How to Fly Past Your Competitors
The #1 Lesson We Can Learn From Netflix…
Some of my favorite 90s memories are walking into a Blockbuster and picking a movie to watch. Maybe this is partially why I studied film in university (a story for another time).
In the 1990s, Blockbuster was the largest video rental chain. They had around 5000 stores across the US, Canada, the UK, Mexico, and Australia.
But the story of Blockbuster serves as a cautionary tale- especially in the landscaping industry.
As Blockbuster’s business boomed, the internet was weaving its way into households, and new ways of consuming media were becoming more common.
Netflix emerged as a DVD-by-mail service. But then Netflix did something we all know Blockbuster failed to do…
They adapted to technology. They pivoted.
Netflix became the go-to streaming platform, taking off and solidifying its place in our homes.
Meanwhile, Blockbuster was filing for bankruptcy and closing down stores worldwide.
They couldn’t compete for many reasons… but they could’ve if they’d changed course as technology became ever-integrated into our daily lives.
The reality is there are newbies entering the landscape/lawn care business every single day. I’ve seen these kids take the other guy’s lunch and run with it, going on to become the IT company in their territory.
The difference? One adapted, the other didn’t.
We’re now in the age of AI. People know this and are hunting for jobs that are sustainable long-term - something the landscaping and lawn care industry offers for the foreseeable future.
But with the markets getting worse… fewer people buying landscaping (this is evident in Google trends)… it’s not exactly getting any easier.
Luckily, if you’re in this group, and continually learning, you’re in the top 10% who are going to fly through all of this.
Technology isn’t going to leave us behind.
Why? Because our companies
use technology. It doesn’t
replace us, it
amplifies us.
And not only that but we are optimizing for changing trends and catering to high-end clients - the ones who aren’t scared to pay a bit more for top-notch work.
The ones who aren’t stressed about the economy because they know they’re good financially.
The ones where you’re not competing with the next young kid around the block who offers $20 per mow because they are willing to pay more for better..
But to have these high-end clients (and those reliable staff to deliver the work), we need to target them effectively - through our messages, ads, etc.
We need to pivot and do what the majority aren’t. (i.e. be Netflix, not Blockbuster)
This is the foundation of unlocking your company’s full potential and skyrocketing toward success and away from scarcity. This is the key to lasting in this industry.
Next email, I’ll go deeper into this and talk about how to attract high-value clients & staff.