Horticultural Business Information Network  


Economic Impacts of the Turfgrass and Lawncare Industry in the United States. Economic sectors of the industry include sod farms, lawncare services, lawn and garden retail stores, and lawn equipment manufacturing. As defined in this study, the five sectors comprising the U.S. turfgrass industry in 2002 generated total output (revenue) impacts of $57.9 billion (Bn), employment impacts of 822,849 jobs, value added impacts of $35.1 Bn, labor income of $23.0 Bn, and $2.4 Bn in indirect business taxes to local and state governments. If these values are expressed in 2005 dollars, the total output impact was $62.2 Bn and the total value added impact was $37.7 Bn. The value added impact represents total personal and business net income.

Economic Impacts of the Green Industry in the United States. A new national impact study shows the green industry supplies the nation with $147.8 billion in output, nearly 2 million jobs, $64.3 billion in labor income and $6.9 billion in business taxes. In 2004, the nursery/greenhouse sector accounted for $26 billion in sales, 261,408 jobs and $18.1 billion in value added impacts. The region with the largest impact was the Midwest ($19.2 billion) followed by the Pacific region ($18.4 billion), Northeast ($17.9 billion) and Southeast ($13.5 billion). The study was conducted by Univ. of Tenn. and Univ. of Fla.

Landscape Plant Material, Size, and Design Sophistication Increase Perceived Home Value. This study investigates the "effect of three components of a landscape design on the perceived value of a home." The three components are plant material type, sophistication of the landscape design, and the size of the plant material. Click here for the overview.

The Green Industry Hub, a resource for business and career development presented jointly by PLANET, Landscape Management magazine and the Scher Group. If you are new to the site, be sure to view the New Visitor Welcome. You and your employees can take advantage of the skills assessment and training, certification and awards that will make your company more productive and profitable. The Green Industry Hub will bring these skills to you and your team in a fun, user-friendly format that will pay dividends for years to come.

 Lawn & Landscape publishes State of the Industry Reports, one of the most comprehensive annual analyses of the industry. Through this analysis, L&L identifies the significant trends and influences taking place in the industry each year and present a glimpse of the industry’s health. Also be sure to check out their annual Business Strategies Conference and School of Management. A special futuring issue addresses the next 25 years in the industry.

Landscape Management represents another great source for business and operations solutions, industry news and trends, technical updates and other critical information needed by landscape/ lawn care contractors and grounds professionals. They also have an annual special issue on the State of the Industry.

PRO Magazine is a national trade magazine providing the critical business information landscape professionals need for success. PRO focuses on "how to" topics such as surviving and thriving through the "pinch-points" of growth; maximizing productivity; diversifying and taking advantage of trends; making innovative approaches to the marketplace. They also have a "Be Your Own Boss" website whre you can learn from experts — including your peers — about dealing with general business issues, how to select equipment, whether to rent or buy, how to work with suppliers, what it takes to keep customers happy, and read success stories of those who've done well as small business owners.

Grounds Maintenance is the technical magazine of landscape construction, design and maintenance, serving landscape contractors and superintendents of golf courses, parks, institutions and recreational areas. GM's principal mission is coverage of practical topics such as pest control, equipment, irrigation, plant establishment and care, business and design. You can also subscribe to their weekly e-newsletter Maintenance Matters.

LandscapeOnline.com is a portal to the landscape development industry. Subscribe to Landscape Contractor magazine or to their weekly e-newsletter. Find products, find a landscape professional, or check out their Landscape Communications Stock Index (LCSI), a listing of approximately 60 key landscape and construction industry companies that have publicly traded stocks.

Focus On...Landscapers is a monthly interactive E-Magazine that brings you extensive information on the latest products and services to enhance the productivity and profitability of the landscaping and grounds care professionals throughout North America.

ANLA Publications on Landscape Business Management. The American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA) online publications store offers a wealth of resources to help expand your customer base, manage your operations and staff, offer competitive products and services, and build your company's profits. A must-see site!

PLANET Publications. PLANET, the Professional Landcare Network, is an international association serving lawn care professionals, landscape management contractors, design/build/installation professionals, and interior plantscapers.

PGMS Publications Directory. The Professional Grounds Management Society (PDMS) bookstore contains a comprehensive compilation of resources for the landscape maintenance professional regarding operational guidelines, estimating guides, forms and job descriptions, landscape cultural practices, and service manuals.

