If Labor, driving time, vehicle costs and fuel are 4 of the largest costs your business has, then it is obvious that  extending the time between visits, or  lowering the number of people that go to the account, will have a huge impact on your bottom line.  True, most companies visit accounts weekly.  That is the way the system was originally set up some 60 plus years ago.   Why was every 7 days the magic formula?  No one seems to know, but the first company did it that way and everyone from that day on followed suit.  Even after the first subirrigation product s showed up, the majority continued to go weekly.  Over the years, I’ve tried to get companies to look at this practice.  Most argue that if they switch there will be dire consequences.  Oh, I’ve heard all the arguements.. "The clients expect to see me every week, the techs think they’ll have their hours cut back so they argue against it, every week service is what the clients are paying for, there will be higher plant death, clients complaint calls will skyrocket with the extra yellow leaves", and so on and so on.  Yep, I’ve heard it all before and then some.  But, truth is, there is nothing else you can do to make/keep more money than to lengthen the time between or spend less time on visits.

The Plants.  Truth is more plants are killed by overwatering than underwatering, so those every week visits are not only not needed, but hastening your foliage to an early demise.  Every other week is just fine.  Saves Gas and saves Plants. 

Teach Anticipation.  You do have to teach your techs to "anticipate".  If a leaf is yellow on the tip, trust me, it will not turn green in 11 days.  Pull before not after. Once techs start doing this, they get really good at anticipation and client calls are negligible. 

There are lot of other tips on 2  Week Maintnenance Strategies.  Inner Circle Members will find them all in their next Inner Circle Newsletter and we will discuss when next we have an Inner Circle Conference Call.  Its all in how you implement and how you manage the expectations of your client.   Now, Go Out There and Get ‘EM, Tiger.

With over 35 years as an interiorscaper I sometimes wish I had done some things back at the beginning that I didn’t do.  One of those things is that I had  kept some sort of journal documenting the highs, the lows, the pure adventure of the journey. 

Starting a business is often not a very well planned out exercise and years later when we stop and contemplate how we got to the point we’re at, we are amazed.  How I wish I had had the foresight to write at least some it down.  Who for?  Well, first for my own amusement and amazement, then for my family particularly my kids.  And, then for the others in the company who come after me and just maybe, for the new entrepeneur.

No two Journeys are Alike.  That;s for sure. But, there are lessons to be learned and wisdom in the experience.  Jobs you’ve gotten, people you’ve met and who have made a difference, awards won, speaking engagements whether local or at a national level.  And life lessons learned.  What you could have done sooner or not at all.  Yours is a great story to tell.  This industry is heavy on the entrepeneur side and is the story of the American Dream of being your own Boss and you are living the Dream.  Oh, its not easy and most of us will never be Millionaires but what a great ride!

So, I encourage you to start now, today, even if you have already been in business for a few years.  Stop at Barnes and Noble or Borders and pick up one of those nifty books with a ribbon place mark.  Pick one with a really neat cover and begin.  Or, if you are more of 21st Century type, log on to your computer and have at it.  It doesn’t have to be a daily exercise.  Possibly every week or month is all you need to document the journey.  Or it may be something you reserve for vacation or travel times.  Maybe it just happens once or twice a year.  But do it and I guarantee you that at some p0oint in time in the far future, you will thank me.

It will be Calscape time before we know it. 
Now you can show up, meet friends, go to a few seminars, have a great Vegas dinner, see who won Awards and be back in the car or on the plane before you can say "Spathipyllum".  Or, you can make an advance Plan and come home with more than just some postcards of The Strip. 

A Plan take some prethinking
There must be some questions that have been plaguing you for answers.  No better place to get answers than here.  Buy a really cool book with blank pages.  Write the questions down.  Next, Product questions.  Write those down to but on a separate page just for that purpose.  Or, if you are a computer person, put them on your computer.  Either way, have them in Vegas so you can get the answers.

Treasure Hunt
OK.  Now its time to find new product, new methods.  It’s called "shopping a show", but it is definitely not shopping as we know it.  Wandering around and touching a pot here a plant there misses the whole opportunity.  Ask questions, request literature.  This is your once a year opportunity to meet the vendors, get clarification, and find new stuff.

Seminars
Of course you want to attend the seminars, especially the ones I’m giving.  Still, be sure to listen and question, clarify and explore.  Keep all those handouts and when back at your office file the best ones away for future reference. 

Learning out of a classroom
Vegas is an interiorscaper’s dream and nightmare all at once.  Must sees are the Bellagio (1), the Mirage (2), and the Wynn (3) for interiorscaping tour de forces.  If you only have time for one go to the Bellagio and on one day there is a separate tour of the Wynn both out front and backstage.  Great learning opportunities and sources for new design ideas.  Remember, these guys have budgets that go to the sky so don’t think your local Hilton Hotel should replicate it but there are always ideas around for smaller scale/budget work.

