Landscape Ontario

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  • Find Your Pro!
  • Gardens
    • Style
    • Design
    • Favourites
    • Inspiration + Ideas
  • Plants
    • Benefits
    • Care
    • Encyclopedia
    • Resources
  • Learning Resources
    • Tutorials + How-to
    • Expert Answers
    • Videos + Series
    • Training
  • Awards of Excellence
  • Events
  • Magazines
  • Careers

Prosperity Partners

Jan 3, 2024

The essence of a legacy

Every now and then, I think about how many hours I’ve spent writing business columns and blogs since 2006.
Nov 3, 2023

Balancing lifestyle with work

Retention. It’s not just about the money. It’s about belonging. It’s about personal safety. It’s about being a part of a social network that is supportive. It’s about realizing that the employers’ role has changed for the foreseeable future.
Sep 5, 2023

Paying a living wage vs minimum wage

This is a new era. One in which we have the best opportunity to raise our charge out rates (along with every other trade), in order to pay our staff well, to live well
Jul 14, 2023

Overhead Recovery 101

If you find yourself asking why you don’t have enough profit at the end of every year, you’re not alone.
Jun 2, 2023

Simple math can make a huge difference

Do you price your newly acquired work the same as the work you’ve already sold now?
Dec 6, 2022

Inspire, protect and grow the next generation

2023 is your chance to level up your business, despite any downward economic pressures you might need to navigate and despite the challenges of trying to find new staff in 2022.
Nov 8, 2022

Motivating and engaging your team

Companies who successfully engage this vibrant, bright and curious generation are those who have shifted the leadership paradigm around the meaning of hard work and life balance.
Oct 12, 2022

Job hopping is here to stay — Adapt, or miss out

Some key facts to help you attract, hire and retain the next generation workforce.
Aug 30, 2022

It’s good to be sticky

Many employers simply either haven’t or don’t know how to chart a path for employees to follow.
Jul 4, 2022

Merely urgent vs really important — The difference matters

How to categorize and prioritize everyday problems so you can focus on the things that matter most to the success of your business.
Apr 1, 2022

Becoming an Employer of Choice

A blueprint for future seminar and program participants to come together and implement what they’ve learned.
Mar 8, 2022

Building strategic relationships — Part 2

Exploring the opportunities to build better relationships in your business.
Feb 9, 2022

Building strategic relationships — Part 1

A few key, solid, well timed relationships can launch your business to the next level.
Jan 12, 2022

Lead on!

What’s your plan for your business in 2022?
Dec 16, 2021

How to keep the employees you have

Gone are the days when one plan suited all, and where one plan was seen as a true benefit to everyone to the same degree.
Nov 3, 2021

Defining your ideal client avatar

When red flags pop-up as warning signs for the sales and design team, they act on it, using their intuition to inform decisions whether or not to take on a client.
Jacki Hart
Oct 12, 2021

A strong communications system will ensure your team meets its obligations

I believe there are few events in business that may derail a customer’s trust and confidence more than a broken promise.
Sep 8, 2021

Taking the temperature of company culture

This is a great time of year to really step back and assess the pulse of your company culture. Slow down and take stock.
Jul 6, 2021

Thank you Landscape Ontario!

We have an amazing community for mutual benefit and improvement — we are a “Landscape Nation.”
Apr 6, 2021

Be a supportive and responsive employer

Online forum allows business owners to discuss various forms of anxiety.
Mar 8, 2021

Well worth the time

Business owners share their list of influential business books.
Feb 8, 2021

Circling back to self-care

How are you dealing with the stress of the pandemic?
Jan 5, 2021

Silver linings of 2020

A retrospective on some of the surviving legacies of the pandemic year gone by.
Dec 15, 2020

Are you taking care of yourself?

It can be difficult for many entrepreneurs to find time for self care at the best of times, let alone in such an unprecedented year such as this.
Nov 4, 2020

It’s November. Already

Now is the time of year to sit down and gather all of those thoughts and ideas for making improvements or trying new ways of doing work.
Oct 5, 2020

Start now!

