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<channel>
<title>OutdoorCoffeeShop</title>
<link>https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/</link>
<description>Outdoor Forum, Classifieds, Galleries and More!</description>
<language>en-us</language><item>
<title>The legal side of the outdoor industry</title>
<link>https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/post/the-legal-side-of-the-outdoor-industry</link>
<description>the-legal-side-of-the-outdoor-industry</description>
<pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 05:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
		<img src='/uploads/media/2026/07/cotney-the-legal-side-of-the-outdoor-industry.png'
            alt='The legal side of the outdoor industry'
            title='The legal side of the outdoor industry'
            class=''
            style=' '  loading='lazy' /><br><p>By Emma Peterson.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Learn how a simple documentation system can save you a huge legal headache down the line.&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Across the outdoor industry, whether you work on landscaping design, pool maintenance or some other area outside, there is one consistent challenge &ndash; navigating the legal side of operating a business. To learn about how to handle the legal details in a professional way that protects you and your company, we invited <a href="https://www.rooferscoffeeshop.com/directory/john-kenney-mcs-influencer">John Kenney</a> of <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/directory/cotney-consulting-group">Cotney Consulting Group</a> to OutdoorCoffeeShop&trade; for <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/podcast/john-kenney-winning-construction-disputes-without-the-courtroom">an episode of From the Ground Up</a> all about the legal side of the outdoor industry.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>John&rsquo;s primary legal recommendation for contractors and professionals is to make sure your documentation is in order. He elaborated:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>I see a lot of contractors run into issues because they don&rsquo;t have a good documentation practice in place. There are two common scenarios. The first one is that everything gets documented after there&#39;s a problem. The other is that things live in unofficial spots, like test message, or worse, in someone&rsquo;s memory.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>And while it is understandable that things happen on a job quickly and without the time to fill out a form or report immediately, you have to make it a priority to go back and redocument it so that there is a paper trail to reference. &ldquo;You have to have an organized system. One of the most valuable things you can do is put a simple checklist together of exactly how your documentation flow is going to go,&rdquo; John explained. &ldquo;Because if any conflicts come up, it always goes back to the best paper wins. You don&rsquo;t want to have to scramble to figure out what happened when a dispute hits, you want to be able to pull everything out and tell a story of exactly what happened.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>What should that story you showcase include? John said that a strong claim will be able to answer three questions clearly:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<ol>
	<li>What changed?&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
	<li>How did it impact your work?&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
	<li>What did it cost?&nbsp;</li>
</ol>

<p>In John&#39;s words, &quot;The strongest claims have to be timeline based, supported with documentation and clearly tied to contract language. That&#39;s the key.&rdquo; In other words, building a strong, credible claim in the face of dispute is directly dependent on the processes and organization you have in place for documentation.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>How do you build that system? It&rsquo;s a process. John explained:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>My advice is really keep it simple. Don&#39;t try to fix everything at once, because that will really overwhelm you. So, what I&#39;d like you to do is create a daily report first. That report should cover the weather of the day, where you were that day, what got done, how it went and any issues that cropped up. Additionally, you don&#39;t want to forget to track visitors to the site. It&rsquo;s very important to write on there, so-and-so showed up and we had a conversation about xyz.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>With that report alone, you can often answer those three claim questions already. But to make your case solid, John says the other documents to prioritize are your notice processes and change order forms. He elaborated, &ldquo;You want to make sure a simple notice process is in order and your team understands it. This is a process determined by your contract that outlines how you notify your client, and they notify you of changes. And speaking of those changes, you want to have your change order forms ready up front with the full process so that you can get your change orders handled immediately.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p>By having that notice process in order and change order documentation system in place, you will have all the legal paperwork needed to back up your daily report and build a strong, credible claim. And then, when a problem does arise, as they always seem to do in this industry, you&rsquo;re prepared. As John put it, &ldquo;If you do all those things and you do them as quickly and up front as you can, it&#39;s going to make your job and your company run a lot smoother in the long run.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Want to learn more about managing the legal side of your business? <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/podcast/john-kenney-winning-construction-disputes-without-the-courtroom">Listen to the whole episode</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFjoXgWNlXU">Watch the recorded conversation</a> with John!&nbsp;</strong></p>]]></content:encoded>
</item><item>
<title>The value of running a tight ship</title>
<link>https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/post/the-value-of-running-a-tight-ship</link>
<description>the-value-of-running-a-tight-ship</description>
<pubDate>Sun, 02 Aug 2026 05:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
		<img src='/uploads/media/2026/07/cotney-the-value-of-running-a-tight-ship.png'
            alt='The value of running a tight ship'
            title='The value of running a tight ship'
            class=''
            style=' '  loading='lazy' /><br><p>By Emma Peterson.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>As regulations evolve, contractors who embrace systems and accountability are finding it easier to stay compliant and protect their operations.&nbsp;</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/podcast/john-kenney-contractor-compliance-updates">In a new From the Ground Up&trade; episode</a>, Karol Weyman sat down with <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/directory/john-kenney-mcs-influencer">John Kenney</a>, CEO of <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/directory/cotney-consulting-group">Cotney Consulting Group</a>, to talk about the legal, safety and compliance changes happening right now and how outdoor contractors can keep up with everything that&rsquo;s happening.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<h3>What&rsquo;s changing right now&nbsp;</h3>