Have Fun
Of course, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas but try not to stay out too late that you miss seminars or imbibe too much so you are feeling the pain the next day and, lastly, keep the ATM cards locked away so you won’t be tempted to play too much.  Other than that, have fun.

Satisfying Curiosity
We get a lot of questions from non-innercircle members regarding the content of our Growing Success newsletters. 

These are mostly from plantscapers who are deciding whether joining the InnerCircle is right for them.

Unfortunately, we can’t distribute our Growing Success content to non-members. 

But, we can give you a taste of only a few of the ideas, strategies, resources & profit boosters inside the 15 page May issue…

The Secret
Do you know there are only four ways to grow a plantscape business?  Can you name them?  In the May issue of Growing Success you will.  And you’ll learn why they are the secret to growing your profits while simultaneously reducing your time at work.

Taming Difficult Clients & Potential Customers
Use the Three C’s of Confidence, Candor & Control to smooth the proposal process and put you in the drivers seat.

The May Power Principle: Attachment
Learn how to use The Principle Of Attachment to build your reputation and credibility in seconds so you can close more sales.

[SPECIAL AUDIO BONUS]
How To Find, Hire & Compensate Great Interiorscape Sales People
You’ll hear Barb Helfman reveal some of her most unique and effective methods - Including how to find a salesperson who brings an entire pipeline of high quality potential customers to your door on their first day.

This information is not only valuable for interiorscape companies who already have sales people and those who are considering hiring their first sales person but even for one person interiorscape businesses that don’t want to hire a sales person.

InnerCircle Conference Call - May 24, 2007 At 4:00EST (1:00PST)
We’ll dive even deeper into the content contained in the May Growing Success Newsletter to help you apply the InnerCircle CORE4 to immediately increase your profit per sale…

Here’s an excerpt of an e-mail I received yesterday from an InnerCircle member:

Hi Barb

 

How was your weekend?  I listened to one of your InnerCircle audio interviews on finding leads. I got to tell you that I have 11 tapes from different speakers when I went to the Alca shows. I liked your talk better then all of them. I had no idea you have no background in Horticulture.

I also like offices as the best place to looking for new accounts ( law firms and accounting firms Included) .  What I really found interesting was when you were mentioning that the bigger companies always had sales plans and the smaller ones did not. But I respect most was that you understand where the one-man companies such as my own is coming from. Great job…

One of my clients wanted to dress up the reception area with another plant but wanted something a drop different so I put in a 10 inch dish garden and I also put in a Bromilia ( orange) with that red ceramic container. Those 2 plants made a hit. Before the lobby had 2 floor plants 10 inch Chinese evergreens in 12 inch Vista pots. Now these 2 plant I just got were a great addition. I have my marketing and sales plan ready but I am waiting for your feelings on the sales letter and My different plan programs.  Once again thanks for looking over my sales letter.

 

Paul

That E-mail Got Me Thinking…
Since starting the InnerCircle several months ago, I’ve had a chance to connect with several small interiorscape companies that otherwise wouldn’t have made it on my radar screen. 

What’s interesting is how the bigger companies get all the press.  But the fact is small interiorplantscape companies taken together are serving and estimated 100 million dollar market.

When Small & Large Interior Landscape Companies Collide
During InnerCircle conference calls, where large and small companies have a chance to interact, it’s interesting to see the dynamics between the two.  Here’s small sample of points that have come to my attention:

• Small and large companies have the same business challenges only on a different scale (more on this later)
• Small companies benefit from being exposed to the experience and inspiration of the larger companies.
• The large companies benefit from the energy, passion and fresh approach of the smaller companies.
• Small companies are often learning business building for the first time, but the large companies are re-learning business building which can be even more valuable.

For Small Companies It’s A Matter Of Creating Scalability
Just as the difference between a dollar and a million dollars is only a matter of scale, so is the difference between large and small companies.  Small companies that want to grow need to develop the business skills of scale.  To do it they need to transfer the work they do themselves to systems, processes and other people.  It’s the only way to go beyond the physical limitations of a single person.  To scale, you need to build a machine.  You can’t travel very far and fast without a machine.  Would you rather walk to Bahmas or take a plane?

For Large Companies It’s A Matter Of Managing The Complexities Of Scale
Employee’s, legal, transportation, operation, sales, marketing all become more difficult to control as a company gets larger.  The challenge for larger companies involves managing the scale they’ve created so that they can optimize the machine to scale even more.

The Building Blocks of Smart Decisions