We have sent out our snow plowing promotion as a gentle reminder to all of our Commercial and Industrial accounts. Winter has a habit of sneaking up on us. The first snow storm hits and half of us haven't even put our snow tires on yet.

If you are a Commercial, Industrial, Institutional, Retail or Corporate Property Owner or Manager now is the time to be talking to us about our Winter Maintenance and Snow Plowing Services. Because, you know as well as we do, winter wil be here before we know it. In fact, I just heard on the news today that New York State just south of Buffalo may get five to six inches of snow over the weekend. If the snow has started to hit Buffalo, we can't be far behind.

Here's the card we just sent out to businesses in East Toronto. Please feel free to share this post with anyone you know that might need snow plowing services this winter.

Here at Land Effects our winter slogan is:

"When winter hits, we'll be there!"

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Outdoor spaces evolve. Plants grow. Gardens fill in. Interlocking paths and patios, and decks and fences get a wonderful aged patina that, for the most part, improve the look of your outdoor space.

But, there is a difference between the natural aging of your garden and landscaping and wear and tear caused by usage and exposure to the elements. After a substantial investment in your landscaping it is important to do a little ongoing maintenance to ensure your landscaping continues to look great for years to come.

Maintaining your deck will keep it looking great
There are two reasons to maintain your deck:

1. aesthetics—keep it looking great 
2. durability—keep it free from rot and mildew etc. that can shorten the life of your deck

In Toronto, your deck has to withstand extreme temperature and weather: snow, sun, rain, etc. There are a number of alternatives when it comes to protecting your deck but if your deck isn't brand new you will have to clean it first. This involves scraping away any loose stain or paint, scrubbing the wood to clean it from dirt and mildew, cleaning and power washing the deck and finally staining or sealing it. Treatments range from clear sealing products that will allow the natural beauty of the wood to show through to semi-transparent stains to completely opaque paints. Ask your local outdoor products supplier about products that have UV inhibitors and mildew protection. Some products are also more environmentally safe than others so, if that's a concern, be sure to ask about that too. 

Applying a stain or sealer can be done with a roller, brush, and/or sprayer. The key is to get effective coverage so choose the tool that will serve you best.

A little ongoing maintenance can go a long way to ensure that your deck will continue to look great. If you've skipped the maintenance for a while there's still a pretty good chance you can revitalize your deck and make it look great once again.

This video from You Tube and courtesy of Lowe's give's a short overview of the process.*

Additional Resources

Lowe's Deck Maintenance Buying Guide

Home Depot—cleaning your deck

*This not to be construed as an endorsement of any specific company or its products.

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Have you ever visited a downtown law firm? You walk into their lusciously opulent lobby with its sconce-lit cherrywood-paneled walls—and, is that an original ________ painting on the wall? WOW! These guys must be good. You feel good about this. You want them to be good. You want them to be very good. 

Your impression, feeling of comfort, and confidence in them wasn't an accident. It was done by design. Lawyers know something that many companies forget when they contract for Property Services—the appearance of your premises contributes to the impressions, feelings and associations that your customers create and have about your company and your brand. (Yes, I've been talking to my marketing guy.) But, I believe it's true.

I think it was Freddie Laker*, the British airline entrepreneur who founded the low-cost Laker Airlines, who said (and I'm paraphrasing from memory here):

"If a passenger pulls down his food table and finds it dirty he has a fearful visceral response because he subconsciously thinks—if this is how they maintain their plane's interior, I wonder how they maintain their engines?"

What does the quality of your exterior maintenance and landscaping telegraph to your customers about your company and your brand? What will your customer, as she brings in her _________ to your site for service, subconsciously think? Is she going to think: "No wonder the product failed look at this place" or is she going to have a feeling of confidence and know that you're going to make everything right for her? What visceral response will she have?

Property Services are often considered a commodity service—they're all the same— and buyers often look to the lowest bidder. I think you should rethink this premise. Maintaining your property at a level that enhances your brand in the minds and hearts of your customers makes more business sense. This probably won't be accomplished by hiring the company that has low-balled their quote to get your business. Hiring a professional Property Services team that pays the attention to detail needed to ensure that the look of your premises positively contributes to your brand and company image probably won't even cost much more. But, you'll be able to tell the difference—and so will your customer.

*But it might have been the CEO of People Express Airlines—another low-cost Airline of the time.

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