tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60204150659236722032024-02-08T08:30:34.122-08:00minnesota landscapeBlog for Minnesota Landscape by Steve Hoogenakkerdutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020415065923672203.post-72523324710796201742008-10-08T07:32:00.001-07:002008-10-08T07:33:10.720-07:00Landscape Services for commercial landscapingTaylor Made for Townhome Associations<br /><br />Townhome Association Lawn Maintenance<br /><br /><br />Whatever your goals are for your homeowner association, commercial building or multi-family property, Taylor Made delivers and exceeds the results you and your clients expect. Working together, you can rest assured that we’ll develop a plan that brings out the full potential of your natural site while keeping your budget in mind.. Hire the company you can trust, Taylor Made Landscape Management.<br /><br /><br />We take care of all of the details so you don’t have to. We start the process by listening to your goals. We develop a plan that enhances the beauty of your property. Our professional scheduling of comprehensive landscape services are performed on time, no matter what the weather is doing. We become your eyes and ears on the property. We’re vigilant about discovering potential issues before they become problems.<br /><br /><br />You will have an active partner when you decide to work with us. We’ll design and create a valuable, vibrant, living landscape.<br /><br />As a partner, we’re not satisfied until you’re completely satisfied with every service. Your landscape will benefit from the expert care on a timely basis. Your property reflects your values. Clients, tenants and prospective owners base a large part of their opinion of the property before they walk inside. We’ll work with you to keep tenants and clients happy and to attract and retain potential prospects.<br /><br /><br />We’re confident that we can meet and exceed your landscape maintenance goals, regardless of the size of your association. We also know you expect a dependable, trustworthy company that continually provides solutions. Our creative staff will deliver cost effective solutions that will keep you, your board members and residents happy.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Steve Hoogenakker, http://minnesotalandscape.blogspot.com</div>dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020415065923672203.post-58077459369394289222008-06-16T17:07:00.000-07:002008-06-16T17:10:00.320-07:00Building Rain Gardens in Minnesota, Steve HoogenakkerThe Raingarden: A CIC’s contribution to cleaner water<br />By Steve Hoogenakker, Taylor Made Landscape and Jenn Morrow, Top Notch Tree Care<br />Many folks are not aware that the rain that runs to our storm sewers does not go to the municipal plant for treatment. It used to, but as growing communities increased pressure on treatment plants, cities nationwide disconnected storm sewers and routed them directly to the nearest lake or stream. In Minnesota, pride in our natural resources is strong, and residents are willing and eager to do their part to protect water quality.<br />Raingardens are a fabulous way for CIC’s to protect water quality. It is a garden or landscaped area with a very slight depression (usually 6-8 inches). A raingarden is designed to capture stormwater from rooftops, driveways and even streets, allowing it to soak into the ground along the deep root channels of beautiful plants (some native and some conventional).<br />Some of the benefits to CICs include an aesthetically appealing landscape feature, increased bird and butterfly activity, and credit for reduction of stormwater -which some cities are beginning to charge fees for! The list of benefits to the environment is long.<br />The current system of storm sewer pipes contributes largely to flooding and poor water quality in all water bodies. The water runs off so fast, our natural systems cannot absorb it. Prior to urbanization, stormwater soaked into the ground. Some of it made it all the way down to aquifers and some of it flowed slowly and laterally through the ground to lakes and streams. By the time rainwater reached a surface water, it was scrubbed clean by soil and microbes and cooled to the temperature that fish and other aquatic critters enjoy. Gutters and pipes allow over-heated stormwater to flush all the pollutants that collect on impervious surfaces to water bodies that are not able to treat or absorb the impurities nor are they able to accept the sheer volume – leading to serious flooding. Raingardens begin to repair the natural mechanism that slows, cleans and cools stormwater.<br />What about all the stormwater ponds that CICs have, aren’t those meant to protect water quality? The quick answer is, yes, they were originally intended as an answer to the Clean water Act mandate that stormwater be treated on site in new construction over five acres. They do keep stormwater and pollutants out of local lakes and streams, unfortunately they merely collect and concentrate those pollutants. They, just like natural ponds, do not have the capacity to treat stormwater. In addition they often become eyesores. <br />To intercept the stormwater that is piped directly into storm ponds (and would not be served by a buffer), raingardens can be installed in the path of down spouts and near the curb with curb cuts. These curbside raingardens allow water from streets to flow into the garden. They are designed to over flow back into the street if their capacity is exceeded, not into the lawn. All raingardens are designed to be dry within 24-36 hours after a storm to keep mosquitoes from breeding in them. Mosquito larvae need seven to twelve days of standing, stagnant water to mature. Raingardens actually act as ‘traps’ when mosquitoes lay eggs in them and the water drops since they cannot mature! In contrast, raingardens provide vital habitat for many desirable critters like birds and butterflies.