By Jacki Hart CLP

Prosperity Partners program manager


It’s 2010. WOW! It seems like yesterday that we were scurrying around making frantic preparations to ensure that Y2K wasn’t going to melt down computers around the world and shut down our electronic lifestyle. What were you doing then? Did you think then that you would be where you are now, doing what you are doing? Where will you be in 2020, doing what, and with what rewards? When I look back at my own business in 2000, I now know how much faster the path to prosperity and stable profitability would have been had I learned the skills and tools to manage my business that are now offered in the Prosperity Partners program. In 2000 I was mired in 3,000 hours a year in a business which was active eight months of the year. I worked myself to the bone – and eventually into a spiral of ill health. Since then, I have focused on working smarter, because there was no working harder left in me. The skills which I have baked into the prosperity seminars are those I have used to bring me through a journey towards greater prosperity, and a very sane and fun work-life balance. I actually have the time to look after my own gardens at spend time at home now, and loving every minute of it.

The prosperity team at Landscape Ontario has worked hard to develop a comprehensive program of business development. The main focus is to allow each owner to apply the tools that they have learned from the program in a way that’s relevant to where each one is starting from and heading to.

Features of the Prosperity Partners program

• Building your Business for Prosperity seminar (formerly Introductory) is a six hour program which lays out the tools for assessing the foundation of each business by using the Prosperity Pillars (Financial health, Leadership, Sales Success, Professional Operations and Developing Customers for Life) and mapping a focused path for improvement at an individual pace. This seminar is presented in most Landscape Ontario chapter meetings throughout the winter months. Check for scheduled seminars at www.horttrades.com/prosperity. This seminar is a requirement for all new Landscape Ontario Active Members.

• The Best Practices Seminar is also a six-hour business improvement seminar. It engages you with your peers in problem solving techniques, and teaches you the tools to implement sustainable changes in your business. The prerequisite for this seminar is the Business for Prosperity Seminar. Each participant will leave with a complete list of industry best practices and an action plan to implement those most relevant to your business. Upon completion of this seminar, participants gain access to the Prosperity Online Template Library. This is a great resource for making the implementation of industry best practices with the least amount of effort. This seminar is offered in most chapters this winter. Please go to www.horttrades.com/prosperity.

• The Round Table Solutions Seminar is an engaging and effective seminar which focuses on the skills necessary in business for effective problem solving, solution creation and better people management and delegation. This is a great networking experience, and every participant leaves with a ‘learning partner’ to help them continue with support and accountability to focus on improvements toward prosperity and profit. The prerequisite to this seminar is completion of either or both of the prosperity seminars described above. This seminar is being presented this winter in most Landscape Ontario chapters. See www.horttrades.com/prosperity to find out more.
for a seminar near you.

• The Prosperity Online Survey is a survey which offers a quick look into your business practices, and helps you get the pulse on your business, and whether or not the Prosperity Partners is a logical next step for your business development.

• The Best Practices Online Template Library is available to our Best Practices Prosperity Partners. It is a great resource of tried and tested templates which aid in implementing and maintaining best practices in each of the Prosperity Pillars within your company without having to reinvent the wheel.

Here is what every business has to gain by engaging in the program:

A whole new way of understanding why there are repetitive business challenges from year to year – and how to fix them.

An innovative, simple way to think clearly and differently about your business and its future.

A simple and effective way to determine the gaps in your business, and what to do about them.

A simple and effective way to leverage the strengths and improve weaknesses in a business.

An effective way to maximize improvements to business operations with the least amount of effort.

A way to make every change in a business actually stick, and remain relevant.

A new network of business peers facing similar challenges, and working together on solutions.

A huge library of customizable templates to aid business development.

A mentor, peer group or learning partners to help each business move forward in improvements consistently and effectively.

If you still are hesitating to engage in a better future for your business, or have questions, email Landscape Ontario Prosperity Partners staff at prosperity@landscapeontario.com.