A recap of this year's September Summit.
Sep 2, 2020

Change is always a good thing

What have you changed as a result of the pandemic, that your team and company will keep in place going forward?
Jul 4, 2020

Staying the course

We’ve all made it this far after a very uncertain and stressful spring. So far, (hopefully) so good.
Jun 15, 2020

A leadership blueprint

There’s a long, long list of leaders who have stepped up amidst rapid and uncertain change.
May 6, 2020

What? So What? Now What!

Some great advice from professional business coaches on how to get through the pandemic.
Apr 3, 2020

Fear and forward thinking

LO members are connecting more than every through the online Peer to Peer Network.
Mar 15, 2020

Top five reasons your team isn’t engaged

So, why do so many company managers struggle with finding, engaging and keeping great team players?
John Larsen
Feb 4, 2020

Peer Network helps John Larsen to grow

Atmosphere of peer group members made it easy to contribute and learn together.
Feb 4, 2020

Peer to Peer Network continues to grow

Collaboration, trust and a willingness to improve helped to set the tone for the year at the annual Congress session.
Jan 4, 2020

The Boom-X Paradigm shift

Gone are the days of hiring labourers and treating them as such.
Dec 15, 2019

It’s time to get to know your business

Some keys to success to ponder before diving deep into next season.
The annual summit included a fun boat cruise.
Nov 15, 2019

Learn a lot from fellow business owners

Business owners share takeaways from recent two-day summit in Muskoka.
Nov 15, 2019

Ho, Ho, Ho! It’s professional development season

It’s a great time of year to consider giving the gift of professional development to your company.
Sep 15, 2019

September Summit: The Peer to Peer Network signature event

Make the time to leave your business for two days and you'll be glad that you did.
Jun 21, 2019

Celebrating shifting attitudes toward women in horticulture

A group of strong female leaders have paved the way for others to succeed in the profession.
Jun 15, 2019

Your business needs your work — even in June

Knowing your business well can help to easily identify when things start to go wrong.
May 6, 2019

Company culture part 2: Engaging your team to focus on wellness and safety

Business owners are responsible for providing support to those who need it.
Apr 1, 2019

Company culture part 1: Communicating and engaging your team

Clearly define your company culture with help from peers.
Mar 7, 2019

Take the pulse of your recruiting style

Job applicants under 30 will go straight to your Facebook and Instagram pages to see if your company culture matches their values.
Jan 29, 2019

Get real-time support for your business

LO's Peer to Peer Network offers business owners help online and through events held across the province each year.
Jan 7, 2019

The power of peers working together

Members of LO's Peer to Peer Network share the benefits they have received from time invested in the group workshops.
Dec 12, 2018

The curious entrepreneur

The last in a series of skills required by successful entrepreneurs.
Nov 6, 2018

Self reflection — a paradigm shift

To Millennial business owners, people are not a commodity.
Oct 10, 2018

Polished salesmanship

Mastering the art of salesmanship is just one key quality for successful entrepreneurs.
Sep 15, 2018

The focused entrepreneur

A successful business owner must master the art of focus in order to be successful.
Jul 15, 2018

The resilient entrepreneur

Resilience is the key to moving through failed leadership, failed plans, or both.
Jun 15, 2018

Top skills of great entrepreneurs

A fully engaged business owner must include three main actions as part of their daily habits.
Lindsey Ross
May 31, 2018

Peer to Peer Network is priceless for LO member business owner

Lindsey Ross believes every business owner and manager should belong to LO's peer group.
Apr 5, 2018

How to stop babysitting

The need for a structured hiring and onboarding program and clearly defined company culture.
Mar 15, 2018

How to attract talent in a new era

Attendees at the recent peer session learned from some top HR managers.
Mar 14, 2018

Peer Network resonates with business owner

Group participation shows owners are not alone.
Feb 15, 2018

If you aim at nothing...