<br />The city of Burnsville recently studied the effectiveness of raingardens. They installed 17 residential raingardens to capture street and roof runoff and measured an 82% reduction in runoff in 2004! They measured a 90% reduction in 2005 and a 93% reduction in 2006- illustrating that as the plants mature (and the root structures create more channels) the infiltration rate increases! The city of Maplewood has actively employed raingardens in city street reconstruction projects for over 10 years! Cities across the country are embracing simple raingardens to address serious stormwater problems including Kansas City, MO (with its 10,000 raingarden program launched in 20060, Portland OR and Chicago IL. The ‘ground work’ has been laid and practitioners have learned how to make raingardens work and look beautiful!<br />With both raingardens and shoreline plantings, proper plant selection and installation and maintenance are critical to their success. There is a wide pallet of colors and textures that will tolerate the water fluctuations common to these landscapes. Raingardens can be designed to be virtually indistinguishable from conventional gardens and landscapes while performing an important community service! Be sure to consult a contractor that is familiar with native plants and shorelines when pursuing projects like these. <br />Even if raingardens and ponds are not part of your landscape, a native garden can achieve environmental goals and can be incorporated into any plan. A simple butterfly garden can bring bright bold colors and delightful wildlife to an outdoor living space. They require less water and no fertilizers or weekly mowing and in that way, conserve water and other resources as well as protect water quality!<br />If your CIC is searching for ways to help the environment, they need not look far. Take a close look at how stormwater is ‘treated’ in your community as ask, ’is there a better way?’.<br />Jenn Morrow is currently is an Ecologist with Urban Ecosystems, a division of Top Notch Treecare. Jenn feels that a properly designed and installed raingarden is an inexpensive investment in our future. Jenn can be reached at 763-253-8733, or at Jmorrow@topnotchtree.com<br />Steve Hoogenakker is landscape consultant/contractor with 20 years experience working with cic properties and can be reached at 763-213-2410 or Steve@Landscape.Pro<br />Steve Hoogenakker<br />Showcase Landscape<br /><br />Steve Hoogenakker has 20 years in the landscaping and leadership field. He can be reached by email at Steve@Landscape.Pro. Much of this information can be found in the excellent book, Crucial Conversations.<br />Steve Hoogenakker, MHA, CAI, CIC Midwest, MNLA, PLANET, MTFG, Showcase Landscape<br /><br /><br />This article can be reprinted if all of the authors information is left unaltered.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Steve Hoogenakker, http://minnesotalandscape.blogspot.com</div>dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020415065923672203.post-10803165992194295352008-06-16T16:53:00.000-07:002008-06-16T16:55:19.178-07:00How to put a value on your landscape business Part IHOW TO BUILD, BUY OR SELL a LANDSCAPE MGMT COMPANY:<br />In the past 6 months, I’ve had a number of people ask me to advise them in valuing their business, or evaluate a business they’re considering purchasing. There’s a lot of interest and a lot of activity this year.<br />So, what’s a business worth? <br />To help you find out, you should follow three general rules. <br />1. Start planning TODAY! You never know when an opportunity presents itself, or when disaster strikes. Ideally, you’ll want at least 2-3 years planning before selling a business. <br />2. Hire a professional or ask an industry expert to help you <br />3. Maximize the guidelines listed below to bring the highest price.<br />The first place to look is your own business. This is a complex process, but here are the basics.<br />As a business owner, you should always be thinking of your company’s intrinsic value, and how you’ve achieved it. Most contractors look at the income statement (if they have one) at the end of the year and say “I made $100,000 net!” But, using the same financials, you might have actually increased the value of your company by $350,000, or reduced the value by $50,000. So, having the right information might mean a $400,000 swing in real value instead of $100,000 profit! Do you see how your daily decisions will be profoundly affected by this new knowledge?<br />You have assets that you can sell, but I’m here to tell you that you aren’t selling or buying “hard assets”. Heck, you can buy equipment anywhere, anytime. You’re really selling or buying “soft assets”; your ability to build a team, sell, market, satisfy, create relationships, forge loyalties, make a profit and grow the business. <br />In the Minnesota market, I would say that most businesses I’ve seen for sale are overpriced because somewhere, someone is saying “my company is worth one year’s gross sales” Some of this is encouraged by business brokers who don’t understand the green industry. They make a percentage off of the price of the sale, therefore, they encourage high pricing. If you’re going to use outside help, stay away from the brokers, at least at first.<br />Gross sales have little to do with the value, therefore, if your goal for 2008 is to grow the biz by 40%, then you could still decrease the value of the business, or even reduce it’s profits. Most companies who make the Inc. 500 fastest growing companies lose money! In the two years my companies would have made the Inc 500 list, we lost money. <br /> Realize that businesses generally sell on multiples of earnings, which is much more complex than just profit!