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07-27-2007, 03:37 PM
Start a landscape business
Landscape Business Terminology
Design/Build Plan, Plants, Lawns, Trees - Definitions - Specs
www.nilssonbooks.com (http://www.nilssonbooks.com)
Starting a landscape business will require that you learn the terms and definitions of the landscape business in order to communicate your thoughts, ideas, and communicate with your business employees, business customers, and business suppliers such as nurseries. The following list of terms is presented in alphabetical order.
Landscape Accent Plants: A plant of special interest that is usually part of a larger planting. Accent plants provide interest throughout the seasons through specific forms, textures, colors, etc.
Landscape Annual Gardens: Gardens that need to be replanted each year because the plants are not cold hardy. Annuals are frequently chosen for their intense flowering and often become focal points in the landscape.
Landscape Balance: Balance is the relationship between elements in the landscape. Balance can be formal or informal. Formal balance would usually mean that one side of the landscape is a mirror of the other, while informal balance is when plant sizes and numbers are only relatively similar on both sides.
Landscape Base Map: A drawing that incorporates all of the information collected about the landscape and provides the basics to be used in the landscape design process.
Landscaping Base Plan: The creation of bubble diagrams, concept plans, draft designs, all of which are eventually used to create a completed landscape design.
Landscaping Border Planting: A plant or plant grouping that divides spaces in a landscape or between adjacent properties.
Landscape Bubble Diagram: Bubble diagrams consist of a series of circles or rounded shapes drawn on paper to show what the areas in the landscape will be used for. The areas may represent a turf area, a shrub border, a perennial garden, a dog kennel, etc.
Landscaping Customer, Client or Family Interview: A meeting between the client and the landscape designer where the designer can gather information about the needs and wants of a client. This information will be considered throughout the design process.
Landscaping Clients: Anyone who hires an individual or company to provide landscape service or a product, such as a homeowner who hires a nursery to landscape his/her property.
Landscaping Commercial Grounds: Commercial grounds usually surround a business, townhouse complex, or an apartment building. Often, there is a supervisor or committee established by the company to govern decisions about the landscape. Landscape maintenance firms or a department within the firm maintain the grounds.
Completed Landscape Design: A completed landscape design in plan view (bird's-eye view). This plan has all the information necessary to install the landscape.
Landscape Concept Lines: Visible or invisible lines that define spaces or divide areas in the landscape. Some concept lines become bed lines or edging lines in the completed landscape.
Landscape Concept Plans: Initial drawing of how the spaces in the landscape will appear. This drawing evolves from the shapes developed in the bubble diagram.
Landscape Corner Plantings: Any planting group that occupies a corner location - typically the corner of a property. Corner plantings blend border plantings together.
Landscaping - Cost Effectiveness: A satisfactory return from the dollars spent on landscape design, implementation, or maintenance.
Lawn & Landscape Draft Designs: Preliminary designs consisting of key plants, plant and hard-good groupings as well as concept lines and spaces. Draft designs will become a completed landscape plan as specific plants and hard-goods are selected for each location.
Landscape Easements: An interest in land owned by another that entitles its holder to a specific limited use or enjoyment.
Landscapes - Elements of Design: Criteria used in selecting and organizing plant materials and hard-goods and organizing them into the landscape. The designer must consider both primary and secondary elements of design.
Landscape Emphasis: Major landscape components are highlighted more than less important ones. Framing, plant numbers, or creating an unusual focal point are examples of creating emphasis in the landscape.
Landscaping Entry Garden: Landscape area near the entry to a building which calls attention to the entry area and to certain plants.
Landscapes - Environmentally Sound: A landscape that does not harm the environment, soil, water, and air. An environmentally sound landscape is less dependent on pesticides, fertilizers, and water to maintain the desired appearance.
Lawn & Landscape Form: The outline a plant creates as well as the 3-D features it produces, columnar, round, vase, weeping, oval, etc. Form should be considered early in the design process.
Landscape Foundation Plantings: Plantings located in beds surrounding the base of a structure. Foundation plantings can be made continuously or in segments. They provide transitions adjacent to patio and entry gardens. They frequently contain several key plants.
Landscape - Freestanding or Group Plantings: Plantings that are apart from a structure or other plantings. Sometimes called an island planting depending upon location.
Landscape Functional: Any part of the landscape with a specific purpose for its location other than just aesthetics. Functionality is associated with uses of the landscape.
Landscaping - Hard-Goods: All of the construction materials used to create structure in the landscape. Examples include boulders, pavers, landscape timbers, and fencing. Hard-goods also include drain tile, irrigation, and other things not always visible in the landscape.
Landscape & Hardscaping: Features in the landscape other than plant materials. Examples include walks, fences, and retaining walls.
Landscape Height and Width: Height and width are the estimated mature sizes a plant will reach, both in upright and outward direction. These two elements are very important in plant selection and plant location. If plants are selected without considering height and width, they are often improperly spaced which can cause problems in the future of the landscape.
Imaginary Lines: Lines that define spaces within a landscape but are not necessarily separated by specific plantings or bed lines.
Implementation: The process of installing plant materials and hard-goods into the landscape. Landscape implementation is carried out according to the completed landscape design.
Landscape Key Plants: Landscape plant or plants placed in a highly visible location. Key plants are frequently used individually or in groups of three. They are often associated with the screening, or softening of architectural features such as building corners, steps, fences, etc.
Landscape: Area where plants, turf, decks, walks, etc., have been used to create an outdoor living area that makes the area functional and visually pleasing.
Landscape Architect: A licensed professional who plans and designs landscapes. In some states this designation can only be used by certified professionals. Landscape architects are usually schooled in engineering and architecture and typically work on projects larger than residential properties.
Landscape Designer: A professional who plans and develops landscapes, usually at a residential or small commercial level. Landscape designers are usually skilled in the use of plant materials and other horticultural aspects of landscape design.
Landscape Design Process: The creation of bubble diagrams, concept plans, and draft designs, all of which are eventually used to create a completed landscape design.
Landscape Design Program: Compiling all of the information found through the site survey, site analysis, and the interview, and using it in the development of the landscape design.
Landscape Design Sequence: Collection of information needed to create a sustainable landscape design including the base map, the site survey, the site analysis, and the client or family interview. Information from these are used to create the completed landscape design.
Landscape Maintainability: Process of making every individual segment of a landscape as easy to care for as possible. A maintainable landscape requires less labor, fewer supplies, and is less expensive to care for.
Landscape Mass Plantings: Plantings where many plants of the same species are used to fill an area. Mass plantings are used as connections between other planting groups or as groundcovers.
Landscaping Micro-Manage: Developing and maintaining a landscape without considering the effects one decision has upon another. This type of management will affect the long term sustainability of the landscape and usually costs more.
Landscape Module: Information piece that addresses a particular topic in detail. Modules can stand alone as a publication or be grouped together to form a unit.
Landscape Needs Assessment: Analysis conducted by the designer in initial stages of design to determine client's landscaping needs and interests.
Landscaping a Patio Garden: Garden surrounding a patio or deck used to create a more comfortable outdoor living space. Patio gardens screen, soften the architectural features of the deck, frame views, and can provide shade and protection from the wind.
Landscaping - Perennial Gardens: Herbaceous plantings that can tolerate the cold and will come back each spring. Perennial gardens provide seasonal interest for a longer period of time than annual gardens and can serve as focal points in the landscape.
Landscape Photographic View: The way in which we see a landscape or an area if we are standing and looking at it at ground level. Photographic view drawings on a plan help the client visualize how the installed landscape will appear.
Landscape Plant Groupings: Plant groupings provide a representation of the types of plants that will occupy an area once the landscape design is completed. A plant grouping might show a shrub border between properties, or it may represent a perennial bed location.
