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Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are often siloed measures within organizations, which can limit their effectiveness in providing comprehensive insights. Michael Schrage at MIT has discovered that by employing artificial intelligence (AI), these various KPIs can be interconnected to offer more meaningful insights. This groundbreaking study co-published by MIT and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) builds on […]

Competency is not just a buzzword. Competencies are fundamental sources of competitive advantage that show the public what you’re good at and why your business is different. There is no fixed number of competencies, but the more ways you can define and measure your vision and mission — from morale to profitability — the more […]

In the evolving narrative of the landscape industry, sustainability has transformed from a mere buzzword to an essential ethos, marking a pivotal shift in how we interact with our environment. As businesses seek innovative ways to blend aesthetic appeal with environmental stewardship, technology emerges as a key enabler of this green revolution. The Rise of […]

In today’s dynamic business landscape, the soul of a company lies not in its products or services, but in its culture. “Culture is King” is more than a catchy phrase; it’s a mantra for organizations striving for greatness in an era where the heart and spirit of the workplace drive innovation and success. Ask yourself, […]

Customers have changed. Here are 3 ways to get up to speed or get left behind. The way customers think about your business has changed. Loyalty has lost out to low bid and “right now” has replaced getting it right. Customers are less able and willing to spend, they have shifted their priorities, and the […]

One of the defining characteristics of the landscape industry is the essential role subcontractors play as a way to provide specialized services we don’t have in-house. Yet despite how important the relationship between landscape contractors and subcontractors are to project outcomes, the relationship remains ad hoc and needs-driven. Not surprisingly, the last few years of […]

In the dynamic landscape of today’s business world, the saying “your network is your net worth” has taken on a deeper significance. Networking transcends the mere exchange of business cards at formal events; it’s an essential skill, a crucial survival strategy in the competitive corporate ecosystem. The Evolution of Networking Gone are the days when […]

Do you ever find yourself at a crossroads when giving or receiving feedback within your team? If so, you’re not alone. Many leaders, including CEOs I’ve had the privilege to coach, share this challenge. The discomfort in addressing performance issues or the lack of psychological safety for open discussions often hinders team progress. But what […]

The best way to attain profitability is to get pricing right. Yet, for all its importance, an effective pricing strategy that maximizes profitability can be an ongoing challenge. In fact, how to price strategically is one of the how-to questions I get asked most often. There are four critical factors to build a good pricing […]

GREENVILLE, SC, February 1, 2024 ~ Wilson360, a leading green industry business consulting firm, today announced the launch of Wilson360+, its new digital community and engagement space.   “This marks a new era for us,” said CEO Robert Clinkenbeard. “Wilson360+ is not just a canvas for participation but a game-changer that will enable business owners […]

GREENVILLE, South Carolina—Wilson360 announced that entrepreneur, software developer, and business consultant Willard Moore has joined the team as chief technology officer and engagement consultant.   “As Wilson360 scales to new heights, Willard brings unique knowledge in interactive media to accelerate our growth,” said Robert Clinkenbeard, Wilson360’s chief executive officer. “Willard’s impressive expertise in gamification technology […]

Brandt Vroman has joined the Wilson360 team as a strategy consultant, leadership coach, and CEO peer group facilitator. Brandt brings four decades of leadership experience to his new role, including having served as start-up founder and CEO of Northwest Landscape Services of Oregon, which was sold to The Brickman Group in 2007.  Post-acquisition, Brandt remained […]

If you’ve ever found yourself agonizing over whether you’re going too fast or too slow, you’re not alone. Leading a business is an endurance sport. You can’t outrun your ability or lose steam before the finish line. I recently completed my 30th Half Ironman, a challenging one-day event consisting of a 1.2-mile swim, 56 miles […]

In the intricate world of business and entrepreneurship, the linchpin of success often hinges on one key element: effective leadership. Leadership is not merely a role or a set of tasks; it is an art form that requires continuous cultivation, a refined skill set, and a commitment to personal growth and evolution. In the realm […]

