Spring is Coming and so is the Burnout!

Plant for Profits Column, Leslie F. Halleck

Spring burn-out is for REAL.

Anyone who works in the horticulture and landscape industry feels the burn in spring. These are the months we make hay in this industry, but it’s intensely hard work that can leave you feeling completely drained and often uninspired.

This time of year most business owners and managers are scrambling to get ready for spring, when spring is really already upon them. Fall is always the best time to get prepped for the onslaught of spring, but many retailers, designers, and landscapers find themselves wrapped up in the holiday selling or installation season, and end up leaving the spring planning to January and February. Only to realize there is precious little time left to make all the adjustments necessary to be fully spring-ready.

There’s no avoiding extra stress during the spring season, but there are some important things you can do to minimize the burnout and stay inspired. Doing a little housekeeping and organization now can help you feel a bit more motivated and in control. Here are a few quick tips!

WHAT TO DO NOW:

• Take a few deep breaths!

• Consider doing staff performance evaluations before spring, so that if you have staff who need a promotion, raise, or bonus that can be addressed before the busy season starts. Why not just wait until after spring to see who really needs “rewarding” you ask? Well, do you want your staff going into spring feeling happy, positive, and acknowledged? You know, bring their A-game? Or would you rather they carry their potential disgruntledness and frustration into your most important sales season? Pre-spring evaluations also allow you to give staff who need to work on their performance the chance and motivation to improve during the spring season. This is a win/win for everyone.
  

• If you haven’t already, review any job listings you have for seasonal help and get them posted NOW! Are the listings reflective of the people and personalities you want working for you? Or are they just a tedious list of “responsibilities” that makes your mind go numb when you read them? If you need to get spring help in STAT, don’t mess around with boring tedious job listings. Freshen them up by talking about the kind of personality you’d love to have join your team.
  
  
• Check your training manual…or do you have one? Making sure your training manual is up to date will help you get seasonal staff up to speed faster.
  
  

• Get your inventory straight: How confident are you in your live inventory numbers going into spring? You may not have time to do a full inventory count, but you could probably manage some smaller cycle counts on important categories, which you could potentially continue through spring, just to make sure the info in your POS is more accurate.
  

• Check your price points and mark-in margins. You don't want to have to make any significant price changes in the middle of spring - which is your customers "happy time!" If your mark-in-margins are too low on certain items or categories, make any adjustments you need to now before spring traffic gets into high gear.
  
  

• Check your tools & supplies: Is all your gear and equipment working in good order? Does your staff have everything they need to take care of customers or get their installations done correctly and on time? Or are you running out of key supplies?
  

• Double check your website for accuracy: It’s amazing how dated or incorrect information can become if you don’t stay on top of web updates on a schedule. Be sure to double check all your hours, contact information, disclaimers, warranty policies, current events, current product info, you name it! Otherwise you could end up handling confused or upset customers in spring when you’re already stretched to the limit.
  

• As an owner or manager, your stress trickles down to everyone who works for you. Even if it's not intentional on your part. Do yourself a favor and try to work in breaks and wellness time for yourself over the season so you don’t take out your stress on others. Don't put your exercise regimen on the back burner and don't live on coffee. The bottom line is that you can't successfully invest in running or growing a profitable business if your own tank is empty. Investing in yourself first, and cultivating the necessary inspiration, is vital to both you and your team's success.

WHAT TO DO IN SUMMER AND FALL:

• Get your spring seasonal job listings written and listed in fall/winter. As well as any regular PT or FT positions you expect to need to hire for. Don't underestimate the power of in-store signage for hiring needs!
  
  • Yes, you should be posting them during the holiday season with the spring start dates. The earlier you can start vetting candidates the better. Waiting until January or February (depending on your spring season) to advertise seasonal openings could leave you very short on help. AND it gets your customers thinking about spring in winter!
    
    

• Summer/Fall: Pre-book your big spring inventory needs ahead of time. Competition for inventory in spring is tough. Most experienced businesses will have pre-booked a lot of their spring inventory. Don’t count on on-spec or weekly buying to keep you properly stocked for retail or landscape needs! If you have a retail location, don't underestimate the power of in-store signage for hiring needs.
  

• Get your spring content calendar and marketing initiatives ready. Create a marketing and social media content calendar and schedule for spring that correlates with any of your pre-bookings or program buys, so that you’re not trying to come up with great copy or content during spring when your brain is fried!
  

• Write that training manual if you don’t have one! Your training manual should include everything your staff needs to create a successful experience for your customers from; from how you’d like customers greeted, to how to answer the phones. You name it, you need to spell it out.

• If you’re planning to hire someone to help you with your marketing or social media, don’t wait until January or February to reach out. Make those inquiries in summer fall so that professionals have enough time to help you plan and prepare for spring, and have time to create any deliverables you need. Otherwise, their schedules are usually just as jammed as yours is by the start of spring.
  

There are at least 1000 other things I could recommend you do...but the point today is to get a grip on a few key items that can help your business stay on track this spring, without you losing your mind!