Plan View or Plan View Drawings: Bird's eye view of the area being designed. The completed landscape design is done in plan view.
Landscape Primary Elements of Design: Primary elements of design are the first elements looked at when determining plant materials. Primary elements of design include disease or insect resistance, poor soils and urban pollution, tolerance, etc.
Landscape Principles of Design: Process that defines and ties all individual components together to create unity within a design. Example of principles of design would be simplicity, variety, balance, emphasis, sequence, and scale.
Professional Landscape Designer: A professional who plans and develops landscapes, usually at a residential or small commercial level. Landscape designers are usually skilled in the use of plant materials and other horticultural aspects of landscape design.
Landscaping Public Grounds: Public grounds include public property owned by a city, state, or the federal government. Examples include parks, schools, and any other public recreational areas. Maintenance is usually performed by personnel hired by the city, county, or state.
Landscaping Residential Grounds: A family-owned house would be the best example of residential grounds. These grounds are most often maintained by the owner of the property.
Landscape Scale: Scale is the relative size of one part of a landscape to another. Scale may be the proportion or ratio of size to other components in the landscape.
Landscape Screen Plantings: Plantings used to screen an area to provide privacy, block a poor view, or as a natural boundary or barrier.
Landscaping Seasonal Interest or Color: Seasonal interest and color are created by the colors that we see when we look at a plant. Color is the element that is often first noticed about a plant. Color is often used in a landscape to provide interest throughout the entire growing season. This is often referred to as seasonal interest. Seasonal interest is simply the time of the year that a plant provides a special characteristic such as flowers, fall color, fruits, etc.
Secondary Elements of Design: Secondary elements are used when narrowing down the types of plants used. Secondary elements of design include environmental tolerance (wind, pollution, cold), disease and insect resistance, soil types tolerated, etc.
Landscape Sequence: A gradual transition from one area to another within a landscape. A landscape with sequence has one element changing at a time rather than several changes at once. A landscape with a coarse textured plant next to a fine textured plant is an example of bad sequence.
Landscape Simplicity: Understanding what is, and is not important in a landscape design. Details that will not have a major impact to the landscape are omitted to keep it uncluttered.
Lawn & Landscape Site Analysis: Compiling the information found during the site survey and the family or client interview to be used in the development of the landscape plan.
Landscape Site Plan: A drawing that incorporates all of the information collected about the landscape and provides the basics used in the landscape design process.
Landscape Site Survey: Collecting the information that will aid the designer in the development of the completed landscape design. Examples include soil type, drainage, structures, existing plants, and good and bad views.
Landscape Spaces: Area in the landscape created to serve a specific purpose. Spaces may be functional, e.g., a storage area, or a recreation area or created to make the landscape maintainable or visually pleasing.
Landscape Specimen Plants: Specimen plants can be part of a larger planting, but usually stand alone in the landscape. Specimen plants provide specific seasonal interests or color through flowers, fruit, or leaves.
Sub-module: A sub-module is a piece of information, example, or illustration used to explain a particular area within a module. Sub-modules complement the modules by expanding their content, defining information, or making them easier to understand.
Sustainable Landscape: A landscape designed, installed, and maintained in a residential, commercial, or public setting that is functional, maintainable, environmentally sound, cost effective, and visually pleasing throughout the entire life of that landscape.
Landscape PlantTexture: Coarseness or fineness of the plant. Texture should be one of the first design considerations when placing plants in a landscape. Texture in plants can be created by leaves, branches, bark, or other plant parts. It can also be created by rough or smooth looking surfaces, thin or thick leaf set, or by darkness or lightness.
Lawns, Landscapes & Trees: A woody plant that usually has one main stem and reaches a height of at least 12 ft. Trees are very important for screening, framing, and shade, and are considered early in the landscape design program. Trees are usually placed before other plant material because of their major impact on understory shrubs chosen for the landscape.
Landscape Unity: How well the entire design comes together to form one landscape. All aspects of the landscape should complement one another rather than compete for attention.
Landscape Variety: Mixing up the form, texture and color combinations in a landscape to create extra interest without sacrificing the simplicity of the design.
Landscape Visualization Exercise: Designer pictures in his/her mind what an area will look like before the landscape design process begins.
Visually Pleasing Landscape : A landscape having an overall desirable appearance. A beautiful landscape would also be considered a visually pleasing landscape.
Lawn Mowing - Lawn Care and Landscaping Books
When it comes to landscaping books ... nobody has more landscaping industry information than Nilsson Associates. Nilsson's lawn and landscape Job Pricing Guides covers lawn care job bidding & estimating landscaping job bids for commercial & residential landscaping customers. Using the landscaping price guides, get more customers. Price lawn and landscape jobs estimates & bids correctly as well as grounds services, landscaping pricing estimates , estimating & bid the price seasonal work, year around commercial estimate contracts.
We also have employee training books & videos in Spanish.
See how other landscapers price out and cost out lawn and landscaping work with best price per square foot, best grounds maintenance & lawn and landscape job to bid & pricing, price of lawn care, lawn mowing price, aeration pricing, lawns, commercial landscape job bid estimates, maintenance estimating & pricing, landscape mulching prices, pricing chemicals, weeding & aerating pricing, fertilizer prices, prices for organic lawn fertilizer, pricing weeds in beds and lawns, pricing pruning & trimming trees & shrubs, pricing commercial & residential snow plowing, hardscape pricing, pricing hydroseeding, lawn and landscape irrigation service estimates for commercial & residential properties.
Also price a wide variety of landscaping jobs such as seeding lawns, pricing lawn sod, prices for slit seeding lawns, pricing edging lawn beds, spring cleanup prices, pricing fall cleanups, hourly price of pressure washing walks & patios, pricing trees, stump grinding prices, price for gutter cleaning, lawn dethatching price, price for shoveling snow, pricing salting, price sanding.