When I first started in the landscape industry, I worked at Green Valley Landscape in San Jose, California, a company owned by Joe Marsh, a retired geologist with Standard Oil Company (Chevron Corporation) and a passionate gardener. He believed in hiring college graduates with bachelor’s degrees in horticulture because he knew they understood how landscapes […]

By CEOs, for CEOs. Bruce Wilson re-imagined the peer group concept and brought it to the landscape industry on a national scale with a new strategic purpose. Today, our CEO Peer Groups bring together market innovators and bold thinkers, all seeking entrepreneurial excellence, fresh ideas, different perspectives and a sense of what comes next. These […]

In the competitive landscape of modern business, the subtlety of gratitude can be a game-changer. It’s not just a matter of politeness; it’s a strategic tool that shapes corporate culture, drives performance, and strengthens client relationships. Beyond its immediate feel-good factor, gratitude creates a ripple effect of positivity that can yield long-term benefits. Let’s explore […]

As a cornerstone of effective management and employee performance, accountability standards provide a structured framework that benefits managers in tracking progress and empowers employees to excel in their roles. Let’s explore a few of the benefits of establishing accountability standards for both managers and employees and take a look at a few examples of Key […]

Finding first mover advantage is like a treasure hunt. Being the first to uncover hidden insights or deliver something customers actually want is indispensable. Every year, the amount of information increases exponentially and the sheer volume and speed at which data comes in makes it almost impossible to leverage its potential. By 2030, it’s estimated […]

In the lush landscape of the green industry, the ebbs and flows of finance play a critical role in shaping the terrain of your business. It’s where art meets numbers, creativity meets capital, and growth meets governance. However, not every landscaping company can afford, nor do they require, a full-time Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This […]

Owning a landscape company is an adventure. It involves passion for the outdoors, dedication to your craft, and an intimate understanding of your market. But there comes a time in every business owner’s journey when the prospect of selling becomes a tangible consideration. As the owner of a landscape company, you’ve likely poured your heart […]

As landscape professionals, we recognize the impact our work has on the communities and customers we serve, as well as creating a natural beauty within our world that everyone can enjoy. We also know that there is no silver bullet that will set us apart from our competition. To excel in our industry, it’s essential […]

Char Farley Chacon, division manager at Denver-based Designscapes, a member of the ALCC’s board of directors and the committee chair for ALCC’s Women in Green, is challenging barriers to the advancement of women in the green industry. Well-known across Colorado for her fierce commitment to ALCC’s LatiKNOWs diversity and empowerment program, which gives people across […]

MINNETONKA, MN – Tom Prosser, Rainbow Companies’ Founder and current CEO announced the appointment of Bruce K. Wilson to the firm’s Board of Directors. Bruce has more than four decades of executive experience in the landscape industry and is a long-standing champion of raising awareness, understanding, and appreciation of landscape performance and its positive impact […]

When I get asked by an owner about selling their company, my answer is always the same: always be building. You never know what the future will bring. Some owners have a long-range plan that envisions a legacy, with sons and daughters taking over. Some owners get surprised when they realize that the family has […]

Robert Clinkenbeard, Chief Executive Officer of green industry firm, Bruce Wilson & Company, today announced the company has rebranded to WILSON360, a strategic move that includes a refreshed visual identity, an updated website, and integrated services platform. The official announcement was made at the firm’s annual innovation and thought leadership event, held this year in […]

Are you perpetually stuck in the weeds? This useful tool will help you find and root out the weeds in your business landscape. To be fair, as CEOs we’re all guilty of jumping into too much detail. We know how to roll up our sleeves and get it done. But knowing how to let go […]

These past few years have been all about acceleration: ramping up the speed at which we work, adopting automation, and building a resilient, integrated business ecosystem run by technology. Up until now, companies were able to use a number of different options to address their needs. We didn’t just have hybrid work, but hybrid solutions. […]