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Steve Hoogenakker, http://minnesotalandscape.blogspot.com</div>dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020415065923672203.post-58962788848270187942008-02-24T08:50:00.000-08:002008-02-24T08:56:49.570-08:00Preparing Your Lawn for Spring Minnesota<p>Da Garden” If you have a personal garden, ‘tis the season to till it up. Consider doing a soil test yourself for best results. Here’s a little secret: Why does Miracle Grow grow 700 pound pumpkins? I know you don’t actually want a 700 pound pumpkin this fall, but if you want to give your garden every chance of providing pleasure or juicy tomatoes, then the secret is this: Most fertilizers carry 3 ingredients. Even if you ask the U of M, they’ll say. “Buy a 10-10-10”! This is the standard response for anyone in the industry, and it usually works Ok. BUT, there are 16 minerals needed for every plant to survive. Miracle Grow provides all 16! They might not be needed, but if just 1 or 2 are missing or weak your plants will suffer.<br />“Da Trees” Make sure that the tree wrap is removed from trees, look for split trunks or damage that might’ve happened from the early snow storm or from wind damage. If you know you have Ash Trees, which almost everyone has, there is a terrible menace out there this year. The Emerald Ash Borer. Once it’s on a property, can kill all the ash trees on a property in 1-3 years. There are links on <a href="http://www.townhome.pro/">http://www.townhome.pro/</a>.<br />“Da Water” Irrigation system startups need to include replacing broken heads, and resetting the direction of heads so they cover the lawn, making sure they don’t blow over the freshly washed car and into the bedroom window. If you don’t have a system, I would be happy to recommend a professional, or design one myself..Finally, work with your contractor. It’s in his/her best interest to have a wonderful, living landscape too. If your association does a lot of work itself, or if you’re just curious, call or write a Master Gardener volunteer. It’s free, and the link is on your website that is just being created; <a href="http://www.townhome.pro/">http://www.townhome.pro/</a>. This article written by Steve Hoogenakker of Taylor Made Landscape.He has 20 years experience in landscaping.</p><p>This article may be reprinted as long as the contact information is left in the new article</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Steve Hoogenakker, http://minnesotalandscape.blogspot.com</div>dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020415065923672203.post-8346560881314313632008-02-22T15:10:00.000-08:002008-02-22T15:12:33.405-08:00Preparing Your Lawn for Spring Part IYOUR LANDSCAPE – WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW COULD KILL MILLIONS<br /><br />That’s right. As a homeowner, you’re responsible for millions of living organisms. You’re the “Jack Bauer” of the show “24” protecting millions of innocent lives!Grass plants, ornamentals, trees, annual flowers and shrubs. Your decisions also affect insect and biotic populations. Most importantly, you’re in control of how your landscape affects you and your family personally. The best way to make the most of your living investment is knowledge and of course, action!<br /><br />At the end of this article, I’ve included a link to <a href="http://www.townhome.pro/">www.Townhome.Pro</a>, where I’ve added links for your lawn, landscape, trees and garden. This website is dedicated exclusively for MHA members at this time.<br /><br />Let’s get started!<br />“Da Lawn”<br />We’ll start with the lawn. It’s very important to have a thick, healthy lawn. Why? My daughter plays soccer and I shudder everytime she gets knocked down. (I never cheer when she knocks someone else down.) When kids play on your lawn, or when elderly residents walk in it, a thick lawn protects their skin and joints. A thick lawn also prevents weeds from coming up, reducing the need for pesticides. So, what can we do in the spring to get there?<br />First, write down your thoughts about last years’ turf. What improvements would you like to have seen? Then “spring” into action. If you have a lawn contractor, discuss fertilization options with him/her. Are they applying 2-3 pounds of Nitrogen per year? Nitrogen has a direct relationship to the color of the lawn. If the lawn isn’t thick and green, ask them to do a soil test, or you can do one using the easy instuctions on the website. (Cost $15.00 plus postage) Do they use slow release or fast release fertilizer? Quick release fertilizers give the lawn a quick greenup and are cheaper, but they lose their color after 2-4 weeks. If you’re getting 3 applications per year, with normal release fert, you get 4 weeks of food and rapid growth followed by 4 weeks of partial starvation. Using slow release feeds gradually, and keeps the lawn growing at a more regular pace. Ask your contractor if he likes double cutting and bagging grass clippings, if he says yes, I owe you a $5.00 gift certificate to Caribou Coffee. When he says no, tell him that using slow release will cut down on rapid flush growth, and cut down the need for a lot of extra labor. Everybody wins!<br />There is bound to be some winter salt or plow damage too. These areas need to be seeded or sodded right away. I recommend bringing black dirt in if needed and if using seed, use blends, such as kentucky bluegrass and perennial rye for sunny areas, and fine fescue, perennial rye and bluegrass for shady areas. If seeding, expect weeds. Crabgrass control can’t be applied to these areas unless you use Siduron (Tupersan), but broadleaf controls can be used after the seeded area is mowed twice. Seed or Sod, water a couple of times per day for short periods of time.