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How Trade Shows and Local Events Can Grow Your Business

There are so many different ways you can market your business, so when a trade show is announced in your area, you’re probably wondering: Is it really worth the time and money it takes to participate? Pre-registering for a booth is usually free, but not always, and if the trade show is in a different city you may have travel and hotel costs. Then there’s the time lost either to training staff members on how to run the booth or to manning the booth yourself. Despite the costs, however, attending […]

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Build Your Customer Base: Improve Your Customer Acquisition Strategy

You’ve started your own business in the lawn care industry. You’re doing well, and you have a loyal set of customers. But maybe your growth has stagnated and you’re not sure how to fix the problem. After all, your business can only improve if you continue to grow and obtain new customers. That’s why it is so important to have a customer acquisition strategy. Here, we’ll share a few creative ways to build your customer base and keep your business in the minds of potential customers. How To Improve Your […]

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Special Offers & Loyalty Programs to Gain and Retain Customers

Often when a customer calls your business, one of the first questions they ask is “how much does this service cost?” Customers are always looking for the best value—a good quality service at an affordable price. An effective way to hook customers is to provide special offers and programs that entice customers to try out your services. Then, once that person has become a customer, those same offers and programs are what will help you keep them. Implementing Special Offers & Loyaly Programs In Your Business Make a loyalty program […]

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Firing an Employee: The Important Laws You Need To Know

In the United States, most workers are hired under something known as “at-will” employment, a policy that states employees may be terminated at any time, with no notice, and for almost any reason—or no reason at all. However, this doesn’t mean an employer can wrongfully terminate an employee. Firing an employee for any of the following reasons is illegal. Information To Know Before You Fire an Employee Discrimination It’s illegal to fire an employee because you are discriminating against their race, color, religion, sex, gender identity (including sexual orientation and […]

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5 Tips to Attract the Talent You Want For Your Business

Whether your business fails or thrives greatly depends on the strength of the people who work for you. If you’re a Spring-Green franchise owner, you know you’re getting best-in-the-industry consultation and business planning. But what good is a solid business plan without great employees to make it happen? To that end, here are 5 tips for attracting—and hiring—the talent you want for your green industry business. Attract and Hire For Your Green Industry Business Tip 1: Branding Is Important Prospective employees are always looking for a business with a strong […]

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Should Your Business have a Workplace Substance Use Policy?

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 12.5 million people misused prescription opioid and over 800,000 people used heroin, resulting in $78.5 billion in economic costs. Those costs have taken a toll on businesses and the healthcare system. In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) had identified that employees who use drugs are 2.5 times more likely to miss work for 8 or more days each year than co-workers who do not use drugs, and more than 3.5 times more likely have a […]

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6 Tips To Have a More Productive Employer Interview Process

A business is only as good as its employees. That is why it is essential for green industry business owners to hire people who will not only do their job well, but are aligned with the company’s vision and values. Employer Interview Tips and Best Practices A business owner can generally determine the right candidates through an interview process. Here are 6 tips for a more productive employer interview process. 1. Identify Vacancy and Evaluate Need. What position(s) do you need to fill? Will service to customers, external or internal, […]

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10 Steps to Conduct an Enlightening In-Person Interview

Done well, an in-person interview can provide valuable information about an applicant, beyond what is listed on a resume or application. In order to get the most from the interview, you should prepare in advance so the interview meets your objectives. Hiring the wrong candidate can be an expensive mistake; the interview process can help weed out the good from the bad. By doing research ahead of time, asking the right questions, and really listening to what the candidate has to say, will help you determine if the candidate is […]

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8 Tips for Conducting an Effective and Successful Phone Interview

Conducting a phone interview is the go-to method for narrowing down a large pool of applicants prior to face-to-face interviews. However, a bad phone interview could leave hiring managers unsure about who should have in person interviews and good candidates may fall through the cracks. Since the interviewer will not have the benefit of non-verbal cues, it is even more important to focus on what the applicant has to say. With the right preparation, interview questions and attitude, a hiring manager will be confident of their hiring decisions. Here are […]

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What You Need to Know about the New I-9 Form

All U.S. employers must complete and retain Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, for every person (citizen and non-citizen) hired for employment. While this form has been around for several decades, a new version was issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in 2017. What Green Industry Business Owners Need to Know About Revised I-9 Form Make sure your file is dated 7/17/17 Employers must use the newest file, which will have a revision date of “7/17/17 N” at the bottom of the form. If your file still shows a […]

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