David Anderson, global leadership expert and former Global Board Chair for Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) joins WILSON360 and WILSON360+ Multimedia as a consultant and affiliated partner. “David will augment an impressive cross-functional team responsible for high quality insight and a relentless commitment to personal service. David will work closely with a range of Wilson clients on […]

Three key issues in the commercial sector are driving the demand and urgency for more green. One, sustainability has moved up the corporate priority list. Two, tenants are willing to pay a premium for best-in-class green spaces. And three, property owners, developers and mangers are increasingly reallocating capital to climate-positive strategies because there’s risk in […]

Three key issues in the commercial sector are driving the demand and urgency for more green. One, sustainability has moved up the corporate priority list. Two, tenants are willing to pay a premium for best-in-class green spaces. And three, property owners, developers and mangers are increasingly reallocating capital to climate-positive strategies because there’s risk in […]

Successful companies value employees and put people first. The concept is deceptively simple. Yet, in practice, it’s a complex balancing act that requires organizations to meet the changing needs and expectations of a new workforce paradigm. From Baby Boomers to Generations X, Y and Z, each demographic has its own attitudes about work and what […]

Business success is inextricably tied to the people that constitute your team. The crux of your business’ success or failure may lie in harnessing the potential of your team and uniting them towards a common goal. A vast amount of time and resources can be consumed trying to find a harmonious balance amongst your team, […]

When CEOs tell me they’re drowning in data, they’re not wrong. With increasingly more intelligent technology, it’s getting easier to access information and harder to find the wisdom to understand it. But because we need data to make decisions, we dive in, unsure how to discern or extract the nugget that will change our business […]

Over the last two months, we completed our first peer group meeting cycle for the 2023 calendar year. We refer to these as our ‘benchmark meetings’. During these meetings, we compare member company financial performance for the 2022 F’Y, and take a look ahead to 2023. For the most part, our peer group CEOs are […]

I was surprised to read in a recent global survey of CEOs that 43% of CEOs responding reported that they don’t encourage debate or dissent. Even more surprising, 53% said their managers didn’t tolerate small-scale failure, and a whopping 76% said they didn’t encourage their people to make independent strategic decisions. If you see yourself […]

GREENVILLE, SC, March 15, 2023 ~ Bruce Wilson, founder of green industry consulting firm, Bruce Wilson & Company, and recipient of the National Association of Landscape Contractors’ Lifetime Leadership Award, has been named Chairman as the company refreshes its brand to Wilson360 to mark its next chapter of growth. Robert Clinkenbeard, former managing partner, steps […]

Yogi Berra, World Series champion and Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees, was known as much for his humorous sayings as he was for his talent. My favorite? “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else.” No truer words were ever spoken. Navigating the unknown is much easier […]

by Greenius Greenius teamed up with LMN to survey 450 landscaping professionals on the current state of the industry and forecast landscaping industry trends across North America. Training and labor were identified as top challenges for landscaping business owners, as crew wages continue to climb and budgets tighten. Here are our insights on the landscaping labor trends […]

Good financial management occurs by actively controlling what is in front of you, not passively observing what is already behind you REGISTER HERE About our Speaker Steve Steele, Steele Dynamic Services, LLC., joined the Wilson team in July 2020. Formerly Vice President of Business Systems for Heartland, LLC, a private equity financed holding company that […]

If doom-and-gloom headlines are getting you down, you are not alone. I launched a landscape company in 2001, the beginning of a decade that included global upheaval, 9/11 and the Great Recession. In the end, the business went on to a successful acquisition in 2016. I’ve been an entrepreneur most of my adult life and […]

When I played rugby, being named team captain was a great honor. It meant I had the respect and trust of the team, could lead it to victory and perform under pressure. Rugby’s notoriously rough but the lessons I learned from the pitch offer important insight for leaders. Great team captains, like great CEOs, embody […]

