send employees to school and to pay their salaries while they were away than it was to lay people off, risk not getting them back and having to reinvest the time and money training new staff.” From a purely economic standpoint, it made sense, he says. “We weighed the costs of getting ready to do winter work and there are certainly some additional expenses, especially in terms of prep and set up,” Kay explains. “But, if I had to choose between the costs of doing winter work versus the costs of laying quality people off for the winter and then trying to rehire, it was a no-brainer. We felt that if we could find a way to break even, it would be well worth the effort in the long run.” The next step was to go all in on winter work, and about 10 years ago, Kay and OnGrowing Works made it happen.

“The driver was that we wanted to offer careers to really phenomenal people,” he says. “These are good-character people with strong morals, and typically they’re young people with young families or people who aspire to have a family and a house. And they were asking for the same thing that our business was asking for: solid, long-term careers in the industry they have a passion and talent for.” Then, Kay consulted with structural engineers to ensure the construction work they did during the winter would be fundamentally sound. Commercial construction has been done outdoors during the winter for decades, Kay says, so he knew it was possible. “I consulted with a structural and a civil engineer and said, ‘Here’s my idea, but before I start shooting my mouth off about what we can build in the winter, what are the concerns? How am I going to deal with the frozen ground? How can I thaw the frozen ground and get rid of it?”’ Winter excavation that works

Unlike Gracey, Kay’s company doesn’t limit winter work to masonry applied to fall-poured concrete. With the advantage of a slightly milder climate in the Calgary region, thanks in part to Chinook winds, OnGrowing Works excavates during winter. There was some trial and error at first, Kay admits. However, once they found the right equipment, including ground-thaw units and insulated tarps, and implemented building processes according to the engineers’ specifications, things really started to work well. “My fear, initially, was that we would build and then the following year we would have to go back to repair everything,” Kay says. “But it’s just not true.” One strategy Kay uses to combat cold weather is permeable base preparation. “We dig down until the ground isn’t frozen and then we rebuild,” Kay explains. “Frost can go down four feet into the ground but that’s not always the case, and once we get past the organic matter and we are dealing with ground that is already firm, we compact if we can, and then build back up the way you would install a base for a permeable patio.” Apart from thawing the ground with heaters and enclosing work areas with scaffolding and insulated tarps, the work is the same. Using pea gravel for base instead of three- or five-millimeter sand is one example of a small change that can make a big difference, Kay says. Weeping tile can also play a big part in both keeping a work area dry and providing effective drainage for the finished product. “It comes down to making the commitment that providing fulltime, year-round employment makes sense for your business and your staff,” Kay says. “Once you have made that commitment, then you start to be innovative and creative.” This article was originally published in Landscape Trades, Canada’s premier horticultural trade publication.

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PRUNING CLIPS:

SHAPES OF GREEN Robert E. Schutzki, Department of Horticulture | Michigan State University This article was originally published in The Michigan Landscape magazine, a bimonthly publication of the Michigan Nursery & Landscape Association.

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➾ P RU NIN G CLIPS

hapes of Green have been distinctive features in landscapes for ages with trees and shrubs trained into geometric and other artistic forms (Fig. 1). References to the intricately clipped box can be found in ancient Roman gardening manuals. Phiny the Elder (c.23–79) in Naturalis Historia described cypress trees pruned to represent hunting scenes, ships at sail and all sorts of images (Hobhouse, 2002). Renaissance gardens were architecturally shaped by clipped rows, columns and topiaries. Penelope Hobhouse, in The Story of Gardening (2002), wrote that Louis XIV hosted the “Ball of the Clipped Yew Trees” in celebration of his son’s wedding. He arrived at the celebration dressed in a costume resembling one of his topiary yews. Parterre gardens throughout France featured symmetrically arranged compartments edged in tightly clipped hedges (Fig. 2). These gardens were further adorned with plants trained into scrolled patterns known as broderie (Fig. 3). Knot gardens were the formal garden of choice in England during the 17th century. Aromatic plants and culinary herb borders gave way for the common boxwood that is most widely used today. The formal shapes from these classic European gardens made their way through time and are ever popular in present day landscapes (Fig. 4 and 5).

