Most would agree the formula for success in the landscape con struction business includes quality work and competitive prices. Also essential are dependable employees and the right equipment. John Price of Bud’s Landscaping in British Columbia adds another important component – the ability to discern and accommodate the customer’s vision for the property. This approach requires taking the time to ask the right questions and then explaining what needs to be done to make that vision a reality.

So far this business approach has paid off for Price and Michael Collins, co-owners of the eight-year-old company based in Port Coquitlam, B.C. They specialize in landscape construction on new homes, landscape renovation on existing homes and they also do commercial work.

Neither Price, Collins nor any of their employees have a landscape design background, but that has not been a deterrent. They rely on their common sense and experience to put together a project plan. According to Price, a key factor in dealing with potential customers is to know what you can and cannot do. He has learned that getting off track by suggesting the impractical or impossible is looking for trouble. ”Whatever you decide to do, you have to make it work,” he says. “Your reputation depends on it.” Price looks at every job as being truly different. “Sure, we could take a cookie-cutter approach, but in the residential market, where we deal with homeowners and developers, they want something that sets them apart from others. Some customers know exactly what they want and are overflowing with ideas, and others need guidance. Whatever the situation, it’s our job to understand their vision and turn it into a final product that meets their expectations. To do that you need to get inside their heads byasking the right questions.”Asking the right questions “Usually the first question I ask is ‘What do you want done?’ This establishes a starting point. It really doesn’t matter what the starting point is – it could be a retaining wall, a paving stone pathway or some trees and shrubs.” Once the starting point has been established, Price and the customer throw ideas back and forth. As this continues the customer is encouraged to participate by agreeing or disagreeing. Keeping the dialogue going is important because the more the customer talks, the more Price gets a feel for what he really wants done.

Price says one of the best ways to get an idea of how much someone wants to spend is to figure out the type of customer you are dealing with. “Do they want a simple project, or do they want to get really creative with intricate designs? You can identify the latter by the way they are talking. These are the people who usually know exactly what they want. Not only do they want more detail, but they give much more attention to detail in the job.”

Professional image and productive results
Forget the wheelbarrow and shovel. Price says if you want to become established in the landscape construction business these days, you better arrive at the job site with clean, up-to-date equipment. And it better be capable of handling the project from start to finish in the most efficient way. “Our Bobcat equipment (loaders and a compact excavator) give us a professional look,” says Price. “They help us get and keep business. Customers recognize the Bobcat name and know we are serious about a doing a good job.” Bud’s Landscaping owns a pair of compact track loaders – a T190 and T200 – and three skid-steer loaders – an S175, S220 and S250, all purchased from Surfwood Supply, Coquitlam, B.C. “Compact track loaders have proven to be one of the best ways to keep working in bad weather,” says Price. He likes what these machines can do in landscaping situations, such as keep working with plenty of pushing and lifting power in wet, muddy soil conditions. Or travelling across new or existing lawns withoutcausing turf damage. And he really likes the way the compact track loaders allow his crews to work additional days when other equipment is idle.

This type of productive equipment, among other things, should enable Price to continue delivering quality landscaping, especially if he keeps asking customers the right questions.