Don't lay off your crews

In his most recent column for Lawn & Landscape, Jud Griggs told us six ways to keep your crews busy this winter so you can avoid winter layoffs.

Griggs, a design/build consultant for the Harvest Group, says snow removal and holiday lighting are popular options for winter work. He also recommends looking into winter decorating and even large tree planting. Here's some of what he wrote for November's issue:

"To fight the seasonality factor, most companies I talk with immediately start looking at reducing costs wherever possible. This usually means cutting people. While reducing costs is important, layoffs can have a negative impact on your workforce.

"A better solution is to look for alternate sources of revenue. These revenue sources may not be as profitable as the landscape work you perform in season, but the ultimate goal is finding ways to reduce, or better yet, eliminate the red ink on your P&L during the winter months. Your goal should be to at least break even. Generating some positive cash flow would be an added benefit."

Read more on Jud's six ways to reduce seasonality.