[Rob Shauger]

Let me ask you guys a question.

Would you have any use for an independent agency with green industry knowledge to come in to your company and provide the following?

Make regularly scheduled phone calls to your clients to check on how your company is doing.

Make visits to your properties to review work being done by employees say on a quarterly basis.

Provide you with info for upsells.

Help reduce client cancellation rate.

Help set up and implement training programs.

Provide you with written reports on your larger or commercial properties.

This person would not be an employee of the company but rather looked at as a subcontractor so to speak. You can accomplish many things you have always wanted to do but never had the time, and without having to hire a full time employee and carry all the extra overhead associated with employees.

Thoughts????

[Nebraska]

What's the cost?

[Rob Shauger]

Cost would certainly depend on size of company, location etc

Just thinking out loud here!!!

[Nebraska]

Rob,

Is this something you are thinking of doing yourself? It would have to be extremely cost-effective....Sounds similar to an Account Manager position; echoing what you heard elsewhere.
John P

[Rob Shauger]

John,

Things tend to get dangerous when I have to much time to think. LOL. These are some things I have been thinking about this week.
Yes I would do it myself, if it ever even became possible.

Your absolutely right about it having to be cost effective.

Very similar to an account mgr. However some companies may not be able to afford such a person, or train them if they have the person allready.

There is certainly a lot of what if's with this and it would have to be company specific. The other big concern is confidentiality. SO it may have to be limited to one client in a certain radius.

[agla]

I'm thinking two things here.

The first is how to get a group of consultants together that know the green industry well enough to do this. That means to know more localized markets. It means knowing the local employment pool. It further means that they have to know the individual company's business plan before they could even begin to evaluate it. To sum it up, they have to be very astute and well informed.

The second is to find a company with leadership that is willing to be assessed. It further means that they have to be willing to pay to be critiqued. They have to feel like they are going to recover all of the expense of the evaluation and increase profits enough to take the chance and go through the hassle. Who here is ready to do that?

I believe that it would be a good thing, but I don't believe there is a hot paying market for this. I also do not think that you can easily assemble a squad of consultants that is going to walk into a landscape business and instantly be recognized as knowing more about how to make that company run better and more profitably than those that are running it (and footing the bill).

I do not know too many scapers that want direct hard constructive criticism from outside. Sure, they will go to seminars, take classes, hire consultants for specific subject areas (software or fert programs or equipment training). But, an overall evaluation is a little like that test the doctor does when you turn 40 only no one is nagging you to get it done (sorry about the male oriented analogy - think centerfold photo shoot for those that can not relate to the first one).

I just think it is a tough job to put a competent team together and even a tougher sell to get scapers to buy the service.

I could be way off.

[Paul]

Agla has many good points, knowing the market, knowing the company he's advising, and understanding what needs fixing.

Lots of owners are looking for help but they may not want to spend money on bringing in a consultant. Things that come into play are, Pride, afraid of change, making changes to operations, and teaching people or letting people go that can't do the job. Lastly following up with the plan the consultant wrote up.

Some times baby steps are needed. Your local state organization often have classes that you can take to help in areas that you are weak. I would suggest you take them all, often just sitting in the back of the room you can learn that others have the same problems you have. Larger or more successful company leaders will give you tips on making more informed choices and give you ideas to try.

Things that consultants can do for you is spot problems, help you tighten up weakness that you or your people have, and open up communications between owner and lower management or hired help.

If you do hire a consultant, sit down with him for at least 2 hours and listen to him first. Question him on what he did before he started consulting, if landscaping, ask him one question at the end, why did he get out.

[NC Lawnscapes]

The Problem that I see with this would be Condifidently Issues.

Ya see for this Person Or company to make money then they would have to work with MORE than one LCO and there fore be privy to each ones BID amounts. for said Properties.

Therefore giving the chance that LCO Number 2 could end up knowing what LCO number 1 Is charging for doing the Maintenamce at the local Taco Bell and then go in and UNDERCUT him the following contract year

[Rob Shauger]

Believe it or not there are a number of firms allready conducting this type of service in the green industry. It is a powerful team indeed. Agla and Paul both have valid points. It's not for everyone.