Zachary Gorsuch Presents: A Few Sweet Nothings, Just for You…

Just like any modern-day business model, today’s landscaping profession is becoming increasingly commercialized. Many consumers may simply request the services of the plant nursery from which they’ve purchased their flowers, trees, and shrubs; and others, depending on the size of the project, may pursue even larger companies for their landscaping needs. So how does this landscaping commercialization impact the small business owner?
Assuming the independent landscaping business operation runs approximately 10 months out of the year, with a relatively limited staff (2-4 employees), the impact initially appears to be very little. There are, however, a few concerns that may arise. The fist of which involves the hiring of staff members, who: a) must be willing to perform often exhausting physical labor, b) understand their services are not needed or are in very low demand during the winter months, and c) recognize the limitations of advancement within a small business, thus leading to higher turnover.
While this issue of employment is relatively consistent with that of large businesses, another concern of the independent landscaper lies within the eventual assessment of how, and to what extent they want their business to grow. Rick Poeppel runs a small landscaping business in Ballwin and takes a great deal of pride in the relationships he has established with his clients over years. “If I continue to expand my business, I’m not only taking a financial risk, but more importantly, I’m sacrificing a personal rapport with my clients that has required a lot of time and hard work for me to develop.”
For those who wish to remain on a smaller-scale, the business is not only there, but is also, for the most part, steady. After all, there are advantages, from a consumer standpoint, to hiring smaller operations for various jobs; most of which revolve around the aforementioned relationship between the client and the landscaper. Ultimately, the market is wide open; meaning the amount of physical labor that is involved in this field deters many consumers from simply completing the job themselves. At the same time, such jobs seem to be readily available, because many job seekers are either not interested or physically unable to perform the vocational demands of physical labor. While small business owners, such as Rick Poeppel, may find themselves re-hiring on a seasonal basis, the upside is that most job candidates are fairly young, energetic, and most importantly, willing to do the grunt work.
As the pluses and minuses of running an independent landscaping company have been established, it is clear that this profession is cyclical, both in the hiring process and, on a larger scale, in the potential growth of the business. At some point, the proprietary party has to relinquish their physical duties, as a result of age and attrition. It is then that business expansion seems almost inevitable, for the owner must hire at least one additional worker to take their place. They may even feel compelled to hire a foreman, if you will, to oversee bids and other on-sight business operations, if anything to maintain and develop personal connections with both new and long-standing clientele.
The reason for this inevitability of expansion in the landscaping industry may be attributed to the fact that business is only as steady as one is willing to work. As one becomes older, they may begin to possess a sense of complacency and an unwillingness to push the envelope, financially and in turn, physically. The opportunity to expand, however, becomes much more appealing when the extra dollars aren’t at the physical expense of the owners themselves. With more time on their hands and nothing but more money to be made, they can leave the manual labor to their staff and simply focus on increasing their business. Although this path may seem like a no-brainer, there are many independent landscapers who set limitations on their expansion, for a variety of reasons. Whether they wish to spend more time with their families or they are simply comfortable with their small business status, it is clear that the landscaping industry is market-friendly to any size company.
Whether on the corporate or private level, manual labor will always be in high demand and is a trade that should certainly be well respected and appreciated. As is true for just about any field of commerce, the ultimate thread in the fabric of this unique business model is the worker who physically makes it happen on a day-to-day basis. Let us not take for granted their willingness to enrich our lives, improve our surroundings, and contribute to the economic diversity of the landscaping community.