Build a Successful Landscaping business with These 8 Expert Tips

Starting a landscaping business needs a lot more than just gardening skills and creativity. Whether you offer basic lawn and garden maintenance (mowing, weeding, trimming etc.), or you a wide range of landscaping services (such as tree planting & installation, seasonal mulch, etc. ) – you need a plan to grow your landscaping business.

Like any other industry, the landscaping business also calls for good management skills and sound business sense. Planning for your business growth allows you to capitalize on opportunities as you find them and invest in your future at the right time.

Follow these essential tips to get ahead in the landscaping business –

Calculate Your Costs

You can grow your landscaping business only if you earn more than you spend on the services you offer. Include labour costs, fuel, equipment, equipment maintenance costs, material costs, and the time spent driving to job sites. Once you know your costs, you can decide how much profit you want to make and price your services accordingly. Stay updated on your cost figures and ensure complete accuracy in your financial records.

Minimize Downtime

Time spent doing nothing is a cost to your business. Be wary of this sneaky cost factor and learn to minimize downtime in your lawn care business. Schedule your equipment maintenance and servicing at a time that does not eat into your business hours, reduce equipment failure by keeping necessary parts handy and organize your inventory to ensure timely supply.

Find & Retain Good Employees

Good employees who are willing to work with you for a long time are essential to the success of your landscaping business. Here are a few tips for finding and retaining good employees –

• Recruit throughout the year to ensure a sufficient workforce when you need it the most.
• Offer your employees perks and incentives to motivate them and ensure they stay for more than a few months.
• Take measures to ensure complete comfort and care for all your employees when they are working. This includes warm clothes for cold conditions and water bottles for summer.

Exceed Client Expectations

In the beginning, you are likely to have more time on your hands. Use this to show up early at your job sites and spend a few extra minutes ensuring high-quality service and exceeding client expectations. Be careful how much spare time you devote, so it doesn’t affect your costs but is enough to impress your clients. Client recommendations and good word-of-mouth will help you find new clients in the landscaping business.

Make Marketing Work

You will find that more than 70% of your business is from repeat customers in the lawn care business. {SOURCE} Create a marketing plan that suits your potential customer base. A good marketing plan will help you grow your landscaping business and earn the loyalty and trust of existing customers.

Invest in Good Tools

Consider landscaping tools as an investment for your business. High-quality tools will help you provide good service and save time. Good quality equipment will also help you minimize downtime as it will not breakdown as often. Buy equipment as needed and rent the big-ticket items that are required only once or twice a year.

Avoid Cheap Labour

The lawn care business can be seasonal in nature. It is tempting to consider hiring cheaper labour in those months of high volumes. However, hiring cheap labour may cost you service quality, goodwill, and training costs. Be mindful about your recruitment policy and employ good people, even if it means paying a bit higher.

Landscaping Business Software

Starting a landscaping business can be intimidating, but you can always be a step ahead of your competition with the right business management tools. Maximize your profits with smart landscaping business software. Good software can improve operational efficiencies, reduce errors, and grow revenue.

Use the above tips to build a successful business with sustainable growth. Don’t get bogged down by business pitfalls and entrepreneurial challenges in the first couple of years. Well-planned marketing efforts, hiring the right people, and leveraging technology are essential for to grow your landscaping business. And just like any other business, hard work and intelligent decisions will go a long way in making your landscaping business successful.

Author Bio:

Akhil Rajan is a Customer Success Specialist at Zuper, an intelligent workforce management platform for service-oriented businesses. Working with customers on a daily basis, he has a deep understanding of their needs and pain points and so he is able to contribute to the marketing strategies for Zuper with the content he writes. He writes on topics like how to increase workforce utilization, how to reduce the service turnaround time and increase workforce efficiency, customer adoption, cost reduction strategies, etc – to name a few. He is often found buried in books or playing chess in his free time.