After more than 30 years in the landscape industry, I’ve come to believe that one of the most important business decisions we make is choosing which clients to work with.
That may sound obvious, but many contractors spend years saying yes to almost every opportunity that comes along, even if misaligned with their values or objectives. Sometimes that’s driven by fear. Sometimes it’s the pressure to keep crews busy. And sometimes it’s simply because no one has taken the time to clearly define the kind of company they actually want to build.
At Creative Roots, we figured out fairly early who we enjoyed working with and the type of work we wanted to be known for. Long before terms like “ideal client profile” (ICP) became popular, we had already built much of our business around that idea.
Our tagline has always been: “Making Neighbours Jealous Since 1994.” That wasn’t just marketing, it became a filter. We loved designing, building and maintaining landscapes that created pride — for both the homeowner and our team. We were drawn to clients who appreciated craftsmanship, cared about details, communicated respectfully and trusted the process. Those clients challenged us creatively and pushed our team toward continuous improvement.
Over time, that clarity influenced the type of clients we attracted as well. We focused heavily on showcasing projects we were genuinely proud of and built relationships in communities where those types of clients existed.
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We often said the only places we wanted to work were the ones we’d be proud to have our sign displayed out front. That approach naturally created more referrals from likeminded homeowners who wanted a similar experience.
It also made pre-qualifying easier. Early conversations weren’t just about budget or scope. We were listening for alignment — communication style, expectations, trust and whether the client genuinely valued the type of work we wanted to deliver.
We also had a “No A**hole Policy” written directly into our company policies. We didn’t want to work for them, and we didn’t want to work with them either.
Over the years, I also learned that red flags are not always dramatic. Sometimes they simply show up as a sign of potential misalignment.
A client insisting on collecting multiple quotes, wanting to heavily manage the process themselves or focusing immediately on phasing work before trust has been established doesn’t automatically mean the relationship will fail. In many cases, it simply means they may have been burned before or that we haven’t earned their confidence yet.
Urgency can be another signal.
Occasionally, someone wants a large, complex project completed immediately without understanding the planning, scheduling and coordination required to do exceptional work. Good companies are often booked in advance for a reason.
Another thing I learned was the importance of quietly doing your homework. Talking with other contractors or suppliers involved on a property can sometimes reveal whether people are treated fairly and whether payments happen consistently and respectfully.
I also became cautious when homeowners talked negatively about every previous contractor they had hired. Occasionally they had a legitimate reason, but sometimes it revealed a pattern where no one was ever able to meet their expectations.
Years ago, we were called to a lakefront property where the homeowner immediately criticized several previous landscaping companies during our first conversation. Before we had even discussed the work itself, it already felt clear that nothing was likely going to be good enough.
That doesn’t make someone a bad person. But over time, I’ve learned that early conversations, communication style, expectations and even body language often tell you whether values and working styles are aligned long before a contract is signed.
Now, I realize some people may read this and think, “That sounds great after 30 years. You can just pick and choose your clients.” And to some degree, that’s true. But the reality is that clarity didn’t happen accidentally. It came from years of intentionally deciding who we wanted to work with, the type of work we wanted to be known for and continuously improving our ability to deliver on those promises.
We certainly didn’t get everything right all the time, but our goal was always to become the best version of ourselves we could be.
That’s one reason I believe trying to be everything to everybody rarely works. You simply can’t gain traction or become exceptional at your craft while constantly diluting your focus on projects, services and relationships that don’t align with your strengths or values.
A few years ago, while trying to better define our ideal maintenance clients, I asked our team to close their eyes and picture their favourite property to work on — the client they would happily spend all day with every week. Interestingly, almost everyone described the same customer.
Yes, the property itself was beautiful, but what stood out most had nothing to do with the size of the home. The client appreciated details, trusted our team and treated people well. Just as importantly, they valued the full range of what we were trained to do — not just mowing lawns and leaving, but full property care including irrigation, lighting, turf management, integrated pest management, enhancements and continual improvement of the landscape over time. The work challenged us in positive ways and created pride in what we were doing.
That staff exercise helped us better define the type of relationships we wanted to continue building.
Today, a life-sized image of that client stands on the wall in our shop beside our scoreboards and company goals with a question beside it: “What makes an ICP?”
Why? Because customers don’t always have a voice in internal meetings, but they should still influence how we think, communicate and make decisions as a team.
The longer I’ve been in business, the more I’ve realized saying “no” is rarely about arrogance or exclusivity. It’s about alignment.
When a project, relationship or expectation falls outside your company’s values, strengths or standards, saying yes can create stress for everyone involved — including the customer. Clear companies make better decisions because they understand who they serve best, the experience they want to deliver and the kind of culture they’re trying to protect.
Great clients build great companies.
In the end, sustainable growth is not about taking every job — it’s about building a company that knows exactly who it is.
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About Me
I’ve spent the last 30 years learning how business can improve people’s lives—from time on the shovel to building a culture of ownership. Today, I coach landscaping business owners to work on their business, increase profits, and enjoy the ride.
If you’re ready to grow your business by growing your people, Book Some Time With Me to Talk
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