![\"\"](\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/ready-to-grow-2.jpg\")
Buyansky Brothers has been part of the H-2B temporary worker visa program for about 17 years at this point and has brought back the same workers for the last few years, Pusateri says. Those workers are already trained, and they know both the company and the region.
\n\u201cThey know what they\u2019re doing,\u201d he says. \u201cThey would have the opportunity to go somewhere else if they get called for work, but these guys wait for us because the company treats them well.\u201d<\/p>\n
The H-2B program hasn\u2019t been reliable in the last few years due to caps on the available number of work visas. That reduction has slowed down season preparation for Robin Barber, owner of All Pro Landcare Services in Tallahassee, Florida, who relies on H-2B workers to prepare for the busy season.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest message I can say is that we need to release the visas,\u201d Barber says.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t receive visas last year, and doesn\u2019t feel optimistic about this year\u2019s prospects especially with the complication of the coronavirus, he says. \u201cThe demands are so high for that type of labor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond working with the H-2B program, Buyanski Brothers reaches out locally through services such as Indeed or through word of mouth to bring in prospective hires, he says. Labor shortages are still an issue, but the company makes it a point to look for employees who will stay on for the whole season, rather than just finding anybody to manage the spring rush.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking for that experienced guy that has a few years under his belt that we could pretty much get on a mower and go,\u201d Pusateri says.<\/p>\n
Even if an employee is experienced, Pusateri is always pushing for additional training at some point during the year. \u201cTraining is a big thing,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m trying to get all of these guys into a couple classes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ideally, training should be done later in the year or during off-season. The payoff for that training is a team that\u2019s ready to go when spring starts.<\/p>\n
2. Check your gear<\/h2>\n
Before the season gets started, all equipment gets checked by an in-house mechanic to make sure that everything\u2019s ready to go once green-up starts, says Pusateri. At the top of the list is checking any kind of electrical connection, then moving on to oil, filter and blade changes. The mechanic also makes sure that the machines are properly greased, including any contact points, he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s making sure that all of your working points, like your choke, your handles, everything\u2019s working properly,\u201d says Pusateri.<\/p>\n
The trucks and trailers are emptied, and all electrical and mechanical connections are checked before the trucks are stripped and repainted.<\/p>\n
Tearing the trucks down provides a useful opportunity to inventory all of the crews\u2019 equipment, \u201call the way down to the drill bits\u201d for hardscaping, Pusateri says. \u201cWe make sure we\u2019ve got all our fittings for irrigation repair, heads and lighting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inventory itself is a chance to make sure that each crew has what it needs to get the job done, from clippers to wheelbarrows, depending on the jobs that crew will be taking on.<\/p>\n
Green Lawn uses a service to stock the irrigation parts it needs during the season, which keeps an inventory of what parts are used and bills the company as needed, Germann says. That way, the company doesn\u2019t have to worry about managing inventory in the off-season.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s been really huge for us,\u201d Germann says. \u201cOver the winter, they come in and go over all of our systems and parts and make sure everything\u2019s there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Green Lawn has an equipment manager to deal with the lawn care side, including rigorously going over mowers before the season gets going to look at things like fluids and belts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s all done over the winter, so it should be ready to go,\u201d he says. \u201cWe have a checklist for every piece of equipment that we go through.\u201d<\/p>\n While new equipment purchases are often a late season consideration, Chris Melo, director of account management and enhancements at Yellowstone Landscape in Albuquerque, New Mexico, spaces those costs out by buying in January and February, he says. Buying then also allows them to start the busy season with brand-new equipment. Equipment preparation includes general training for employees, whether new or returning from a previous season to make certain all employees are familiar with usage, says Pusateri. That also involves safety training for individual pieces of equipment and personal protective equipment.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do PPE training at the beginning of the season, and we offer all that throughout the season as well,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Buyansky Brothers invites manufacturer representatives to come in to do equipment walkthroughs, including proper usage and cleaning techniques, with details on how to work with replacement parts.<\/p>\n Equipment training is especially important for Barber as his company makes the switch to electric equipment, he says. In February, he had manufacturers visit to run workshops for his crews to familiarize them with the new equipment, including battery care and maintenance. It also gave them the chance to answer questions and deal with potential pushback from the crews.