I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s time to start thinking about your Beautification Award entries. April is a good time to analyze which jobs you think will do best in the competition and are the easiest to get ready. When deciding which projects to enter, here are a couple things to keep in mind. If it’s a maintenance job, you have to have had the account for at least one year before the judging. If it’s an installation job, the work needs to be 100% complete before the judging. This year’s judging will take place June 15-17.
Read MoreOne of the best ways to grow your business is to build relationships with your local supplier representatives. These relationships enable you to tap into information and resources that might otherwise be hard and timely to find.
Read MoreAs your new president, I feel it’s important to point out my objectives and goals for the year. I’m hoping that we can strengthen our chapter by working together towards these goals; helping to grow and make our chapter something that all landscape contractors want to be a part of.
Read MoreI encourage you to make it a new year goal to attend our events. Broaden your business skills and learn from other contractors. Introduce yourself to me and I will introduce you to the people I know. Let me help you grow your network!
Read MoreThis has been an eventful year for my family, my team, and our industry. So much has happened and I can’t believe how fast the year has gone by.
Read MoreKnowing how to research and collect data is critical to success, in any field or application. Data collection is crucial for identifying issues and cycles within your business. Personally, it has helped me grow and improve my company. For example, our industry generally slows down around December and January. I know this because I look at the data from my website and ad platforms; our inquiries and calls are significantly reduced during this time. Knowing this enables me to plan and use this slower time to do other things to grow and improve my business.
Read MoreI’ve been reflecting on my priorities in life recently. Last month my father-in-law died from a heart attack, and it came as a shock to my whole family. On the heels of celebrating a newborn, we are grieving a heartbreaking loss. Two long-time CLCA members and green industry friends also died last month, Nelson Colvin and John Marman. This has been an emotional time for me. Life cannot be taken for granted. I do my best to have a good work-life balance and encourage my team to do the same. What is the point of working hard if you can’t enjoy your life? Right now, the most important thing for me is to spend time with my family. I’m grateful for CLCA’s support.
Read MoreContinual learning is a great entrepreneurial trait and the key to success. Understanding that, CLCA offers several resources to support your learning. At the state level, there are webinars on a variety of topics. There are also educational opportunities at the annual convention, this year being held November 9-11 in Indian Wells, CA. At the local level, we have our CLCA Universities. Our next one is scheduled for October 12 on the topic of Marketing your Business and Increasing Sales.
Read MoreIt’s been a rough month for me. Many sleepless nights, changing of a lot of diapers, and getting pooped on more often than I’d care to say. Dealing with a crying baby is no fun either. I’m constantly trying to figure out the source of his cries. Is he hungry, tired, or does he need to be burped? It’s been a while since I’ve had to deal with a newborn child and I’m definitely feeling out of practice. I’m grateful for my wife, Kathy, and our families who are a great support during this challenging time.
Read MoreI am excited to announce that my wife and I recently welcomed our baby. The last several weeks have been a little rough because we had a complicated labor. I am thankful to my OC team for holding down the fort while I handle my personal business. At the end of the day, it is an exciting and exhausting time for my wife and me. I truly give thanks to God for such a blessing.
Read MoreOver the course of growing my business, I’ve continually been looking ahead and planning my exit strategy. The day will come when my drive eventually winds down, or I become outdated by the next generation. I need to have a plan in place for when that time comes.
Read MoreThe heat is finally here y’all! Everything is blossoming and the beaches are getting crammed. Make sure your crews are taking the necessary precautions to prevent heat illness. Remind them to take required breaks and stay hydrated. The last thing you need is OSHA at your doorstep.
Read MoreCLCA offers a lot of benefits. Without a doubt, what you pay into your membership in the form of dues is nothing compared to what you can get out of it. I’ve personally realized a lot of benefits which have enabled me to grow in both my personal and professional life.
Read MoreWe truly live in the land of opportunity! That is something that should not be taken for granted. I say this mostly as a reminder to myself. I am so blessed to be a part of our great nation and society. Moreover, I am glad to be a part of a community such as CLCA. I cannot express enough how much CLCA has helped me grow. The relationships I have developed over the past five years are spectacular.
Read MoreDid you make a resolution this year? Did you set goals? Setting goals is more than a thought. When you have a goal, write it down. When you do, you are more than likely to follow through with an action. This is a strategy I use to constantly stay on task.
Read MoreAloha OC! I had the opportunity to attend CLCA’s convention last month in Hawaii and it was probably one of the most amazing events I have attended while being a member. For starters, the venue was beautiful, and the weather was amazing! When not participating in the various educational and networking activities that CLCA hosted, I spent a good amount of my time enjoying the beaches; riding waves was definitely part of my itinerary.
Read MoreHowdy OC! Forgive the accent as I just came back from Louville KY. Yup its pronounced Lew-ville for some reason! Last month was a busy one for me. I attended two expos: the Landscape Expo in Long Beach and the GIE+EXPO in Louisville.
Read MoreThere 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.
Read MoreFor 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.
Read MoreWork-life balance is a concept that describes the ideal of splitting one’s time and energy between work and other important aspects of life. Delegation is key to preventing burnout and supporting a work-life balance, both for the owner and employees. Burn out oftentimes results in a high turnover rate in companies and sometimes leads the business owner to quit. You don’t want that!
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