After dealing with a bad drought this year in Colorado, John Gibson, Swingle Tree & Lawn Care, Denver, Colo., learned a lot about water and how it can impact the landscape industry. As a result, he put together tips for other contractors who are currently dealing with drought.
In part one of this two-part series, Gibson focused on planning ahead for drought. After spending an incredible amount of time preparing for drought, contractors may find that their work is not complete at the time drought actually occurs. For those who are trying to play catch-up, Gibson offers these suggestions on what to do to fight drought in an effort to save your business:
· Evaluate your services for risk in the drought.
· Evaluate changes in your staffing requirements due to the drought.
· Evaluate which services you can add as additional offerings during a drought.
· Mobilize the industry as the professionals – the people to come to for answers.
· Get in front of the policymakers early and often.\
· Get the focus off of landscape and onto saving water as a whole.
· Suggest other industries be equally targeted to save water.
· Communicate with state agriculture schools for all written materials – don’t create conflicts between your pieces.
· Mobilize your customers to fight for what they want – and what they are willing to live without.
· Look at the investments people have in their landscapes – yes, turf may be quickly replaced, but not without cost.
· Be ready to discuss prioritization of plant material or use of turf in the landscape.
· Coordinate through a public relations firm communication to local press outlets – paper and television.
· Reinforce the concepts of sound water use in the landscape.
· Reinforce the landscape – its economic and environmental impact on your community.
· Use partnerships developed with other water-using groups to influence policymakers.
· Consider hiring a strategist to work with industry leaders to plan for specific outcomes and control wide-ranging goals of the included groups.
The author is Managing Editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at nwisniewski@lawnandlandscape.com.