The formal shapes from these classic European gardens made their way through time and are ever popular in present day landscapes Fig. 1 — Classic Shapes of Green.

Fig. 2 — Parterre garden at Villandry. 32

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Fig. 3 — Broderie at Versailles.

Fig. 4 — Pillars in a corporate landscape.

Fig. 5 — Garden display in Chicago.

The artistry in these classic gardens is a tribute to the craftsmanship passed down through generations of horticulturists who knew what, when, where, and how to cut. The artistry in these classic gardens is a tribute to the craftsmanship passed down through generations of horticulturists who knew what, when, where, and how to cut. This time honored horticultural skill continues today. The Gardens of Villandry house 162 signature topiaries (Fig. 6), which are hand-pruned once a year by a team of ten. It takes between 20 minutes and two hours per plant. Some of the plants have been maintained in this fashion for over 100 years. Today, some European gardens have developed plywood templates to maintain the integrity of their topiary forms. Many of the topiaries in the Gardens of Versailles are managed with the use of templates (Fig. 7).

Fig. 6 — Signature topiary at Villandry.

Fig. 7 — Topiaries at Versailles.

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➾ P RU NIN G CLIPS

Fig. 8 — Taxus hedge with clean lines.

Fig. 9 — Vertical lines perfectly plumb.

Fig. 10 — Sharp corners.

Fig. 11 — Uniform crown density.

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Fig. 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Adherence to horizontal and vertical lines.

Look at the geometric precision in the shape of the yew hedge (Fig. 8). Horizontal lines are perfect at both the top and along the bottom of the block. The vertical lines are perfectly plumb (Fig. 9) and the corners are sharp (Fig. 10). The horticulturists at this garden have certainly mastered pruning techniques. They commented that maintaining the formality of these plants requires constant attention. The slightest irregularity in growth pattern is noticed. A few also mentioned that plants in high profile areas are touched up at least twice per year in order to maintain the integrity of the shapes. Pruning, or in this case shearing, is most effective when done early in the growth cycle. Cuts are made slightly above the previous cuts paying specific attention to leaving some green. This encourages new growth and the masking of pruning cuts and stubs. Shearing too soon will stimulate growth and require a repeat performance to achieve the desired formality of the outer shell throughout the season. Some recommend pruning when the first flush of growth is complete in late spring or early summer. Waiting affords the opportunity to direct growth and effectively fill voids in the canopy for plants requiring dense uniform shapes. Shearing too late in the season can cause sunburn on the foliage. Whether or not shearing is the method of choice is determined by design intent and the function that each plant or plant mass serves in the landscape. Whether or not shearing is successful lies in the hands of the shearer. Maintaining uniform density (Fig. 11), adherence to horizontal and vertical lines (Fig. 12) or sculpting the flow of a curve (Fig. 13) is a

Fig. 13 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Flow of the curve.

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➾ P RU NIN G CLIPS

Fig. 14 — Spiral.

Fig. 16 — Mixed geometry.

Fig. 15 — Framing the entrance.

Fig. 17 — Irregular outline.

Fig. 18 — Environmental conditions impacting appearance. 36

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Fig. 19 — Small parterre.

Fig. 20 — Parterre at the start.

Fig. 21 — Geometric wave.

Fig. 22 — Sphere.

testament to the skill of the person holding the shears. The results can be highly sophisticated (Fig. 14 and 15) or leave a lot to be desired (Fig. 16 and 17). In addition, environmental conditions can have a significant influence on whether plants will respond as intended (Fig. 18). Sun, shade, wind, and soil conditions contribute to the growth of each plant or the differences in growth among plants. How many times have you seen problems with a single plant in a row or between plants arranged symmetrically in the landscape? Shapes of Green have been … are … and will be … continued features in the landscape. Here are a few additional examples for your viewing pleasure (Fig. 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23).

