How many times a day do you see the sign on the vehicle ahead of you that says, "Drivers Wanted?" And how many times to you shake your head over new hires who aren’t legal to drive?

Research is showing that there will be even fewer potential drivers in our future.  Americans born after 1983 are simply not driving as much as their parents did. They tend to rely more on walking, biking and riding transit more while driving less than previous generations did at the same age.  

A thief can pop an OEM door lock in less than 30 seconds and be driving your truck and trailer away in less than a minute. And hot wiring a piece of equipment can take even less time. That’s why removing ignition keys and locking doors is not enough to keep vehicles safe.  

Season start-up is downright hectic.  Your people are moving fast and so are thieves who want what you have.  Taking a few steps to safeguard vehicles is equipment are critical and here are a few reminders

Boomer customers can afford to be picky because they hold purchasing power for your company’s products or services. Make no mistake about it, if they are disappointed with your customer service, they will vote with their feet, cross the street, and go straight to your competitors.

It stands to reason that having a solid strategy for communicating and for dealing with complaints swiftly with boomers will be a key factor in retaining your Boomer customers.  Here are some insights.

Most people know to avoid direct questions about a candidate’s age, race, national origin, gender, religion, marital status and sexual orientation. Yet, many seemingly innocent questions like, “Are you married?” should be off limits too. Any question that asks job seekers to reveal information about themselves related to those off-limits topics – unless it is job-related – violates state and federal laws.

There are other ways to find out what you want to know – and it’s all in the asking. Here are 5 don’t-ask questions – and also how to get the info you need.

The manager of a baseball team can’t play all nine positions – and even if he could, he couldn’t handle them all at the same time. In order to maximize all the talent of the team, he can’t be one of the players because his job is to manage and delegate.

In the green industry and every kind of business for that matter, company leaders often want to be the pitcher and play short stop and then switch over to first base. Sometimes they like doing these jobs and hold on to them because they get a kick out of being short stop. But like the baseball manager, they need to delegate, train and trust the whole team to play the game to have a good season.

What holds people back from delegating?

Landscape companies in and around Denver who are looking to fill labor positions often seek creative ways to recruit new workers. One local resource for short-term laborers is Centro Humanitario. Centro Humanitario Para Los Trabajadores (El Centro) is a Denver-based day laborer center promoting work, dignity and community. Its mission is to promote the rights and well-being of day laborers in Colorado through education, job skills, leadership development, united action and advocacy. 

Having a mentor is some of the best industry or general business education you can get. It’s about real-time issues and offers a roll-up-your-sleeves chance to learn what you need to know from someone who is a few steps ahead.

Mentoring offers a win/win to both sides of the deal. The mentee gains a tutor to address specific business issues – and the mentor serves the industry by helping a colleague take a few steps forward to creating a better career or business. Both individuals and the industry benefit.

Like any productive match, there needs to be a good “fit” between the two. Here are key 5 key steps to finding and working effectively with the right mentor.

Celestial Seasonings tea is packaged without a string, tag, staple or individual wrapper for its teabags. A few years ago they realized that eliminating these elements of their product would save more than 3.5 million pounds of waste from entering landfills each year.

This year, the Scott paper company introduced its no-tube toilet paper product. The full-page ads that launched this product announce that each year 17 billion TP tubes are thrown away. Scott’s innovation may change how things roll in the bathroom – and to the landfill.

Landscape pros showed highest strength over other home-related professions (architects, interior designers, builders/remodelers, specialty trades, etc.) in 2014 with 84% reporting that annual revenues met or exceeded their expectation.

Comparative growth data for the residential landscape market and related professions was reported in the U.S. Houzz Barometer Highlights for February 2015.  Findings showed strength in the residential market during 2014 and point to continued, but more stable growth for 2015.  Stats reveal a variety of trends related to homeowner buying habits and that small landscape firms can expect company growth.

“Career pathways” is the new buzzword across many industries where job skills – including hands-on trades skills – are valued often more than pure academics.  It’s a concept that currently is represented in several bills in the Colorado State Legislature and it’s a project that ALCC is already spot on.

A package of bills called the “Colorado Ready to Work” program has bipartisan support in the legislature and both Democrats and Republicans agree it is among their highest priorities for the 2015 session.  

How will "Colorado Ready to Work" benefit industry?