How to Maintain Quality While Expanding Your Lawn Care Business

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Lawn Care|How to Maintain Quality While Expanding Your Lawn Care BusinessWhen your business is successful, it’s natural to want it to grow, and that’s no different in the lawn care business. After all, with so many happy customers under your belt, there’s no reason to deprive potential new clients of your skillfully manicured lawns and pristinely trimmed hedges. However, there are a lot of things to consider when it comes to expanding your business and maintaining excellent service as you do it.

With a growing customer list comes an increasingly complicated schedule. Scaling your business takes a lot of time, effort, and money. However, with the right resources and a little bit of advice, you can make sure to address every business growth necessity without putting a strain on your business operations- or your mental health.

There are plenty of ways to make sure your company stays on track as it grows. Take a look at some of our suggestions below and make sure expansion doesn’t come at the expense of quality.

Improve Communications

Staying in touch with customers and employees alike is vitally important to any business, but especially when it comes to the lawn care industry. With plenty of workers out in the field and clients spread out across a neighborhood, or even an entire city, being able to communicate effectively and efficiently is an absolute necessity.

With lawn care software, that’s exactly what you’ll be able to do. These handy platforms are designed to make it as easy as possible to get in touch with field workers, customers, and even new clients, so that your business will scale without any growing pains. Rescheduled appointment? Let the lawn care technician know in real-time. Employee running a bit late? Send a notification to the customer so they don’t call your business angry. It’s a win-win!

Keep Track with Care

There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to expanding your lawn care business, and there’s nothing worse than losing track of valuable assets, time, and even employees at any point during that process. After all, you don’t exactly have resources to spare when it comes to scaling, so every last bit can help a whole lot.

The right lawn care software platform will help you keep track of everything you can imagine when it comes to running your business. It allows you to schedule workers to a job, and track how far they are from arriving via GPS. Most even have route optimization capabilities so you can get them there as fast as possible. Plus, with advanced customer profiles, you’ll be able to keep track of how often a client utilizes your services and send reminders when they’re likely in need of another trim.

While not necessarily standard in all lawn care software, some of the more advanced iterations will even allow you to track chemical usage. This allows you to have an in-depth picture of what kind of equipment you need for a job and when you need to restock.

Focus on Customer Service

In any field service industry, you need to focus on customer service. Considering a negative review can take your business from customer favorite to neighborhood pariah, it’s important to make sure you’re keeping customers happy no matter how much you’re trying to handle your business expansion.

Again, a good lawn care software can help you do just that. You’ll not only be able to field customer complaints in an organized and efficient manner, but you’ll also have the communication tools at your fingertips to keep customers and employees in the know when they need to be.

Prioritize Efficiency

The final key to successfully expanding your business is efficiency. If you want to handle more clients without increasing your overhead along with it, you’re going to have to be as efficient as possible across your many departments.

We can’t overstate the value of lawn care software in this instance. It’s specifically designed to streamline business operations and improve productivity, whether it’s in servicing current clients or even marketing to new ones. Simply put, it’s 2020, and the best way to make an impact on your business is with lawn care software.

How To Choose Your Company’s Staff

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It is always said that the success of a company comes from its human capital. However, one wonders how the most recognized companies achieved such an efficient human resources department. Any entrepreneur should pay attention to this point because recruiting staff is a fundamental task in an organization.

StrategyDriven Talent Management Article | How To Choose Your Company's Staff

Finding the ideal professional for the position is often difficult. The reasons may be lack of experience or that the candidate does not have the required skills. Some companies have periods with constant staff turnover because it is difficult for them to locate the right employees, keep workers happy and satisfied with their work and wages.

Personnel recruiters must be specialists because they must know how to combine intuition with the ability to analyze, synthesize and evaluate, and involve quantitative scientific tools, which contribute to knowing what is not seen with the naked eye. The use of technological tools will help obtain greater accuracy and know the applicant’s scope.

Posting job advertisements in the correct places (according to the requested profile) makes the offer more attractive; therefore, the chances that the candidates will be fixed are higher. At the same time, the design of the ad also serves to attract attention. Take advantage of social networks, especially those of professionals like LinkedIn, so that you can learn more about people’s likes and interests in less time. It makes your searches more effective too and you can get a general overview quicker.

When conducting job interviews, it is essential to provide information on the specific skills and abilities. It is also valuable for the company to report what it has to offer by working there, for example, salary, hours, incentives, or rewards, and all benefits. Look at drug testing to ensure that you hire people who have no history of narcotics or drug abuse. You can look at stewarts drug testing for further information.

Look at the company’s goals.

Also, to have a good team that meets the company’s goals, we have some ideas that will help you select the candidates who are applying. Take note: Psychometric tests are part of job interviews. They are made scientifically, and it is an objective measure of the candidate’s behavior, which allows us to conclude the factors of his personality. They are easy to acquire and can be the first step in determining the applicant’s ability. You want to hire someone who has the potential for growth in the business.

