Ever feel like your crews spend more time in traffic than on turf? Then this episode is for you.

In this week’s episode of The Beer Garden, we’re breaking down one of the most overlooked levers of profitability in landscaping and snow: route density. That’s right, how close your job sites are to one another can make or break your bottom line.

We’ll crack open a cold one and dive into:

• Why route density is your best friend when it comes to labor efficiency, fuel costs, and scheduling sanity

• The hidden (and expensive) costs of poor route planning

• How to build tighter routes using tech, service zones, and territory-based marketing

• The micro-shop strategy: how satellite yards can transform your ops and hiring

• Metrics that matter: How to actually measure your route efficiency

• Real-world tips to avoid common route planning mistakes

We also chat through examples, tactics, and some near-disasters from our own businesses.

If you’re looking to grow smarter, not just bigger, this one’s a must-listen.

Remember, tighter routes = fatter margins!

The Beverages:

•Wild Rose Brewery - Big Hoodoo Lager

•TRVE Brewing Co. - Tunnel of Trees

📩 Got questions or want help implementing? Hit us up:

Facebook Group: The Beer Garden: Landscape Leaders Roudtable

Facebook Page: IssueID

Youtube: The Beer Garden

Instagram: IssueID

Website: IssueID.io

Email: thebeergarden@issueid.io

In this episode of The Beer Garden, we’re tackling one of the most chaotic (and costly) problems in many landscape and snow companies: inconsistent, unstructured pay.

If your crew members are randomly asking for raises… if your hiring conversations feel like a poker game… or if payroll feels more like a monthly gamble than a strategy—this episode is for you.

We break down exactly how to build and implement a standardized pay structure that improves morale, simplifies hiring, and ensures your payroll actually makes sense for your margins.

You’ll learn:

• Why standardized pay reduces drama and turnover

• How to build role-based compensation with clear skill expectations

• How to handle top performers and low performers within the system

• How to roll out your new system (without blowing up your team)

• How to make it part of your hiring, training, and performance management

We even share a real-world example wage sheet and give actionable steps you can take this week to start building or refining your own system.

✅ Download the Sample Wage Sheet ✅ Book: Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits by Greg Crabtree ✅ Book: The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack

The Beverages:

Banded Peak Brewing - Mount Crushmore

New Image Brewing - Quad Dub

📩 Got questions or want help implementing your own system? Hit us up:

Facebook Group: The Beer Garden: Landscape Leaders Roudtable

Facebook Page: IssueID

Youtube: The Beer Garden

Instagram: IssueID

Website: IssueID.io

Email: thebeergarden@issueid.io

In this episode of The Beer Garden, we’re digging into one of the most misunderstood—but most impactful—tools in your estimating arsenal: production rates. Whether you're still eyeballing bids or operating off tiered pricing, understanding production rates can help you price more consistently, boost profitability, and simplify performance conversations with your team.

What we cover:

• What are production rates
• Why production rates matter
• Sales & production team tensions
• How to determine your production rates
• Why being too specific with your production rates can cause trouble
• How production rates differ based on average job size (AJS)

📈 Whether you're just starting to formalize your estimating process or ready to fine-tune your numbers like a pro, this episode has something for every landscape or snow removal contractor.

🎧 Tune in, take notes, and let’s finally stop guessing our way through job pricing.

The Beverages:

Crooked Stave - Nightmare on Brett

Jasper Brewing Co. - Crispy Tall Bois

Get in touch:

Facebook Group: The Beer Garden: Landscape Leaders Roudtable

Facebook Page: IssueID

Youtube: The Beer Garden

Instagram: IssueID

Website: IssueID.io

Email: thebeergarden@issueid.io

Still sending quotes into the void and hoping for the best? It might be time to stop bidding and start building value.

In this episode of The Beer Garden, we're doing a deep dive into how to improve your close rate for landscape maintenance contracts—without lowering prices, adding services, or spending more time on-site. Just smart strategy and better presentation.

