In a recent episode of the Kid Contractor Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with several industry professionals to get their take on the current economic landscape. In this third installment of our series, we heard from Jonathan Martin of Precision Outdoors in North Carolina and Ryan Fennell of Earth and Stone in Texas. The key takeaways from our conversations were:

1. The labor pool continues to be a major challenge, with contractors having to pay more to attract and retain skilled workers. This is driving up costs and putting pressure on profit margins.

2. Budgeting and estimating software are critical tools for running a successful landscaping business. Contractors who invest the time to set up these systems are better equipped to price jobs accurately and maintain profitability.

3. The economic conditions vary across different regions of the country. While some areas are experiencing rapid growth, others are seeing a slowdown in new construction and concrete work. Successful...

On the latest episode of the Kid Contractor Podcast, I had the chance to catch up with two more contractors from different regions of the country to get their take on the current economic conditions and trends they're seeing in their businesses. First, I spoke with Paul from Miami, Florida, who runs a landscaping company called PGL. Paul shared how he's had to adapt his business over the past 18 months, going from a focus on lawn maintenance to more design and installation work. He's noticed his clients are asking more detailed questions about the projects, wanting to understand the value they're getting rather than just focusing on the timeline. Paul also discussed the challenges of managing his crew size, finding the right balance between having enough workers to get the job done well while also keeping his overhead in check. And he emphasized the importance of building trust with clients, especially after some have had bad experiences with other contractors. Later in the episode,...