NMNLA President's Message — February 2026

NMNLA Members, 

I love the winter season; it’s a great time to reflect on what went well last year, prioritize your health, and just flat out get some rest. As spring approaches it’s easy to get bogged down with recruiting new team members, placing orders for critical materials and selling upcoming capacity. But experience has taught me this: the businesses that finish strong — and grow with confidence — are the ones that start planning early. 

That’s why I want to encourage each of you to begin preparing your 2026 budget now, if you haven’t already. If you don’t have a budget — or aren’t reviewing one monthly — you’re flying blind. 

Budgeting isn’t about predicting the future perfectly. None of us can do that. It is about creating clarity — understanding where your money is coming from, where it’s going, and what levers you can pull if things aren’t going per the plan. At Vidosh North we had to make a HUGE pivot after our 2rd Quarter results were finalized; doing so allowed us to make a big finish, resulted in a great end-of-year result, and BIG bonus payouts for our team members who all put in the work. 

We’re all operating in a landscape shaped by higher labor costs, tighter margins, fluctuating material pricing, and customers who are more thoughtful about where they spend. At the same time, demand for quality work, professional service, and reliable partners remains strong across our industry. 

That combination rewards businesses that are: 

• aware and intentional about pricing; 

• disciplined about overhead;

• proactive about cash flow and staffing. 

A well thought through budget gives you a framework to make those decisions with confidence. For me, it helps me sleep at night! 

Budgeting as a Leadership Tool


Think of your budget as more than a spreadsheet. It’s a leadership tool — for you and your team. A solid budget helps you:


• set realistic revenue targets;


• plan hiring and retention intentionally, now and into the future;


• decide where to invest (equipment, technology, marketing);


• spot trouble early instead of after the season is over. 

When you review it monthly, your budget becomes a compass. You may not always stay exactly on course, but you’ll know why — and what to adjust. If we had not been aware of our monthly progress at Vidosh North, we would have been in for very disappointing results at the end of the year. 

Start Simple. Start Honest.


If budgeting feels overwhelming, start simple:


• use last year’s actual numbers as your baseline;

• 
identify what you know is changing in 2026;

• 
build conservative assumptions instead of best-case scenarios. 

You can refine your budget as the year unfolds. I hear people say that this isn’t “their thing”. That resonates with me. I got into this industry because I love the people, the clients and the plants; not because I love breaking down numerical data. Let me reframe the motivation though. Making this aspect of your business a priority WILL make you a more confident salesperson and recruiter of team members. In addition it will make you a better leader of your company and your family's path forward in life. 

Helpful Resources if You Need a Starting Point


If you’re looking for guidance or tools to help you build or refine your budget, these resources can be a good place to start:


• Budget Podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aligning-budgets-with-business-strategy-10-key/id1132630373?i=1000743053767

• Industry Software Tools (such as LMN or Aspire) – Helpful for budget creation, job costing, labor tracking, and turning real data into actionable budgets.

You don’t need a perfect system — just one that gives you visibility and accountability. Growers, vendors, and contractors who plan ahead, invest wisely, and support one another continue to find opportunity — even in uncertain times. 

By starting your 2026 budget now, you’re giving yourself options. You’re choosing to lead your business instead of letting circumstances lead you. 

If you enjoyed this newsletter, you can look forward to more this year. If you would like to provide input on newsletter or educational topics at our upcoming events, please take just a minute out of your day to fill out our Member Survey that we will use to guide our programming and education for the year. Click HERE to go to the NMNLA Member Survey. 

Respectfully,


Donn

Donn Vidosh Jr


President, NMNLA


M: 248-613-6601


Vidosh North LLC, Petoskey MI