Ensure a Better 2024 by Managing Internal & External Uncertainty

Ensure a Better 2024 by Managing Internal & External Uncertainty

I recently spoke with Ron Edmonds, President of the Principium Group, a leading mergers and acquisitions firm serving the Green Industry. Ron and I were prepping for his talk at my Financial Master Class, chatting about how a company’s “value” is driven in part by removing the uncertainties in the business. The lower the uncertainties, the higher the value. Business Uncertainties can be split into two groups: internal and external. Our conversation on uncertainties reminded me of the Serenity Prayer: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. My version: Know what you can control internally and externally, and focus intently on those elements in your business; don’t stress on the rest. With that in mind, here are a couple examples to get your mind turning:

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My Top 5 Favorite Benchmarks: Uncover Your Hidden Inefficiencies

My Top 5 Favorite Benchmarks: Uncover Your Hidden Inefficiencies

As we approach year-end it’s helpful to do a deep dive analysis on your numbers.

What worked? What didn’t? What should you change?

To do this correctly you need to look beyond the typical sales and profit benchmarks.

Hidden Inefficiencies and Opportunities

I recommend using a more sophisticated set of KPIs (i.e. benchmarks) to uncover the hidden efficiencies and opportunities in your operations.

Can You Compare Your Benchmarks?

As you do your analysis it helps to compare your numbers with other firms.

Let me emphatically state that accurate benchmarking between companies is possible, it just takes some effort.

You need an apples-to-apples format, and everyone needs direction on how to navigate the format.

I have spent 16+ years fine tuning and testing my benchmarking tools. This allows us to put on our Financial Master Class (details here) with accurate data.

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Three creative strategies to grow sales next year

Three creative strategies to grow sales next year

Next year will not be easier than this year, in terms of making sales. There are uncertainties in the air: with the wars, the high interest rates and the upcoming election. All this makes it harder to set your budget. The best you can do is make a forecast, and then revisit those forecasts on a regular basis. Your budget cannot be set in stone.With that in mind, here are 3 sales strategies to help you think differently and increase your chances of sales success. Three sales strategies to help you think differently in 2024.

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Jimmy Buffett’s Famous Business Strategy Is Not For Everyone

Jimmy Buffett’s Famous Business Strategy Is Not For Everyone

With the passing of Jimmy Buffett, I am inspired to ponder the oft cited “work/life balance” that Jimmy skewers. Jimmy sings about working as little as humanly possible. According to Jimmy, life should be about beach bumming, drinking whenever, and fooling around. And yet, Mr. Buffett passed away a wealthy man based on the incessant hard work he invested into his business.

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7 Takeaways from the Summer Growth Summit

7 Takeaways from the Summer Growth Summit

Our Summer Growth Summit at Mariani Landscape in Lake Bluff, IL was the HOTTEST landscape event of the year! Over 3 days, we had 26 speakers covering inspiring and cutting-edge topics to help any attendee grow to their next level of success. The Summit concluded with a discussion between Jeffrey Scott and Frank Mariani regarding how Mariani Landscape grew from 90k in 1973 to 59 million in 2020. Then they discussed what has happened since making a private equity deal in 2020 and where the company is headed now. Frank and Jeffrey were like two old friends talking around the fire pit. They also covered the pitfalls of the 4 day work week, how to solve the labor issue, and how any company could pursue an acquisition growth strategy. Many companies brought their teams, and the energy was palpable. Here are 7 takeaways to get your mind thinking:

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Give Your Clients the Ultimate Five-Star Experience

Give Your Clients the Ultimate Five-Star Experience

How do you know if you are giving your clients a five-star experience? You can check your google reviews, but that gives very limited info.Here are two stories to illustrate the need for clarifying your customer service vision in today’s uncertain economy. I was recently helping a friend of mine (an entrepreneur in another industry) with his 3-year growth plans. Over the past few years his business has scaled nicely, and he was enjoying the sweet spot that he called ELF (Easy, lucrative and fun). He wanted to keep growing, but it was not clear what direction he should take his business. Should he change direction, or do more of the same?

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Midyear Report For The Landscape Industry:  “Better Than Expected”

Midyear Report For The Landscape Industry: “Better Than Expected”

I am proud to present my latest interview with two movers and shakers in the landscape world: Loriena Harrington and Shanna Scordo.This interview is valuable whether you are a woman or a man! Women will gather ideas, motivation and empowerment. Men will broaden their perspective, and increase their chances of attracting and retaining women in their company.

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Two Quick Tips On Providing Undeniable “Value”

Two Quick Tips On Providing Undeniable “Value”

In March, I wrote that the common industry expression “100 days of hell” should be changed to “100 days to sell.”

It’s more upbeat and helps your team stay optimistic in tough times.

Here are two quick tips to keep you sane and selling in the 100 days of sales.

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100 Days to Sell

100 Days to Sell

There is an expression in our industry, The 100 Days of Hell. While it is humorous, it sets the wrong tone.I like the following upbeat expression better: 100 Days To Sell. Spring is here and many of you across the country have already been selling into this year’s goals. But you can always get better. Answering the phone and returning calls promptly puts you ahead of 90% of your would-be competitors. The following ten tips above will help you get ahead of everyone else. 10 Sales Knowledge Bombs to help you up your sales game.

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