Change is Coming

There are a lot of changes coming our way that will affect our industry. Drastic delays in the supply chain will heavily impact us and our suppliers. Also, many contracts are up for negotiation at the end of the year, which means prices will be going up on nearly everything! We’ve already seen this starting to happen. We need to plan now for these supply delays and rising costs.

With our industry’s slow season approaching, now is the perfect time to start preparing. For me, things tend to slow down starting the week of Thanksgiving and remain slow through mid-January. Normally I use this time to ramp up my company marketing and catch up on training. This year I will also be re-evaluating my pricing/costs to ensure my company continues to make money.

Looking for something outside-the-box to do during your slow season? Consider participating in a beach cleanup. The recent leak in an oil pipeline that caused a major spill off the coast of our beaches earlier this month wreaked havoc on our coastline. I’ve reached out to Alexander Kim, District Director – AD 74, and he mentioned that they are working to hold a beach cleanup in December. This is a great opportunity for us to give back through community service.

Lastly, the Orange County Chapter is planning to have a LandPAC fundraising event next year. For those not familiar, LandPAC is CLCA’s political action committee (PAC). Through LandPAC, CLCA educates our elected representatives about the landscape industry and issues affecting us. I’ve invited Senator Dave Min and Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris to attend our event. They’ve both agreed to, barring any schedule conflicts of course. Legislation is key to the success of our industry. If you really want to make change, do it by getting involved. Meet with your legislators at our event next year, participate on our state legislative committee. Reach out to me and I will help you connect with ways to get involved.

For this month’s book, I encourage you to read Becoming a Strategic Business Owner by Daniel M. Murphy. ~Sincerely, Sal, 2021 CLCA OC Chapter President