<p>When Karol asked John about the biggest changes is regulation he&rsquo;s currently seeing, he immediately highlighted labor and employment. He explained:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Worker classification, overtime rules and documenting required requirements that continue to evolve. And I see a lot of contractors especially get into trouble with these, worker classification and overtime rules in particular, because they&rsquo;re not up to date on the changes.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>He also mentioned safety compliance and environmental regulations. For safety, he emphasized that the changes happening are more related to enforcement rather than written policy, sharing, &ldquo;OSHA isn&#39;t necessarily rewriting their rule book, but they are increasing enforcement. They&#39;re more aggressively paying attention to things like heat illness prevention, fall protection, trenching and documentation.&rdquo; As for the environment regulation changes, John noted that &ldquo;things like stormwater management, erosion control, runoff protection and material disposal requirements are becoming more stringent in a lot of areas.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>And the last thing he touched on was permitting and licensing, which he described as &ldquo;continuing to become more complex, especially for contractors that work across multiple cities and counties.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<h3>How do adapt to all of this?&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>

<p>It can be overwhelming to think about all the areas that John highlighted where regulations and policies are evolving, but he emphasized that there are ways to adapt your operations that will make it easier to keep up with the changes. His main suggestion? Run a tight ship. He explained:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Today&#39;s contractor has to be much more structured than even when we were ten years ago. Take worker classification as an example. I tell people that managing workers today isn&#39;t just assigning work. You have to document the training, their performance, safety strategies, incidents, etc. By having that documentation in place, both the employer and employee are protected in the case of disputes or issues.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This is just one example of how running a tight ship and embracing systems of documentation and record-keeping can help your business navigate evolving regulations. John put it best, &ldquo;The contractors that embrace systems are finding compliance much easier than those trying to manage everything from memory. And compliance isn&rsquo;t just about avoiding fines, it&rsquo;s key to protecting and growing your business.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Want to learn more about navigating today&rsquo;s regulatory environment? <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/podcast/john-kenney-contractor-compliance-updates">Listen to the whole episode</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR72BLH0PV4">Watch the recording</a>!&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p>]]></content:encoded>
</item><item>
<title>Ladder safety: Getting the basics right across every trade</title>
<link>https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/post/ladder-safety-getting-the-basics-right-across-every-trade</link>
<description>ladder-safety-getting-the-basics-right-across-every-trade</description>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Jul 2026 06:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
		<img src='/uploads/media/2026/04/cotney-consulting-group-ladder-safety-getting-the-basics-right-across-every-trade-canva.png'
            alt='Cotney Consulting Group Ladder safety: Getting the basics right across every trade'
            title='Cotney Consulting Group Ladder safety: Getting the basics right across every trade'
            class=''
            style=' '  loading='lazy' /><br><p>By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group.</p>

<h2>Consistent ladder safety protects your people, your productivity and your reputation.</h2>

<p>Walk any outdoor jobsite &mdash; whether it&#39;s a landscaping project, a tile installation, a lighting upgrade, a pool equipment repair or an outdoor living build &mdash; and you&rsquo;ll see the same tool used in all of them: the ladder. It&rsquo;s one of the simplest pieces of equipment on a job, yet ladder-related injuries are among the most common across every segment of the construction and maintenance industry.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ladder accidents don&rsquo;t happen because workers lack experience. They happen because ladders are familiar. Workers have climbed them throughout their careers and no longer view them as hazards. But a ladder doesn&rsquo;t care how experienced you are. If it shifts, tips, slides or fails, the fall happens instantly.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Ladders are a universal hazard&nbsp;</h3>

<p>Every segment in outdoor construction relies on ladders:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Tile and hardscape installers use them for exterior walls, elevated patios and overhangs.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Outdoor lighting crews climb them constantly for fixtures, wiring&nbsp;and tree-mounted applications.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Pool and spa techs use them for pump room access, elevated equipment&nbsp;and overhead reruns.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Landscaping teams use ladders for pruning, lighting, signage&nbsp;and seasonal work.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Maintenance technicians rely on ladders daily for repairs, adjustments and inspections.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>Yet despite this, most ladder injuries involve basic misuse &mdash; using the wrong type of ladder, placing it on unstable ground, overreaching or climbing with tools in hand. When tasks feel repetitive or &ldquo;quick,&rdquo; workers get comfortable. That comfort is precisely what leads to injuries.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Choosing the right ladder is step one&nbsp;</h3>