For more information about Pricing Click Here for FREE Job Pricing Guidelines (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm)
Discounts
on Package Deals
Sales Boosters (http://nilssonbooks.com/sales_booster_package.htm)
Job Estimating Package (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_estimating_package.htm)
FREE Job Pricing Guidelines (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm)
New Business Startup Package (http://nilssonbooks.com/just_getting_started.htm)
Complete Operations Management System (http://nilssonbooks.com/coms_package.htm)
Labor Time Data Handbook - Contains over 500 field tested, time-studied labor hours data for lawn and landscape and grounds maintenance job estimating. You will learn to: bid landscaping jobs with confidence, save time preparing lawn and landscape bids, easily determine best crew size for any lawn and landscape, make money on every lawn or landscape job you get, get a full days work from employees, never under or overprice a lawn and landscape bid again, set realistic labor goals for employees to complete lawn and landscape work within cost budgeted times. Includes labor hours for just about every lawn and landscape job performed in commercial and residential landscaping and grounds maintenance. Book # A-7, Price $69.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_bidding_pricing.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Winter Income Producers - This book is jam packed with surefire ways for lawn and landscape contractors to make money off season. You'll turn down time into added income. You'll get 75 ways. There's something for every lawn and landscape contractor. Pick a method that satisfies your off season needs. No matter where you live, no matter what your specialty within the lawn and landscape industry, you'll find something of interest. I guarantee it. Book # B-7, Price $49.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/operations.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Grounds Maintenance Manual - A complete guide to lawn and landscape maintenance. How to sell services, bid jobs, assign crews, control the work. You'll get lawn and landscape bid outlines, scheduling formats, cost calculations, checklists for year round services. You'll learn how to evaluate every lawn and landscape site for profit potential, pinpoint best crew size, control costs, and know what to expect on a daily basis. Book # C-1, Price $49.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/operations.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Writing The Maintenance Specifications - No more trying to find the right words to explain lawn and landscape job bids. Contains hundreds of samples of contract language that fits any lawn and landscape situation. Produce professional landscape specs, avoid bidding unrealistic site requirements for lawn and landscape projects. What to include and exclude. Also covers summer and winter work elements, and work options to look for on any site to boost sales. Book # C-2, Price $34.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_bidding_pricing.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Maintenance Estimating Kit - This kit has everything you need when you visit a lawn and landscape site to get an estimate. Working from a model spec. it takes you step by step. Assesses the landscape maintenance model, finds the price, prepares the model bid, writes the proposal, along with cover letter and outline of the work. Book # C-21, Price $32.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_bidding_pricing.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Maximizing Profits In Mowing - Some people make plenty of money mowing, while others lose their shirts! Mowing is 50% of most contracts. Covers key factors for better profits, best crew size, selecting the right mowers, setting work quotas, scheduling problems. Mobilize your people to work as a team! Book # C-6, Price $24.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/operations.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Pricing Your Services - Never under price your work again! You'll know true cost as basis for your price. Includes bidding formulas, overhead, profit potential, pricing methods. How to avoid losing money on low priced jobs. Discover the highest price you can get, save time preparing bids. No guesswork or second thoughts when you use this system. Book # B-2, Price $39.50
To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_bidding_pricing.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Selling To Commercial Customers - Selling to commercial requires a different approach to finding key contacts, bidding the work, locating lawn and landscape accounts that offer high profits. Explains professional image, getting long term contracts vital to success, how to sustain customer loyalty, how to close the sale. Book # B-12, Price $24.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/advertising_and_sales.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
The Art Of Selling - Good sales people aren't born that way. Learn the secrets of successful sales people and find out what you are doing wrong. Your lawn and landscape sales will increase when you've mastered the skills of selling, using tie downs, why customers buy, what will make you stand out from the others. Book # B-13, Price $19.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/advertising_and_sales.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
How To Write Effective Sales Letters - You'll never be lost for the right words with this sample pack of sales letters designed for the landscape industry. Covers almost any sell situation. What to say to persuade, what not to say, and why. Mechanics of the letter, the do's and don'ts, appealing to logic and emotion, best mailing methods, primer on direct mail strategies. Book # B-8, Price $24.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/advertising_and_sales.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Writing Your Company Policy Manual - You'll save time using this fill in the blanks format to create your own policy manual for your lawn and landscape firm. Copy it, customize it to fill your needs. Includes owner's message to employees, sequence of info, the do's and don'ts of making promises, a benefits checklist and how to word them. Book # G-2, Price $19.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/mangement.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Keys To Motivating Employees - This book focuses on the unique challenges of motivating seasonal, temporary and key lawn and landscape people. Discusses why some people work hard, others don't. Why a paycheck alone is a poor motivator. Tactics to use to promote team players, get better production, and create interest in a job where none exists. Book # G-4, Price $19.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/employee.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Entry Level Training - Landscapers - This book trains new hires & seasonal help and avoids you having to explain the basics over and over each season. It covers materials, commonly used tools, equipment, safety, vehicle use, hazardous substances, work practices, attire, customer relations, personal behavior, terms and definitions, and question/answer review. Book # ET-1, Price $42.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/employee.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Crew Leader Training - Landscapers - Overcome the difficulty of unsupervised jobs. Train your lawn and landscape workers to accept responsibility and you'll probably increase business. This is a step-by-step approach designed for the employee with little or no supervisory experience. Covers task management, what owners need from crew leaders, how to win respect and get cooperation from peers, planning the work, getting it done! Overseeing the equipment, goal setting, Question/Answer review. Book # ET-2, Price $39.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/employee.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Training In Pruning And Planting - Covers everything workers need to know to properly install and prune shrubs and trees in lawns and landscapes. Shows how, when, why to prune. Explains the tools, how to prevent damage, planting methods, staking and guying, mulching, transporting stock, thinning, forming, shaping, and pinching. Best times to prune flowering species. Question/Answer review. Book # ET-4, Price $34.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/employee.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
How To Be A Great Boss! - Ever wonder how employees like you as a "boss"? Highly respected, well liked? How they perceive you is key to your success in today's labor market. This report examines easily misunderstood concepts of attitudes, work ethics, and self esteem that can make or break your lawn and landscape business. You can either "turn them on" or "turn them off" by what you do and say. Book # G-5, Price $12.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/employee.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Advertising And Marketing Your Services - This primer on advertising for the lawn and landscape business covers how to write ad copy, design brochures, using logos, pitch lines, image, mission statements, best methods, time proven techniques, timing releases, publicity, four basic rules to follow, checklist of markets, and ad samples. Book # B-1, Price $42.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/advertising_and_sales.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
How To Improve Customer Retention - Repeat business is key to growth. Use these methods and you'll spend less time trying to find new customers and keep those you have. Explores what lawn and landscape customers really want from you, renewal incentives, quality control, projecting the right image, price increases, and finally how to keep customers happy. Book # B-3, Price $22.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/advertising_and_sales.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
All About Direct Mail Advertising - Direct mail is one of the most effective ways to get customers because it's one-on-one. It doesn't compete with the other ads. This book outlines the 7 cardinal rules to success and shows you how to use them. Direct mail works if you do it right! Specifically written for the lawn and landscape industry, this book gets you started in the right direction. Book # B-11, Price $34.50
To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/advertising_and_sales.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
The Snow Removal Business - A complete guide to just about everything there is to know about winter maintenance. Bidding, costing, scheduling, how to maximize revenues, manage a storm, vehicle maintenance, bid proposal package, contract language, selling the services, documenting a storm, dealing with damage claims, pricing the work . . .everything! Book # C-8, Price $39.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/operations.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
The 7 Keys To Business Success - This guide explains the reasons why some lawn and landscape businesses do well, while others just seem to scrape by. The focus is on common traits, attitudes, winning strategies that if ignored, lead to disappointing results. You'll reprogram yourself to use the seven principles, recognize the danger signals, identify obstacles to overcome. Book # H-3, Price $15.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/mangement.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Business Plan Workbook - Specifically designed for lawn and landscape companies and divided into three sections that form a master business plan model. Contains fill in the blanks sections question and answer review to form a Sales Plan, Production Plan and Management Plan for your company. Book # E-1 $39.50To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/mangement.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
How To Grow Your Business - Growth means higher sales levels, more employees & equipment, more debt, higher accounts receivables, larger facilities. Know what to expect at each stage of growth for the lawn and landscape company with this behind the scenes look. Covers growth plans, profit outcomes, key systems for control, maintaining job quality, delegating to others, keeping track of production, how to finance the larger operation. Book #E-1, Price $39.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/mangement.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
AUDIO TAPE- The Winners Triangle - If you want to know what it takes to put together the "total company". . sales growth. . control. . good profits and winning at business, this tape helps you focus on the three qualities common to successful landscape companies that made it to the "top" of the industry. $19.50 1 Tape To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/audio_tapes.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
AUDIO TAPE-Employees. . . Find Them, Keep Them - Listen & learn the secrets to finding and keeping employees. These tapes reveal untapped sources of finding prospects, what to offer, how to prevent the competition from hiring away your people, benefits, incentives, what works, what doesn't, interviewing and selection. $39.50 2 Tape Series To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/audio_tapes.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
AUDIO TAPE- Job Estimating the fast, easy way! Phil Nilsson's job estimating seminar on tape. Gives you special insight on bidding the fast, easy way. This is an easy listen and learn tape series from one of the country's leading job estimating seminar presenters. Covers landscape construction and grounds maintenance. You'll put this information to work starting with your very next job bid. Told by a person who's "been there", "done that". $29.50 2 Tape Series To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/audio_tapes.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
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FREE Job Pricing Guidelines
Nilsson's Job Pricing Guidelines (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm) are in use by lawn and landscape contractors nationwide. See what other landscapers are currently charging from price lists compiled and updated by Nilsson Associates. Avoid Pricing Too High - Avoid Pricing Too Low - Win More Bids. Compare Your Prices With Nilsson's Price Lists Before You Bid - Makes Pricing Lawn & Landscape Jobs Fast, Easy, Accurate, Competitive.