If you’re looking to channel your inner superhero, I have good news. Most of them are not born: They’re made. From Top Gun fighter pilots to caped crusaders, CEOs are the action figures the whole company turns to in times of need. The bad news? If you can’t communicate why your vision matters, the people […]

Leaders are in the “people business.” All of their other responsibilities notwithstanding, their team and its care and development are among the most critical responsibilities any leader has. Ensuring that the team is functioning at its best requires that leaders regularly spend quality time with their direct reports to help them develop and mature into […]

It certainly is an unsettled economy, but so far, business has remained strong for most landscape companies. Inflation is a definite factor, as are rising interest rates. As of this writing, the labor market has eased up a bit, probably due to seasonality rather than other factors that might be longer lasting. As I look […]

With scarcity of labor and increasing business costs, the landscape industry is facing mounting headwinds to profitability that can ONLY be countered by applying new technology and automation, especially in irrigation services.  According to Brodie Bruner, EVP of Weathermatic, “Throwing labor at operational inefficiencies is no longer a viable strategy, either from a labor supply […]

Recently I spoke on a panel at Equip to a room full of landscapers about the secret sauce of what makes companies exceptional. “It’s not one thing that you do. There’s a quote I read, it said, ‘anything of value in your life is built on trust,’” Brueggemann said. “Your culture is built on trust […]

The Issue: Companies that do not regularly produce job costing reports showing revenues and expenses related to services performed for their individual customers lack a critical piece of data necessary for good management and decision making. The Bottom Line: Regularly producing job costing reports showing revenue and expenses at the individual customer (and/or job) level […]

GREENVILLE, SC – October 15, 2022 – Bruce Wilson & Company, a pioneer in green industry executive coaching, peer learning and mentorship, today announced the expansion of its CEO and business owners peer group program to include peer groups for managers. “Peer groups for managers is a powerful and simple approach to help turn managers […]

Based on client performance data, the landscape segment of the economy is ending the year better than expected. The job market is strong, unemployment is stable, the labor market is easing and layoffs are mild, balancing the supply and demand for workers. But while supply chain challenges and inflation show no signs of cooling off, […]

Inflation is different this time. Manufacturing, supply and production chain issues haven’t caught up to pre-COVID levels. Overhead is high and morale is low. And global developments have had impacts that will take years to figure out. CEOs are stressed. Consumers are stressed. Everyone has an opinion on what to do. This inflation/recession cycle is […]

Five strategic actions to take to prepare for recessionary times. Over the last few months, billionaires from Elon Musk to Jamie Diamon have been predicting a recession. These warnings have only multiplied since the Federal Reserve decided to raise interest rates by 75 basis points. Business leaders and major financial institutions have since echoed these […]

Imagine this. You’ve been working in your industry for at least ten years. You know your customers inside out and there’s a problem that your company isn’t solving. Spotting the opportunity, you leave and set up your own business. Your industry knowledge helps you to mine a rich economic seam. This is the story of […]

On a recent, bumpy flight back to Denver, I thought of the aviation maxim: “Don’t overcorrect in turbulence.” Change and uncertainty — like flying through cross winds and rough weather — are unsettling. Sometimes, change tempts us to push as hard as we can in the opposite direction. But as every experienced pilot knows, overcorrecting […]

If you want to teach people a new way of thinking, don’t bother trying to teach them. Instead, give them a tool, the use of which will lead to new ways of thinking. — R. Buckminster Fuller Designer, inventor, futurist Purpose moves people to make the world a bit better for all,” notes Naomi Simson, […]

Between spring start-up and summer ops crunch, it is easy to lose focus on who we work for. Like it or not, without customers, the productivity we strive for and the operational engine we continue to invest in, is irrelevant. The way to get better at keeping customer needs front and center is to nurture […]