<p>Not every ladder is the same, and using the wrong type is one of the most common mistakes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Key considerations:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Height:</strong> Workers should never stand on the top rung or top cap. If they need to reach higher, they need a taller ladder.&nbsp;</li>
	<li><strong>Duty rating: </strong>Ladders are rated for weight loads &mdash; including tools. Crews often ignore this, especially with heavy gear.&nbsp;</li>
	<li><strong>Material: </strong>For lighting, pool equipment and any electrical hazard, a fiberglass ladder is mandatory.&nbsp;</li>
	<li><strong>Style:</strong> Step ladders must be used fully opened and locked. Extension ladders must be set at a proper angle.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>The right ladder isn&rsquo;t optional &mdash; it&rsquo;s the foundation of safe climbing.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Set it up correctly, every time&nbsp;</h3>

<p>A poorly placed ladder is an accident waiting to happen, and outdoor environments make this even more challenging. Grass, gravel, mulch, pavers and soil all shift under weight.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Workers should:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Place ladders on level, stable ground&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Use boards or stabilizers on soft surfaces&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Anchor or tie off extension ladders when possible&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Maintain the 4:1 angle (for every 4 feet up, set the base 1 foot out)&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Clear the base area of hoses, cords, stones&nbsp;and debris&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Keep ladders away from doorways, vehicle paths&nbsp;or active work areas&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>In outdoor living projects, constant foot traffic and multi-trade overlap increase the chance of a ladder being bumped. The setup must anticipate this.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Three points of contact &mdash; no exceptions&nbsp;</h3>

<p>Every climb &mdash; up or down should follow the same rule: two feet, one hand; two hands, one foot.&nbsp;<br />
This eliminates the single most significant cause of ladder falls: climbing while carrying tools or materials.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Crews should always use:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Tool belts&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Buckets with rope lifts&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Ground assistants when needed&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>If a worker can&rsquo;t maintain three points of contact, they are not climbing safely.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Overreaching is the silent ladder killer&nbsp;</h3>

<p>Most ladder falls don&rsquo;t come from slips or rung failures &mdash; they happen when workers reach too far to one side.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When a person leans outside the ladder&rsquo;s rails, they shift the center of gravity. The ladder responds the same way every time: it tips.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The solution is simple:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Climb down and move the ladder.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Never lean.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Never stretch.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Never &ldquo;just reach a little more.&rdquo;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>Those extra 10 seconds of repositioning prevent weeks or months of lost time.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Inspect ladders as often as you use them&nbsp;</h3>

<p>Ladders take abuse on outdoor sites. They get thrown into trucks, set on uneven ground, exposed to moisture, left in heat and overloaded.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Every ladder should be checked for:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Cracked rails&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Bent rungs&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Loose spreaders&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Damaged feet&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Missing labels&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Worn non-slip surfaces&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>If a ladder is damaged, it should be taken out of service immediately. Don&rsquo;t tape it. Don&rsquo;t brace it. Don&rsquo;t &ldquo;use it just one more time.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Make ladder safety a habit, not a message&nbsp;</h3>

<p>Crews respond to what supervisors enforce. When supervisors model proper ladder use, workers follow. When shortcuts go unaddressed, shortcuts become culture.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Integrate ladder safety into:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Daily huddles&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Toolbox talks&nbsp;</li>
	<li>New-hire orientation&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Job audits and site walks&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Pre-task planning meetings&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>When ladder safety becomes a standard expectation &mdash; not a lecture &mdash; crews adopt it naturally.&nbsp;</p>

<p>No outdoor contractor can eliminate ladder use, but every contractor can eliminate ladder complacency. When workers slow down, set up correctly and climb with intention, they reduce the most universal risk across every trade.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ladder safety is not complicated &mdash; it&rsquo;s consistent. And that consistency protects your people, your productivity and your reputation.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
</item><item>
<title>Why growth stalls — and how to fix it</title>
<link>https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/post/why-growth-stalls-and-how-to-fix-it</link>
<description>why-growth-stalls-and-how-to-fix-it</description>
<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 2026 06:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
		<img src='/uploads/media/2026/06/cotney-why-growth-stalls--and-how-to-fix-it.png'
            alt='Why growth stalls — and how to fix it'
            title='Why growth stalls — and how to fix it'
            class=''
            style=' '  loading='lazy' /><br><p>By Emma Peterson.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>John Kenney discusses three common contractor challenges and how to build your business beyond them.&nbsp;</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/directory/john-kenney-mcs-influencer">John Kenney</a> has been around the trades and construction industries for a bit. He has over 45 years of experience as a contractor and has become an invaluable resource to professionals in his current position as CEO of <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/directory/cotney-consulting-group">Cotney Consulting Group</a>. To tap into his expertise, we invited him to OutdoorCoffeeShop&trade; for <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/podcast/john-kenney-outdoor-operations-and-strategies-for-success">an episode of From the Ground Up&trade;</a>. During the episode, John discussed the topic of scaling your business and shared his thoughts on how to overcome some of the top operational pitfalls that can stunt business growth.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<h3>1 &ndash; Avoiding bringing in subcontractors&nbsp;</h3>