The Economic Briefing Room of the U.S. Census Bureau provides an overview of the latest economic indicators including housing starts, homeownership, new home sales, and construction spending. The Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER), a department within the College of Business Administration at The University of Tennessee (UTK), conducts research on national and state economic trends for UTK, state agencies, and public and private organizations. The Center collects, analyzes, and disseminates data on the demography and economy of Tennessee. A Commentary on Current Economic Conditions, commonly known as the Beige Book, is published eight times per year. Each Federal Reserve Bank gathers anecdotal information on current economic conditions in its District through reports from Bank and Branch directors and interviews with key business contacts, economists, market experts, and other sources. The Beige Book summarizes this information by District and sector.

Bidding and Estimating Resources (Books and Guides)

Software for the Landscape Industry - One of the questions most often asked is "What software alternatives are out there for the green industry?" While the list below is not meant to be all-inclusive, it is a good point from which to start in analyzing which software may be best suited for your firm:

  • Adkad Technologies - Customer Maintenance and Billing Software for the Landscape Professional.
  • ArborSoftWorx® family of software products is specialized for the commercial and municipal/campus arborist, tree care, urban forester, landscape, lawn care, and pest control professionals. These powerful, integrated, easy-to-use database software applications satisfy the industry's unique office and field automation, data compilation, and reporting needs.
  • ArtVision - publisher of 3D Garden Composer - garden design software.
  • CADvisor - Integrating web site design with custom AutoCAD applications.
  • CLIP Software - an industry-leading software for landscape professionals that provides automatic routing, scheduling and job costing.
  • Compass System - a business management system that teaches you how to track time, not dollars;" understand your true labor costs and overhead; protect and track net profit; and track bonuses.
  • CompuScapes - provides management solutions to exterior and interior landscape contractors.
  • Design Imaging Group, Inc. - Professional Software for the Design/Build Landscape Contractor.
  • DynaSCAPE 3.0 Professional Edition is professional landscape design software that lets you create drawings, and plant care reports. DynaScape is built specifically for those working in the Landscape Design/Build industry.
  • EarthScapes - Award Winning Professional Landscape Design Imaging Software that helps you make critical decisions even before the shovel hits the dirt.
  • Gopher Billing and Scheduling Software - Gopher Billing & Scheduling Software is available in three versions. Gopher Basic is ideal for small companies that need an easy to use billing and scheduling program. Gopher Plus has everything the Basic version has and is designed for larger companies that need more powerful scheduling options such as handling snow plowing, spring/fall cleanups, and multiple step job series (e.g. lawn treatment program). Other features of the Plus version include: QuickBooks link, expense tracking, late fees, and more. Gopher Pro has every feature of the Plus version along with the ability to keep track of chemical applications, equipment usage and preventative maintenance, and employee tracking.
  • HORT Management is a Windows-based program requiring Quatro Pro 8.0 or higher spreadsheet software. Although the program was developed primarily for the commercial landscape managers, it is also useful to persons managing institutional, municipal or recreational landscapes as well as instructors at technical schools and colleges. Built with industry average data from The Professional Grounds Management Society, the program can be used to track job costs and production time and estimate overhead costs.
  • IRIS Professional Edition is one of the most powerful and easy to use job-costing software packages in the landscape industry.
  • LM Software is designed to meet the specific needs of the Green Industry including lawn maintenance, landscaping, application/spraying and full service companies. LM Software is a stand-alone management solution with its own accounting package. LM Software automates scheduling, invoicing, job costing, reporting, document generation and contact management.
  • QXpress is designed for all service industry companies that currently use QuickBooks. QXpress is an add-on to QuickBooks that will turn your favorite accounting package into industry-specific software. QXpress automates scheduling, invoicing and job costing. The minimal setup time, ease of use and seamless integration with QuickBooks makes QXpress a natural choice for QuickBooks users.
  • Quickbooks - powerful accounting software for all types of businesses. Now offers a contractors edition.
  • Real Green Systems - Specialized software for the lawncare, pest control, landscape and maintenance industries.
  • Realworld Imagery - Products for landscape design visualization.
  • SLICE Technologies - Computer software for Nurseries, Landscaping, Maintenance and Retail businesses.
  • Huston Enterprises - Huston has just released its latest Windows version of its Estimating Platform Software. From Jim Huston, author of Estimating for Landscape & Irrigation Contractors and How to Price Landscape & Irrigation Projects. Prepare your bids and calculate all of the costs needed for estimating your jobs.
  • Symbiot Online Estimator for Landscape Maintenance firms (with pre-loaded production rates).
  • Software Republic - offers landscape and irrigation design software for green industry professionals.
  • UDS Green Industry Software - Software for Nurseries, Landscapers, Garden Centers, and Greenhouses.
  • Vander Kooi & Associates - budgeting and estimating software.
  • Business.com-The Business Search Engine- Horticulture and Field Crop Software. In today's business world it is necessary to utilize technology to remain competitive. If you are looking to buy new software, or upgrade your old products, this website is another good place to start your research.