<br /><br />Steve Hoogenakker provides a solid, common sense approach to solving problems and answering questions relating to business management, leadership, consumer loan products and landscape and lawn problems and solutions. Steve has 20 years in the landscaping and leadership field. He can be reached by email at Steve@Landscape.Pro. Steve Hoogenakker, MHA, CAI, CIC Midwest, MNLA, PLANET, MTGF, Showcase Landscape, Minnesota, Delano Steve loves his wife Teri Hoogenakker and their kids, Paul Hoogenakker, Kirsten Hoogenakker and Gerrit Hoogenakker very much.<br /><br />Publisher’s Directions: This article may be freely distributed so long as the copyright, author’s information, disclaimer, and an active link (where possible) are included. Disclaimer: Statements and opinions expressed in the articles, reviews and other materials herein are those of the authors. While every care has been taken in the compilation of this information and every attempt made to present up-to-date and accurate information, we cannot guarantee that inaccuracies will not occur. Steve Hoogenakker will not be held responsible for any claim, loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of any information within these pages or any information accessed through this site.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Steve Hoogenakker, http://minnesotalandscape.blogspot.com</div>dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020415065923672203.post-36944435166599632802008-01-16T17:14:00.000-08:002008-01-16T17:15:04.574-08:00Landscape AcquisitionsI can help, I've done acquisitions for lawn care/landscaping. If you want a BUSINESS VALUATION, below is a very real formula. If you want a REAL LIFE VALUATION, a lot of times it's two guys over coffee, going over customers and employees, then they agree on a percentage of revenue (20-100%) plus maybe buying out some equipment. Short Answer:I'd start out with a number of mows per client, so I'd offer to pay the previous owner the payments received for the first 2-3 mows. You can do it the week after you mow them, or if you wanna be a nice guy, you could pay them for 2-3 mows once they sign your contract. If that isn't good enough, below is very valuable information on larger business acquisitions:Answer that imparts wisdom for this and future transactions:A REAL VALUATION, which you should run at least once per year so you know what your business is worth goes like this:Technically, it's based on EBITDA, which is Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization. If you would like to know more about that, just reply and I'll give you a better explanation that should be useful. It's basically a "cash flow" formlula. You take your profits, depreciation, interest expense, and any of your pay that is "excessive" to what you do. So, if you're running a crew and making $80,000, you could put $40,000 back towards cash flow because a new owner would have to hire on a new foreman to run that crew:Formula works like thisProfit $20,000Depreciation $30,000 Interest Expense $8,000Excessive Owners Income $40,000 Total: $98,000. Then you use a multiplier on this EBIT or EBITDA formula. Something like 2.5 to 3.5, so the business would be valued at $250,000 to $350,000. In this sort of equation, the value of the equipment is negotiated. IT can be rolled into the price, or the net value can be added, or the buyer may ask that the equipment be paid off from the $350,000 and be free and clear. The way to keep this clear is to think from the buyers view is:I'm going to buy a business for $300,000. I expect to earn $98,000 per year or get 33% for my money which is a lot better than Wall Street!Other factors, it's based on:1. Size of company. I would rather buy companies over $750,000 because there has to be some management or systems in place, but a business broker friend of mine says he finds many many more buyers of businesses of around $200,000-$400,000. We think it's because it's easier for another contractor to add that much service to his present line. 2. Type of billing. Since we're in the Lawn Maintenance forum, I'll assume that we're talking about mowing. "recurring billing" is what brings in a bigger amount. When you have solid monthly billing, this is something that buyers can count on more than one time landscape sales. Commercial usually worth more than Single Family Residential. 3. Spread out customer base. A Customer base that doesn't consist of 3 clients that make up half of the billing is going to scare some people away. A base with 50 clients with no one client making up more than 25% is pretty solid. This is also something that banks financing your company, or financing a sale4. Growth. Most buyers prefer some decent, but not excessive growth. A 10 year company growing 15% every year sounds pretty solid to me with probably a solid customer base. 5. Gross Profit margins. Anyway, if you have other questions, let me know, Best of Luck!Steve Hoogenakker<div class="blogger-post-footer">Steve Hoogenakker, http://minnesotalandscape.blogspot.com</div>dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020415065923672203.post-76020892639149679752008-01-15T17:49:00.001-08:002008-01-15T17:49:39.971-08:00Lawn Site Forum MinnesotaHi guys, We need to get Minnesota back on the map in this forum. Are there any problems or questions that anyone is having in Minnesota???How did everyone do with the last two snowfalls? Are you ready for Spring? Guesstimate of first mowing in the Twin Cities? I say April 23rd. Steve<div class="blogger-post-footer">Steve Hoogenakker, http://minnesotalandscape.blogspot.com</div>dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020415065923672203.post-17639530298740390432007-10-15T21:48:00.000-07:002007-10-15T21:49:38.132-07:00MNLA hoping to renovate football field at Minneapolis South High SchoolWe enjoyed meeting with you and discussing the primary and practice fields at South High School.