While your competitors have their heads down blowing leaves, rushing projects into the ground (and complaining how early fall comes every year), the smart landscape business owners are also doing something completely different:
They’re already planning for 2026.
This Fall (Q3–Q4) is the best time for strategic planning.
Why January Is Too Late
If you wait until after Thanksgiving to plan next year, you’re already behind.
The most successful owners I work with make their biggest moves in the fall. Why?
- You get all winter to integrate changes.
- By spring, your team is already trained, systems updated, and strategies in motion.
- Instead of scrambling, you hit the ground running.
Here are Four Key Areas to Focus On Right Now
1. Marketing Strategy Assessment
By summer, much of your marketing impact for the year has happened. Now is the time to evaluate and plan for next year:
- What worked and what needs improving?
- Are you using AI effectively?
- Any new campaigns or platforms to test?
- Do you need a new CRM or automation tool?
- Is your website current and optimized?
- Are you repurposing content across email, text, and social?
If you haven’t reviewed these questions yet, add them to your process.
2. Major Software & Systems Changes
Any operational software upgrades or CRM implementations should be chosen now. Winter gives you time to train your team and iron out kinks before spring chaos.
3. Team & Leadership Changes
Too many owners wait until spring to hire key people, trying to save a buck. That’s a mistake.
Bringing new people in the fall lets new hires experience the “mini rush” before the real rush. Come spring, they’re ready.
This includes:
- Key hires for next year
- Leadership restructuring
- Promotions and role changes
- Incentive plans (test them now)
I’m working with a client right now who’s restructuring his leadership team this month: identifying a new sales manager, reshaping leadership meetings, and adding a senior hire.
His team will be fully aligned in January—while competitors are still writing their New Year’s resolutions.
4. Your 2–3 Year Vision
One-year goals are just budgets. Real strategy is about the next 2–3 years. Where are you going, and what moves must you make now to get there?
Your Challenge: Three Questions To Ask Yourself This Week
Your answers will reveal where to start.
- Do you have clarity on your midterm (2–3 year) objectives?
- Do you have the right team in the right roles to achieve them?
- Do you need outside help to accelerate progress?
The Bottom Line: Strategic planning isn’t something you do when things slow down—it’s how you build momentum.
Clear your thinking now, so your firm enters 2026 with confidence.
While others are focused on blowing leaves, you could be powering your growth.
It’s Go Time!
Regards,
Jeffrey Scott
P.S. Ready to make some strategic moves? If you want help creating your 2–3 year roadmap for 2026, let’s talk. Schedule a consultation call.
Fall and early winter are the optimal times for strategic consulting—not when you’re desperate in slow season.