Fig. 23 — The boot.

Reference Hobhouse, P. 2002. The Story of Gardening. Dorling Kindersley, Limited. London, England Pruning Clips is a series focused on mastering the art, science and practice of pruning. Look for more Pruning Clips to follow. DR. ROBERT SCHUTZKI is

an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture at MSU. His research interests include plant exploration, plant evaluation, and landscape development. All photos used in this article are used by permission of Robert Schutzki and may not be reused in any way without express written permission.

september 16

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ESSENTIAL OILS AS

PEST CONTROL Horticultural Research Institute Supports â&#x20AC;&#x153;Essential Oilsâ&#x20AC;? Research Essential oils have gained popularity in recent years due to ever-increasing consumer demand for natural products. Used for a variety of purposes, from aromatherapy to non-traditional health treatments to laundry to beauty care, plant-derived essential oils are yet another benefit plants bring to our world. Horticulture Research Institute (HRI)

september 16

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➾ E S S E NTIAL OILS

espite the popularity of essential oils for home and personal care use, there are only a few new plant-based products marketed as “plant-based” pest control for commercial or consumer use. The need to identify and develop natural, plant-based pest control chemicals is at the core of a Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) funded research project. Eugene K. Blythe of the South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville, MS, approached the Horticultural Research Institute in 2012 to request funding for a unique research project that would extract and screen the use of essential oils from ornamental plants for use as potential biopesticides. The development of essential oils for use as “natural” or “plantbased” pest control is an exciting endeavor for commercial horticulture. Plant based pest control can advance the green industry’s commitment to environmental sustainability, answer the call for reduced use of synthetic chemicals, provide new controls for pests that damage horticultural crops, and open new markets for ornamental plant production. Essential Oils

Natural products offer a vast, virtually untapped reservoir of chemical compounds with many potential uses. Natural products with activity against plant pathogenic microorganisms, insect pests, and weeds can be produced by plants which are often being grown as ornamentals in various regions of the world. Natural plant products, particularly essential oils, can show effectiveness as deterrents of insect pests of humans and animals. Essential oils are volatile, aromatic compounds produced by plants, many of which act as defensive chemicals against plant pathogens, insects, and herbivores. Some essential oils exhibit antimicrobial activity against a wide variety of microorganisms. Essential oils can be used effectively for protecting food from contamination by pathogenic bacteria and as natural antimicrobial agents for preservation of fish. Of course, the more pleasantly fragrant essential oils of some crops are used for flavoring and perfumes, with such crops constituting the largest world market for essential oils. One source of essential oil-bearing plants that has not been thoroughly investigated is ornamental plants. Objectives

Efforts toward the first objective have focused on a wide assortment of ornamental plant species, including members of the Amaranthaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, Poaceae, and Rutaceae plant families. Over 300 different species and cultivars of ornamental plants have been obtained from mail-order seed suppliers, specialty nurseries, wholesale growers, botanical gardens, home gardens, landscape plantings, and naturalized plantings. Plant materials have been purchased from nurseries in states from Florida to Texas to California. Plants, cuttings, and seed have been collected with the kind permission of institutions including the University of California – Riverside, J.C. Raulston Arboretum, San Francisco Arboretum, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, and Birmingham Botanical Garden. Plants and cuttings have also been donated by nurseries, including Green Seasons Nursery (Florida), Ten Mile Creek Nursery (Alabama), Nearly Native Nursery (Georgia), and Seaside Gardens (California). Efforts toward the second objective have involved extraction of essential oils from over 50 different ornamental crops over the past months. These essential oils are being distributed to collaborating researchers at the USDA-ARS and University of Mississippi for screening against insects and pathogens. Extraction of essential oils from additional species is continuing as additional crops are propagated, grown, and harvested; these additional oils will be provided for further screening as they are produced. Results