Nilsson's Job Pricing Guides takes the guesswork out of bidding, and helps build confidence in your bids before you present them to your customers. Makes Job Bidding easier, faster. (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_estimating_package.htm) Figure your price for a job, then compare your price (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm) with the list price before you bid, or use the price given in the price lists to bid on jobs shown below:
Includes Prices For:
Aerating lawns
Aerating Core
Arborist Rates
Back Pak Spraying lawns,
Bak Pak weeds shrub beds, curbs
Bed Edging - in lawns
Bed Construction
Cement Curbing Installation
Cement Borders Installed
Chemical Applications of lawn care chemicals
Deck Installations
Dethatching of lawns
Drain Gutter Cleaning to remove leaves
Drain Gutters Installed
Drain Gutter Screening
Edging Walks
Edging Beds
Fall Cleanups of lawns and beds
Firewood sales
Firewood Cords
Firewood Bundles
Firewood Delivery
Flower Installations Flats
Flower Pots
Grading & Filling of soil for lawns
Ground Covers - Plants
Ground Covers Mulch
Grounds Maintenance Rates
Hardscapes - patios, stairs, walks
Hourly Rates lawn care
Hourly Rates - Landscape
Hourly Rates Landscape design
Hourly Rates Plowing
Hydroseeding of lawns
Hydroseeding Preparation
Hydroseeding Materials
Install Sod
Install Shrubs
Install Trees
Irrigation lawn Installation
Irrigation Service - lawns & beds
Irrigation Winterize
Irrigation Repair Rates
Irrigation Controllers
Landscape Designs - designing computer image landscapes
Landscape Lighting Installations
Landscape Lighting Fixtures
Landscape Floodlights
Landscape Solar Lighting
Landscape Grading
Landscape Hourly Rates
Landscape Installations lawns, shrubs, plants & trees
Lawn Aeration Spike
Lawn Aeration Cores
Lawn Care Service Chemical Applications Fertilizers Weed Controls
Lawn Chemical Applications
Lawns Fertilized
Lawn Mowing Riders
Lawn Mowing Walkbehinds
Lawn Mowing Trim
Lawn Weed Treatments
Lawn Treatment Programs
Lawn Chemical Prices - Acre, Square Foot
Lawn Grub Control Apps
Lawn Insecticide
Lawn Renovations - Slit Seeding, Reseeding, Elimination of Growth
Liquid Applications of Fertilizers, Weed Killers
Loam Installed for lawn building and planting beds
Mowing with walkbehinds
Mowing with ztrs
Mowing with riding mowers
Mowing with trim mowers
Mowing Residential
Mowing Commercial
Mowing Condominium
Mowing Sports Fields
Mowing Cemeteries
Mulch Installs
Mulch pine bark mulch
Mulch pine needles
Mulch Spraying
Organic Lawn Care of lawns
Organic Lawn Programs
Parking Lot Line Marking
Parking Lot Sweeping of sand and debris
Paving Installations and hardscapes
Pavers Stone
Pavers Concrete
Pavement Sweeping
Pavement and litter control
Pavement line marking
Planting Trees & Shrubs in landscapes
Pressure washing of houses, vehicles, walks
Pruning of shrubs,
Pruning trees
Pruning ornamental trees
Putting Greens Installations - artificial turf for golf
Retaining Walls Installed of wood, stone
Retaining Walls Timbers
Roto Tilling turf, soil, lawns
Roto Tilling gardens
Salting Roads
Salting Walks
Sanding Roads
Sanding Walks
Sanding & Salting of parking lots and roads for ice control
Seeding lawns
Seeding wildflowers
Site Work of grading, hauling, rock removal prior to seeding
Slit Seeding of lawns
Slit Seeders
Snow Plowing Prices
Snow Plowing and ice control
Snow Removal
Snow Plowing Driveways
Snow Plowing Hourly Rates
Snow Plowing By The Inch
Snow Plowing By The Storm
Snow Plowing Fixed Seasonal Rates
Snow Shoveling
Snow Blowing Walks & Driveways
Sod Installations on lawns
Sod Rolls Installed
Sodding from Pallets
Spraying Lawns
Spraying Weeds
Spraying Shrubs
Spraying Trees
Spraying Curb Lines
Spring Cleanups of lawns, beds and paved areas
Stone Installations for shrub beds, landscape areas
String Trimming Lawns
String Trimming Edging
String Trimming Obstacles
String Trimming Trees
Stump Grinding after removal and tree takedowns
Tree Care Prices
Tree & Shrub Programs - fertilizing - weed & insect control
Tree Trimming of ornamental trees in landscapes
Trimming Shrubs
Trimming Trees
Trucking & Hauling of landscape materials
Vegetation Management for weed control, growth control
Weeding shrub beds
Weeds in lawns
Weeding Pavement
Weeding Parking Lot Curbs
For more info: FREE Job Pricing Guidelines (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm)
About Nilsson Associates
Business consultant, speaker, nationally recognized best selling author, Phil Nilsson's articles are published in Lawn & Landscape, PRO Magazine, The Arborist and Landscaper Publications. Nilsson's books are endorsed by national trade organizations and are in use by thousands of landscapers, parks, municipalities, universities and property managers. Nilsson owned and operated a successful Landscape Design-Build-Maintain firm for 15 years. Nilsson Associates are Consultants to the membership of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America.
When it comes to pricing nobody has more industry pricing information than Nilsson Associates. Nilsson's Job Price Guides covers lawn care job bidding & estimating landscaping job bids for commercial & residential customers. Get more customers. Price estimates & bids, grounds services, landscaping pricing estimates , estimating & bid the price seasonal work, year around commercial estimate contracts, best price per square foot, best grounds maintenance & landscaping job to bid & pricing, price of lawn care, lawn mowing price, aeration pricing, lawns, commercial landscape job bid estimates, maintenance estimating & pricing, mulching prices, pricing chemicals, weeding & aerating pricing, fertilizer prices, prices for organic fertilizer, pricing weeds in beds, pricing pruning & trimming trees & shrubs, pricing commercial & residential snow plowing, hardscape pricing, pricing hydroseeding, irrigation service estimates for commercial & residential, pricing seeding lawns, pricing lawn sod, prices for slit seeding lawns, pricing edging lawn beds, spring cleanup prices, pricing fall cleanups, hourly price of pressure washing walks & patios, pricing trees, stump grinding prices, price for gutter cleaning, lawn dethatching price, price for shoveling snow, pricing salting, price sanding.
Other
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Sales Boosters (http://nilssonbooks.com/sales_booster_package.htm)
Job Estimating Package (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_estimating_package.htm)
FREE Job Pricing Guidelines (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm)
New Business Startup Package (http://nilssonbooks.com/just_getting_started.htm)
Complete Operations management System (http://nilssonbooks.com/coms_package.htm)
For more info: FREE Job Pricing Guidelines (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm)
Special Book Discounts (http://nilssonbooks.com/discounts_and_deals.htm)
FREE JOB PRICING GUIDELINES (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm)
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Landscape Business Terminology
Design/Build Plan, Plants, Lawns, Trees - Definitions - Specs
www.nilssonbooks.com (http://www.nilssonbooks.com)
Starting a landscape business will require that you learn the terms and definitions of the landscape business in order to communicate your thoughts, ideas, and communicate with your business employees, business customers, and business suppliers such as nurseries. The following list of terms is presented in alphabetical order.
