Mergers, acquisitions, and private equity investment are rapidly redefining the landscape of the high-end lawn, landscape, and outdoor living industry. For growing companies, these shifts are no longer a distant concern—they are an imminent reality. From leadership transitions to multi-location integration, understanding how to maintain brand trust and operational momentum during M&A is now a core growth skill.

You're drowning in leads—but most just don't convert. Sound familiar? You're not alone. Many lawn, landscape, and outdoor living businesses share the same frustration. Now that the COVID-induced boom in home renovations has cooled, quality leads have never mattered more. Let’s shift the focus from quantity to quality and watch the real results roll in.

Rolling out new tools and processes successfully requires thoughtful planning. Businesses that implement change with a clear rollout plan—complete with executive buy-in, easy-to-follow training, and ongoing coaching—tend to see stronger adoption across teams. Aligning incentives and compensation with data quality can further encourage consistent usage and accountability.

If you’ve felt that sting—of invoices stacking up while your phones stay quiet—this guide is for you. We’re not here to sell you another cookie-cutter service. Instead, think of these seven “vetting checkpoints” as guardrails: Apply them to any marketing proposal, and you’ll spot the red flags before you commit. Each checkpoint ends with a simple payoff line, so you know exactly what relief you’ll achieve.

Why Proposals, Not Just Estimates, Win Premium Work

Too often, landscape companies equate “proposal” with “estimate.” A simple spreadsheet with quantities and pricing may suffice for low-cost, commoditized work—but it falls short in today’s more sophisticated sales environment. Kyle Racki, Co-founder and CEO of Proposify, puts it succinctly: “A proposal is your chance to sell when you're not in the room.”

Especially for residential design-build projects or commercial bids with multiple stakeholders, proposals carry the burden of telling your story. They must communicate not just the scope, but the strategy, the professionalism, and the value behind your pricing.

As a design build professional, there is probably a specific skill set or passion you had that led you to start a business around it. But along the way, we know it’s easy to get swept up in all the other aspects of the business – probably the aspects you don’t know how to manage and aren’t very interested in. STOP TRYING TO DO IT ALL. Outsourcing is a great way to free up your time and produce quality work. Here's a list of some position that are totally worth it to outsource.