Starting a new magazine is not a casual affair. Just like the decision to quit a job, leave a company and go into the landscaping business for yourself. The degree of uncertainty can be daunting. But if you’re serious about beginning a new business venture, there’s only one thing to do: Gather as much information about your market as you possibly can. Once that data is in hand, you’ve got to analyze it, draw some conclusions and then decide whether you’re going to take a deep breath and make the plunge into the unknown.
When we decided to launch a new magazine for landscapers, we needed information, too. And we turned to you to get it. Through focus groups conducted throughout the United States, the Total Landscape Care staff sat down with active landscapers on both the design and dig and maintenance sides of the coin to find out what they liked and didn’t like about the magazines they receive every month. Learning these things was important to us because, like you, we wanted to deliver a product that would be useful in your day-to-day operations.
And I think we’ve done that. Take a look at our monthly Safety Column, for example. Based on feedback from landscapers across the country, Total Landscape Care‘s safety column is grounded in the real world. One side is written in English. But flip the copy over and you’ll find the same story, this time written in Spanish. Even better, you can easily tear this column out and pass it along to your Hispanic workers. It’s a simple way for you to foster a safer, more productive landscaping business and build trust all of your workers – Anglo and Hispanic.
Speaking of Hispanics, our Special Report looks at the influx of Latin American immigrants into our country and industry and the impact it has on all of us. We’ve got honest, practical advice in this report on protecting your business in the face of increasing political pressure to counter the flood of immigrants crossing our borders every day. Cultural differences are addressed as well. We’ll tell you why learning the difference between a Mexican- and Guatemalan-style tamale can pay huge dividends in loyalty and productivity if you employ immigrant workers at your company.
Inspiration is always important. That’s why each issue of Total Landscape Care will be brimming with ideas – ways to cut costs, save time and do more in the course of a day. But there’s an artistic angle to this magazine as well. You’ll see that reflected in our cover stories each month, where landscapers will tell you about the innovative approaches they took to make a client’s dreams come to life. And if you’ve got a project or a lawn restoration job you’re particularly proud of, our Scrapbook section will allow you to show it off to your peers throughout the country.
It’s a lot to cram into one magazine. But we’re excited about delivering the goods and hope we’ll come to be a trusted information source for you as time goes by. We’re looking forward to digging hard for the stories that will make a difference in the way you work.
