Toolbox for the Trades

When Tiffany Martin Peters entered into the family business in 2014, the company was running well but was stagnant. At the time the general feeling was “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” Today, Martin Peters is president of North by Northwest Lawns in Austin, Texas. She proudly notes that everything she originally learned about the family landscaping company came from her dad. While business was steady, it was also in need of upgrades. “If you're not improving your processes with the times, you’ll stay stagnant,” Martin Peters says. “Even just with technology, you're gonna be left behind in the dust because everybody else is keeping up with the times.” Making changes, especially in a tight-knit family business, is not for the faint of heart, she says. There was give and take. “My dad once said that being offended is a choice,” Martin Peters says. “It’s about [acknowledging] my lack of knowledge and not taking [criticism] personally.” The company went all in with Aspire Software, a sister software solution to ServiceTitan. There was a learning curve, but she says North by Northwest is now out of the weeds and has tech processes working smoothly. Martin Peters was hands on during the onboarding so she could gain full knowledge of the software. “It was very important for me to be a part of the implementation,” she says. “So that I could fully understand and wrap my head around it so that I could delegate it to other people.” Tiffany Martin Peters recently joined ServiceTitan’s Amanda Salvatore on the “Toolbox for the Trades” podcast, which included Martin Peters’s thoughts on: [5:33] Transitioning the office from old-school paper to modern processes [8:26] Navigating family dynamics while implementing new procedures [13:56] Adopting new software during the peak seasonal months [16:01] Creating project timelines 26:48] How instant data helped project job costing To hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google , or anywhere you get podcasts.

Site Landscape Development CFO Andrew Craft has proved that process improvement is a growth engine for companies in the landscaping and commercial cleaning trade industry. Craft is the second guest of “Toolbox for the Trades” new co-host Amanda Salvatore. Powering Site Landscape Development’s tremendous growth is Aspire Software, a sister software solution to ServiceTitan. Dallas-Fort Worth-based Site Landscape Development adopted Aspire and, by investing in an efficient system, doubled revenue. “ We needed a platform to give us the ability to grow, and for us, that was Aspire,” Craft says. “We were at $20 million in revenue. Now, we're just over $40 million this year.” Craft demonstrated that tech-forward thinking and financial discipline can lead to more than just time savings. But it did lead to a quandary during hiring. Some applicants wondered if the human element was still needed. “We would get the question, ‘If you're gonna automate the AP process, why are you hiring -- is this a temporary position?’” he says. “No way. [automation] leaves time for the higher-value stuff.” With automation, data and scalable tools in place, Craft has even bigger plans, like $100 million in annual revenue within the next five years. Serious growth, for sure. “ The big advantage of Aspire is having everything in one place,” he says. “[Having] a CRM, just for starters, is super important as you grow to have all your data in one place.” Andrew Craft recently joined ServiceTitan’s Amanda Salvatore on the “Toolbox for the Trades” podcast, which included Craft’s thoughts on: [1:49] Why process improvements are critical for scaling your small business [6:21] How a CRM and EOS implementations helped Site double its revenue [15:31] Advice to small-business owners trying to jump their scaling hurdles [32:17] Projecting the future after efficiency improvements. To hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google , or anywhere you get podcasts.

Aspire Software Director of Client Experiences Jon Gohl raves about the benefit of mentorship in the landscaping and commercial cleaning trades – and he vows to pass along the same benefits to newcomers to the industry. Gohl is the first guest of Toolbox for the Trades new co-host Amanda Salvatore, who’ll be sharing duties with veteran host Jackie Aubel. Aspire Software is a sister software solution to ServiceTitan. Gohl, a bicycling enthusiast, is a big believer in leading effectively through technology. He credits others for helping him navigate the path to being an effective leader. “ You can never walk this alone,” he says. “You have to walk together, so bring people [with you] to accomplish the mission and the dream of the unachievable, and it shall come true.” Gohl’s philosophy in life and in business is to keep moving forward, try new things and not be afraid to take risks by walking out onto skinny branches. “ When I talk about skinny branches, it's about living your life and not clinging to the trunk [of a tree],” he says. “If you’re clinging to the trunk, you're going to miss the whole purpose of why we're all here. You’ve got to get on the skinny branches. That's where the action is.” Out on those branches is where Gohl hopes to recruit teammates who will advance software adoption in the field. “We're going to change this industry,” he says. “We're going to revolutionize it. We're going to bring something that nobody has before, to arm themselves and become better, become greater, and accomplish the ultimate outstanding.” Jon Gohl recently joined ServiceTitan co-host Amanda Salvatore on the “Toolbox for the Trades” podcast, which included Gohl’s thoughts on: [11:21] Leadership lessons Gohl took from some of the industry’s legends [15:12] Creating a vision for yourself [17:46] Bringing technology to schools for the next generation of landscapers [24:30] Framing software platforms as an approachable tool [26:22] How educational outreach will benefit the industry To hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to Toolbox for the Trades on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Google , or anywhere you get podcasts.