Proud of LO’s prosperity
By
Jacki Hart CLP
Prosperity
Partners program manager
As
many probably know, attending the Build Your Prosperity seminar is a mandatory
requirement for new members. LO is pleased to see our new members receive an early
return on their investment in LO, as they gain a stronger foothold in their
business journey.
Great Lakes Conference
Last
month, I travelled with Tony DiGiovanni and Tom Intven to the Great Lakes
Conference in Michigan.
This conference is held annually, and hosts the horticultural associations of eight
states, plus Ontario – all bordering the Great Lakes. It is a great venue to exchange ideas and
current reality sharing, as we all surf methods on how to maintain economic
restraint and keep up with rapid change.
Relative
to our counterparts to the south, I am proud to report that Landscape Ontario
is enormously prosperous, vibrant and engaged. Having an association the size
of LO is exceptional — we are the largest by far — which is of huge benefit to
our members. The expression concerning strength in numbers rings true with LO.
We have an outstanding executive director and staff, with successful and profit
generating trade shows, and a professional development program second to none.
We are the envy of all.
To
quote the executive director of Illinois,
Dave Becker, “You guys aren’t an association, you are a government!” Our peers
south of the border were awestruck at all of the touch points we have, and the
scope of our professional development programs. Here’s the summary of what we
reported at the conference – a list of accomplishments of which you should be
very proud.
Professional development
Our
professional development committee streamlined our programming, eliminated
duplication and created a sense of laddering and continuity in our winter
workshops.
Long-term education
We
have made great strides, especially in the area of Red Seal apprenticeships.
Red Seal is a term used for occupations that align standards across Canada.
There are only 75 Red Seal trades. Landscape Horticulture is now one of them.
The designation raises the stature of our trade. It also comes with a number of
employer and employee benefits.
Another
positive development is the expansion of the high school specialist major
program. This program started as a pilot project in a local high school, spreading
quickly to 18 other high schools. It is now possible to graduate high school
with a specialty in Landscape Horticulture.
Future changes
Although we offer access to a number of
webinars, which are becoming a popular delivery method, traditional classroom
training is still our most successful. We experienced moderate growth this year,
with 4,025 attendees in our educational programs. The following numbers show
attendance at each of the programs: winter workshops (225), 1,900; irrigation
conference, 80; landscaper designers conference, 185; IPM Symposium, 400; OPA
conference, 75; Congress seminars (32); 800, Garden Centre Symposium, 110;
Interiorscape Breakfast, 50; Landscape Designers Breakfast, 60; Snow Symposium,
100; Contractors Lecture Series, 90; Growers Short Course, 160; Lighting
Symposium, 90; Growers’ Tour, 120; three Growers Dinner Meetings, 150; Chapter
education programs, 1,350; Total attendance: 4,025.
New education models
Another
education model at our fingertips quickly gaining popularity is online delivery
of relevant programs. Three of these are presently experiencing great interest
and may become the future preferred training methods. Created by members, these
programs are all endorsed by the Prosperity Partners for our members and
beyond:
Landscape Management Network.com. This is an online offering targeting the
Prosperity Partners pillars of Sales Success, Professional Operations and Financial
Health. Owners and employees purchase subscriptions to an online operating
system that includes budgeting, estimating, operations, employee training and
just about any process or content required to operate a landscape business. The
employee modules on safety and equipment operations provide the business owner with
the documentation required to prove that their employees comply with government
requirements. Landscape Management Network.com is owned by LO member Mark
Bradley, The Beach Gardener.
Landscape Safety.com. This online offering targets the
Professional Operations pillar. It simplifies due diligence on the part of the
business owner, and ensures compliance, convenient and timely training for all
safety issues facing employers of our industry. Landscape Safety.com is owned
by LO member Jay Murray, TLC Landscaping.
Clarity for the Boss.com. This online
initiative is launching its first course on Nov. 15, 2010. This owner training
program targets the Prosperity Partners pillars of Leadership, Sales Success,
Financial Health and Developing Customer Loyalty. The introductory course for Clarity for the Boss is an Internet
accessible 26 module program designed to target the perennial people problems
many owners experience. Several e-books are also available. It is designed to
support learning through engagement, ready-to-use solutions, peer to peer
learning partner support, live webinar participation, face to face seminars and
email support. ClarityfortheBoss.com is owned by LO member Jacki Hart, Water’s
Edge Landscaping.
New winter workshop offerings
This
year’s program for workshops is better than ever. Starting with the Professional
Development Guide, LO staff refreshed the look, and navigation through the publication
provided easier selection and coordination of courses. All courses are aligned
with the Prosperity Pillars. Watch for your copy! The Professional Development
Guide was polybagged with last month’s Horticulture Review. A pdf version is
available online at http://bit.ly/DevGuide.
You
will notice in the guide that the Prosperity Partners program is offering only
the Build Your Prosperity seminars. In order for us to offer this seminar to
members in other chapters, please contact one of your Chapter Board members,
and ask to poll your chapter members to rally participation. Chapters who
recruit a minimum of 10 registrants can enjoy having this dynamic, effective
seminar delivered in your own Chapter.
With
the introduction of relevant, affordable training now available online, we
recommend our members look to the three preferred education partners listed
above to continue their journey to improved business success, compliance,
profit and sanity.
The
next Prosperity Partners’ seminars are: Milton,
Nov. 18 and Dec. 16 at the home office in Milton.
Make the time to come in from the frantic pace of your business, and get a
handle on your journey to prosperity. Go to www.horttrades.com/prosperity to learn more.
Jacki
Hart may be reached at prosperity@landscapeontario.com.