Knowing what to measure in your business can be a difficult thing to determine.
Jan 15, 2018

Where there’s passion, there’s hope… and help

LO member business owners are getting results through participation in the association's Peer to Peer Network.
Dec 15, 2017

Become a master at what you do

It's time to look back and reflect on the past year of your business.
Nov 15, 2017

Faster than a speeding bullet

A look at the values of Millennials in the workforce.
Oct 15, 2017

Standing in the presence of greatness

Reflect on your success over the past season.
Sep 15, 2017

Lead your business and your people Peer To Peer Network Muskoka Summit

An outline for this year's two-day summit in Muskoka, Ont.
Jul 15, 2017

Measure only what you monitor, and monitor what you measure

Set aside a couple of days mid-season to ensure a solid finish to the year.
Jun 15, 2017

Notice what’s going well

Spend 30 minutes with each employee a couple of times each season.
May 15, 2017

Just pick up the phone

Some helpful tips for communicating in a fast-paced world.
Mar 15, 2017

Change where it’s needed most

Some takeaways from this year's LMN Leaders' Summit.
Feb 15, 2017

Intentional improvements

Involve your team in developing processes to improve and celebrate success.
Jan 15, 2017

Abracadabra! Three unexpected steps to improved team results

A few simple steps to strengthen your team.
Dec 15, 2016

What’s lurking in your invisible arena? – Part one

Two distinct areas in which business owners must excel in order to reach their goals.
Nov 15, 2016

Improving your customer’s experience

Opportunities are yours to either seize, or lose.
Oct 15, 2016

A glance at the horizon

It's time to start looking at a succession plan.
Sep 15, 2016

Building employee loyalty

A pre-made agenda for a fall meeting with yourself.
Aug 1, 2016

The delegating conundrum

By nature, most entrepreneurs love to keep control.
Jun 15, 2016

Keep it simple, keep calm and carry on

Managing a change from something simple to something complex or complicated is very tough.
May 15, 2016

Pricing for profit

Don't get pressured into giving a better deal.
Apr 15, 2016

Manage outcomes more than people

A look at the leadership style of a successful association.
Mark Fisher
Mar 15, 2016

Prosperity among peers - Mark Fisher

Mark Fisher explains how participating in Landscape Ontario's Peer to Peer Network has helped his business.
Mar 15, 2016

We are a landscape nation

Inaugural LMN Leaders Summit in Collingwood, Ont., was a must-attend for landscape business owners.
Feb 15, 2016

Prosperity showcase indeed

Leaders honored within the profession.
Lexi Dearborn CLD
Feb 15, 2016

Prosperity among peers - Lexi Dearborn

Lexi Dearborn talks about her involvement with Landscape Ontario's Peer to Peer Network.
Jan 15, 2016

Navigating the invisible parts of your business

Business improvement steps for the year ahead.
Dec 15, 2015

The founding vision of Prosperity Partners

Many of you have made improvements in your business and career paths thanks to the Prosperity Partners program over the past 10 years.
Nov 15, 2015

Professional development season is here

This is the time of year when most of us in this industry breathe at least a brief sigh of relief, and start to think about winter month plans for you and your staff’s training and development.
Oct 15, 2015

Taking the pulse of 2012

This is the perfect time of year to check how your profits and systems performed in 2012.
Oct 15, 2015

Standing in the presence of greatness

Every now and then, all of us who run our businesses with a combination of passion and professionalism have very special and memorable moments.
Sep 15, 2015

Checking in at the half-way mark

Four down, four to go. We’re at the half-way mark of the snow off-season.
Jul 15, 2015

Getting to the ROOT of business

Landscape Ontario has been offering an owner/manager workshop, entitled Build Your Prosperity, to our members since 2006.
Jun 15, 2015

Smile, you're on stage

This is such a great time of year for us all in this industry.
May 15, 2015

The rubber hits the road

This month marks the start of the 2015 system test for your business.
Apr 15, 2015

It's all about teamwork

Hang on to your hats. Here we all go…Boldly into the 2015 green industry season with hopes, budgets, goals, and a team to make it all happen.
Mar 15, 2015

Hiring smart — Who do you want to work with?