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t want to put a machine in their hand that was foreign to them,\u201d Barber says.<\/p>\n For Germann, crew training includes updates on the company\u2019s job tracking and scheduling software. It takes a lot of effort to set up that software, but it\u2019s only as good as the level of information that gets collected.<\/p>\n \u201c(What\u2019s) key for us is investing the time and energy to set the software up correctly, and then making sure that everybody on the team does the data entry correctly,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Beyond a training session on the software for all employees as the season is started, the company provides printed verions of software procedures that are kept in each truck for easy access in the field.<\/p>\n Client contact in spring starts with a phone call, just to reconnect, says Germann, with the second and third points of contact via email to remind customers to schedule service. Because the company doesn\u2019t automatically renew any contracts, reestablishing that relationship is key to maintaining business. \u201cWe make sure that we touch base with every one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n Though clients sometimes ask about it, the start of the busy season isn\u2019t usually a point where Green Lawn does much upselling, says Germann.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re just all-out in the spring,\u201d he says. \u201cWe don\u2019t have extra time or labor available.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead, he pushes sales between November-January, and then again later in the season from July-October. \u201cThose are kind of the big time periods that we\u2019re trying to actively sell,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Winter doesn\u2019t mean shutting down for the season in Florida, so Barber is consistently in front of his commercial customers to check in and upsell other projects. \u201cCommunication is the key to success,\u201d he says. \u201cWe try to communicate with our customers on a regular basis.\u201d<\/p>\n New Mexico also deals with the winter ramping up into spring a little differently, with most projects already moving again by February, says Melo. Because the season runs for more of the calendar year, his account managers keep continued communication with customers. But as the season starts to warm up again, it\u2019s a key time to talk to his customers about new projects like flower bed installations and irrigation controller upgrades.<\/p>\n \u201cThis time of year, January and February, we\u2019re laying the groundwork with our customers to say, \u2018What kind of enhancements are we looking at for spring?\u2019\u201d Melo says. Using that foundation, his account managers are able to start customers planning on irrigation investments for the first or second quarter of the year.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to have a general idea of when to reach out to customers for equipment servicing leading into the new year. But having a specific calendar can be even more effective, says Germann.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have an annual calendar that tells us when to start each particular task,\u201d he says. \u201cFor irrigation, startup phone calls begin on March 15, so we know we have plenty of time to get those done before the season hits.\u201d<\/p>\n Using a calendar takes some planning from year to year, but it also allows the sales and field teams to work together to spread the work out in a manageable way, he says. The entire season is mapped out on the company\u2019s internal calendar, so each group knows what needs to be worked on and when it needs to be addressed.<\/p>\n Working with an internal calendar also allows the sales team to plan ahead and contact customers just as they\u2019re likely to be thinking about particular services like prepping for the spring, Germann says.<\/p>\n Focusing on getting smaller jobs like edging and cleanup done earlier can also make a big difference in making sure crews have enough time for the larger maintenance tasks, says Germann.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m always in contact with clients,\u201d says Pusateri. Staying in touch with clients on a regular basis is helpful, but connecting before the busy part of the season kicks in provides an opportunity to talk about the potential for projects left over from previous seasons. This year, Buyansky Brothers is developing its lighting offerings, so Pusateri has been discussing the company\u2019s programs in the lead-up to the new season.<\/p>\n \u201cWe started a few years ago, and we\u2019ve had pretty good success, so we\u2019re hoping this year to add at least another 25-30%,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Use these 3 tips to prepare for the start of the busy season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3175,"parent":0,"template":"","main-categories":[28],"class_list":["post-3171","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","main-categories-landscape"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/ready-to-grow-3.jpg\")
\n\u201cWe spread our acquisitions out over the calendar year,\u201d he says. \u201cWe do begin to make replacements of backpack blowers, line trimmers, lawn mowers \u2013 things that are rotated out and cycled in for new equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n3. Connect with your customers<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/ready-to-grow-4.jpg\")
This article originally appeared in Irrigation & Green Industry magazine.<\/em><\/h6>\n
Kyle Brown<\/strong><\/a> is editor-in-chief of Irrigation & Green Industry magazine and can be reached at kylebrown@irrigation.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"