Toolbox for the Trades

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.