GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., – Lawnbot.biz, a company that provides intuitive chatbot
sales and payment platforms to lawn care companies has won $20,000 of funding from the local start-up incubator Start Garden (located in Grand Rapids, Michigan) . Before the winners were announced, the 100 finalists presented their ideas in a public event. They included 28 tech-related ideas, 27 products, 18
services, 15 food-related ideas, seven social impact initiatives and and five retail ideas. They were among more than 800 people, the bulk of them from Michigan, who pitched business plans, inventions or ideas to the competition. Each category had knowledge experts as judges and out of the 100 finalists, Lawnbot was one of 10 winners taking home $20,000 to continue developing its business further.
Lawnbot.biz, is an instant sale generator in an instant-messaging format that is white labeled to fit any company and its set of services that it sells. The application uses proprietary technology to measure the square footage of a lawn in real time, recommend a custom treatment plan and provide a quote for services. “We understand that people are busy,” founder Kendall Hines said. “And we wanted to make purchasing lawn care simple and frictionless for our rapidly expanding customer base.” The web chat application can be accessed 24/7, allowing customers to get quotes on their time and at their own pace.
“Lawnbot makes it quick, secure and painless for people and lawn care companies to do business, within a simple 2 minute chat conversation,” Hines said. “In an industry that tends to be on the laggard side of things, Lawnbot’s mission is to allow consumers to buy lawn care like they would on amazon..instantly.”
Hines plans to use the $20,000 to continue acquiring clients via digital marketing and industry trade shows.
Aspire and Weathermatic have entered into a strategic partnership combining Aspire’s business management software with Weathermatic’s software for water management.
The Aspire-Weathermatic partnership brings together an integration of mobile business software with water management tools. As an indication of commitment to the partnership, Weathermatic has made available $15 million of capital for Aspire clients to transform their portfolios of outdated irrigation controllers and upgrade them to the efficient SmartLink platform connected with Aspire Software.
“This new partnership is a tremendous game changer in the landscaping industry,” said Kevin Kehoe, a Founding Partner of Aspire Software. “The integration of Weathermatic’s SmartLink software into our Aspire platform brings one more critical business element literally into the hands of our users. Being able to inspect water zones, manage timer adjustments, and create system reports right from the Aspire login will allow us to drive far more efficiency and business impact. It is a win-win anda perfect solution for our landscaping clients.”
In addition to accessing capital for portfolio conversion, Aspire users can also gain training, marketing, and sales support from Weathermatic as they incorporate SmartLink into all contract renewals and new project bids. Weathermatic customers, in turn, gain access to the tools, services, and expertise of the Aspire business network.
“Water management is becoming a necessity for landscape maintenance contractors who want to grow significantly,” said Mike Mason, president and CEO of Weathermatic. “Since introducing our SmartLink technology we have seen over and over that those landscaping businesses who manage water with expertise are the ones seeing sustainable growth year to year. Bringing smart irrigation management into the business model reduces risk of losing contracts, it positions companies to win and manage larger RFPs, and it empowers them to unlock the full potential of irrigation labor efficiency.”
A.M. Leonard to sell Tree Hugger's staking system
The product can reduce the time and manpower it takes to stake a tree.
A.M. Leonard, a national horticultural and tool supply company since 1885, is now marketing and selling Tree Hugger's patented Tree Brace tree-staking system.
“At first, I was a bit apprehensive about bringing in just another tree-staking system. But then, after personally trying out Tree Hugger, I immediately recognized the benefits this new system brings. In a nutshell, it is a problem solver and is extremely easy to stake," said Brian Stephens, who spearheads research & development of tree bracing products for A.M. Leonard,
Trees can now be totally supported by this molded system that can be re-used indefinitely. “Generally speaking,” said Lloyd Gerber, president of this new company, “staking of a tree can take anywhere from 12 to 20 minutes… and sometimes, two installers are needed. Our new Tree Brace system installs in as little as five minutes… and, generally requires only one installer.”
Engineered to eliminate improper angles, Tree Brace offers optimal tree stability. This reusable staking system is manufactured with molded polypropylene, custom formulated to endure harsh weather conditions for decades. No specialized tools or related equipment are needed for the staking of each tree. For more specifics and videos of the product in use, visit the company’s website.
Steady flow
Contractors share best practices for irrigation maintenance to keep clients happy.
Tony Dilluvio, president of Aqua Turf Irrigation Systems
Dilluvio says one of the easiest fixes – but most overlooked – in maintaining an irrigation system is ensuring your clients aren’t overwatering. If they call and say their systems aren’t working properly, what could be happening is that they’ve set it to a schedule and assumed their plants would get the right amount of water that way.
He recommends telling clients to start with a bit of water and increase the frequency only after plants show some stress. Controllers can also be set to adjust watering times like a bell curve. Start watering in April, then continue to up the amount until the middle of July. After that point, it’s time to decrease frequency through the end of fall.
He also says rain sensors are valuable tools to prevent overwatering, though many clients just don’t use them correctly. “Most of the time, it’s not put in a good place,” Dilluvio says. “It needs to be exposed to the rain from all directions and to the sun and the wind so that it can mimic what’s going on in the environment.”