When selecting people, use comments from their other jobs, who they worked with, colleagues, or previous bosses. Therefore, factual information is obtained on the skills and personality at work. At the end of the list of possible workers, it is advisable to carry out a socio-economic study and a personal interview. It will allow knowing the environment in which the candidate develops, how his family conditions, the place where they live, customs, habits, personal and professional information. With this data, unwanted situations can be avoided. You can certainly hire the best professional but the hard work is up to you.

Starting A Small Construction Business

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Being handy with tools can provide more benefits than simply keeping your home in good repair. Using your skills and experience to develop your own construction business can provide a source of income that allows you to be your own boss and set your own hours. Even though your future business is small, it requires careful planning and organization to increase the chances of success. Like other types of small businesses, small construction companies must follow regulations and work hard to earn a customer’s trust.

StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | Starting A Small Construction Business

Plan well

Write a plan for your business. Known as a business plan, this written document provides a roadmap to get your business started. Include your goals and outline the methods you will use to achieve those goals. It includes sections that deal with the financial aspects of your business, the intended clientele, the necessary tools, the equipment, and supplies, as well as the advertising plans. Print your business plan on paper to present it formally.

Apply for a loan to obtain any necessary financing for your new company. Take your formal business plan with you to present to the banker. Talk about your reasons for starting a construction business, including why you think you will be successful. Talk about your loan options, including interest rates and terms.

Check regulations

You may need to be part of a union, so look for information on how to acquire a construction license or membership. Look for services in your area, how to apply for a business license, register your business name, and pay licensing and certification fees. Request a company identification number through the Internal Revenue Service. Contact a surety company to request one.

Take an inventory of tools and equipment. Bring any tools or equipment you have to repair, in case they need it. Buy the items you need to complete basic construction tasks, such as ladders, saws, carpenters’ levels, drills, and bits. Do you need any specialist tools and products, such as ptfe tubing or corrugated pipes?

Advertise your new construction company in various media to attract customers. Advertise discounts to your first customers in a business. Notify your friends, neighbors, and family of your new company. Ask them to spread the word to their friends and co-workers. Personal recommendations can encourage homeowners to go inside their homes for construction work. It would help if you came up with a strategy on how to advertise your construction company. You may want to start a website that contains information about your company and how different they are from other contractors. You can also use traditional advertising methods such as printing business cards, flyers, and brochures – make sure you include a reference to your website.

Starting a construction business can be profitable and exciting, but it does take work. The risk of failure can be carefully minimized by considering a). where you will receive funds b). what you will do when accidents occur c). who you will hire to help you d). how you will bid on projects, and e) how to find your customers.

Flipped Learning: The Trend for the Next Corporate Training

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Corporate Training|Flipped Learning: The Trend for the Next Corporate TrainingThe dynamics of the corporate world are rapidly evolving with growing industries and businesses. More and more people are relying on technology and advanced solutions to carry out their jobs. And all this is set in motion to maximize productivity and work efficiency on all fronts.

Flipped learning is the part of these trendsetting practices, the new way for professionals to adapt to their work. We all know how vital training and learning is to achieve the same service level throughout the company. People rely on it to get their workforce up to speed and upgrade their skill sets to add things to their platter. Without them, the staff would be clueless sitting ducks, even when they have work on their hands.

Besides, everyone has seen how the outbreak of COVID-19 has hit this world and influenced lives. With schools and offices closed, hospitals cramped, and people fighting the battle of their lives, the only option was to work from home. Businesses had to overcome several environmental and technological challenges to adopt this idea. But luckily for the users of flipped learning, this change was convenient because most of their learning resources were already online.

The experiences of a Flipped Classroom are close to those of live interaction. People learning from it can go through the instructor’s notes, find examples, ask questions, get ideas, and much more. These things let you better understand and grip over your work and function better as a team. Perhaps that’s also why companies feel inclined and interested in flipped learning more than the conventional methods.

If you haven’t been introduced to it yet, here are some features to get you excited. These should allow you to grasp the complete concept behind flipped learning and might even motivate you to try it yourself.

1. Video Tutorials & Lessons

Starting from the basics, instructors can use video tutorials and lessons to cover concepts and subjects. They can go for live streaming sessions with their audience or record their notes in advance for their batch to review as they continue working. That allows both parties to function independently without causing any delays.

Besides, having a video lesson is more helpful, as it offers more details about how to perform a task. There’s minimal risk of making an error, and people execute their jobs more confidently. So companies are achieving more than just top-notch teamwork and cohesion when they bring flipped learning on board.

