Margin Drivers Resource Center | EquiScape
Free guides, calculators and a course with a completion certificate for landscaping companies Built by EquiScape Business Advisors
Margin Drivers Resource Center by EquiScapeMargin Drivers Resource Center by EquiScapeMargin Drivers Resource Center by EquiScapeMargin Drivers Resource Center by EquiScape EquiScape Business AdvisorsEquiScape Business Advisors Margin Drivers Academy

Margin Drivers Resource Center by EquiScape · Free

Learn it. Try it. Prove it.

The money side of a landscape company, made practical. Each part of the Margin Drivers Resource Center leads to the next, and you can jump in anywhere.

3Prove

Margin Drivers Academy

The 22 guides as a course for your whole team, with a quiz after each module.

Margin Drivers Academy sealA certificate with the Margin Drivers Academy seal when they finish.
  • 6 modules, in guide order
  • A short quiz after each module
  • Progress saved as you go
Start Margin Drivers Academy →

The guides · 3 stages, 22 guides

Read the numbers, control them, then build value

Pick a stage, open a guide and play with its calculator. Go in order or jump to the question you have today.

Stage 1 · Read the numbers

Foundations

“What do my numbers say?”

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  1. 1Profit & Loss At a GlanceThe scorecard every other guide uses.Calculator: your P&L, one dollar at a time
  2. 2Balance Sheet At a GlanceWhat you own, what you owe, what's yours.Calculator: your cushion and debt load
  3. 3Profit Isn't CashWhy a profitable month can drain the bank.Calculator: where did the cash go?
  4. 4Markup vs. MarginThe pricing mix-up that quietly costs thousands.Calculator: markup or margin?
  5. 5True Cost of LaborA $25 wage really costs $30 an hour.Calculator: loaded labor cost · + Windshield time
  6. 6The Break-Even PointThe one monthly sales number you must hit.Calculator: your monthly break-even

You're ready whenyou can read your own P&L and Balance Sheet and know your break-even.

Stage 2 · Price, track & collect

Control

“How do I make every job pay?”

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  1. 7Equipment Cost per HourPrice every machine hour, and buy or rent smart.Calculator: cost per machine hour, buy or rent
  2. 8Building a Billing RateLabor + equipment + overhead + profit.Calculator: build your billing rate · + Price increase lab
  3. 9Job Estimator At a GlanceCheck margin and realized rate before the bid goes out.Calculator: check a bid · + Job Pricing Calculator
  4. 10Job Costing At a GlanceEstimate vs. actual, one job at a time.Calculator: estimate vs. actual · + Profit leak finder
  5. 11Receivables & CollectionsA sale isn't done until the money is in the bank.Calculator: days to collect and cash freed
  6. 12Cash Flow & Weekly Cash MeetingPay in priority order, every week.Calculator: this week’s cash, in priority order
  7. 13Budgeting 101Set the plan, then compare every month.Worked example: budget vs. actual
  8. 14Monthly KPI ScorecardTen numbers, once a month.Scorecard: ten numbers, saved monthly · + Health check

You're ready whenyour bids hit your margin goal and you run a monthly scorecard.

Stage 3 · Grow & build value

Strategy

“Where is this business going?”

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  1. 15Surviving the Off-SeasonEarn it in eight months, spend it in twelve.Calculator: your winter reserve
  2. 16Division ProfitabilitySales mix isn't profit mix.Calculator: revenue mix vs. profit mix · + Customer lifetime value
  3. 17Landscape Revenue RankingsSee where you stand in the industry.Calculator: find your revenue band
  4. 18Who Owns WhatGive every number one owner: sales or production.Chart: who owns each number
  5. 19Building Your TeamWho to hire, and when. Includes 8 role sheets.Calculator: can you afford the hire? · + Add-a-crew planner
  6. 20Finance Team At a GlanceWho reports the score, and who helps change it.Chart: who covers what
  7. 21What's My Business Worth?Adjusted EBITDA × a multiple.Calculator: net profit to value · + EBITDA Valuation Calculator
  8. 22Getting Buyer-Ready24 checks a buyer will look for.Checklist: the 24 checks buyers make

You're ready whenyou plan a year ahead, have the right team in place and know what your business is worth.

Try it now · The two tools owners use most

Price a job. See what your company is worth.

Both start on an example company. Drag a slider or type a number and watch the result change, then open the full tool for your own job or your own books.

Price a job

Example hardscape install · goal 60% gross margin

Example
Bid price $1,565.20
2.8 pts below goal

Dashed line = 60% gross margin goal

Labor cost 8 hrs × $27.00 + 20% burden · price $745.20$259.20
Material cost Hard material · price $820.00$410.00
= Total job cost$669.20
Gross profit$896.00
Gross margin57.2%
Realized rate (price − material) ÷ crew hours$144.40/hr

Change the job

8 hrs
3.45×
2.00×
Closing the gap: raise the labor markup to about 3.95× on wage, or trim crew hours, to reach a 60% margin.
Open the Job Pricing Calculator Read Guide 9

Sample valuation

Example landscaping company · $4.85M sales · last 12 months

Example

Example only. Not a valuation of any business or financial advice. Disclaimer

Likely sale value $3.71M Range $3.12M – $4.30M
Net profit (bottom line)$514K
+ Interest, taxes & depreciation$249K
+ Owner perks & one-time costs $78K
= Real earnings (adjusted EBITDA)$841K
− People a buyer must hire to replace you −$58K
= Earnings a buyer pays for$783K
× What buyers pay per $1 of earnings4.74× (3.99–5.49×)

Change the example to see what moves the price

68%

10% or less

How much the business depends on the owner
Takeaway: getting recurring maintenance to 70% or more of sales raises the multiple 0.5× and adds about $420K to this company’s value.
Open the EBITDA Valuation Calculator Read Guide 21

Free download

Take the whole library with you

Every guide in the Margin Drivers Resource Center as one printable PDF: for the truck, the office binder or your next management meeting.

  • All 22 guides in order, with a table of contents
  • The 8 “when to hire” role sheets
  • Finance Terms At a Glance: 95 terms and 41 acronyms

Free. We just ask for your name and email.

Each resource in this library is designed to deliver real value, but no single tool can solve a business challenge on its own. Lasting results come from connecting these tools and concepts into a comprehensive, cohesive strategy. EquiScape partners with you to build that strategy around your company’s specific goals, challenges, and stage of growth.

Margin Drivers Academy seal by EquiScape

Margin Drivers Academy · Free course

Send your whole team through the course

Six modules built from the 22 guides, with the example company, progress tracking, a short quiz after each and a certificate with the Margin Drivers Academy seal. Free, about two hours, made for crew leaders, estimators and the office.

Start the course