Results of the screening of essential oils as potential biopesticides can benefit the green industry in two primary ways: • Identification of plant-based compounds or mixtures of compounds with activity against plant disease organisms and insect pests. With further development, these compounds can be developed into new agricultural chemicals. Being plant-based, these compounds can be viewed as ‘natural’, rather than ‘synthetic’, with natural compounds more readily accepted by the general public; • Future need for essential-oil-containing ornamental plants can create new markets for propagation nurseries in the mass production of seed-grown species or vegetatively propagated selections.

Project objectives include: • Collect a wide assortment of aromatic oil-producing plants as seeds, cuttings, and plants from mostly domestic (and some international) sources and propagate these plants to produce bulk quantities needed for production, harvesting, drying, and extraction of essential oils. • Screen essential oils for activity against insect pests, weeds (using seeds of common nursery weeds), plant pathogens (using Colletotrichum, a fungal disease of plants as the initial test organism), and mosquitoes (as an insecticide and a repellent).

This research is brought to you by the Horticultural Research Institute, and is another example of how HRI works to fund and disseminate critical research for the horticulture industry. Donations made to HRI return to the industry through research, advocacy, and knowledge-sharing that helps to grow the entire green industry. Jennifer Gray, HRI Research Programs Administrator, jenniferg@americanhort.org. © Horticultural Research Institute, www.hriresearch.org

september 16

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➾ MNLA FOUN DATION

GARDEN PARTY RECAP GARD EN PARTY WEL L -ATTEN D ED D E S P I T E T H E RA I N

Garden Party guests stroll the gardens.

The storm unleashed torrents of rain early in the afternoon.

The sun was shining during the second half of the Garden Party, while our gregarious hosts, Mike and Judy Cunningham, shared their garden with the crew from Souba Greenhouse & Garden Center and everyone who attended. Thank you, Mike and Judy!

A LITTLE RAIN COULDN’T KEEP MNLA MEMBERS FROM ATTENDING THE ANNUAL MNLA FOUNDATION GARDEN PARTY.

A little rain doesn’t stop Mom and baby from enjoying the event.

Seventy people signed up to view the gardens of Mike and Judy Cunningham in Shoreview, MN. Garden Party guests were treated with complimentary beverages while they strolled the gardens and networked with other professionals. Many companies rewarded their employees with a trip to the Garden Party. A very special thank you to our event sponsors and supporters for their financial contributions, as well as Mike and Judy Cunningham for sharing their expertise and offering their gracious hospitality. EVENT SPONSORS

Guests had a great time stopping at the Irish Pub to enjoy others and have a beverage.

Bailey Nurseries — Masters Level Supporter Hoffman and McNamara Nursery & Landscaping — Masters Level Supporter Catherine Nickelson, Horticulture Services — Master Level Supporter Tangletown Farms — Baccalaureate Level Supporter Instant Green Tree Planting — Associate Level Supporter Susanne Nordstrom of Monrovia — Associate Level Supporter

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HOW YOU CAN GROW YOUR BUSINESS BY

HAVING A STRONG GUARANTEE Tom Borg

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➾ S T RON G GUARAN TEE

ne of the main keys in winning initial and return business from your prospective clients is a solid guarantee. Simply stated, your clients want to have assurance that the services or products they purchase from your company are going to provide them with what they want and need. This is nothing less than what you and I would expect were we to purchase a product or service from some other business. This expectation is based on a strong instinctual need that Abraham Maslow categorizes as “security” in his Hierarchy of Needs. We all possess this basic need. When we recognize and openly promote our guarantee to our prospects and clients, we eliminate their fear of not getting what they pay for. Research shows that your clients will purchase more quickly and more often when you provide and communicate a strong guarantee in what is often referred to as risk reversal. Marketing expert Jay Abraham explains that typically most companies have a guarantee, but is not written or even verbalized to their prospects or present clients. The absence of this kind of communication creates doubt and suspicion. People just don’t know for sure if your product or service will deliver what they want, nor whether you’ll truly stand behind it. One of the critical concepts to keep in mind is that when your potential clients are comparing your green industry company to a competitor, and see all things as being equal, they will always go with the company with the lowest price. In other words, if they don’t see a big enough difference in the value that you can provide to them, they will buy from the company who is the cheapest.