I think most of us turn the page of our calendar on the wall with a degree of hesitation at this time of year.
Feb 15, 2015

Peers share top five business concerns

On Warm Up Monday at Congress, Tim Kearney CLP and I delivered a session to launch the Peer to Peer Network.
Jan 15, 2015

Celebrate success

Happy New Year! Every year at this time, many of us take stock and make resolutions of one kind or another to change something in our lives, our routines, or both.
Jacki Hart and Tim Kearney.
Dec 15, 2014

You’re in good company

The newest resource offered to business owners by LO’s Prosperity Partners program is the Peer to Peer Network.
Dec 15, 2014

You’re in good company

The newest resource offered to business owners by LO’s Prosperity Partners program is the Peer to Peer Network.
Oct 15, 2014

Bake business thinking into your business

Remember last month I wrote about a young local baker who was striving to make a go of his branded product?
Sep 15, 2014

Diamonds in the rough

Just prior to sitting down to write this article, I wandered into a new store in my home town.
Aug 15, 2014

Professional development: ‘Tis the season to start your plan

As August is upon us and you look forward to a break, I encourage you to spend a couple of quiet hours reflecting on your year-to-date.
Jul 15, 2014

Managing customer experience, Part 3

Consider whether everyone you work with has their priorities straight.
Jun 15, 2014

Managing customer experience, Part 2

Slow down, take a breath and shift your mind from the rough waters.
May 15, 2014

Managing customer experience, Part 1

Some tips on how to improve your customer's experience.
Apr 15, 2014

Hiring headaches

One of the most talked about challenges in this industry across every sector is finding good people.
Mar 15, 2014

Members helping members: New tool on the horizon

The Prosperity Partners Team at LO continues to move forward by building a new peer network resource for you.
The author has some of her best ideas in front of a room full of her peers.
Feb 15, 2014

You’re in good company

We all have these things in common regardless of our sector.
Jan 15, 2014

Staying the course

Mark Fisher has turned his company around using knowledge from the Prosperity Partners program.
Nov 15, 2013

The November files

Make notes all season long and time time now to review them before next season.
Oct 15, 2013

Explore Prosperity Partners’ path

Exciting new program designed to help business owners succeed.
Sep 15, 2013

Sign of the times

We could all use help to manage our business more effectively.
Aug 15, 2013

Think about your future in your business

Most entrepreneurs are juggling the day-to-day challenges of their business, leaving no time for planning an exit strategy.
Bruce Morton
Jul 15, 2013

Keeping your stick on the ice

Bruce Morton, owner of Greenscapes Irrigation in Ottawa, shares his thoughts on the Prosperity Partners program.
Lindsay Drake Nightingale
Jun 15, 2013

Profit doesn’t grow on trees

Jacki interviews Lindsay Drake Nightingale, owner of Yorkshire Garden Services serving the GTA.
Mark Fisher
May 15, 2013

Balancing business with volunteering: A success story

Mark Fisher explains how the Prosperity Partners language and business concept has helped his business over the past five or six years
Grant Harrison
Apr 15, 2013

An interview with Grant Harrison

This month, I’ve interviewed Grant Harrison CLT of Escapes Outdoor Living in London.
Erin Schuler-Van Gilst
Mar 15, 2013

An interview with Erin Schuler-Van Gilst

Last month at the Green Trade Expo in Ottawa, I met with Erin Schuler-Van Gilst, owner of Create It! of Williamsburg.
Feb 15, 2013

Great reviews for Effective Management Short Course

During Warm-up Monday in our Congress Week, the latest Prosperity Partners offering the Effective Management Short Course brought many new tools, ideas and group dialogue around the challenges of management.
Jan 15, 2013

Why do you do what you do?