<p>The first issue that John highlighted was when contractors hesitate to hire subs. He shared, &ldquo;I know a lot of contractors who want to be a full-service provider, but they also hesitate to hire subs. Instead, they invest a lot into specialization and trying to do everything in house.&rdquo; Why is this an issue? By trying to get everything done in-house you run the risk of spreading your crew too thin, and by diving into a specialization, you lose out on jobs and profits if they fall out of the realm of your specialty.&nbsp;</p>

<p>John&rsquo;s advice? Find good subcontractors that you can hire. He explained:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Contractors need to get used to where they&#39;re able to manage multiple subs under them so that when they encounter something not in their wheelhouse, they can say, &lsquo;Hey, that&#39;s not within my wheelhouse to do in-house, but I can certainly get some trusted subcontractors that I&#39;m willing to oversee and bring in to price this out for what you&#39;re looking for.&rsquo; By doing so, you are not only bringing in more business and profit, but you are also building a strong reputation for working with clients.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<h3>2 &ndash; Missing the big picture&nbsp;</h3>

<p>Another issue he sees contractors encounter is getting caught up in the day-to-day due to a lack of strong structure and processes. He explained, &ldquo;You will never get to the success level that you want to be at if you establish processes that let you step back... If you ever want to get to the point where you&#39;re working on your business instead of in your business every day, you have to document your processes.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Where does one start when it comes to a project as massive as documenting each of your processes and organizing your structures? John always recommends going back to the basics, the core parts of your business:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>You start with your estimating, because pricing is the foundation of success. Once that&rsquo;s sorted, fix your operations and track what you&rsquo;re doing. You can&rsquo;t grow if you can&rsquo;t measure your production... And then guess what happens? Profits are going to grow as you work on building a strong structure and foundation.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<h3>3 &ndash; Investing in your people proactively&nbsp;</h3>

<p>And last but not least, John touched on the struggle of labor. This is not a new issue; labor issues go back more than four decades and have consistently given people trouble when it comes to growing and maintaining a successful business. John&rsquo;s best recommendation for handling this? Invest in the people already there. He explained:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>The problem that we&#39;re having is entry level labor is harder to find and harder to keep. And it can be tempting to put all your resources into recruiting. But I argue that you should actually put the resources on workforce training within your company and building career paths. Because people want that, they want to see how your company will help them grow. Not only will this help you retain the talent you have, but it&rsquo;s also something that will get around and draw in new talent.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>Want more tips on avoiding pitfalls and growing your business? <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/podcast/john-kenney-outdoor-operations-and-strategies-for-success">Listen to the whole episode</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuiX__I61P8&amp;feature=youtu.be">Watch the recording</a>.</strong></p>]]></content:encoded>
</item><item>
<title>More than a piece of paper</title>
<link>https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/post/more-than-a-piece-of-paper</link>
<description>more-than-a-piece-of-paper</description>
<pubDate>Sun, 21 Jun 2026 12:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
		<img src='/uploads/media/2026/06/cotney-more-than-a-piece-of-paper.png'
            alt='More than a piece of paper'
            title='More than a piece of paper'
            class=''
            style=' '  loading='lazy' /><br><p>By Emma Peterson.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>John Kenney explains the importance of specificity in contracts and other official paperwork.&nbsp;</h2>