<br />We’ve discussed the situation and developed the following recommendations:<br />1. Practice Field<br />a. The field is uneven, has rocks, glass, and even chunks of concrete in it, causing an extremely unsafe environment for athletes and students who use the field regularly for phy ed classes. There is little bluegrass or desirable grasses to work with. The field is mainly knotweed, which will need to be killed off prior to seeding. Without an irrigation system, new grass isn’t likely to live therough a hot summer. The field is very uneven with mud and standing water in many locations making it unusable on most days. On our second trip to the site, there were 30 Canadian Geese feeding in the standing water, leaving plenty of droppings that no student would want to play in, not to mention carrying this material into the school or ruining clothes. The field needs to be leveled to promote grass growth, allow rain to runoff, and keep geese off. We can save money by seeding, which will provide just as high quality field as sod, but students will need to stay off for 4 weeks. The seed will need to be fertilized regularly, and broadleaves need to be sprayed 2-3 times per year to get the grass established, thick and green.<br /><br />b. The Irrigation system has been removed. Since all sprinkler heads but one have been taken out, and the system hasn’t operated in 10+ years, water has almost certainly leached into the pipes and frozen, causing the pipes to break lengthwise, making them impossible to repair. There is an irrigation controller and a 2 ½ or 3” backflow that could probably be used, and looks like hooking up to the existing line might be relatively easy, although we’ll have to dig and test the connection to know for certain.<br />c. The cost for a new irrigation system using the present hookup should be under $10,000 depending on the pressure and gallons per minute available to use in the system.<br />d. The weeds need to be sprayed prior to installing the black dirt. Cost for application is $450.00<br />e. The field needs about 80-100 yards of screened black dirt. We discussed grading the present field. The field was used as a dumping ground while the school was being buit, so grading might just expose more waste and concret. Adding dirt, and creating a crown that allows the water to runoff, will make for a long lasting solution. Cost $4,800<br />f. The next step is to seed the field. We’re suggesting a tall fescue-bluegrass blend that can withstand heavier traffic than bluegrass alone. Cost for seeding $2,150<br />g. Fertilizer for starting the new grass seed. Cost $425<br />h. 2 more applications of fertilizer and weed control Cost $650<br /><br />Total Cost for Practice field renovation: $18,425<br /><br />Primary Field.<br />This field is in relatively good shape. There are 2 problems with the field, which is used 3-4 times per week for varsity football and soccer games. We agree with Tom Wassman and Mark Sanders that the practice field needs attention now. The primary field can wait until the practice field is in good shape.<br />a. There is a sprinkler system, but it doesn’t have adequate pressure or enough gallons per minute to diffuse the spray and provide an acceptable level of irrigation. The present system basically creates 40’ green rings with the first 20’ receiving a lower than needed amount of water. The system needs to be separated into 3 zones, with a new controller, and 3 valves installed. <br />b. The other problem is the grade of the field. The grade of the crown is high on the west site, but really high on the east side. The crown is so high in the middle that a soccer player on one side of the field can’t see the soccer ball on the other side of the field. This field needs to be re-graded.<br />c. As for the stands and facilities, there are no lights, there is no bathrooms, and there is a need for a concessions trailer where chocolate, chili, and even tickets can be sold. This will certainly raise more than enough money to pay for the trailer and make the experience more enjoyable for athletes, fans and visiting teams.<br />Please call me to discuss any or all of these options. We look forward to working with you in the future.<br />Sincerely,<br />Steve Hoogenakker, Tom Connors and Tom Polak<br />763-213-2410 – Steve@Landscape.Pro<br />Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association<div class="blogger-post-footer">Steve Hoogenakker, http://minnesotalandscape.blogspot.com</div>dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020415065923672203.post-29995049716857399332007-10-04T07:38:00.000-07:002007-10-04T07:47:55.117-07:00South High School Minneapolis gets help for it's football fieldsMinnesot Nursery and Landscape Association<br />Hello everyone,<br />I wanted to update everyone about South High School. At the bottom of this email is a link to a story about a landscape company volunteering to replace a basball field for Bluffton High School some of their kids died in a bus crash! I would welcome any ideas, feedback that you might have. Here's the short story with extra details below. Tom Connors and I went out to South on Tuesday.The practice field is a mess. It's uneven, with rocks, glass, and at least one piece of concrete right in the middle of the field that's been there quite a while. There WAS an irrigation system, but it hasn't been run in 10 years. We found one brass 8280M Sprinkler head, ( a google search couldn't identify the model) and there's a Buckner 10 zone controller. There's a big backflow and it looks like 3" main. We decided that the field can't be sustained without a sprinkler system. Here's the scoop: The field is about 260' by 350'. It needs dirt, or grading by an operator more skilled than me, seed, fert and sprayed for broadleaf. A soil test would be a good idea. I think it's a sandy loam, so structure will be good. Any chunks or rocks will have to be removed as well. The school WILL close off the field or do whatever is necessary to help if someone is willing to help with the fields. After