Landscape Accent Plants: A plant of special interest that is usually part of a larger planting. Accent plants provide interest throughout the seasons through specific forms, textures, colors, etc.
Landscape Annual Gardens: Gardens that need to be replanted each year because the plants are not cold hardy. Annuals are frequently chosen for their intense flowering and often become focal points in the landscape.
Landscape Balance: Balance is the relationship between elements in the landscape. Balance can be formal or informal. Formal balance would usually mean that one side of the landscape is a mirror of the other, while informal balance is when plant sizes and numbers are only relatively similar on both sides.
Landscape Base Map: A drawing that incorporates all of the information collected about the landscape and provides the basics to be used in the landscape design process.
Landscaping Base Plan: The creation of bubble diagrams, concept plans, draft designs, all of which are eventually used to create a completed landscape design.
Landscaping Border Planting: A plant or plant grouping that divides spaces in a landscape or between adjacent properties.
Landscape Bubble Diagram: Bubble diagrams consist of a series of circles or rounded shapes drawn on paper to show what the areas in the landscape will be used for. The areas may represent a turf area, a shrub border, a perennial garden, a dog kennel, etc.
Landscaping Customer, Client or Family Interview: A meeting between the client and the landscape designer where the designer can gather information about the needs and wants of a client. This information will be considered throughout the design process.
Landscaping Clients: Anyone who hires an individual or company to provide landscape service or a product, such as a homeowner who hires a nursery to landscape his/her property.
Landscaping Commercial Grounds: Commercial grounds usually surround a business, townhouse complex, or an apartment building. Often, there is a supervisor or committee established by the company to govern decisions about the landscape. Landscape maintenance firms or a department within the firm maintain the grounds.
Completed Landscape Design: A completed landscape design in plan view (bird's-eye view). This plan has all the information necessary to install the landscape.
Landscape Concept Lines: Visible or invisible lines that define spaces or divide areas in the landscape. Some concept lines become bed lines or edging lines in the completed landscape.
Landscape Concept Plans: Initial drawing of how the spaces in the landscape will appear. This drawing evolves from the shapes developed in the bubble diagram.
Landscape Corner Plantings: Any planting group that occupies a corner location - typically the corner of a property. Corner plantings blend border plantings together.
Landscaping - Cost Effectiveness: A satisfactory return from the dollars spent on landscape design, implementation, or maintenance.
Lawn & Landscape Draft Designs: Preliminary designs consisting of key plants, plant and hard-good groupings as well as concept lines and spaces. Draft designs will become a completed landscape plan as specific plants and hard-goods are selected for each location.
Landscape Easements: An interest in land owned by another that entitles its holder to a specific limited use or enjoyment.
Landscapes - Elements of Design: Criteria used in selecting and organizing plant materials and hard-goods and organizing them into the landscape. The designer must consider both primary and secondary elements of design.
Landscape Emphasis: Major landscape components are highlighted more than less important ones. Framing, plant numbers, or creating an unusual focal point are examples of creating emphasis in the landscape.
Landscaping Entry Garden: Landscape area near the entry to a building which calls attention to the entry area and to certain plants.
Landscapes - Environmentally Sound: A landscape that does not harm the environment, soil, water, and air. An environmentally sound landscape is less dependent on pesticides, fertilizers, and water to maintain the desired appearance.
Lawn & Landscape Form: The outline a plant creates as well as the 3-D features it produces, columnar, round, vase, weeping, oval, etc. Form should be considered early in the design process.
Landscape Foundation Plantings: Plantings located in beds surrounding the base of a structure. Foundation plantings can be made continuously or in segments. They provide transitions adjacent to patio and entry gardens. They frequently contain several key plants.
Landscape - Freestanding or Group Plantings: Plantings that are apart from a structure or other plantings. Sometimes called an island planting depending upon location.
Landscape Functional: Any part of the landscape with a specific purpose for its location other than just aesthetics. Functionality is associated with uses of the landscape.
Landscaping - Hard-Goods: All of the construction materials used to create structure in the landscape. Examples include boulders, pavers, landscape timbers, and fencing. Hard-goods also include drain tile, irrigation, and other things not always visible in the landscape.
Landscape & Hardscaping: Features in the landscape other than plant materials. Examples include walks, fences, and retaining walls.
Landscape Height and Width: Height and width are the estimated mature sizes a plant will reach, both in upright and outward direction. These two elements are very important in plant selection and plant location. If plants are selected without considering height and width, they are often improperly spaced which can cause problems in the future of the landscape.
Imaginary Lines: Lines that define spaces within a landscape but are not necessarily separated by specific plantings or bed lines.
Implementation: The process of installing plant materials and hard-goods into the landscape. Landscape implementation is carried out according to the completed landscape design.
Landscape Key Plants: Landscape plant or plants placed in a highly visible location. Key plants are frequently used individually or in groups of three. They are often associated with the screening, or softening of architectural features such as building corners, steps, fences, etc.
Landscape: Area where plants, turf, decks, walks, etc., have been used to create an outdoor living area that makes the area functional and visually pleasing.
Landscape Architect: A licensed professional who plans and designs landscapes. In some states this designation can only be used by certified professionals. Landscape architects are usually schooled in engineering and architecture and typically work on projects larger than residential properties.
Landscape Designer: A professional who plans and develops landscapes, usually at a residential or small commercial level. Landscape designers are usually skilled in the use of plant materials and other horticultural aspects of landscape design.
Landscape Design Process: The creation of bubble diagrams, concept plans, and draft designs, all of which are eventually used to create a completed landscape design.
Landscape Design Program: Compiling all of the information found through the site survey, site analysis, and the interview, and using it in the development of the landscape design.
Landscape Design Sequence: Collection of information needed to create a sustainable landscape design including the base map, the site survey, the site analysis, and the client or family interview. Information from these are used to create the completed landscape design.
Landscape Maintainability: Process of making every individual segment of a landscape as easy to care for as possible. A maintainable landscape requires less labor, fewer supplies, and is less expensive to care for.
Landscape Mass Plantings: Plantings where many plants of the same species are used to fill an area. Mass plantings are used as connections between other planting groups or as groundcovers.
Landscaping Micro-Manage: Developing and maintaining a landscape without considering the effects one decision has upon another. This type of management will affect the long term sustainability of the landscape and usually costs more.
Landscape Module: Information piece that addresses a particular topic in detail. Modules can stand alone as a publication or be grouped together to form a unit.
Landscape Needs Assessment: Analysis conducted by the designer in initial stages of design to determine client's landscaping needs and interests.
Landscaping a Patio Garden: Garden surrounding a patio or deck used to create a more comfortable outdoor living space. Patio gardens screen, soften the architectural features of the deck, frame views, and can provide shade and protection from the wind.
Landscaping - Perennial Gardens: Herbaceous plantings that can tolerate the cold and will come back each spring. Perennial gardens provide seasonal interest for a longer period of time than annual gardens and can serve as focal points in the landscape.
Landscape Photographic View: The way in which we see a landscape or an area if we are standing and looking at it at ground level. Photographic view drawings on a plan help the client visualize how the installed landscape will appear.
Landscape Plant Groupings: Plant groupings provide a representation of the types of plants that will occupy an area once the landscape design is completed. A plant grouping might show a shrub border between properties, or it may represent a perennial bed location.