Thought Leader Retreat – the premier Bruce Wilson & Co leadership event of the year – will feature a two-day, idea-driven, conversation around disruption. “CEOs must embrace disruption to thrive,” says company founder, Bruce Wilson. “But the scope of disruption can also feel like the ‘wild west’ with no rules for business owners who are uncertain about what to do […]

Technology targeted for business operations provides terrific benefits, from significantly reducing the amount of overhead needed to support growth to reducing the need for paper and the associated people and storage required to keep it all sorted out. Here are five ways technology provides maximum benefit with minimal input: Use a Tech Expert Appoint, retain […]

From Our Founder, Bruce Wilson Blocking out the constant stream of noise isn’t the same as putting your head in the sand. A firewall strategy means having the discipline to filter out the distractions that can keep our business  from winning. There’s a reason why there is silence in golf and why ‘quiet please’ is part […]

We’ve come a long way since we first thought outside the box. Landscape businesses today are moving so fast that we blew through the box and into the cloud. The metaverse seems almost too big to think out of. But with practice, we can leverage speed, scale and connectivity as opportunities to find innovation where […]

Atlanta, GA – March 31, 2022 – CCG Advisors, LLC (“CCG”), an Atlanta-based investment banking firm, announced their latest successfully closed transaction in the commercial landscape industry. Audax Private Equity (“Audax”) has acquired Monarch Landscape Companies (“Monarch”), a Los Angeles-based commercial landscape management firm, from One Rock Capital Partners (“One Rock”). Monarch was jointly represented […]

Inflation is the highest it has been since 1982. Most of you were not in business then, but I was. What left an impression on me was how difficult it was to maintain profit. As a business owner, the most difficult decision to make with inflation is whether to raise prices to keep up. Small […]

“I think therefore I am”, a 17th-century philosophy of belief in one’s self, was uttered by French mathematician René Descartes. But it could very well have been said by every entrepreneur who defied the obstacle of self-doubt. Doubt, it’s said, is the killer of entrepreneurial spirit. Today, we have several versions of this. “If you […]

Collaboration is a key element of helping companies learn faster. The challenge is getting people to do it. The American workplace has never been more diverse. We have increased racial and gender diversity in the workplace and in leadership. Five generations are working together across our industry. All this diversity is happening at a time […]

In his book, The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization, Peter Senge writes: “The only sustainable competitive advantage is an organization’s ability to learn faster than the competition.” Good insight, I agree, but how is this done? I believe one way to continually learn faster than your competition is to use […]

Green is the color of purchasing power, the bottom line, and a universal word for the environment. In 2022, it’s the color of jobs. The U.S. Government defines green jobs as: “Jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources.” The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® green building certification […]

If you’re a landscape business owner looking for ways to find a competitive advantage, engaging the right consultant can be a smart decision for a number of reasons.  There are a lot of professional advisory options to choose from and it’s hard to know where to start. To make it easy, here are our top […]

Brian Brueggemann, former director of landscape operations at Focal Pointe Outdoor Solutions in Caseyville, Illinois, has joined the Bruce Wilson & Co. team as a productivity improvement consultant and trainer. “In today’s competitive environment, improving workflow is key,” said Brian “By looking at the activities landscape teams repeat all the time, we can eliminate bottlenecks and distractions, and improve factors that increase capacity […]

Landscape CEOs, more than any other, know the importance of ecosystem health when it comes to the growth of their clients’ properties. What if we applied a similar principle as a growth strategy for leadership? I’ve built and led several companies: some I fell into accidentally and grew organically; others I approached with a vision […]

The gift of knowledge, whether for twelve days or for forever, is the gift that keeps on giving. We hope that your holiday wish list brings you and your business continued success and your friends and family closer together in another year when ‘close’ seems more elusive than ever. From our team to yours, we send you our […]

Among Steve Jobs’ most quoted observations about success is that dots only connect when you look back. For me, the dots were there for all to see at LANDSCAPES 2021 when Britt Wood, National Association of Landscape Professionals CEO, presented me with the association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, accompanied by a ballroom size retrospective of my […]