"When we are surrounded by people who believe what we believe, something remarkable happens...trust emerges.” Simon Sinek
Dec 15, 2012

Your personalized navigation system

I think it’s safe to say that at some point in time every business owner attends a seminar or two looking for new ideas and solutions.
Nov 15, 2012

Connecting the dots

LO's Prosperity Partners program helps to connect members with each other.
Sep 15, 2012

The cost of not making people changes

It’s very common with small business entrepreneurs to avoid letting people go.
Aug 15, 2012

The work/life balance

We’ve had many business owners and managers engage in the Prosperity Partners Program searching for a work/life balance.
Jul 15, 2012

Be tech savvy or step aside

When I think back to when I started my business in 1991, I realize how much has changed in the way we now do business.
May 15, 2012

Networking is opportunity to share goals and solutions

I hope when you mange to take time out of your frantic schedule to read this, it might help you examine the many levels of stress you have experienced during this crazily busy month.
Apr 15, 2012

The lid just blew off... time to step back to identify gaps

Many of you are looking at dormant turf and soil instead of snow, at the time I am writing this in mid-March.
Mar 15, 2012

How do we navigate the uncertainty of 2012?

An unprecedented number of Prosperity Partners business owners are coming back looking for advice on the current reality.
Feb 15, 2012

Standing room only at Congress 2012

There is an amazing energy that emanates from a roomful of peers, all of whom are looking for answers to the same questions.
Jan 15, 2012

Connecting the dots

Within the community of governance at Landscape Ontario, there’s a movement afoot to ‘connect the dots’ between members and the value they receive from belonging to the association.
Dec 15, 2011

Prosperity Partners solves business headaches – from the ground up

Here’s a simple five-point test for you to see if the Prosperity Partners Build Your Prosperity seminar will help reduce stress and headaches at work.
Nov 15, 2011

Managing the experience

The Prosperity Pillar Customers for Life is all about using this type of management tool (or your own similar invention) to track who says what to whom, when and why.
Oct 15, 2011

Leadership is a daily requirement for success

I’ve learned that without a doubt, leadership is a huge component of both productivity and morale
Jun 15, 2011

Leadership — Never let ‘em see you sweat

When it comes to leadership, the expression, ‘Never let ‘em see you sweat,’ fits like a glove – figuratively speaking.
May 15, 2011

Professional operations: The glue that holds your work together

April has been most unkind in the weather department.
Apr 15, 2011

Well-planned quote is a key to success

An accurate, well planned quote is a win-win for you and your customer
Mar 15, 2011

Financial health reality check

Landscapers are rarely bankers in disguise.
Pete Vanderley of Pete Vanderley’s Lawn Maintenance & Landscape Services proudly accepts this year’s Prosperity Partners Engagement Award from Jacki Hart.
Feb 15, 2011

New tools will help improve your Prosperity

The winner of this year’s Prosperity Partners Engagement Award is Pete Vanderley.
Jan 15, 2011

Prosperity Partners applies its own tools to re-adjust program’s path

A program to help industry members elevate their level of business acumen and professionalism.
Dec 15, 2010

Taking people management to the next level

In the Prosperity Partners program, we have a framework which supports the key aspects and activities of every business.
Nov 15, 2010

Proud of LO’s prosperity

As many probably know, attending the Build Your Prosperity seminar is a mandatory requirement for new members.
Oct 15, 2010

Gearing for winter improvements

By the time you read this, the growing season is shifting gears, as plants of all descriptions prepare for the coming winter. Are you preparing for the coming winter?
Sep 15, 2010

Managing consistent effort in your business

The Prosperity Partners program offers peer-based training to help business owners and managers map a route to a better business balance.
Aug 15, 2010

Step back to gain perspective, before you’re forced to

Last month I had an opportunity to catch up with one of the Prosperity Partners program graduates.
Jul 15, 2010

Prosperity is a company-wide benefit

Make the time to come in from the frantic pace of your business, and get a handle on your journey to prosperity.
Jun 15, 2010

Benefit of Prosperity

I am writing this article while I watch one of my landscape maintenance crews working outside of my office window.
May 15, 2010

Networking: A journey to success

There is no doubt in my mind that joining Landscape Ontario launched my business success in ways that I never anticipated.
Apr 15, 2010

Ready? Set? GO!