Plan View or Plan View Drawings: Bird's eye view of the area being designed. The completed landscape design is done in plan view.
Landscape Primary Elements of Design: Primary elements of design are the first elements looked at when determining plant materials. Primary elements of design include disease or insect resistance, poor soils and urban pollution, tolerance, etc.
Landscape Principles of Design: Process that defines and ties all individual components together to create unity within a design. Example of principles of design would be simplicity, variety, balance, emphasis, sequence, and scale.
Professional Landscape Designer: A professional who plans and develops landscapes, usually at a residential or small commercial level. Landscape designers are usually skilled in the use of plant materials and other horticultural aspects of landscape design.
Landscaping Public Grounds: Public grounds include public property owned by a city, state, or the federal government. Examples include parks, schools, and any other public recreational areas. Maintenance is usually performed by personnel hired by the city, county, or state.
Landscaping Residential Grounds: A family-owned house would be the best example of residential grounds. These grounds are most often maintained by the owner of the property.
Landscape Scale: Scale is the relative size of one part of a landscape to another. Scale may be the proportion or ratio of size to other components in the landscape.
Landscape Screen Plantings: Plantings used to screen an area to provide privacy, block a poor view, or as a natural boundary or barrier.
Landscaping Seasonal Interest or Color: Seasonal interest and color are created by the colors that we see when we look at a plant. Color is the element that is often first noticed about a plant. Color is often used in a landscape to provide interest throughout the entire growing season. This is often referred to as seasonal interest. Seasonal interest is simply the time of the year that a plant provides a special characteristic such as flowers, fall color, fruits, etc.
Secondary Elements of Design: Secondary elements are used when narrowing down the types of plants used. Secondary elements of design include environmental tolerance (wind, pollution, cold), disease and insect resistance, soil types tolerated, etc.
Landscape Sequence: A gradual transition from one area to another within a landscape. A landscape with sequence has one element changing at a time rather than several changes at once. A landscape with a coarse textured plant next to a fine textured plant is an example of bad sequence.
Landscape Simplicity: Understanding what is, and is not important in a landscape design. Details that will not have a major impact to the landscape are omitted to keep it uncluttered.
Lawn & Landscape Site Analysis: Compiling the information found during the site survey and the family or client interview to be used in the development of the landscape plan.
Landscape Site Plan: A drawing that incorporates all of the information collected about the landscape and provides the basics used in the landscape design process.
Landscape Site Survey: Collecting the information that will aid the designer in the development of the completed landscape design. Examples include soil type, drainage, structures, existing plants, and good and bad views.
Landscape Spaces: Area in the landscape created to serve a specific purpose. Spaces may be functional, e.g., a storage area, or a recreation area or created to make the landscape maintainable or visually pleasing.
Landscape Specimen Plants: Specimen plants can be part of a larger planting, but usually stand alone in the landscape. Specimen plants provide specific seasonal interests or color through flowers, fruit, or leaves.
Sub-module: A sub-module is a piece of information, example, or illustration used to explain a particular area within a module. Sub-modules complement the modules by expanding their content, defining information, or making them easier to understand.
Sustainable Landscape: A landscape designed, installed, and maintained in a residential, commercial, or public setting that is functional, maintainable, environmentally sound, cost effective, and visually pleasing throughout the entire life of that landscape.
Landscape PlantTexture: Coarseness or fineness of the plant. Texture should be one of the first design considerations when placing plants in a landscape. Texture in plants can be created by leaves, branches, bark, or other plant parts. It can also be created by rough or smooth looking surfaces, thin or thick leaf set, or by darkness or lightness.
Lawns, Landscapes & Trees: A woody plant that usually has one main stem and reaches a height of at least 12 ft. Trees are very important for screening, framing, and shade, and are considered early in the landscape design program. Trees are usually placed before other plant material because of their major impact on understory shrubs chosen for the landscape.
Landscape Unity: How well the entire design comes together to form one landscape. All aspects of the landscape should complement one another rather than compete for attention.
Landscape Variety: Mixing up the form, texture and color combinations in a landscape to create extra interest without sacrificing the simplicity of the design.
Landscape Visualization Exercise: Designer pictures in his/her mind what an area will look like before the landscape design process begins.
Visually Pleasing Landscape : A landscape having an overall desirable appearance. A beautiful landscape would also be considered a visually pleasing landscape.
Lawn Mowing - Lawn Care and Landscaping Books
When it comes to landscaping books ... nobody has more landscaping industry information than Nilsson Associates. Nilsson's lawn and landscape Job Pricing Guides covers lawn care job bidding & estimating landscaping job bids for commercial & residential landscaping customers. Using the landscaping price guides, get more customers. Price lawn and landscape jobs estimates & bids correctly as well as grounds services, landscaping pricing estimates , estimating & bid the price seasonal work, year around commercial estimate contracts.
We also have employee training books & videos in Spanish.
See how other landscapers price out and cost out lawn and landscaping work with best price per square foot, best grounds maintenance & lawn and landscape job to bid & pricing, price of lawn care, lawn mowing price, aeration pricing, lawns, commercial landscape job bid estimates, maintenance estimating & pricing, landscape mulching prices, pricing chemicals, weeding & aerating pricing, fertilizer prices, prices for organic lawn fertilizer, pricing weeds in beds and lawns, pricing pruning & trimming trees & shrubs, pricing commercial & residential snow plowing, hardscape pricing, pricing hydroseeding, lawn and landscape irrigation service estimates for commercial & residential properties.
Also price a wide variety of landscaping jobs such as seeding lawns, pricing lawn sod, prices for slit seeding lawns, pricing edging lawn beds, spring cleanup prices, pricing fall cleanups, hourly price of pressure washing walks & patios, pricing trees, stump grinding prices, price for gutter cleaning, lawn dethatching price, price for shoveling snow, pricing salting, price sanding.