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september 16

By having a strong guarantee, you can create leveraged value. This is where your potential prospect will see the additional advantage of going with your company over a competitor, because their perception is that they will get more for their money. According to sales guru Tommy Hopkins, there are three things most people want when they are spending their hard-earned money: 1. The best quality 2. The best service 3. The best price Yet, we all know most companies cannot provide all three of these elements and stay in business for very long. One of these elements will have to be minimized in order for them to compete. Typically, the best price is the one that most potential clients will give up as long as they get the best quality and the best service. This is the place where your guarantee becomes most valuable to your prospective clients. By having a guarantee, you are assuring the purchaser of your goods and/or services that they will be getting the kind of additional value that will justify the price you are charging. A good analogy that I like to use with my green industry clients when I explain this concept is an old fashioned balance scale. This is the kind of scale that has two sides to it. Let’s say you are weighing beans. As you add more and more beans to one side of the scale it will eventually tip in the direction that is heaviest. When it comes to deciding whether or not a prospective client will buy from you and

not your competitor, it depends a lot on whether or not they see more value in going with your company. A rock solid guarantee can be the deciding “bean” that adds enough value to tip the scale in your favor. In my research with my clients, I have learned that one of the reasons green industry business owners do not have or communicate their guarantee is because they are afraid a customer will take advantage of it. Another concern is the fear they won’t be able to back up that guarantee. Maybe their product or service lends itself to some irregularity or inconsistency. Yet, when you stop to think this through, you would not want anyone walking away from your business feeling like they did not get their money’s worth. If they feel like they did not get what they paid for, they will tell others. According to research, the average unhappy customer will tell 9–16 other people their complaint about your company or organization. I call this “reverse marketing.” You don’t even need a budget for reverse marketing. It will just happen when you have unsatisfied customers. Yet, reverse marketing will cost you plenty. Any business owner in his or her right mind would not stand for a marketing campaign designed to smear their good name. Yet, he or she is doing just that by not having a strong guarantee that is communicated to their client base on a regular basis. This type of strategy encourages unsatisfied customers to walk away and tell their friends, family, and business acquaintances to avoid doing business with that company. An easy fix for this quandary is to formally create a powerful guarantee you can live with and promote. Have it printed on a sign that hangs in your lobby, printed on your email signature, and/or proudly displayed on your website. Hold a meeting with your staff and discuss the reasons behind your company’s guarantee. Make it a point to regularly communicate it verbally to everyone, including prospects, clients, and employees. A huge advantage for having a strong guarantee is that it raises the bar within your own organization. It forces you and your team to live up to the reputation you have created; to maintain the high standards of service and quality that you promise to deliver. Having a strong guarantee will hold everyone in your company accountable, and motivate you and your employees to make sure that you deliver what you promise. It most likely will tip that imaginary scale in your potential client’s mind, differentiate you from your competitors, and add profits to your bottom line. Of course, if you choose, you can justify charging a higher price by providing the guarantee your competitors are afraid to match with their prospects and customers. Remember, added value justifies a higher price. So, when you provide the kind of assurance your prospects and clients really want, through a strong, written, and spoken guarantee, you will be building your business for the long prosperous haul. This article first appeared in Irrigation & Green Industry magazine. works with small and mid-size green industry companies to effectively and profitably improve customer acquisition and retention. Contact Tom at: (734) 404-5909, email him at tom@tomborg.com or visit his website at www. tomborgconsulting.com. TOM BORG

september 16

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