Making an intentional decision to continuously invest in performance improvement seems like a simple thing to achieve. But ask any CEO who’s tried and the answer is, not as simple as it seems. If the only real sustainable advantage is in learning faster than your competition, how do we do that at speed? And how […]

While 2020 was the year of transition to a more remote workforce, 2021 has been the year of reckoning when it comes to inflation. Everything costs more, in many cases significantly more than a year ago. The green industry is no exception to the rule. Rising prices for fuel, materials and especially labor have, in […]

This year’s Lifetime Leadership Award winner has truly been in the industry for his entire lifetime. Like many others, Bruce Wilson first started out by mowing grass as a kid. “Ironically, my father made me quit mowing lawns and get a job because he thought that it would be good for me to know what […]

Words of Wilson features a rotating panel of consultants from Bruce Wilson & Company, a landscape consulting firm. As anyone who has ever worked for a toxic boss knows, destructive leadership is not just difficult for morale, but it can affect the performance and effectiveness of the whole enterprise. There is no one best style […]

GREENVILLE, South Carolina – Bruce Wilson & Company, a leading landscape and green industry provider of business management advisory services, has announced a strategic partnership with Pacific Crest Group, a privately-held outsourced solutions firm based in San Rafael, California, that provides specialized expertise in risk management, compliance and labor law, payroll operations, strategic accounting, employee development systems, and organizational performance. […]

Words of Wilson features a rotating panel of consultants from Bruce Wilson & Company, a landscape consulting firm. Job openings are at record highs, yet many landscape businesses can’t fill positions and struggle to keep up with demand. In a “Help Wanted” market, maybe the solution is right under your nose. If you have a […]

The intense speed at which tech is moving, along with the strategic and competitive advantages a digitally run organization provides, make it more critical than ever to stay ahead of the curve rather than play catch up. The question is not if we need someone to handle tech; it is determining how technology fits into […]

Words of Wilson features a rotating panel of consultants from Bruce Wilson & Company, a landscape consulting firm. No one came out of the pandemic craving more Zoom. Everyone has told me as our industry emerges from a different kind of tech bubble. After a year working in the cloud, technology fatigue has never been […]

Are you preparing for monumental shifts in commercial real estate segment models? Do you even know how your clients’ business models are changing? Or how changes in their industry will impact changes in yours? Working with contractors of all sizes and service offerings across the country, the successful ones have one thing in common: they […]

As a baseball-loving kid growing up in New York, opening day for spring training was my favorite day of the year. Summer was just around the corner and everything was good. Spring training’s emphasis on fundamentals – practicing routine plays, throwing techniques and form, base running, etc. – isn’t all that different from the basics […]

Customers no longer seek landscape companies to execute tasks or simply be good at what they do. There’s a post-pandemic, pent-up demand for not only re-connecting at a relationship level, but customers are expecting their service partners to serve up a winning return on investment. Landscape businesses that cling to their tactically-driven past could lose […]

There are any number of powerful lessons we can learn about strategy. Painfully, they often come after we forge ahead without one. Strategy will always be the way to win the battle for customers. And while most companies consider strategy through annual planning, I wonder if once a year is enough to win the war […]

There are generally five reasons companies bring in consultants. They include: Needing expertise not available internally; Managing change on important projects; Gaining an objective outside perspective; Attaining additional resources for internal/existing projects; and Backing up management’s opinion. The first three reasons tend to bring more value to the company. The last two–while sometimes may be […]

Most landscape companies have managed to navigate the turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Thanks to the vaccine, we may see the economy and consumer spending rebound this year. However, it is unclear if the damage done by shutdowns and high unemployment will have lingering effects on recovery. I think it would be wise […]

Of the many ways we reshaped our organizations last year, the most important turns out to be how we focused on helping our people and our communities thrive through crisis. The attention we gave to health, safety and well-being – and the high level of communicating we did with employees and customers – made every […]