<p>One of the most complex parts of running a business is navigating the legal landscape. From employee classification to payroll management, it can be a lot. But it is crucial that contractors don&rsquo;t shy away from the legal paperwork just because it can be overwhelming. Yet, these things must be delt with, as contracts are more than just a piece of paper &ndash; they are protection for you, your people and your business. To learn more about avoiding costly paperwork mistakes, we invited <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/directory/trent-cotney-ocs-influencer">John Kenney</a> of <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/directory/cotney-consulting-group">Cotney Consulting Group</a> to join us for <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/podcast/john-kenney-legal-landmines-protecting-profits-in-2026">an episode of From the Ground Up&trade;</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One of the biggest things that John highlighted was the importance of specificity in your contracts. He explained:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>A misunderstanding of scope is a silent killer. If your scope says something like, &lsquo;complete installation per plans or complete installation per our owners,&rsquo; then you basically accepted everything. Even if it wasn&#39;t in your estimate, you own it. So, that&#39;s why you have to be very careful about what you&#39;re signing up for and make sure that your language is very specific.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The result of this lack of scope is not only frustrating for your timeline, but it can also be a business-killer. John explained, &ldquo;Issues with misunderstood scope causes profit to quietly disappear. Take this as an example, maybe you&rsquo;re working on a pool or irrigation system and there&rsquo;s underground work. You have to make sure scope and responsibility is clear, because if it&rsquo;s not you might become the contractor in charge of all the utility coordination on the project and suddenly you have permits and inspections and all these unexpected costs.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p>How do you avoid this problem? The answer is two-fold. One, make sure your contracts are written clearly. John elaborated on this, sharing, &ldquo;Every contractor should have clear language in the contract.&nbsp; If there&#39;s something that is ambiguous and it doesn&#39;t sound right, then more than likely it&#39;s going to get you into trouble later on down the job and defending yourself from that is going to take two to three times more time and a lot more money than getting your contract in order with an attorney before a project starts.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Two, make sure all your teams are on the same page. John explained:&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>I&rsquo;ve seen it often; a field team proceeds with extra work without the proper written approval. And then you send the invoice, and the customer is looking at their original contract, saying, &lsquo;Wait a minute, we didn&#39;t authorize that. We shouldn&rsquo;t pay.&rsquo; And if you don&#39;t have an approved change order to point to, that customer is actually right. So, you have to make sure all your teams know to wait for a written change order that shows the change in your contractual obligations before anything happens.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>At the end of the day, the legal paperwork might seem frustrating and tedious, but it is always better to make sure it&rsquo;s all clear and aligned before a project than to deal with the fallout of ambiguity down the line. As John put it, &ldquo;Remember, it&rsquo;s not just a piece of paper. They&#39;re going to bind you to a lot of things you&#39;re not going to want to be bound to unless you understand them. So, if it&#39;s not clear and it&#39;s not included or clearly excluded, then you&#39;re exposed and it&#39;s definitely going to be a financial problem for you.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/podcast/john-kenney-legal-landmines-protecting-profits-in-2026">Listen to the podcast</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oggg1vIvDGY">Watch the recording</a> to learn more about managing the legal paperwork that keeps your operations protected and profitable.&nbsp;</strong></p>]]></content:encoded>
</item><item>
<title>Staying grounded: Safe material handling for tile and stone work</title>
<link>https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/post/staying-groundedsafe-material-handling-for-tile-andstone-work</link>
<description>staying-groundedsafe-material-handling-for-tile-andstone-work</description>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 2026 06:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
		<img src='/uploads/media/2026/05/cotney-staying-grounded-safe-material-handling-for-tile-and-stone-work-canva.png'
            alt='Staying grounded: Safe material handling for tile and stone work'
            title='Staying grounded: Safe material handling for tile and stone work'
            class=''
            style=' '  loading='lazy' /><br><p>By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>In tile and stone work, safety and craftsmanship are inseparable &mdash; and both begin with staying grounded.</h2>

<p>Walk onto any tile or hardscape job,&nbsp;and&nbsp;you&rsquo;ll&nbsp;see craftsmanship in motion &mdash; crews lifting heavy stone, moving pallets of&nbsp;pavers&nbsp;or&nbsp;setting large-format tiles with precision. But behind that artistry lies one of the most common&nbsp;job-site&nbsp;hazards in our trade: material handling injuries. Whether&nbsp;it&rsquo;s&nbsp;a strained back from lifting awkward loads or a crushed toe from a dropped slab, improper handling techniques can end a good day&rsquo;s work in seconds.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>The hidden weight of the job&nbsp;</h3>

<p>Tile and hardscape contractors often underestimate how physically demanding this work really is. A single stone paver can weigh 20&ndash;30 pounds, and&nbsp;crews may handle hundreds&nbsp;in&nbsp;a day. Add the repetitive bending,&nbsp;twisting&nbsp;and&nbsp;kneeling that come with installation, and&nbsp;you&rsquo;ve&nbsp;got a recipe for fatigue and long-term injury risk.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In many cases, the problem&nbsp;isn&rsquo;t&nbsp;the weight itself &mdash;&nbsp;it&rsquo;s&nbsp;how&nbsp;it&rsquo;s&nbsp;lifted. Workers who rush through setup or skip the extra step of staging materials correctly often end up overreaching, carrying too much&nbsp;or&nbsp;lifting from awkward angles.&nbsp;These shortcuts don&rsquo;t save time; they cost productivity and sometimes careers.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Field reality:&nbsp;The wrong setup&nbsp;</h3>

<p>Every tile or hardscape&nbsp;foreman&nbsp;has seen it: materials stacked too far from the work&nbsp;zone,&nbsp;heavy pallets left on uneven ground&nbsp;or&nbsp;crews manually hauling stone across soft soil because the forklift&nbsp;can&rsquo;t&nbsp;access the site. These are preventable situations &mdash; but only if we plan material flow as carefully as we plan the layout pattern.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Before a job begins, supervisors should&nbsp;designate&nbsp;clear, level staging areas for tile,&nbsp;mortar&nbsp;and&nbsp;stone delivery. Use mechanical aids &mdash; dollies,&nbsp;lifts&nbsp;or&nbsp;even makeshift rollers &mdash; whenever possible.&nbsp;Keep pathways free of debris and wet materials that can cause slips or sudden shifts in footing.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Proper lifting technique&nbsp;isn&rsquo;t&nbsp;optional&nbsp;</h3>