We share a real-life example of a contractor who stopped competing on price and started winning with value. By revamping their proposal, conducting proactive site inspections, and using personalized video walkthroughs, they began closing high-quality clients—even when they were the most expensive bid on the table.

This episode breaks down:

✅ What your close rate says about your business ✅ How to qualify leads and target the right customers ✅ Why your proposal should act as a sales and marketing piece ✅ The game-changing impact of proactive property inspections ✅ Using tools like IssueID to show your value ✅ How a short video can build trust and help you stand out ✅ Follow-up tips and how to avoid ghosting ✅ How to track, measure, and improve your sales process over time

Whether you're closing 10% or 80%, this episode will give you practical tools to improve your win rate—without sacrificing your margins.

The Beverages:

• Wild Rose Brewing - Electric Avenue
• Outer Range Brewing - Colorado Cou Cou

Get in touch:

Facebook Group: The Beer Garden: Landscape Leaders Roudtable

Facebook Page: IssueID

Youtube: The Beer Garden

Instagram: IssueID

Website: IssueID.io

Email: thebeergarden@issueid.io

If your “CRM” is a stack of sticky notes, a chaotic spreadsheet, or just whatever’s rattling around in your brain, this episode is for you.

In this Beer Garden listicle episode, we’re diving into the top 10 things you should look for when picking a CRM for your landscape or snow removal business. Whether you’re making your first leap into software or realizing your current platform is more headache than help, we’re breaking down what actually matters.

🛠️ Not all CRMs are created equal, especially in our industry. From mobile usability and scheduling to automation and integrations, we’ll help you cut through the noise and figure out what will actually make your day-to-day easier.

1. Industry-Specific Features – Why you probably need a Field Service Management tool, not just a CRM.

2. Ease of Use & Mobile Accessibility – If your crew can’t use it from the truck, it’s not the right one.

3. Estimating & Proposals – Win more jobs, faster.

4. Customer & Job Tracking – One place for all your customer info (no more hunting for notes).

5. Scheduling & Dispatching – Real-time updates and drag-and-drop simplicity.

6. Invoicing & Payments – Get paid faster and stop chasing money.

7. Integrations – How to avoid getting trapped in a software silo.

8. Automation & Workflows – Work smarter, not harder.

9. Reporting & Analytics – Track what matters, tweak what doesn’t.

10. Pricing & Scalability – Pick a platform that won’t break the bank—or your brain.

Plus, we’ll talk about implementation best practices, common pitfalls, and how to actually get your team to use the CRM you pick.

The Beverages:

• Crown Float : Guinness & Strongbow
• Outer Range Brewing : Cosmic Sauce

Get in touch:

Facebook Group: The Beer Garden: Landscape Leaders Roundtable

Facebook Page: IssueID

Youtube: The Beer Garden

Instagram: IssueID

Website: IssueID.io

Email: thebeergarden@issueid.io

It’s a new year, and you’re probably thinking about how to grow your business. But before you throw all your budget at Facebook ads or slap another sign on your truck, it’s time for a little strategy. In this episode of The Beer Garden, Jason introduces a concept he created called the Revenue Growth Pyramid—a smarter framework for growing your landscape or snow removal business.

This episode is all about working with what you’ve already got and stacking your growth efforts in the right order:

🧱 Base – Customer Retention: Stop the leaky bucket. Keep the customers you’ve already earned. 📈 Middle – Revenue Per Customer: Maximize value with upsells, cross-sells, and premium offerings. 🎯 Top – New Customer Acquisition: Bring in new clients, but only after you’ve built the foundation.

🔨 Retention First: Make your business sticky. From personal connections to professional onboarding and measuring retention metrics—this segment is packed with tactics that keep customers around for the long haul.

💰 Revenue Per Customer: You’re already on site—are you maximizing each visit? We talk about how to expand your offering, price correctly, and add services without overwhelming your ops team.

📢 New Customer Acquisition (Finally): When it’s time to grow the top of the pyramid, we share proven ways to attract the right customers—from referrals and email campaigns to door hangers and paid ads.