For more information about Pricing Click Here for FREE Job Pricing Guidelines (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm)
Discounts
on Package Deals
Sales Boosters (http://nilssonbooks.com/sales_booster_package.htm)
Job Estimating Package (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_estimating_package.htm)
FREE Job Pricing Guidelines (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm)
New Business Startup Package (http://nilssonbooks.com/just_getting_started.htm)
Complete Operations Management System (http://nilssonbooks.com/coms_package.htm)
Labor Time Data Handbook - Contains over 500 field tested, time-studied labor hours data for lawn and landscape and grounds maintenance job estimating. You will learn to: bid landscaping jobs with confidence, save time preparing lawn and landscape bids, easily determine best crew size for any lawn and landscape, make money on every lawn or landscape job you get, get a full days work from employees, never under or overprice a lawn and landscape bid again, set realistic labor goals for employees to complete lawn and landscape work within cost budgeted times. Includes labor hours for just about every lawn and landscape job performed in commercial and residential landscaping and grounds maintenance. Book # A-7, Price $69.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_bidding_pricing.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Winter Income Producers - This book is jam packed with surefire ways for lawn and landscape contractors to make money off season. You'll turn down time into added income. You'll get 75 ways. There's something for every lawn and landscape contractor. Pick a method that satisfies your off season needs. No matter where you live, no matter what your specialty within the lawn and landscape industry, you'll find something of interest. I guarantee it. Book # B-7, Price $49.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/operations.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Grounds Maintenance Manual - A complete guide to lawn and landscape maintenance. How to sell services, bid jobs, assign crews, control the work. You'll get lawn and landscape bid outlines, scheduling formats, cost calculations, checklists for year round services. You'll learn how to evaluate every lawn and landscape site for profit potential, pinpoint best crew size, control costs, and know what to expect on a daily basis. Book # C-1, Price $49.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/operations.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Writing The Maintenance Specifications - No more trying to find the right words to explain lawn and landscape job bids. Contains hundreds of samples of contract language that fits any lawn and landscape situation. Produce professional landscape specs, avoid bidding unrealistic site requirements for lawn and landscape projects. What to include and exclude. Also covers summer and winter work elements, and work options to look for on any site to boost sales. Book # C-2, Price $34.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_bidding_pricing.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Maintenance Estimating Kit - This kit has everything you need when you visit a lawn and landscape site to get an estimate. Working from a model spec. it takes you step by step. Assesses the landscape maintenance model, finds the price, prepares the model bid, writes the proposal, along with cover letter and outline of the work. Book # C-21, Price $32.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_bidding_pricing.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Maximizing Profits In Mowing - Some people make plenty of money mowing, while others lose their shirts! Mowing is 50% of most contracts. Covers key factors for better profits, best crew size, selecting the right mowers, setting work quotas, scheduling problems. Mobilize your people to work as a team! Book # C-6, Price $24.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/operations.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Pricing Your Services - Never under price your work again! You'll know true cost as basis for your price. Includes bidding formulas, overhead, profit potential, pricing methods. How to avoid losing money on low priced jobs. Discover the highest price you can get, save time preparing bids. No guesswork or second thoughts when you use this system. Book # B-2, Price $39.50
To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_bidding_pricing.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Selling To Commercial Customers - Selling to commercial requires a different approach to finding key contacts, bidding the work, locating lawn and landscape accounts that offer high profits. Explains professional image, getting long term contracts vital to success, how to sustain customer loyalty, how to close the sale. Book # B-12, Price $24.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/advertising_and_sales.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
The Art Of Selling - Good sales people aren't born that way. Learn the secrets of successful sales people and find out what you are doing wrong. Your lawn and landscape sales will increase when you've mastered the skills of selling, using tie downs, why customers buy, what will make you stand out from the others. Book # B-13, Price $19.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/advertising_and_sales.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
How To Write Effective Sales Letters - You'll never be lost for the right words with this sample pack of sales letters designed for the landscape industry. Covers almost any sell situation. What to say to persuade, what not to say, and why. Mechanics of the letter, the do's and don'ts, appealing to logic and emotion, best mailing methods, primer on direct mail strategies. Book # B-8, Price $24.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/advertising_and_sales.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Writing Your Company Policy Manual - You'll save time using this fill in the blanks format to create your own policy manual for your lawn and landscape firm. Copy it, customize it to fill your needs. Includes owner's message to employees, sequence of info, the do's and don'ts of making promises, a benefits checklist and how to word them. Book # G-2, Price $19.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/mangement.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Keys To Motivating Employees - This book focuses on the unique challenges of motivating seasonal, temporary and key lawn and landscape people. Discusses why some people work hard, others don't. Why a paycheck alone is a poor motivator. Tactics to use to promote team players, get better production, and create interest in a job where none exists. Book # G-4, Price $19.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/employee.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Entry Level Training - Landscapers - This book trains new hires & seasonal help and avoids you having to explain the basics over and over each season. It covers materials, commonly used tools, equipment, safety, vehicle use, hazardous substances, work practices, attire, customer relations, personal behavior, terms and definitions, and question/answer review. Book # ET-1, Price $42.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/employee.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Crew Leader Training - Landscapers - Overcome the difficulty of unsupervised jobs. Train your lawn and landscape workers to accept responsibility and you'll probably increase business. This is a step-by-step approach designed for the employee with little or no supervisory experience. Covers task management, what owners need from crew leaders, how to win respect and get cooperation from peers, planning the work, getting it done! Overseeing the equipment, goal setting, Question/Answer review. Book # ET-2, Price $39.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/employee.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Training In Pruning And Planting - Covers everything workers need to know to properly install and prune shrubs and trees in lawns and landscapes. Shows how, when, why to prune. Explains the tools, how to prevent damage, planting methods, staking and guying, mulching, transporting stock, thinning, forming, shaping, and pinching. Best times to prune flowering species. Question/Answer review. Book # ET-4, Price $34.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/employee.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
How To Be A Great Boss! - Ever wonder how employees like you as a "boss"? Highly respected, well liked? How they perceive you is key to your success in today's labor market. This report examines easily misunderstood concepts of attitudes, work ethics, and self esteem that can make or break your lawn and landscape business. You can either "turn them on" or "turn them off" by what you do and say. Book # G-5, Price $12.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/employee.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Advertising And Marketing Your Services - This primer on advertising for the lawn and landscape business covers how to write ad copy, design brochures, using logos, pitch lines, image, mission statements, best methods, time proven techniques, timing releases, publicity, four basic rules to follow, checklist of markets, and ad samples. Book # B-1, Price $42.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/advertising_and_sales.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
How To Improve Customer Retention - Repeat business is key to growth. Use these methods and you'll spend less time trying to find new customers and keep those you have. Explores what lawn and landscape customers really want from you, renewal incentives, quality control, projecting the right image, price increases, and finally how to keep customers happy. Book # B-3, Price $22.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/advertising_and_sales.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
All About Direct Mail Advertising - Direct mail is one of the most effective ways to get customers because it's one-on-one. It doesn't compete with the other ads. This book outlines the 7 cardinal rules to success and shows you how to use them. Direct mail works if you do it right! Specifically written for the lawn and landscape industry, this book gets you started in the right direction. Book # B-11, Price $34.50
To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/advertising_and_sales.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
The Snow Removal Business - A complete guide to just about everything there is to know about winter maintenance. Bidding, costing, scheduling, how to maximize revenues, manage a storm, vehicle maintenance, bid proposal package, contract language, selling the services, documenting a storm, dealing with damage claims, pricing the work . . .everything! Book # C-8, Price $39.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/operations.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
The 7 Keys To Business Success - This guide explains the reasons why some lawn and landscape businesses do well, while others just seem to scrape by. The focus is on common traits, attitudes, winning strategies that if ignored, lead to disappointing results. You'll reprogram yourself to use the seven principles, recognize the danger signals, identify obstacles to overcome. Book # H-3, Price $15.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/mangement.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
Business Plan Workbook - Specifically designed for lawn and landscape companies and divided into three sections that form a master business plan model. Contains fill in the blanks sections question and answer review to form a Sales Plan, Production Plan and Management Plan for your company. Book # E-1 $39.50To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/mangement.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
How To Grow Your Business - Growth means higher sales levels, more employees & equipment, more debt, higher accounts receivables, larger facilities. Know what to expect at each stage of growth for the lawn and landscape company with this behind the scenes look. Covers growth plans, profit outcomes, key systems for control, maintaining job quality, delegating to others, keeping track of production, how to finance the larger operation. Book #E-1, Price $39.50 To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/mangement.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
AUDIO TAPE- The Winners Triangle - If you want to know what it takes to put together the "total company". . sales growth. . control. . good profits and winning at business, this tape helps you focus on the three qualities common to successful landscape companies that made it to the "top" of the industry. $19.50 1 Tape To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/audio_tapes.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
AUDIO TAPE-Employees. . . Find Them, Keep Them - Listen & learn the secrets to finding and keeping employees. These tapes reveal untapped sources of finding prospects, what to offer, how to prevent the competition from hiring away your people, benefits, incentives, what works, what doesn't, interviewing and selection. $39.50 2 Tape Series To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/audio_tapes.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
AUDIO TAPE- Job Estimating the fast, easy way! Phil Nilsson's job estimating seminar on tape. Gives you special insight on bidding the fast, easy way. This is an easy listen and learn tape series from one of the country's leading job estimating seminar presenters. Covers landscape construction and grounds maintenance. You'll put this information to work starting with your very next job bid. Told by a person who's "been there", "done that". $29.50 2 Tape Series To order Click Here: (http://nilssonbooks.com/audio_tapes.htm) or order by phone Toll Free 1-866-280-2252
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FREE Job Pricing Guidelines
Nilsson's Job Pricing Guidelines (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm) are in use by lawn and landscape contractors nationwide. See what other landscapers are currently charging from price lists compiled and updated by Nilsson Associates. Avoid Pricing Too High - Avoid Pricing Too Low - Win More Bids. Compare Your Prices With Nilsson's Price Lists Before You Bid - Makes Pricing Lawn & Landscape Jobs Fast, Easy, Accurate, Competitive.