<p>A strong back is not a substitute for safe technique. Train crews to:&nbsp;</p>

<ul>
	<li>Bend at the knees, not the waist.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Keep the load close to the body.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Avoid twisting while lifting or setting.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Work in pairs or use lifting straps for oversized materials.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<p>Even&nbsp;minor&nbsp;adjustments &mdash;&nbsp;such as rotating tasks to reduce repetitive strain or scheduling short stretch breaks &mdash; help protect workers and&nbsp;maintain&nbsp;consistent energy throughout&nbsp;the day.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Using mechanical&nbsp;assistance&nbsp;</h3>

<p>The industry has come a long way in developing ergonomic tools for setting tile and hardscape. Vacuum lifters, slab&nbsp;trolleys&nbsp;and&nbsp;powered carriers reduce strain dramatically when used correctly. Unfortunately, many crews still avoid them, citing time or convenience. The truth: using assistive equipment not only prevents injuries but&nbsp;also&nbsp;increases accuracy and production consistency. A fatigued installer makes mistakes that cost rework later.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Jobsite&nbsp;culture matters&nbsp;</h3>

<p>Safety&nbsp;isn&rsquo;t&nbsp;just about rules&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;it&rsquo;s&nbsp;about culture. When&nbsp;foremen&nbsp;model correct lifting practices and enforce limits on manual handling, it shows that the company values its people as much as its product. Encourage every crew member to speak up if a load feels too&nbsp;heavy&nbsp;or the setup feels unsafe.&nbsp;There&rsquo;s&nbsp;no pride in risking permanent injury for a few saved minutes.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>The&nbsp;business case for safer handling&nbsp;</h3>

<p>Reducing material handling injuries pays off in ways that go beyond safety records. Fewer injuries mean fewer callouts, lower workers&rsquo; compensation premiums, and&nbsp;stronger crew morale. A contractor known for protecting their team&rsquo;s well-being gains loyalty,&nbsp;reputation&nbsp;and&nbsp;a stronger brand image &mdash; all of which&nbsp;lead&nbsp;to better retention and customer confidence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The next time you&rsquo;re on-site, take a look around.&nbsp;Are your materials staged&nbsp;in a way that makes&nbsp;sense? Are your&nbsp;crews&nbsp;using the tools that save their backs? If not,&nbsp;that&rsquo;s&nbsp;where your next improvement starts. In tile and&nbsp;stone work, safety and craftsmanship are inseparable &mdash; and both begin with staying grounded.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Set your business up for success</title>
<link>https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/post/set-your-business-up-for-success</link>
<description>set-your-business-up-for-success</description>
<pubDate>Sat, 23 May 2026 06:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
		<img src='/uploads/media/2026/03/cotney-set-your-business-up-for-success.png'
            alt='Set your business up for success'
            title='Set your business up for success'
            class=''
            style=' '  loading='lazy' /><br><p>By Emma Peterson.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Seasoned business consultant John Kenney dives into the traits of top-performing contractors.&nbsp;</h2>