2. In-Video Picture Notes

A problem with learning from anyone online or face-to-face is that you have to take notes unless you have a photographic memory. Switching between paying attention to the speaker’s words and writing things down, people fail to extract a lesson’s essence. They are unable to multitask at this pace, and therefore, leave with an inadequate understanding.

With flipped learning, that is no longer a problem for individuals. They can listen to the instructors attentively and find all their notes attached to the relevant areas. That allows them to access these resources once they have understood the concepts and principles of a job. And what’s even better is that if they have a portable device with an internet connection, they can access these from anywhere.

3. Search Inside Video

A problem that most people complain about with video lectures is that they struggle with finding the relevant content within a video. An hour-long lesson covers multiple concepts and various examples but has no way to navigate the video efficiently. If they want to find something specific, they will have to skip it manually until they stumble upon the right section.

For the users of a flipped classroom, that is not a problem at all. Its ‘search inside video’ option allows its users to jump to particular sections they need to review. They can find the content relevant to their work at an instant and use it to their requirement. That’s what makes it a far efficient method.

4. Cross-Platform Access & Usage

Another one of the perks of a flipped classroom is that its users can access it from any internet-connected device. It’s compatible with various platforms and browsers, making it easier to switch, access, create and edit content as per the user’s convenience. Instructors can communicate with their audiences more conveniently that way and work from their home, office, or anywhere else.

Similarly, the people learning from it can do the same and learn things on the go. They won’t have to worry about missing a lesson or asking questions due to an environmental hindrance. That minimizes absences and promotes convenience for both parties, making the overall practice more productive and fruitful.

5. In-Video Assessments

The next aspect that should spike your interest in flipped learning is that it offers online assessments against its teachings. Instructors can add quizzes and exercises for their audience to make the lecture interactive. It will allow them to measure their students’ skills and knowledge and gauge their teaching effectiveness.

Besides, it can also help keep the learners attentive as they will expect a review of their learnings. They will foster a competitive spirit through these lectures and would want to display their growth. It will improve the overall outcomes of these classes while keeping everyone engaged in its contents.

6. Remote Access

Lastly, the highlight of using a flipped classroom is its ease of access. Anything with a decent internet connection and the necessary details to log in to a portal can do so without experiencing any difficulty. Multiple devices and browser compatibility aside, most of the contents on any subject get hosted on its servers. They are available as resources for anyone to review, as the holdings of a library. That eliminates the need for people to carry all their notes and lectures everywhere they go. All they need is a portable device with nominal computational capabilities. Anyone who is a part of this service can enjoy this and more, making a flipped classroom all the more attractive for its users.

Summary

These were the primary features and highlights of flipped learning, a trendsetting method for corporate training in the industries—people who have already signed up on its benefit from its tools and resources. At the same time, others are in the queue to get on board. Suppose you haven’t heard of it already. In that case, you should explore your options with this service because delaying this opportunity will only cost you more in the long run.

Email Marketing: Best Practises for Entrepreneurs

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Email Marketing|Email Marketing: Best Practises for EntrepreneursWhile it is excellent to include email marketing in your digital media strategy, you won’t get far if you don’t employ the industry recommended email marketing best practises. As an entrepreneur, we know that you are always looking for better ways to reach your desired audience. These best practices will not only help you become better at email marketing, but their effective usage will make sure that your emails yield tangible results.

Read below to get an insight into the most widely recommended best practices for email marketing.

Knowing Your Audience Individually

Addressing email recipients is a widely recommended best practice in email marketing. Most modern email clients allow you to place special tags in your emails. These allow you to address all of your email recipients by name. Various options allow you to address them by their first, last, or full name as well.

You can also personalise the subject line of your emails. Doing so will greatly increase the chances of your recipients opening your emails instead of marking them as spam impulsively.

Best Practices for Email Marketing That Entrepreneurs Must Follow

Test Before You Send Your Email!

It is a best practice to check and recheck your emails before you send them. Why is this so important? A comprehensive check will tell exactly what is wrong with your email.

You will be able to see how your email will look to the recipient. You can also check whether your links function exactly as you have intended them to while also making sure that tags that automatically populate details like the recipients’ name are displaying the correct information.

Spammy Content Is a Big No!

It is very important that your emails contain interesting content that immediately engages the recipient. We are sure you know this. But did you know that it is a widely recommended best practice to make an active effort to ensure that your emails do not contain spammy content?

Using clear language and avoiding the use of lots of exclamation marks, or text written in capital letters are two of the many ways you can use to ensure your content does not get flagged by spam filters.

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Looking for the most used Email Marketing best Practises? Check out our latest piece that has been designed with Entrepreneurs in mind!

Consider Your Brand Identity

According to email marketing research from Exclaimer, 80% of Marketers believe branded email signatures is an important aspect of a company’s branded identity. The use of a branded signature in email marketing can be a cost effective way to engage customers and prospects.