WiFi controllers that are set up for predictive watering also help, too, so that they will shut the irrigation system off if there’s rain in the forecast.
John Kinsey, president of John’s Landscape Services
Kinsey knows many people are still practicing irrigation maintenance the same way they may have a decade ago, but he says that’s a mistake. Technology has continued to advance and water saving strategies have developed so much that it would be wasting time and resources to keep operations at a status quo.
“Be willing to learn,” Kinsey says. “You’ve got the ones who don’t go outside their comfort zone – they’ll stay in it.”
Kinsey also recommends formulating a list of questions to ask clients when they call with maintenance concerns. “Ask the things that will lead to results,” he says, which include prompts like, Was the system working before? When did you notice it not starting to perform? Is there any construction in the area? How old is the system?
“Use your knowledge to your benefit,” Kinsey says.
Then, follow through. “Even if I think I’ve found the problem, go through the rest of it just to validate because I’ve had it where you think you’ve fixed it, but you created another problem somewhere else, so you have unintended consequences on your repair.”
Gina Neusteter, owner of Romneya Gardens
Neusteter works in California, which has infamously limited rainfall, particularly in recent years. She says ensuring that the client’s controller works is vital to avoid wasting any of that water.
“Good planning in the very beginning and having a controller do what it’s supposed to do is critical,” Neusteter says.
She urges contractors to install rain sensors no matter where they are across the country, but especially in states prone to droughts. She says it’s $20 in upgrades that could save the client hundreds. Most of Neusteter’s landscapes don’t need any irrigation from October to March, not to mention the three times a week she knows some people water their plants. Explaining this to clients is perhaps the best maintenance you can do, she says.
“To think that because your controller is on that it’s totally plug and play, I find stuff is probably either totally underwatered or completely overwatered,” Neusteter says. “And usually, honestly, it’s overwatered.”
Under control
Advancements in irrigation technology have made WiFi-based controllers a popular option.
It’s a technology-powered world in so many ways. Homeowners want a piece of the action when it comes to products to irrigate their lawns and landscaping.
“It seems like half of my customers prefer WiFi irrigation products,” says Kyle Taylor, owner of Kyle Taylor’s Landscape and Irrigation near Los Angeles. Many homeowners, he adds, like the recommended water schedules based on weather patterns, soil conditions, and sprinkler types the technology provides. “They love having the ability to check the irrigation zones without having to run back and forth to the location of the irrigation controller.”
New homeowners are usually open to anything that will make getting settled easier, says Jennifer Greathouse, co-owner and CEO of GreatWater Irrigation in northern Texas. “We also have realtor partners that are big fans of the smart sprinkler controllers and often recommend them to clients selling their homes as an easy, affordable upgrade that makes their listing more appealing.”
Get smart.
According to Erich Short, irrigation division manager for Baker Commercial Landscaping in Orlando, many management companies are investigating options for sustainability, and water conservation weighs heavy into their thinking. “Some of our residential customers are also embracing new technology, i.e. smart houses, as they become aware of the benefits of conserving water. Some are into the conservation and sustainability. Some just like the convenience.”
First-generation technology, Greathouse says, was a “harder sell” a few years ago. “Now that we are on the second and third-plus generations of smart controllers, their reliability and usability are superior to standard controllers. It’s still a ‘new’ concept for most of our customers. But this kind of technology is so prolific in the rest of our lives they instantly see the benefits of an app-based interface for their system versus a confusing box located in a hot garage or closet.”
There are many tech products out there, “more than I can list,” says Taylor, and they have many similarities. “The products are more expensive than a simple irrigation controller, but not unaffordable for most households. Many feel they are worth the price with the additional control they have over their water usage and landscapes,” he says.
Eric McCall, branch manager for Smith Turf, says the desire for control and information dictates which device he offers customers. The cost of upgrading a controller to be WiFi enabled, for example, can range from $75 to $300 in addition to the cost of the controller.
Worth the investment.
While advanced irrigation products cost more up front than a standard controller, Greathouse says, most will generate “significant” water savings, which in the end saves the homeowner more than they paid for the upgrade. “Our climate in north Texas can vary an extreme amount from one year to the next,” she says. “A smart controller that can keep up with these changes and make adjustments in real-time is much more water-efficient.”
Although they may be a bit overwhelmed with the newest technology at first, an app guides the customer through the use of a controller via WiFi, “and it’s usually very easy for people to understand,” Taylor says.
“Most of my customers prefer to do it on their own. The only time things get a little difficult is when the WiFi signal is weak or they can’t remember their WiFi code.” But this typically “is not a major issue” and it’s usually resolved within a few minutes.
Greathouse says “most everyone” can realize benefits from using an irrigation smart controller. “If they have WiFi, which is almost a given at this point, we think it’s important they know all their options. In our experience, it’s just a matter of educating the customer about how they work differently than their usual controller,” she says. “Generally, once a customer understands how much easier a WiFi controller is to use, they will make the upgrade.”
“Without a doubt, the industry will continue to see irrigation devices become more ‘connected’ for the end user,” McCall says. “My hope is that the industry does a better job teaching the end user on the advantages of ‘connected’ systems. I also hope that we continue to see the reduction in cost of both the ‘connected’ controller and the ancillary accessories.”
The author is a freelance writer based in Connecticut.
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