<p>With over 45 years of experience as a contractor in the field prior to switching to his current role as a consultant, <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/directory/john-kenney-mcs-influencer">John Kenney</a> of <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/directory/cotney-consulting-group">Cotney Consulting Group</a> has seen a lot of businesses succeed, and a fair few fail as well. To share about what separates the successful companies from the rest, he stopped by OutdoorCoffeeShop&trade; for <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/podcast/john-kenney-outdoor-operations-and-strategies-for-success">an episode of From the Gound Up&trade;</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The biggest thing that John highlighted as a marker of success is structure. He explained:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Top performing contractors don&#39;t work project-to-project operations. They have operating procedures, SOPs, processes, structures, whatever term you want to use, that guide their operations. They know their numbers, their accurate burden rates, their equipment costs, their production rates, etc. They are not guessing because they have structure.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hand-in-hand with this structure, they have clear training and communication channels so their entire team can operate efficiently within that structure. John gave an example of what this looks like, sharing, &ldquo;If you train your people correctly and you communicate with them extremely well, everyone knows what to do and it stops those common questions that slow things down, lead to issues and overall delay your operations.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>In today&rsquo;s digital era, making sure that you are choosing the right technology for your company is a key part of building a strong team and structure. John elaborated, &ldquo;You need to get the technology that works for your business model. There are all kinds of software and technology out there. That doesn&#39;t mean it&#39;s all going to work for you. You&#39;ve got to be able to ask the right questions and find the technology that works with the way you operate.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Overall, John&rsquo;s advice for setting your business up for success comes back to systems and structure. As he put it, &ldquo;Build your business around systems, not yourself. Contractors who win and become successful top performers in the next decade are going to be the ones who run operationally disciplined companies that are supported with the right technology and tools.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/podcast/john-kenney-outdoor-operations-and-strategies-for-success">Listen to the whole episode</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuiX__I61P8&amp;feature=youtu.be">Watch the recorded conversation</a> to learn more about building a successful business.&nbsp;</strong></p>]]></content:encoded>
</item><item>
<title>Know when to hold ‘em, and know when to walk away</title>
<link>https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/post/know-when-to-hold-em-and-know-when-to-walk-away</link>
<description>know-when-to-hold-em-and-know-when-to-walk-away</description>
<pubDate>Sun, 17 May 2026 06:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
		<img src='/uploads/media/2026/05/cotney-know-when-to-hold-em-and-know-when-to-walk-away.png'
            alt='Know when to hold ‘em, and know when to walk away'
            title='Know when to hold ‘em, and know when to walk away'
            class=''
            style=' '  loading='lazy' /><br><p>By Emma Peterson.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Understanding when fighting a claim is the right move, and when settling makes more sense.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/podcast/john-kenney-winning-construction-disputes-without-the-courtroom">In a new episode of From the Ground Up&trade;</a>, Karol Weyman talks to <a href="https://www.rooferscoffeeshop.com/directory/john-kenney-mcs-influencer">John Kenney</a> about handling legal claims. John is the CEO of <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/directory/cotney-consulting-group">Cotney Consulting Group</a>, where he offers training and operations advice to professionals across the construction industry. And a fair bit of that advice is how to navigate the legal side of owning a contracting business.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Claims and disputes are frustrating but not uncommon challenges for contractors. When asked about how to navigate this process, John&rsquo;s first piece of advice was to find a way to distance emotion from the situation. He explained, &ldquo;The first thing I love to tell contractors is keep emotion out of your decision because emotion is going to get you into trouble. And you can&#39;t decide based on being right, sometimes we can be right and it costs us way too much. You have to decide based on business impact.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p>So, how do you make the correct business decision about fighting or settling a claim? John tells contractors to look at three things &ndash; cost, time and recovery. He elaborated:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>The cost of the fight is related to attorney fees but also lost value. How much time are you spending focusing on this and missing other opportunities? The way I look at it is if you&#39;re going to spend money chasing it, then you&#39;re going to spend more time, which we all know is money, to recover, then, even if you&#39;re technically right, you&#39;re still losing.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>What contractors have to do is step back and use these three factors to assess whether they want to fight to prove a point or to move their business forward. If it&rsquo;s the former, it might not be the time or the place. As John put it, &ldquo;We want to make sure that it&#39;s a business decision. Sometimes it&#39;s just better off to get it settled, move on and be back to fight for another day.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p>And fighting another day doesn&rsquo;t always have to be in court. In fact, the best business decision you can make is to proactively set up systems to avoid future claims as much as possible. John explained, &ldquo;Honestly, a lot of the issues I see are not legal problems at the start. They&#39;re communication and documentation issues that turn into legal problems. So in the outdoor space, especially like landscaping, hardscaping, pool, etc., you have multiple trades overlapping, fast-moving projects and a lot of assumptions.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>By removing those assumptions through clear communication and documentation, John shared what this looks like in practice:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>You need good documentation. Don&#39;t look at it as just having a bunch of paper. It needs to tell the story of the job clearly and consistently. To tell that story, you&rsquo;ll want to have daily reports, photos from all stages of the project (including before and after images) as well as written change orders. There&#39;s no such thing as verbal. If you can&#39;t prove it, it can&#39;t be done.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>At the end of the day, John&rsquo;s advice when it comes to claims is to avoid them. But if you do find yourself dealing with one, it&rsquo;s key to ask yourself whether fighting or settling makes more sense for your business. And if you choose fighting, it&#39;s best to have the documentation in place to tell the story of what really happened.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/podcast/john-kenney-winning-construction-disputes-without-the-courtroom">Listen to the podcast</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFjoXgWNlXU">Watch the recording</a> to learn more about handling claims and other legal issues.&nbsp;</strong></p>]]></content:encoded>
</item><item>
<title>Legal clarity = business stability</title>
<link>https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/post/legal-clarity-business-stability</link>
<description>legal-clarity-business-stability</description>
<pubDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:00:00 PDT</pubDate>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
		<img src='/uploads/media/2026/03/cotney-legal-clarity--business-stability.png'
            alt='Legal clarity = business stability'
            title='Legal clarity = business stability'
            class=''
            style=' '  loading='lazy' /><br><p>By Emma Peterson.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Navigating a legal landscape that is growing more complex every day.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/podcast/john-kenney-legal-landmines-protecting-profits-in-2026">In a new episode of From the Ground Up&trade;</a>, Karol Weyman got the chance to chat with <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/directory/john-kenney-mcs-influencer">John Kenney</a> about navigating the legal world as a contractor. John is the CEO of <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/directory/cotney-consulting-group">Cotney Consulting Group</a> and has over 45 years of experience in the field as a contractor. He shared a bit about what his company does, saying, &ldquo;We work with contractors, we get information out there, we do trainings and we help them work on their business processes.&rdquo; A huge part of that work is helping contractors learn how to navigate the legal landscape; things like regulations and contracts.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Navigating this has always been key to business success, but is more important today than ever before. Why? The world is growing more complicated. John explained, &ldquo;The world is getting more and more complicated with regulations, technology and more. Really, the entire way we go about business and everything else has changed.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>An example of these complexities is tighter notice requirements and stricter enforcement of contract deadlines. John elaborated, &ldquo;Owners and general contractors are absolutely starting to enforce these written notice clauses aggressively. And if you do miss a deadline, even by a day, you&#39;re going to lose your claim.&rdquo; Another example of how John has seen the legal world of contracting shift recently is in relation to payment risk. He explained, &ldquo;We&#39;re seeing longer payment cycles, increased disputes and a lot more owners pushing risk downstream.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p>So what can contractors do in response to these pressures and complexities? Clean records and responsive contracts. Because contractors are being held to higher standards than ever before, it is crucial to make sure you have a clear understanding of what you are getting into and set yourself up for success in the future. John shared a bit about how you can do this:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Make sure you read your contracts carefully. I still see contractors agreeing to broad indemnification clauses that are dangerous because they don&rsquo;t have any damage for delay provisions... Scope is another huge one, make sure that contracts define scope so all parties are on the same page... And another big one is using outdated contract templates. I see a lot of contractors using stuff that actually pertains to laws that have changed. So, if you&rsquo;re working off a template from five or six years ago, make sure to get it reviewed to make sure you are covered today.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Overall, the best legal protection is proactive reviews with legal experts. As John put it, &ldquo;Contracts are living risk management documents. A lot of people don&#39;t understand this, so if yours hasn&#39;t been updated, then it&#39;s behind. And understanding everything in your contract is part of positive risk management.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/podcast/john-kenney-legal-landmines-protecting-profits-in-2026">Listen to the whole podcast</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oggg1vIvDGY&amp;feature=youtu.be">Watch the recording</a> with John to learn more about navigating the legal world as a contractor.&nbsp;</strong></p>]]></content:encoded>
</item><item>
<title>The blueprints to success</title>
<link>https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/post/the-blueprints-to-success</link>
<description>the-blueprints-to-success</description>
<pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 06:00:00 PST</pubDate>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
		<img src='/uploads/media/2026/02/cotney-consulting-the-blueprints-to-success.png'
            alt='The blueprints to success'
            title='The blueprints to success'
            class=''
            style=' '  loading='lazy' /><br><p>By Emma Peterson.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Dive into the basics of boosting your business with industry consultant and operations expert John Kenney!&nbsp;</h2>