talking to Mark Sanders, the Athletic Director, we think that redoing the practice field might be enough to get the parents and boosters involved with more improvements as well as pride in the school. If anyone wants to contact the school directly, contact Mark Sanders at 612-668-4323 or Mark.Sanders@mpls.k12.mn.us , or email me. At this time, they've asked me to put a plan together to submit to the Mpls School District, because the powers that be won't allow any work to be done until it's checked over, even if volunteered. Estimates:80 yards black dirt spread and graded.300-400 pounds of seedFert - Sprayand irrigation. Looks like we're pushing for spring, which is OK because it gives everyone time to put the plan and materials together. More detail:We met with Tom Wosman, the Engineer in charge of South's Property and Mark Sanders, the Athletic Director. There are 2 fields. There is the main football field and the practice field. While both fields need work, the main field is in pretty good shape, although there are no lights, 2 porta potties (imagine this during homecoming), no ticket booth. They can't even sell hot dogs or hot chocolate. This field has such a high crown on it that the soccer players can't see the soccer ball from the other side of the field! Like I said, this field isn't bad, other than the crown and the fact that the irrigation system is composed of 1 zone with such low pressure, they can't diffuse the spray on the sprinkler headsThe practice field is another story.It's It's not much better than mud, knotweed and random patches of bluegrass. The field is uneven, and the day we were out there, there were puddles.There were rocks in it, and at least one concrete piece sticking out. The practice field is used by the students for all outside activities, so the danger of injuries is pretty good. Here's the article about Bluffton basball<a href="http://www.landscapemanagement.net/landscape/On+the+Record/This-baseball-field-is-not-just-any-baseball-field/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/462137?contextCategoryId=450" eudora="autourl">http://www.landscapemanagement.net/landscape/On+the+Record/This-baseball-field-is-not-just-any-baseball-field/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/462137?contextCategoryId=450</a>That's All for now!Steve<br /><br />Steve Hoogenakker<br />Teri Hoogenakker<br />Paul Hoogenakker<br />Kirsten Hoogenakker<br />Gerrit Hoogenakker<br />Showcase Landscape<div class="blogger-post-footer">Steve Hoogenakker, http://minnesotalandscape.blogspot.com</div>dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020415065923672203.post-60157223229814283382007-09-21T19:49:00.000-07:002007-09-21T19:51:20.423-07:00Choosing the Most Reliable Personality Assessment ToolChoosing An Accurate And Reliable Personality Assessment<br />Ever wondered why you always end up in the wrong job or the worst relationships, even when they seemed so promising going in? It can be especially confusing when there doesn't really seem to be anything wrong with the work or the other person, just that things never did seem to take off or click. Well, maybe it's not the work or your prospective partners - maybe you just don't have a clear understanding of who you really are in the first place - your personality type, your risk aversion levels, your tendencies and the underlying assets, preferences and issues in your make-up that you may not be taking into consideration. But how do you go about "finding yourself" without embarking on a navel-gazing and soul-searching journey of epic proportions (which, face it, few of us have the time for)?<br />One of the best places to start is personality assessment. There are literally thousands of different assessments available, often on the Internet where they are either free (although often in an abbreviated form from their full fee access) or at a reasonable charge. A quality test can help you map your personality makeup as a whole and perhaps tease out previously hidden factors in your mindset or behavior that may affect your decision making, your overall job and life satisfaction in given situations and your choices.<br />There are many website and hard-published assessments which can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and where your personal gifts lay. However, you have to pay attention and steer clear of "recreational" assessments and quizzes if you are looking for an accurate and predictive overview, especially on the Internet. To be truly useful, a personality assessment must meet three criteria:<br />It must be empirical and accurate This means that the test is based on scientifically designed questions that are proven to be predictive (by having known personality types take the test, and checking for correlation in the results).<br />It must be normed This means that when the assessment results are tabulated as a group, the number and pattern of personality types it presents must be representative of the general population who are likely to be taking the test. This is done by testing a representative sample, graphing the test results and then matching the results against a scientifically predicted bell curve for that particular population. Note that if an assessment is designed for a specific, narrow population (such as law enforcement cadets, engineers or abused women), it will produce results that are skewed from the general population norm, but which can be internally predictable and normed within that narrowly defined group.