E-commerce applications in the green industry. Although e-commerce performance in the green industry has been mixed to date, opportunities do exist to apply information technologies to the marketing of green industry products and services. An excellent overview of B2B and B2C e-commerce strategies recently appeared in CIO magazine. A recent presentation also provides an introduction to applications in the green industry. While appropriate B2C models are still being evaluated, B2B models/portals have been highly touted as useful tools for e-procurement and online exchange.

  • A few of the most popular B2B green industry sites (provided only as examples of this latest trend - not an endorsement) include Plantfind.com, Growit.com,Plant and Supply Locator, NurseryNetwork.com, PlantsAvailable.com, and PlantAmerica.com.

  • VisionScape Landscape Design provides comprehensive landscape design services for residential customers in all 50 states. VisionScape is on the lookout for reputable landscape contractors to join the Preferred Contractor Program. VisionScape professional landscape designers will assist homeowners every step of the way in planning and creating an ideal landscape. Questions concerning how best to optimize the space you have to work with, as well as questions concerning plantings, location of shrubs, trees, and irrigation issues, are all answered before any construction takes place.

  • ServiceMagic, Inc. is an online marketplace connecting homeowners to pre-screened contractors and service professionals. The company is revolutionizing how people buy and sell services by creating a better connection between ready-to-buy consumers and pre-screened, customer-rated businesses matched to their needs and interested in their requests. Landscape firms will want to ensure that they are listed.

  • Angie's List - for landscapers in selcted metro areas, Angie's list serves as an online referral system for customers to select firms that receive an excellent rating for their service.

  • 411 Landscaping.com - 411web was founded in 1998 with the goal of assisting small companies in building their internet presence. Through its more then 600 vertical portals, 411 Web matches consumers searching for relevant information with businesses seeking targeted traffic. Each 411 "Vortal'' focuses on a special interest area (www.411landscaping.com).

  • Green Industry Yellow Pages is a powerful search directory serving both the retail and wholesale sides of the green industry. Customers worldwide are searching GIYP for green industry products and services. As a buyer, GIYP allows you to research the products that satisfy your needs. As a seller, GIYP is a marketing medium that promotes your brand and marketing message. GIYP also offers website development and direct mail services.

  • Spectrum Net Designs offers services to the Green Industry including internet access, website registration, website hosting, website design, and website marketing.

  • Focal Point Communications has been producing creative brochures, newsletters and sales aids for the green industry since 1987. Landscape companies, lawn care companies, trade associations and suppliers use Focal Point for solutions to their marketing challenges.

  • LandscapeWeb provides landscape forums, website hosting, a landscape company directory, and search engine optimization for improving you landscape company's marketing efforts.

  • The Greenbeam.com website is the "on-line channel for horticulture business solutions." Links to classifieds, weather, articles, relevant news briefs, plants, calculator, idea exchange, and a cyber conference can be found on this site.

  • Ground Trades Xchange and LawnForums.com are sites where people involved in the landscaping and lawn care industries meet and share knowledge to the benefit of business, clients and the industry. Bulletin board style discussions are what’s on the menu, with topics including brick paving, tree and shrub planting, low voltage lighting, water features, landscape maintenance contract and legal issues, sales and marketing and resource management.

  • Irrigation & Green Industry Network - www.igin.com is an informative website for landscape, irrigation & maintenance contractors providing a plethora of pragmatic business advice.

  • The HMI Horticultural Assessment is a customized report that details the replacement costs and care guide for the landscaping features on your property. With it, both residential and commercial property owners have a means by which they can capture the value, based on replacement costs over a 10-year period, of the trees and shrubs on their property.

A Dictionary of Units by Frank Tapson. Have you ever wondered how to convert from one measuring unit to another? For all those people out there, this guide is a good source to answer any and all measurement conversion questions. Its simple to use, just type in the measurement system you are using and press convert. Answers will automatically appear in a plethora of measurement systems. Another good reference is Conversion Tables, Formulas, and Suggested Guidelines for Horticultural Use published by the Georgia Cooperative Extension Service.

Associations are a vital part of the development and growth of businesses and the ornamental horticulture industry as a whole. The following are links to national, state, and regional associations.

Tax Information for Businesses. This website, provided by the IRS, is a good source of information for tax rules and regulations. The Small Business/Self-Employed webpage, also provided by the IRS, offers information and links for starting a business, employee records, employer id numbers, and many other aspects of owning and operating a small business.