Building a Strong Team

Is it the right time to start building a strong team for your lawn care, landscape or tree service business? Yes.

You can have stellar marketing campaigns, top-of-the-line equipment, but without the right team members, you’re taking a big risk. So how do you mitigate that risk? By investing in every level of employee.

Management

Likely, employees at this level have a little experience under their belts. Utilize it! Partner with your management level employees to discuss what is going well for them, what kind of support they need, and opportunities and challenges they are facing.

Technicians

Now, you don’t want to be a micro-manager, but it’s is important for you, the boss/owner, to know what is going on with your technicians: their pain points, what skills they are uncertain about, and the day-to-day realities of jobs. You're building a strong team!  Get on a meeting schedule that makes sense for your company so that you have consistent contact with your technicians where you can talk through these points and offer assistance and resources. Maybe you do bimonthly meetings, with 2-3 annual training sessions. (If your technicians work with other managers, make this a collaborative process between the three parties: ownership, management, employee.)

Seasonal Employees

Let seasonal or temporary employees know that you value them, even though they are only with you for a short period of time. This is all about building a strong team.  And to be honest, you could not do what you do without them and so they are a very valuable part of your team. Don’t wait until the end of their contract to say, “hey, thanks for your hard work.” Make an effort to recognize good work as it happens. This type of recognition is motivating for anybody, but it helps seasonal employees feel more like contributors and less like transients.

For the Team of One

If you’re it -- the boss, the management, the technician, the person putting in the extra hours during the peak season, know that you can be a strong team of one. Schedule blocks of time for you to perform the tasks that fall to you, according to the different hats you need to wear: make appointments with yourself to spend time working on marketing efforts, block off another time period to focus on the bookkeeping, etc. Also seek out small business owner groups and organizations in your area. Even though industries vary, people in the same boat as you (the small business owner boat) can be an invaluable resource.

Call in Support

Whether you have a small team or a larger operation, and even if you’re going solo, the right support is vital for a thriving team and business. What does that look like?

Join professional organizations, like the Tree Care Industry Association TCIA or National Association of Landscape Professionals. The aim of these organizations is to support people in the industry. Take advantage of it!
Invest in resources that will help you build a thriving business. And that’s the aim of Arborgold. We know that this industry has unique needs and that’s what we built the system around. Among other things, Arborgold features programs, like job scheduling and costing that will help make the job easier for managers and technicians (and you!). And the biggest asset for your team? MobileCrew. (Read more about it here.)

Want to learn more about Arborgold and how it can take your business to the next level? Schedule a free demo today!