Adapting for Success

For those who don’t know, I love to surf. I typically go out in Bolsa Chica or by Huntington Beach pier. When surfing, I have to watch the tides and the wind closely. A slight change in either can make for a good or bad session. Adapting to the change is critical.

COVID has created A LOT of change for everyone. As business owners, we find ourselves constantly trying to adapt. The labor shortage has been a struggle for everyone, as well as inflation. At Pacific Breeze Landscape, our staff has been asking for raises – which is understandable – but is proving challenging as we also juggle the increase in material prices.

While reconciling our numbers last month, we noticed that July was almost a break-even month. This was caused by a couple of things. The first was that we did not have a clause in our contracts for escalation of prices. The second was because we have outgrown our existing business software.

Thankfully one of CLCA’s many benefits is legal contracts. Did you know that CLCA offers 13 different landscape construction and maintenance contracts and legal forms? Their forms are reviewed by a construction law attorney and include terms and conditions specific to our industry. They have also created an addendum that addresses pandemic-related issues. That’s just what I needed! To remedy my software issue, we are transitioning onto a new program to help us achieve our goals.

All that being said, make sure you stay on top of what is going on. It is important to recognize change and learn to adapt so that your bottom line is not affected. At the end of the day, we are in business for profit!!!

For this month’s book, though I am still reading it myself, I encourage you to read, Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits!, by Greg Crabtree. ~Sincerely, Sal, 2021 CLCA OC Chapter President