do anything you put your mind to.” Duff knows from first-hand experience that you must keep on believing in yourself. Growing up on a farm in Rockway, Duff attended West Park Secondary School. “After being voted least likely to succeed, and bullied on a regular basis, I was determined to go out and make it on my own,” says Duff. He jumped right into starting a landscape business. With no background in running a business, he struggled for two years before deciding to do it as a side business.
Learned about industry
“I was not deterred by the failure and from people discouraging me to try again,” says Duff. He spent the next 15 years working for other companies. “I proved my worth in sales and business, all the while pursuing my passion of landscaping on weekends and evenings. Over time, I learned about the landscape industry by going to suppliers and asking them to teach me. I told them I would be a customer for life.” He has kept that promise, now buying from those who taught him. “There are times when I pay a higher price to support those suppliers who were loyal to me before I started my business, but I don’t mind because of what they did for me is far more important than price.” Duff now looks back on his early days and smiles broadly when he talks about being nominated for the Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Award and winning the Top 40 Under Forty Business Achievement Award. “I never thought I would win such an award,” says Duff. “When I received the telephone call that I had won, I was like a little kid jumping for joy.”
Gives back to community
The young entrepreneur also gives back to his community. Organizations he supports include Habitat for Humanity, National Tree Days at local schools, and the Baeumler Family Foundation. Duff also became a member of Landscape Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe Chapter’s board of directors. “It’s a great way to give back to the industry,” he says. Duff says that working with Landscape Ontario has been a breath of fresh air. “The members of the board respect each other’s opinion. It’s obvious the ultimate goal is to improve our industry.” He adds that if not for Landscape Ontario, he wouldn’t be where he is today. He has proven that belief in self and your industry attracts positive results.
Top photo, Scott Duff displays the edition of HOSS magazine which contains his first column. Centre photo, Duff appears with Brian Baeumler of HGTV fame. Bottom photo Duff after receiving the Top 40 Under Forty Business Achievement Award.
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