It’s April! And for an industry of plant lovers and outdoor space creators, we’re off to the races.
Mar 5, 2010

A new economy means new thinking!

This is a bold time for business owners in all industries.
Jan 15, 2010

Prosperity Partners: Face-to-face

It seems like yesterday that we were scurrying around making frantic preparations to ensure that Y2K wasn’t going to melt down computers around the world.
Dec 15, 2009

The fastest long winter on record?

By the time this hits your desk, we’ve all shoveled a bit of snow, spun a tire or two and resigned ourselves to digging an extra layer out of the hall closet, rather than heading outside in shirtsleeves.
Nov 15, 2009

Waiting for Godot

I speak with hundreds of business owners each year, who in a sense are waiting for their Godot.
Oct 15, 2009

Change happens and old habits die hard

Whether we like it or not, things change.
Sep 15, 2009

Time to reflect on your season

I have a new set of questions for this month’s article. Rather than focus on one Prosperity Partner business, I want you to focus on yours, whether or not you have yet engaged in the Prosperity Partners Program.
Aug 15, 2009

Transferring the reins of ownership

Every business needs a bright future in order to keep all the players inspired.
Jul 15, 2009

Staying at the top of your game — and on top of it

This is the time of year when we are all at the top of our game.
Jun 15, 2009

Sometimes, we just need to take a breath

Breathe. Just breathe. In my experience, this is one of the hardest months in our industry.
May 15, 2009

Faster than a speeding bullet

We are all riding an unprecedented wave of rapid change, which influences every part of our personal and professional world.
Apr 15, 2009

April can be a time of anxiety

For me April has always been bittersweet.
Mar 15, 2009

These times, they are a’changin’

It can be frustrating at times living in the shadow of the American Dream.
Feb 15, 2009

It’s a time of opportunity

The year 2009 is going to be a time of opportunity for the optimists in our industry.
Jan 15, 2009

Refuse to take part in the recession

Welcome to 2009! This is a fresh new year for you and your business.
Dec 15, 2008

New Years resolutions – dare to be different!

December is a busy month.
Nov 15, 2008

Program will help chart your business’s direction

Essentially, to make changes you must decide what needs to be done differently.
Oct 15, 2008

It’s time to ask better questions

While sitting in my comfy chair with a cup of tea, wondering what stroke of genius I was going to put on paper for you this month, I came to a realization.
Sep 15, 2008

New partners, new opportunities — our community for mutual improvement

I’d like to introduce you to three new Prosperity Partners, our new program instructors: Sally Harvey CLP, Tim Kearney CLP and Terry Murphy CLP.
Aug 15, 2008

There must be a better way …

I received an e-mail this week from an exasperated landscaper.
Jul 15, 2008

The November files

Here’s your invitation to improve the challenges that have kept you up nights this season, and working longer hours than are reasonable for any sane person.
Jun 15, 2008

Expanding the prosperity circle

As I sit on my porch typing this in early May, listening to songbirds chattering away in the wetland across the road, swatting blackflies, and enveloped in a cloud of mosquito coil smoke, I am thinking, “Just how energetic am I going to feel when this publication lands in my hands? Will I have tons of energy to multi-task and solve every challenge thrown at me creatively, like I am forging ahead now?”
May 15, 2008

Prosperity Program gets an A+!

Is it still May? If so, congratulations!
Apr 15, 2008

Do more of this!

It’s April, the snow’s gone, and the lid just blew off of your down time.
Mar 15, 2008

Keeping a full tank

Spring is on the horizon.
Feb 15, 2008

The buck starts here...

We are now into the second month of 2008, or half way though the ‘down time break’ from the landscaping season.
Jan 15, 2008

First steps on the road to prosperity

Every once in a while we read or hear about something that changes the way one thinks about what we do. This article is one of them. I promise.

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