Harvest Group

Coronavirus Covid-19 – Harvest Group Resource

by Harvester Chris Darnell On

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is dramatically impacting all of our lives including numerous instances of stay-at-home for non-essential businesses; closed restaurants, work out facilities, barbers and many services we rely on every day. We hope you, your employees and your families are safe and healthy during these unprecedented times. During these rapidly changing times, you can count on The Harvest Group to be on call and available to our valued clients. The health and safety of your employees is a priority as well as keeping your business operating using smart business practices and essential sanitary and hygiene practices. We encourage you to remain calm and be part of the solution. These unprecedented times call for smart, decisive action. Stay positive and keep your businesses moving forward.

In this e-newsletter, we present resources and recommendations from Head Harvesters Bill Arman, Ed Laflamme, Steve Cesare, Fred Haskett, Chris Darnell, Jud Griggs, Cindy Code and Alison Hoffman.

Landscaping is an Essential Service

The Harvesters agree with the statement issued by the National Association of Landscape professionals stating that the lawn and landscape industry is an essential service. Read it here.

The landscape industry does provide essential services that protect our clients, their properties and all adjacent people and property. You need to let your clients know that you are operating to serve them and protect them during this crisis. It’s also important to reinforce the value of the services we provide.

Things are changing quickly, but here is a current state by state look at “shelter-in-place” or similar orders.

The order of our priorities now shifts to essential services provided by lawn care and landscape companies, services which ensure and protect:

  • Safety
  • Sustainability
  • Irrigation
  • Trees, Turf, Shrubs

To address big-risk items, such as:

  • Erosion – inspect and prevent soil movement that creates hazardous exposure to people
  • Building, infrastructure, and fire damage
  • Mitigate weed grass and brush adding to fire fuel
  • Water damage to homes offices building and other infrastructure
  • Security – preventing excessive plant growth to protect people from theft and bodily harm, maintaining clear visuals for pedestrians and video devices
  • Potential pedestrian and vehicular conflicts
  • Mowing and pruning to maintain safe sightlines
  • Pruning to remove hazardous low hanging branches, limbs and brush
  • Storm damage and drain clearance
  • Clean-ups and mowing and trimming operations to prevent debris collection and water back-ups
  • Irrigation inspections and repairs
  • Maintain safety from slips and falls from leaks
  • The anticipation of spring weather to avoid costly plant replacements
  • Keep people safe from pests, weed pollen, invasive plants
  • Turf, tree and shrub treatments to reduce the transmission of dangerous and deadly diseases through pests like mosquitoes, ticks and fleas

You know what you do…and it is IMPORTANT and ESSENTIAL.

Safety Best practices

Please find listed below some suggestions related to Coronavirus training content that could/should be included in your next company safety tailgate session.

  • Cough and sneeze etiquette
  • Hand washing/hygiene
  • 6 feet distance from other
  • Not coming to work when you’re sick or have a fever
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
  • Avoid sharing personal items with others
  • Proving tissue, hand sanitizer
  • Cleaning of work areas that get touched
  • They should wear a mask and gloves when there riding in the truck
  • Disinfect/clean the cab of the trucks every day with Clorox or some other disinfectant

Coronavirus Legislation

Recently passed legislation related to the coronavirus has a significant impact on all companies with fewer than 500 employees. The Emergency FMLA Expansion Act and the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act will be implemented on April 2nd with a sunset of December 31st. For a full review, read Harvester Steve’s blog here.

The Financial Health Of Your Company

All of this is FLUID and changing even by the hour. No one knows how long this will last, but it won’t be forever. We’ve lived through Y2K, 9/1, and the crash of 2008. These past experiences tell us this will eventually pass AND that those individuals who are looking for opportunities where they can apply their resources will be successful. Some businesses are booming (cleaning, transportation, etc.)

Both the state and federal government have already passed laws in response to the pandemic. Half the states have already declared a state of emergency and the administration expects that all will before too long. SOA is good from a business perspective because it allows SBA to provide funding for special programs. Check the SBA for up-to-date information.

What should a business owner do right now?

  • Call your banker, credit card companies and or other debt providers. Find out if they will defer payments for two or three months (some banks are adding these to the end of the terms).
  • Organize your financial statements from the past three to five years to apply for loans.
  • Prepare a debt schedule for both your personal and business debts (payments and amounts) since this will also be needed for a loan application.

If you need help juggling, deciphering or managing business logistics during the COVID-19 crisis, please know the Harvest Group is here to help you.

For more information:

  • Federal resources
  • CDC Resources for Business and Employers
  • OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-10
  • U.S. Small Business Administration; Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources

Association Resources

  • National Association of Landscape Professionals COVID-10 Resources

We all have to eat! Grocery Delivery Services:

  • Publix Grocery Delivery https://delivery.publix.com/
  • Kroger Grocery Delivery https://www.kroger.com/i/ways-to-shop/delivery
  • Wal-Mart Grocery Delivery https://grocery.walmart.com/
  • Amazon Prime Now Grocery Delivery https://primenow.amazon.com/

Food Delivery Services:

  • Uber Eats https://www.ubereats.com/
  • DoorDash https://www.doordash.com/
  • GrubHub https://www.grubhub.com/
  • Postmates https://postmates.com/

 

When asking one Harvest “one to one” client how

he likes his new Verizon system, he said:

“I don’t know how we lived without it! Now we know exactly where our crews are or have been. We stopped one really harsh driver that was abusing our truck, stopped the unscheduled mid-day and end of day stops and it’s helping us in our job costing. It has substantially increased our bottom line this year! And my wife loves it cause it’s so user-friendly.”

B.W. Maple Hill Landscaping

Get your FREE Buyers Guide eBook here!

“BOSS is very intuitive, and our crews caught on very quickly. I can get INSTANTANEOUS information.  I have a snapshot of all of our activities literally at the push of a button.”

– Engledow Group, Jim Engledow

 

Check Out BossLM Website!

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Harvester Chris Darnell

If closing sales in the digital era feels as though it eludes you, you’re not alone. In a day and age where it’s nearly impossible to get valuable face-time anymore, even the most successful “closers” in the Landscape and Snow Removal Industry say they’ve had to adapt their strategies to succeed. Of course, keeping up with the everchanging digital environmental is no small feat. On top of all of the other responsibilities, you have in running your business, developing a sales and marketing strategy that is adapted to the newest technology—and will be able to reach clients of younger generations—may sound downright overwhelming.

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