<br />It must be reliable and consistent This means that the test must return the overall same pattern of results for the same person taking it repeatedly, even if their answers differ slightly from day to day due to normal moods and perceptions. This also means that the greater the number of questions, the more likely it is to be accurate (assuming it was created by trained individuals). A large pool of questions (from which the actual test is randomly generated) allows a little "wriggle room" for slightly different answers, plus allows for plenty of "cross-check" questions which ask essentially the same things, but from different perspectives and with different wording. Often an assessment will be tested for internal consistency by giving the same individuals half of the test questions (say, all the odd numbered questions). The test result is tabulate, and then the other half of the questions is given and the results compared. If both halves produce essentially identical results, the test can be considered internally consistent.<br />There are innumerable "fun" tests out there, from "Are you a good kisser?" to assessments designed to look scientific but which, in effect, tell you what you want to hear (along the lines of fake horoscopes and palm readings at the fair) and only after you sign into their "members-only results" area, as a means to procuring your email address. Or they give you a free low-content, vague and essentially useless answer, and then offer to send you the full results if you sign up for their product or course. Of course, there are several respected and reliable assessment companies that also offer a two-tiered membership approach (free scaled back test, and membership-fee full service and content version), so you need to be able to differentiate between the two.<br />Many well-respected assessments, especially the popular ones such as the MAPP (Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential), the Myers-Brigg Type Indicator or the DISC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness) Profile, charge quite a bit for the full service. But this is only fair, as they are the result of literally years of research, proprietary information gathering, intellectual property creation and relentless testing, not to mention countless man-hours of work. Also, many of these high-quality and scientifically validated tests are so complicated, and the results so open to misinterpretation by the layperson, that in order to get the full benefit and usefulness of the test it needs to be administered by, and the results personally reviewed and discussed with, a trained administrator.<br />The results you get from these fee-paid assessments are generally worth the money, if you have it. If you don't, you can still find several small or scaled back assessments that give reasonably detailed and accurate results for free, or for a nominal registration fee. Another way to get a proper assessment on the cheap is to take one offered in a book, either purchased or loaned out from your local public library. Many assessments can be found in hardcopy form and even if they lack the depth of a professionally administered version, they can be taken and the results studied and interpreted at your leisure. Of course, as with the Internet versions, you have to critically judge the content and accuracy of any book-bound personality assessment you take.<br />What you find out about yourself once you've competed a few assessments may shock you. Or it may simply confirm suspicions you've had all along. Either way, by actively and consciously using the information you have gained, you will stand a far better chance of creating and maintaining a quality and style of living that works for you rather than against you - and that's an assessment we can all live with.<br /><br />About the Author Steve Hoogenakker provides a solid, common sense approach to solving problems and answering questions relating to consumer loan products. His website seeks to provide free online resources for the consumer, including rate-watch, tips and articles, financial communication, news, and links to products and services. Visit: <a href="http://www.landscape.pro/">www.Landscape.Pro</a>, you can email Steve at <a href="mailto:Steve@MrHomeLoan.com">Steve@Landscape.Pro or Steve@MrHomeLoan.com</a>. Steve Hoogenakker, Minnesota, Showacse Landscape, MHA, MNLA, CAI, CIC Midwest, Taylor Made Landscape. You may reprint or publish this article as long as Steve Hoogenakker and all contact information and links are included. <a href="http://www.showcaselandscape.com/">http://www.showcaselandscape.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Steve Hoogenakker, http://minnesotalandscape.blogspot.com</div>dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020415065923672203.post-22997461286463457852007-09-21T13:17:00.000-07:002007-09-21T13:18:23.527-07:00Primitive Instincts of Landscape managementThe Primal Instincts of Landscape Management<br />Mastering Skills in Personal Relationships<br />98% of conversations are positive & can provide for a sharing of ideas that are neutral or that improve our lives. The few conversations that are emotionally charged or serious will have the biggest impact on our lives. In this article, I hope to give you the understanding to change your life by being your best at these critical moments.<br />Honing & perfecting your relationship skills is probably the most important skill you’ll ever learn and one you can use every day of the rest of your life.<br />Let’s discuss Primal Instincts and what happens when we get into a critical conversation with others.<br /><br />Let’s take the example of deciding on a new irrigation division inside our company.<br />A critical conversation happens when 3 things are present:<br />1) Stakes are High – The division can generate millions of dollars over it’s lifetime<br />2) Emotions run strong – Your operations people are strongly against it, your salespeople for it.<br />3) There are differences in opinions Sales dept. says the customers are demanding it, we might lose clients to competitors plus loss of revenue (and commission). Ops dept. says we are barely keeping up with present needs.