DynaSCAPE will have our biggest presence at GIE+EXPO to date. Our booth will be the same size, but we're going to have Joe Salemi (Product Marketing Manager), Dan Weaver and Mike Tripp (Account Managers), and Patrick DuChene of DuChene Design Solutions. 

Patrick DuChene will be hosting short training sessions and demonstrations highlighting his own workflows for DynaSCAPE Design, Color, and Trimble SketchUp. Book your free session now!! Email jsalemi@dynascape.com to schedule your session. 

This webinar will open with some back to basics information to help your work be more organized and efficient.  Efficient file organization is a crucial practice to maintain an efficient workflow throughout the design and estimating process.  When was the last time you couldn't find your drawing, or that picture of a plant you wanted to use, or perhaps you misplaced an estimate in your computer?  How much time have you wasted searching for information that should be at your fingertips?  This workshop will show you exactly how to save your information so you can access it quickly...EVERY TIME!  

 

No more cluttered home screens and no more hunting around your computer!   This webinar will also go through some basics about computers, what the difference between hardware and software is, and the importance of using the right equipment for the job!  Patrick will show how he maintains his computer systems so they are in peak operation every time so he can quickly and efficiently get work done on time and with great results!

1. Discuss the importance of file organization.
2. Show what to file where.
3. Show real-time examples of finding files, or rasters quickly in DynaSCAPE design. 
4. Saving drawings in correct folders for quick access.
5. Working in a large office, and how to save so others can access your information easily.
6. What is software?  What is hardware?  How can you speed up your computer and maintain it to optimum operation?
7. Some upgrades Patrick does for optimal performance.

The chatter among landscape design/build clients over this season was that business was up and the average job size is growing. Well we looked at the aggregate data of all of our Manage360 clients and the number of estimates created are up 30.8% with the average size of jobs estimated being up 38.7%! Clients are winning 30.6% more jobs than they did last year! More importantly, the profitability on each job has increased by 34.4%. Manage360 clients, on average, are experiencing a banner season coming out of the economic fallout of 2008. In 2014, Manage360 clients estimated a total over $747 million worth of work!

 

How did you do? We really want to know how you did. What went really well? What was really difficult? Email us at accounts@dynascape.com and tell us your story.

Landscape contractors are constantly concerned about the safety of their people. There are a lot of aspects to keeping your team safe. There's also a lot to keeping your mobile hardware safe. 

 

Ruggedized hardware systems are designed to be used in harsh conditions. And it's not just their exterior that makes them more resilient to difficult climates: even their wiring is designed to handle strong vibrations, extreme climates, and large falls. Check these bad boys out:

 

Samsung Galaxy S5 Active

The phone is massive-like a cross between a cellphone and a tablet but very well protected. Its casing is designed to rebuff dust, resist water, and handle shock. It received the military IP67 certification, meaning it can take a whole lot of punishment while on site. As for its processing ability, the ruggedized version of the S5 is about as good as it gets. The phone has a long-lasting removable 2800 mAh battery, takes crisp 16 megapixel photos, and contains a quad-core 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 CPU and an Adreno 330 GPU.

 

CAT B15

The last thing you want is for your battery to run out. With the B15 rugged smartphone you get 16.3 hours of talk time. It means no battery worries for you - and no dropped conversations. The B15 is a rugged smartphone, drop-proof to 1.8 meters (5'11"). So if you drop it, there's no need to panic. Stormy weather? With this waterproof phone, you'll have nothing to worry about. The screen is operable even when wet, giving you maximum performance when you need it most. The B15 is a dustproof and waterproof phone. In other words, whatever life throws at it, this phone's a survivor. The B15 runs Android 4.1 Jellybean and gives you access to over 850,000 apps from the Google Play store. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are all at your fingertips when you need them.

 

Notice we didn't mention the iPhone? Well if you surround it in a LifeProof or OtterBox case it may come close to the bad boys above, but the S5 Active and the CAT B15 were designed from the ground up with how you work in mind. 

 

 

Despite all your resistance and reluctance, you've decided it is time for a new website. Which is great! You've definitely made the right decision. Not too far in the future you'll wonder why you didn't make this decision much sooner.

 

But now for the tough decision - what is the best website platform to build your website on? Today there are dozens, if not hundreds, of options to choose from.  So how do you know which is best for you, and your long-term online success?

 

Start with a Content Management System. This will allow you to quickly add and edit pages on your website without having to know how to code. Meaning anyone you delegate can sign in and make changes so that you have a dynamic website with a heartbeat.

 

In my opinion the top 4 easiest to use are:

 

WordPress

WordPress started as just a blogging system, but has evolved to be used as full content management system and so much more through the thousands of plugins and widgets and themes, WordPress is limited only by your imagination. (My opinion - this is the world's most popular web platform. It has the most support and the most themes/plugins available. Plus it's free! A non-techy could be up and running in a week.)

 

Squarespace

Squarespace lets you build websites with full commerce support that look beautiful on mobile devices as well as desktop browsers. Squarespace gives you everything you need to start your blog, add pages, format posts, add photos etc, everything in a friendly and elegant interface. Even the typography and spacing is great, and it looks great no matter where you're reading it. (My opinion - a Squarespace website is elegant, current, and clean. You get all of the tools you need to get going right away. It's very easy to use and you don't have to be a techy! There's different tiers of monthly subscriptions but very affordable.)

 

Wix

Wix makes it simple for everyone to go online with a beautiful, professional and functional web presence. No creative limits, no coding - just complete freedom to express yourself and manage your entire business online. (My opinion - newer to the marketplace but very easy to use, where the templates give a fun, modern, and crisp visitor experience. There's different tiers of service but affordable.)

 

Worksites.net

The best reason to choose Worksites is that it is designed specifically for small companies in the landscaping and home improvement industries. Content and templates are designed to optimize performance for visitors looking for a contractor or tradesperson. Professional look to reflect your company. Designed to show up beautifully on any device. Choice of multiple design themes. (My opinion - there's very few if any other web platforms that I'm aware of that are specialized for the contractor business. This is one of the easiest to use, really, just sign up and answer some questions, upload some photos and go live. You can go from no website to up and live in a weekend. Very affordable too.)

 

The DynaSCAPE Software Team
1.800.710.1900 | sales@dynascape.com | dynascape.com

 

   Design and business management software for landscape professionals.

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