Time is Running Out. In case you have not heard about it the State of California is about to pass new legislation that will cost you, the landscape contractor, a good deal of money à and provide you with nothing in return. It's called the Produce Dealers License. A summary of its effect on C-27 contractors was provided to us by the CLCA.

The license, which is defined in Chapter 7, Section 1, of the state Food and Agricultural Code, would be required for all landscape contrators who work as subcontractors. Annual fees would range from $200 to $620, depending on the gross volume of your business. One hundred dollars of this money would be used each year to fund a trust.

This trust was set up to protect growers. For example, if you buy nursery stock and don't pay your bill, the nursery can go to the Dept. of Food & Agriculture to collect the bill. If Food & Ag can't collect it from you, the trust will pay the nursery 50% of what it is owed up to $50,000. Landscape contractors gain no benefit from the trust, even though they will have to pay a fee to support it.

If you are caught without the license, the fee doubles. If you still don't comply, you can fined up to $10,000.

You must submit financial information about your company when you apply for the license. Food & Ag has the authority to audit your books at any time.

This is one more license we don't think you need, but the CLCA needs your help in fighting it. For more information contact CLCA Land-PAC, 2226 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95816.

If you don't already belong to your state contractor's or gardening association think about joining. This is the type of problem that an organization helps you fight.

Here it is, the end of another year. It's also the beginning of another year full of opportunities for all of us. It's now time for you to start planning for 1987. It's time to decide if 1987 is going to be like 1986 or if it's going to be better.

What will make '87 more successful than '86? You will. It's not difficult. All you have to do is decide that you want to be successful.

The most effective tool any business owner, manager, supervisor, foreman, or employee has is the tool called enthusiasm. Other tools that go along with enthusiasm are knowledge and confidence.

Enthusiasm comes from within. It's the tool you can't get anywhere else but from yourself. Knowledge comes from other sources such as books, magazines, college, association with people who are already successful, asking questions, and personal experience. Confidence comes from the successful use of enthusiasm combined with knowledge.

To these ends I encourage you to read books and magazines that give you information about how to operate your business or do your job better. Take one class a semester at a local community college. Join a professional organization and participate. This is an excellent opportunity to associate with people who are successful. Speak to the experts. Go to trade shows talk to the company representatives about their products and take part in seminars. Get to know the manager of the irrigation supply house you buy materials from or the nurseryman at the nursery where you get your plants. Ask questions. These people want to help you. Finally, there's nothing like personal experience, actually getting your hands dirty, so to speak.

Remember, you will be successful if you want to be. If you are not successful then it is obvious that you did not want to be. You will not fail unless you decide to fail. Set goals for yourself. This is how to measure how successful you are. Do not set goals that you have very little chance of achieving. That's a "self fulfilling failure". Be realistic. Also, do not keep your goals a secret. There are many people out there who would be very happy to help you achieve your goals. Finally, do not hesitate to readjust your goals. This way you assure success and will learn to set goals that are more attainable.

Tell us how successful you were in 1986. Go ahead, I dare you to write a letter to us telling us how successful you were. Afraid to brag? Will all the attention embarrass you ?!?!

Good luck. Enjoy the Holidays.



Sean J. Richards
Editor

I recently came across the following quote in "The Treeworker".

"If you are a foreman or supervisor, how do you get your employees to do what you want them to do? Cut their work hours? Raise their wages? Add fringe benefits? Improve communications? Counsel them? How about a swift kick?

All of the above have been tried over and over again, usually with no long-term success. In fact, the only one worth considering is the swift kick. If you kick someone, they move. But what about the next time you want them to do something?

The best way to motivate employees is to install "generators" in them that will cause them to move without being kicked. The best way to do that is by giving them challenging work and responsibility."

For those that have employees proper motivation is probably THE biggest problem. Unfortunately, most small businesses use the "swift kick" method of motivation. But as The Treeworker pointed out for long term motivation (and good employee relations) giving your employees a challenge is a much more effective method.

How do you handle employee relations in your company? How many employees do you have? What is the average length of employment? Compare your employee length of employment, salary, and their work evaluations to the methods you use to motivate them.

Good employee relations will result in higher profits and a more enjoyable workplace.

