Diversification is key to success!
If you’re reading this, chances are you are involved as a contractor in the Green Industry, whether it’s with plants, pavers, ponds, designs, lighting, or maintenance.
The big question is: Do you do only one aspect of the industry, or do you do many? During my tenure here at Christensen’s, I’ve seen companies come and go, often because they would only focus on one area. Times have changed, and big, easy planting jobs don’t come around as often as they used to - and there’s a lot of competition out there, more than ever since the mid 90’s.
This is where diversification comes in, and chances are that you’ve already been doing it.
An easy one is adding landscape lighting to your planting or hardscaping jobs. If you missed my two-part video on how to install lighting, you can catch up here. Keep in mind that you don’t have to sell a whole new job - lighting is the perfect second-stage enhancement for an earlier project.
Lighting aside, let’s try something different.
When trees, shrubs, and perennials get planted early in the season, many contractors apply fertilizers or soil amendments. How about promoting a fall fertilization program?
Fall is an excellent time to fertilize, even better than planting time. Established plants benefit as well, so don’t overlook customers from previous seasons. Mix in some granular organic fertilizers, such as the Tone series or Florikote slow release blends, and work it into the soil before it freezes. It’s a low-impact job your crew can manage in between fall cleanups.
Everyone knows about pavers, but some feel that they wouldn’t know how or where to begin. DID YOU KNOW: During the winter months and in the early spring, paver supply manufacturers such as Unilock and Rosetta hold how-to instructional seminars? Another handy piece of information: The “Lords of Legos” at the Christensen’s Hardscape Center are always ready to help you with a project.
Have you ever done a pond or water feature? I haven’t either, but I’ve always wanted to. This is another area where many folks don’t know how or where to begin. Like paver manufacturers, pond supply companies like Easy Pro offer seminars and on-site installation courses to help you, wait for it… “get your feet wet”.
If a full-bore pond isn’t right for your customer, consider installing a fountain or waterfall, which we carry a variety of. These are less time consuming, pumps run off of a standard 3-prong outlet, and the impact of such a focal point will definitely create a buzz amongst the neighbors. And seeing as you’re already in the subdivision, chances are you’ll pick up those jobs, and you can keep moving down the street. Not bad!
I have one more tidbit to keep in mind. I look at the Green Industry as a large fraternity/sorority. What does this mean? It’s always a good business tactic to keep up with your contacts and networking, because chances are you will come across another company that specializes in a field that you may be new to, or that you could subcontract on a project if you don’t have the time available on the work schedule.
Here are some examples:
Customer: “Can you do this?”
Contractor: “No, but I know a guy that can!”.
Or
Contractor 1: “My skid loader just tanked on a weeklong project!”
Contractor 2: “I can lend you mine for $XYZ a day so you can finish”.
We all battle the elements and obstacles associated with this industry, and everyone needs a little help from time to time. Knowing “a guy” that can fill the void when we’re in a pinch can make all the difference.
These are some suggestions of ways you can diversify your business, and there is still time to put them in motion yet this season. We want to see you succeed and grow your company year after year and are here to help you out as much as we can along the way.