🍻 Speed Round: Our favorite resources, biggest wins, and blunders to avoid when growing your revenue—like skipping straight to new customers while your existing ones slip away. (Don't do that.)

This episode is for any contractor who wants to grow profitably and sustainably—not just faster. So grab a beer, tune in, and start stacking your growth the smart way.

The Beverages:

• Crown Float : Guinness & Strongbow
• Sierra Nevada : Hazy Little Thing IPA

Get in touch:

Facebook Group: The Beer Garden: Landscape Leaders Roudtable

Facebook Page: IssueID

Youtube: The Beer Garden

Instagram: IssueID

Website: IssueID.io

Email: thebeergarden@issueid.io

The landscaping industry’s labor shortage isn’t getting any better, and let’s be honest—throwing a “Help Wanted” magnet on your truck isn’t going to cut it anymore.

In this episode of The Beer Garden, we’re digging into strategies for hiring in a competitive market—because let’s face it, you can’t scale your business without the right people. Whether you’re a seasoned hiring pro or just desperate to fill a role yesterday, this episode has something for you.

🌎 Understanding the Labor Market – No, it’s not just “kids these days don’t want to work.” We’ll break down what’s really going on in the job market and why landscapers are struggling to find employees.

🏆 The Role of Company Culture – Want to attract top talent? Your culture matters more than you think. We’ll share real-world examples of how a great company culture keeps employees happy (and on payroll).

📢 Recruitment Strategies That Actually Work – Posting a job ad and praying is not a strategy. We’ll cover creative recruiting tactics like hiring bonuses, social media outreach, recruiting from other industries, and even multilingual hiring.

📚 Addressing the Skills Gap – Hiring is one thing, but training is another. Learn how to develop employees from entry-level to leadership roles, while keeping your business running smoothly.

🛠️ Streamlining the Hiring Process – If you’re tired of sorting through unqualified applicants, we’ll discuss how an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) can save you time, speed up hiring, and keep your sanity intact.

🔮 The Future of Landscaping Employment – What’s coming next in hiring? We’ll talk about trends like automation, sustainability, and what the industry might look like in the next 5-10 years.

Finding good help isn’t impossible—you just need the right approach. Tune in to The Beer Garden and get the hiring strategies you need to build an all-star team.

The Beverages:

• Gin & Tonic: Burwood Distillery Spiced Apple Gin
• Shelter Point Distillery Classic Single Malt Whisky

Get in touch:

Facebook Group: The Beer Garden: Landscape Leaders Roudtable

Facebook Page: IssueID

Youtube: The Beer Garden

Instagram: IssueID

Website: IssueID.io

Email: thebeergarden@issueid.io

Welcome back to The Beer Garden! After a well-earned holiday break (and maybe one too many seasonal beers), we’re kicking off 2025 with our Annual State of the Industry episode. We’re diving into Lawn & Landscape Magazine’s industry report to see what’s sprouting, what’s wilting, and what’s straight-up getting overrun by weeds this year.

What’s Inside:

🍻 Industry Confidence – Are contractors feeling bullish about 2025, or are they stockpiling trimmer line and hoping for the best?

📈 Growth Opportunities & Risks – Where should you focus your energy this year? And what’s lurking in the bushes waiting to trip you up?

💰 Most Profitable Revenue Streams – What’s bringing in the most green? We’ll break down where the big money is in the industry.

🔮 Predictions for 2025 – Will robots finally mow lawns for us? Will a new fad sweep the industry? We take a look at what’s coming next.

We’re here to give you the facts, the trends, and maybe even a few hot takes about what’s ahead in 2025. So grab a drink, settle in, and let’s talk shop!

Get in touch:

Facebook Group: The Beer Garden: Landscape Leaders Roudtable

Facebook Page: IssueID

Youtube: The Beer Garden

Instagram: IssueID

Website: IssueID.io

Email: thebeergarden@issueid.io