<br /><br />A critical conversation can occur spontaneously and catch us off guard. When we’re under pressure, such as from an argument, our body pumps adrenaline. We didn’t ask our body to do this, but it’s hard wired into our system. Blood is sent coursing to arms and legs to fight or flee, and our higher reasoning centers are starved. We are then forced to think on our feet with the brain equivalent of a potentilla and we’re stuck with the consequences. In our doped up, dumbed down state, when we need our intelligence most, we’re at our worst. Add to that our learned response from watching just a few Jerry Springer shows and we can be in trouble.<br /><br />OK, it’s important to understand what is happening to us during this critical conversation. but even more importantly; we’re learning the skills to know what’s happening with the other people in the conversation.<br /><br />We have 3 choices when faced with an important conversation.<br />Ignore the problem, go silent and hope it goes away<br />Deal with the problem poorly<br />Deal with the problem well.<br /><br />HOW DO WE HANDLE THIS PRIMAL RESPONSE?<br />We apply the most basic of primal reactions: WE CREATE SAFETY!<br />Safety short circuits the primal response. Make people feel safe in the conversation. This means safe in expressing their true feelings or thoughts, even if they are angry. You might have to work hard to draw the thoughts out. This allows people to contribute to the conversation, and keeps their adrenal glands in check.<br />If we don’t provide safety, then an individual WILL provide their own safety by clamming up and going to silence, or they’ll resort to verbal violence as another defense for personal safety. This ONE skill will improve your personal and professional life and pay for your membership to MNLA.<br /><br />We create safety by following a few simple principles.<br /><br />1. Check your motives at the door. Ideally, you should already know what you want out of the relationship or conversation. So start with heart. Stick with what’s important. In a heated conversation, you might subconsciously want to be sarcastic, humiliate them or put them in their place, especially if they attack you first. If you start to feel this way, take a breath and remember what’s most important.<br /> 2. Stay Focused. Crucial conversations have a way of taking us off of our game. “Once we name the game, we can stop playing it.” If our goal is to “Keep clients happy, provide services that can meet our high standards and make a profit”, then that’s the name of the game. It isn’t “promote me to Jerry’s job”, or “the rainy weather prevents me from doing that” While those might apply, they are NOT the name of the game. They are primal instinctive defenses, suckers choices and somewhat off topic.<br />3. Most importantly, Create safety for the other individual, even if they don’t “deserve” it.<br /><br />A master landscaper starts a critical conversation by creating a dialogue with<br />1. A clear goal<br />2. Honest motives.<br />Then, he/she:<br />Watches the conversation<br />Thinks about their own style of conversation and what their own body is doing<br />Remember what’s important<br />Stays Focused<br />Stops problems BEFORE they become BIG problems.<br /><br />If we find we’re starting to slip out of dialogue, we can get back in the game by asking 4 questions:<br />What do I want for myself<br />What do I want for others,<br /> What do I want for the relationship, and my favorite question;<br />How would I behave if I really wanted these results?<br /><br />THE SHARED POOL OF MEANING <br />A skilled professional will find a way to get the free flow of relevant information out into the open, It’s the principle of the “Shared Pool of Meaning”. This is the synergistic pool of ideas and feelings of the entire group Getting ideas into the “pool” have 3 major benefits:<br />The larger the Pool, the better the decisions.<br />The time you spend up front is more than made up by faster, more committed action later on.<br />People who don’t get their ideas into the pool are rarely committed to the solution & silently criticize the decisions. People that have at least a small part of the decision will work to make it succeed.<br />We aren’t saying we want a consensus opinion, or that the landscape company owner doesn’t make the final decision. Whoever makes the decision will benefit by having the most information available.<br />As a matter of fact, a good idea is to state up front that there will be 2 phases to the conversation. First, a Discussion or Dialogue phase where all of the ideas are added to the pool of meaning. Second, after all ideas are shared, discussion is shut off and the Decision phase begins with decisions made by whoever is in charge.<br />Using these skills will make you a better communicator and leader in the Green industry. It will give you insights into others that you never would have received any other way. It will help you to listen and respect others in ways that 99% of the rest of the population will never truly understand<br /><br />Steve Hoogenakker<br />Showcase Landscape<br /><br />Steve Hoogenakker has 20 years in the landscaping and leadership field. He can be reached by email at Steve@Landscape.Pro. Much of this information can be found in the excellent book, Crucial Conversations.<br />Steve Hoogenakker, MHA, CAI, CIC Midwest, MNLA, PLANET, MTFG, Showcase Landscape<div class="blogger-post-footer">Steve Hoogenakker, http://minnesotalandscape.blogspot.com</div>dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6020415065923672203.post-5816472737089870212007-04-01T18:29:00.001-07:002007-04-01T18:29:22.582-07:00Welcome to the Minnesota Landscape blogWelcome to the new blog<div class="blogger-post-footer">Steve Hoogenakker, http://minnesotalandscape.blogspot.com</div>dutchhookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17943238554932826609noreply@blogger.com1