At this time of year ambitious lawn and landscape business owners are putting the final touches on their 2022 strategic plans. (If you haven’t started or are still in the early stages of planning, get it in gear.) 

Below are some thoughts from the enterprise value specialists at Ceibass for owners to consider when reviewing their plans:

  • Is it ambitious enough? Will you really be satisfied with the outcomes if the plan is successful?  If you are in exit mode, are you making the right moves?  Growing top line and increasing EBITDA.  If you are not in exit mode, and if you are an ambitious business owner, you should be driving the same things.
  • Your team must execute the plan. Do they have the knowledge and resources to produce the interim situations require to fulfill the strategy’s objectives?
  • Is your plan competitive? Is it structured to “win” against the competition you anticipate in 2022? “In the plans that we review, competitors, and the moves competitors might make are often a blind spot for many owners,” said Tom Fochtman, Ceibass CEO.
  • What is your management team’s ability to produce a plan and deliver on it? “What is your track record of success for the last 3-5 years?” asks Tom. “Do they have the skills? Can they hold a strategy throughout the year and fulfill on it? Make sure you are working 24/7/365 to improve your team.
  • Where are the breakdowns in the plan? The sources of thwarted intentions? Is it staffing or people? Tools? Knowledge? Money? Complacency? Anticipate your weak areas. Bolster them up.
  • Are there effective metrics in place to measure progress on your plan? Budgets and timelines in place?  Are you using a weekly Dashboard report to measure key indicators?

“Remember that a plan is a commitment. It is not a nice thing to have, or something to work on when there’s a slow-down,” added Tom. “Commitment informs you of what direction to take – this way, not that way. It informs you of how fast you must execute your tactics and produce new situations. And it gives you the focus to know what to notice, observe and make assessments about. Here’s to you and your success on your 2022 plan. Take territory. Improve your margins. Enjoy.”