<p>If you haven&rsquo;t already heard of <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/directory/john-kenney-mcs-influencer">John Kenney</a>, he is the CEO of <a href="https://www.outdoorcoffeeshop.com/directory/cotney-consulting-group">Cotney Consulting Group</a> and a seasoned expert in contracting operations. Throughout his extensive career, John has helped contractors from across a wide variety of trades identify and resolve issues within their business practices so that their business can succeed. And you can get access to his valuable advice directly from the source by listening to his <em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcoP-Kb6VXhdcK7FzvC_NHUCJHgcyNh3i">Blueprints for Success</a></em> podcast!&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>This podcast introduces its audience to groundbreaking ideas and practical strategies through exclusive interviews with industry leaders, innovators and mentors. This podcast was designed and planned specifically for contractors operating in outdoor living, hardscape, pool and spa, remodeling and specialty construction trades.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Each episode promises to provide practical, experience-driven guidance and clear, actionable strategies that can be applied to real-world challenges contractors face in the field. Topics that John will be covering include but are not limited to:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Project estimating accuracy, cost prediction and risk management&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Job planning and operational readiness&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Service and maintenance profitability&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Crew leadership and productivity&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Scaling without losing control&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Job cost reviews and performance metrics&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Business planning for long-term growth&nbsp;</p>

<p>The cherry on top? Each episode is only around 30-minutes long, making it easy to fit into your busy schedule! Make sure to tune in as John &ldquo;uncovers the tools, techniques and insights that pave the way to success.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcoP-Kb6VXhdcK7FzvC_NHUCJHgcyNh3i"><strong>Listen to <em>Blueprints for Success with John Kenney</em> today.</strong></a></p>]]></content:encoded>
</item></channel></rss>