[trees]

As of next month, I'm going to start working with the biggest garden center in this area as Director of Landscape Operations. Basically, this company has done small installations of plants and deliveries, but no design/build work. That's where I'm coming in. They have great name recognition in the retail world, and I have a fair amount as a designer. I guess my questions revolve around what to expect in terms of finding good foremen, designers and laborers.

I'm comfortable that I can train people in the proper installation of plantings, ponds, small-scale hardscapes and retaining walls, but where I'm going to be most effective is on the management end of the business.

* Where are good places to look for experienced foremen?

* What types of contracts do you require from your sub-contractors?

* How long should I anticipate the learning curve to be to get a crew trained to work on their own?

Getting and selling the work won't be a problem. It's out there to be had, but my biggest challenge will be keeping myself on the management end to get the work sold.

From my previous experiences, I know that these are the biggest issues facing most contractors. I'm not nieve about those challenges.

Advice? Other problems you can forsee?

[Lanelle]

Because you are actually part of a larger company, there are some additional issues for you to deal with also. You need to have a clear understanding of your budget and the methods that you are to use to report your budget numbers as well as your overall progress. It is also important to have performance goals or benchmarks for your new division and a time schedule for meeting the goals. I've found that folks that haven't had a landscape division don't always know what constitutes success and what is a reasonable time frame to become a significant profit center for the company. It is better to know what the owners are thinking than to work hard only to discover that they have no patience for building a division with the complexities of custom landscaping.

[trees]

Thanks for the reply, Lanelle. Yeah, I know that those are major concerns on the horizon. I have already addressed the budget and performance goals.

The owner seems to have very modest expectations... which is good. He wants to see 1st year sales of about $300k with annual increases of 15% or so. Pretty modest, in fact far below my own expectations. He sees it as a major profit center in about 5 years or so.