Nilsson's Job Pricing Guides takes the guesswork out of bidding, and helps build confidence in your bids before you present them to your customers. Makes Job Bidding easier, faster. (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_estimating_package.htm) Figure your price for a job, then compare your price (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm) with the list price before you bid, or use the price given in the price lists to bid on jobs shown below:
Includes Prices For:
Aerating lawns
Aerating Core
Arborist Rates
Back Pak Spraying lawns,
Bak Pak weeds shrub beds, curbs
Bed Edging - in lawns
Bed Construction
Cement Curbing Installation
Cement Borders Installed
Chemical Applications of lawn care chemicals
Deck Installations
Dethatching of lawns
Drain Gutter Cleaning to remove leaves
Drain Gutters Installed
Drain Gutter Screening
Edging Walks
Edging Beds
Fall Cleanups of lawns and beds
Firewood sales
Firewood Cords
Firewood Bundles
Firewood Delivery
Flower Installations Flats
Flower Pots
Grading & Filling of soil for lawns
Ground Covers - Plants
Ground Covers Mulch
Grounds Maintenance Rates
Hardscapes - patios, stairs, walks
Hourly Rates lawn care
Hourly Rates - Landscape
Hourly Rates Landscape design
Hourly Rates Plowing
Hydroseeding of lawns
Hydroseeding Preparation
Hydroseeding Materials
Install Sod
Install Shrubs
Install Trees
Irrigation lawn Installation
Irrigation Service - lawns & beds
Irrigation Winterize
Irrigation Repair Rates
Irrigation Controllers
Landscape Designs - designing computer image landscapes
Landscape Lighting Installations
Landscape Lighting Fixtures
Landscape Floodlights
Landscape Solar Lighting
Landscape Grading
Landscape Hourly Rates
Landscape Installations lawns, shrubs, plants & trees
Lawn Aeration Spike
Lawn Aeration Cores
Lawn Care Service Chemical Applications Fertilizers Weed Controls
Lawn Chemical Applications
Lawns Fertilized
Lawn Mowing Riders
Lawn Mowing Walkbehinds
Lawn Mowing Trim
Lawn Weed Treatments
Lawn Treatment Programs
Lawn Chemical Prices - Acre, Square Foot
Lawn Grub Control Apps
Lawn Insecticide
Lawn Renovations - Slit Seeding, Reseeding, Elimination of Growth
Liquid Applications of Fertilizers, Weed Killers
Loam Installed for lawn building and planting beds
Mowing with walkbehinds
Mowing with ztrs
Mowing with riding mowers
Mowing with trim mowers
Mowing Residential
Mowing Commercial
Mowing Condominium
Mowing Sports Fields
Mowing Cemeteries
Mulch Installs
Mulch pine bark mulch
Mulch pine needles
Mulch Spraying
Organic Lawn Care of lawns
Organic Lawn Programs
Parking Lot Line Marking
Parking Lot Sweeping of sand and debris
Paving Installations and hardscapes
Pavers Stone
Pavers Concrete
Pavement Sweeping
Pavement and litter control
Pavement line marking
Planting Trees & Shrubs in landscapes
Pressure washing of houses, vehicles, walks
Pruning of shrubs,
Pruning trees
Pruning ornamental trees
Putting Greens Installations - artificial turf for golf
Retaining Walls Installed of wood, stone
Retaining Walls Timbers
Roto Tilling turf, soil, lawns
Roto Tilling gardens
Salting Roads
Salting Walks
Sanding Roads
Sanding Walks
Sanding & Salting of parking lots and roads for ice control
Seeding lawns
Seeding wildflowers
Site Work of grading, hauling, rock removal prior to seeding
Slit Seeding of lawns
Slit Seeders
Snow Plowing Prices
Snow Plowing and ice control
Snow Removal
Snow Plowing Driveways
Snow Plowing Hourly Rates
Snow Plowing By The Inch
Snow Plowing By The Storm
Snow Plowing Fixed Seasonal Rates
Snow Shoveling
Snow Blowing Walks & Driveways
Sod Installations on lawns
Sod Rolls Installed
Sodding from Pallets
Spraying Lawns
Spraying Weeds
Spraying Shrubs
Spraying Trees
Spraying Curb Lines
Spring Cleanups of lawns, beds and paved areas
Stone Installations for shrub beds, landscape areas
String Trimming Lawns
String Trimming Edging
String Trimming Obstacles
String Trimming Trees
Stump Grinding after removal and tree takedowns
Tree Care Prices
Tree & Shrub Programs - fertilizing - weed & insect control
Tree Trimming of ornamental trees in landscapes
Trimming Shrubs
Trimming Trees
Trucking & Hauling of landscape materials
Vegetation Management for weed control, growth control
Weeding shrub beds
Weeds in lawns
Weeding Pavement
Weeding Parking Lot Curbs
For more info: FREE Job Pricing Guidelines (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm)
About Nilsson Associates
Business consultant, speaker, nationally recognized best selling author, Phil Nilsson's articles are published in Lawn & Landscape, PRO Magazine, The Arborist and Landscaper Publications. Nilsson's books are endorsed by national trade organizations and are in use by thousands of landscapers, parks, municipalities, universities and property managers. Nilsson owned and operated a successful Landscape Design-Build-Maintain firm for 15 years. Nilsson Associates are Consultants to the membership of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America.
When it comes to pricing nobody has more industry pricing information than Nilsson Associates. Nilsson's Job Price Guides covers lawn care job bidding & estimating landscaping job bids for commercial & residential customers. Get more customers. Price estimates & bids, grounds services, landscaping pricing estimates , estimating & bid the price seasonal work, year around commercial estimate contracts, best price per square foot, best grounds maintenance & landscaping job to bid & pricing, price of lawn care, lawn mowing price, aeration pricing, lawns, commercial landscape job bid estimates, maintenance estimating & pricing, mulching prices, pricing chemicals, weeding & aerating pricing, fertilizer prices, prices for organic fertilizer, pricing weeds in beds, pricing pruning & trimming trees & shrubs, pricing commercial & residential snow plowing, hardscape pricing, pricing hydroseeding, irrigation service estimates for commercial & residential, pricing seeding lawns, pricing lawn sod, prices for slit seeding lawns, pricing edging lawn beds, spring cleanup prices, pricing fall cleanups, hourly price of pressure washing walks & patios, pricing trees, stump grinding prices, price for gutter cleaning, lawn dethatching price, price for shoveling snow, pricing salting, price sanding.
Other
resources:
Sales Boosters (http://nilssonbooks.com/sales_booster_package.htm)
Job Estimating Package (http://nilssonbooks.com/job_estimating_package.htm)
FREE Job Pricing Guidelines (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm)
New Business Startup Package (http://nilssonbooks.com/just_getting_started.htm)
Complete Operations management System (http://nilssonbooks.com/coms_package.htm)
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FREE JOB PRICING GUIDELINES (http://nilssonbooks.com/free_job_guidelines.htm)
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