State of the Industry

[tiedeman]

Does anybody find that the "State of the Industry" reports put out by every single magazine out there are basically pointless. It just seems that they really don't give any GOOD information. It's the same old same old.

Anybody else feel this as well?

[Az Gardener]

I completely agree. If I am thinking of the same article they didn't even ask contractors they asked head of the local associations. Contractors are not going to go to a meet and greet and tell the association director I have lost my last 35 bids there is some low balling going on out there. If they want the truth they should ask the tax preparers. or the CFO's Most of the articles are useless unless you are an absolute novice. It has been my experience as a writer you have to play nice, I was asked to write an article on fertilizer injectors for residential applications. I layed it out, the good bad and ugly and was told that I really shouldn't say that a EZ flow were a piece of crap and Fertigators will need to have the barrels replaced in 12-18 months if you are using humates. When I read an article I want to learn something I don't know. I have found Planets cost study guide to be less than the gospel too. I got one from 99 or 00 and in the high profit residential market, Southwest region, they only had 4 contractors respond to the questionnaire. How can you put out a survey with so few respondents. I like Turfs method of putting a machine with a contractor to test but I would also like a consumer reports format with some history behind it. Ok you hit a pet peeve of mine.

[GreenUtah]

well, what's the real purpose behind a magazine putting out a state of the industry report? It's filler for pages in that month, sure, but what it really is, is a marketing piece. How? Let's assume that you have a magazine full of ads. Ads are the fuel that drives your income. Advertisers want to know that they are participating in a growing, healthy market, full of potential and revenue. They want to see it in a official report that makes them feel secure in their ad buys. I'd stick a copy of that report in every single ad package pitch. So is it really, truly meant for you, the reader? I don't know, what would you plan to do with the info, launch your own IPO? lol

[tiedeman]

You just think that the information might be a little more useful. Such as; which way is the industry heading and changing, what is the pay/service price for each state, not each region, whether houseing is increasing or decreasing in the state, talk with the same guy and the large guy, what types of advertising works, problems that people have to deal with, etc.

I just think that by putting it into a region, for example MidWest, it is too broad. They need to break it down into each state, and possible areas in each state. Sure this might mean more work and cost more for them to do, but it would make for a more enjoyabler reading and enlightenment of where your current area is heading.

[mtdman]

I find most of the industry magazines pointless to begin with. It's more like a giant advertisement for equipment, mixed with social hour for the biggest companies in the industry. Rarely do I find any good articles geared toward the smaller lcos. And mostly those magazines are a waste of the paper on which they are printed.

[olderthandirt]

Such as; which way is the industry heading and changing, what is the pay/service price for each state, not each region, whether houseing is increasing or decreasing in the state, talk with the same guy and the large guy, what types of advertising works, problems that people have to deal with, etc.

Down & cheap covers pretty much what you asked :)

[tiedeman]

Down & cheap covers pretty much what you asked :)

Mac...:cry:

But seriously, I would love them to kind of break it down like a census. Even if they didn't do it every year, maybe every 2 years. But be specific and get right down into each area. Metro, city, suburb, rural, you name it, give us the stats

I mean, sure I think that every state of the industry report for the last two years, have had my results from the survey sent in as well, but it is just to broad.

[olderthandirt]

Mac...:cry:

But seriously, I would love them to kind of break it down like a census. Even if they didn't do it every year, maybe every 2 years. But be specific and get right down into each area. Metro, city, suburb, rural, you name it, give us the stats

I mean, sure I think that every state of the industry report for the last two years, have had my results from the survey sent in as well, but it is just to broad.

Troy I agree, but its not gonna happen till someone makes it profitable to produce the break down. As soon as it becomes worth something it will be produced and the more $$$ they can make the farther the break down will become.

[rodfather]

IMO, all they do is give someone a job...most are too general and not specific enough as mentioned.

[tiedeman]

I agree totally Rod. They are just a waste of space

[Jpocket]

I also think they are pointless, it's too general. They don't give me any insight into the past or coming year, they are just numbers that fluctuat a few % fromyear to year.

[Envy Lawn Service]

I feel the same about almost all the articles in all the green industry publications.

Pro really sucks. When I used to get Turf, I was atleast amused by the threads they would put in there from lawnsite. I also enjoyed getting published once in a while. But I don't get Turf anymore.

All-in-All they are good to have in the bathroom rack is about all.
One pile of BS deserves another...

[topsites]

Those people who write the articles...

Do any of them get out in the field like most of us?

I mean, do they?

yeah... kinda reminds me of working for a large corporation, suddenly a new idea comes along for the workers to implement, straight from the guy sits behind the computer all day...

I stopped paying attention to this a long time ago, thou from time to time I still pick one up and wonder WHERE in the world this place is, where they report these things supposedly happen like that. :rolleyes:

The scary thing is, it's exactly those kind of folk end up in charge of stuff...

[mtdman]

All-in-All they are good to have in the bathroom rack is about all.
One pile of BS deserves another...


LOL! And Amen!

:D

[tiedeman]

This is exactly what I do with the magazines: I go through the magazine, rabbit earing the corners of what I want to read. Then later in the evening I open up the magazine and usually read it through within 30 mins. Half of the stuff I don't even read. ALl I have to do is start to read the first couple of paragraphs and I can tell that it is going to be cr@p.