Guest blog by Kyle Anderson of Express Employment Professionals (EEP), a staffing agency with over 600 offices in the United States. Whenever companies are in need of new employees, Express takes care of recruiting, screening, and interviewing potential workers. Likewise, EEP provides potential employees with opportunities to job prospects.
Money might not grow on trees, but trees sure help money piles grow! Believe it or not, trees have a big impact on the economy by increasing business income and in turn the need for jobs. This is good news for those who live in communities with trees because more sales leads businesses to need more employees. And that means more jobs!
Happier business owners.
Business owners understand that consumers react positively to well-kept stores. Lighting, product displays, and the overall feeling of a shop directly affects a customer’s decision to make a purchase. Customers often make up their mind before entering the store. In fact, external appearance makes the first impression on a potential customer; more trees create a more inviting atmosphere. This increase in greenery benefits the entire surrounding area by bringing in customers and boosting sales—providing business owners with the holy grail.
Happier customers.
Human beings have an innate desire for beauty and are naturally attracted to it. It makes sense that more trees leads to happier people. Studies support the fact that the presence of trees encourages consumers to shop more often, stay in stores longer and even pay more for goods. As a result, businesses in tree-lined streets can have up to 20% higher income streams. More trees equal more business income.
Happier employees.
More trees in a community can benefit employees in two ways. First, more trees means more jobs. California’s community trees provide over 60,000 jobs in a range of skill and income levels. From entry level nursery staff or ground crew jobs (~$16/hour) to certified arborists ($50/hour) and consulting arborists ($150/hour), trees jobs offer much opportunity for growth.
Secondly, studies have shown that trees positively affect our health and mood. Obviously as an employee feeling healthier and happier is a good thing, but from a business point of view this is also good as happier employees are more productive. This also means less sick days and lower health care costs.
Plus more trees means more jobs.
Employees are also happier when there are ample job opportunities in a community. Trees help create these opportunities. For example, in a retail business or one with a need for customer service, a happy employee translates to better customer service, in turn higher customer satisfaction and more loyal customers. This positive cycle benefits employees again because the surge in customer demand can lead to the need for businesses to hire more employees.
Trees are an effective, cost-efficient, and mutually beneficial way for businesses to boost productivity, and keep their customers and employees happy, satisfied, and loyal. Simply put: Invest from the ground up in our community trees, and watch money fall like leaves in autumn.