ENOUGH SERIOUSNESS! Let's have some fun! A while back we asked our readers to send us articles and letters. Many of you did, and those articles are now appearing each month (thank you), but the flow of material has slowed down. You would think that you were all out there working! Some of you must have some time to jot down some articles (how about all those funny stories everyone keeps promising?). Let's get our priorities straight. Get off the route and back to the typewriter! After all, wouldn't you rather be famous than rich?

Some states license service industries such as landscapers and others do not. In the states that do, this has created a distinction between the gardener, who performs only maintenance, and the contractor, who does installations as well as maintenance. I don't want to get into the pros and cons of licensing, but I would like to address the method by which contractors can become licensed in the states that use licensing.

In California, for example, in addition to taking a written test on contracting law and the trade involved there is also a requirement for four years of field experience under a licensed contractor (or a combination of two years of school and two years of experience). This means that all contractors need to serve an apprenticeship under another contractor.

Whether they will admit it or not, many contractors never served this apprenticeship. Many started as gardeners and expanded their business to include installation. They learned as their business grew. They learned from others in the field, from helpful mentors at supply houses, and from school or self-teaching. They worked unlicensed for awhile until they were ready to take the test. Then, somehow or another, they got someone to sign off that experience portion. I don't condone or condemn this process, but neither do I deny that it goes on.

Since most contractors are self-employed individuals it goes against their nature to work for someone else for four years to break into a new business. They are usually take-charge individuals who see an opportunity and take it on. This does not fit them into the apprenticeship concept.

I think that state licensing boards and the licensed contractors that advise them should stop trying to deny reality and face this problem. Not from the standpoint of trying to eliminate these people from entering the field in this manner (because that will prove as impossible as prohibition), but they should try to solve this problem by integrating this pathway into the system.

I'm sure if the leaders of our industry put their heads together on this they could come up with a reasonable solution. Government should stop making criminals out those who are the backbone of this society, the small entrepreneur. Instead of putting up roadblocks to stop those with enterprise and energy the government and our industry leaders should be helping these people to succeed.

The word extruded may not be in every landscaper's dictionary yet, but it should be. Extrusion is the act of pushing something through a slip form in order to create a new shape. It's the process used to make many irrigation parts. It is also a new process used to make curbs and mowing strips out of concrete in a new, fast, and inexpensive method.

In our May issue we discussed "New Age Hardscaping". It's a practical alternative to the old style methods of doing concrete curbs. In that article we gave a list of companies doing this type of work, but we left one out. For those of you doing business in the North Orange County and Inland Empire you should contact Curbmaster at (714) 980-8688.

For California landscapers an old recurring crisis is now getting worse. Drought. The problem is getting so bad in some areas that cities and counties are thinking of enacting specific legislation against landscaping and water usage on landscaping. Much of this legislation is poorly conceived and very dangerous to our profession. There are alternatives that will help ease the water crisis, but not put our industry out of work.

These alternatives will only be considered if we actively push for them in the government bodies considering enacting new laws. The best way to do this is in a group. If you want to save your profession you should join and get involved with your local landscaping or gardener's association.

If you don't know about any associations look at the list in "Professional Organizations" in this issue. These groups need everyone's help to save our industry and your job. Get involved, call today!

Republicans, Out of Ideas, Ask Prosecutors to Arrest Michael Moore

By: Michael Moore
Published: Oct 7, 2004

Dear Friends,

You may have heard by now that the Michigan Republican Party has called for my arrest. That's right. They literally want me brought up on charges -- and hope that I'm locked up.

No, I'm not kidding. The Republican Party, yesterday, filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutors in each of the counties where I spoke last week in Michigan.

My crime? Clean underwear for anyone who will vote in the upcoming election.

By Shel Horowitz, author of Principled Profit:
Marketing That Puts People First

In this age of business scandals, it's crucial to remember that businesses based on ethics and quality actually work better. With that in mind, here are ten easy resolutions to inspire your business to achieve a very profitable 2004.

1) I will base every aspect of my business on honesty, integrity, and quality.

2) I will make sure every employee, from janitor to CEO, is trained to view every interaction with a customer as a key step in the marketing process, and to always give the customer respect and attention.

By Rhoberta Shaler, PhD

"Often the difference between the successful man or woman and
a failure is not one's abilities or ideas, but the courage one
has to take a risk and to act on those abilities and ideas."
Those wise words from Maxwell Maltz remind us that success in
life is likely to involve some intelligent risk.