The landscaping business is very different from other entrepreneurial endeavors because most people think they can do a professional job on their own lawns. If landscaping only involved cutting grass, then sure, anyone could do it. However, if you know the business, then you know there’s a lot more to it than just trimming the lawn.
As a landscaper, you’re used to hard work, and that’s good because growing your business won’t be an easy task. You have to network, market, and do excellent work in order to draw more clients and pick up bigger jobs. Continue reading to get more tips to help you grow your lawn care business.
- Upgrade your equipment.
One of the great things about landscaping is that to start your own company, all you really need is a lawnmower and a weedeater. That will be enough to get you started cutting small yards around your way but if you want bigger jobs, then you need to upgrade your landscaping equipment.
Upgrading your equipment won’t just allow you to complete bigger jobs, but it will also help you to complete jobs much faster and do better work. Just upgrading from a push mower to a riding mower can cut the time you spend on a yard in half. With edgers, you could give your yards a more well-manicured look.
Upgrading your equipment also allows you to expand your services. For instance, if you get a couple of tippers, then you can also do debris removal for construction companies or people who are throwing out large appliances. Adding tippers, edgers, and riding mowers to your stock of equipment will help you do more and better work in less time.
- Upgrade your customer service.
Customer service is the crux of all businesses, and yours is no exception. Every business decision you make needs to be made with your current and potential clients in mind. Improving your ability to meet your customers’ needs is a sure-fire way to grow your business.
One way to improve your customer relations is through technology like the customer relationship management (CRM) software that Manobyte offers. Their software tracks and analyzes customer data to help you better understand your customers and their needs. With software from business growth consultants from Manobyte, you and your team can gain a better sense of your customer base and how to best serve them. With the right CRM strategy in place, you’ll never let a returning or potential customer slip through the cracks.
- Put a logo on your truck, pass out flyers, and place yard signs.
When you’re trying to grow your clientele in the landscaping business, you have to make your presence felt everywhere you go. When you’re working on lawns, passersby will see your work and may want your services, but they’re not likely to get out of there car and come ask you for your business card. That’s why you need to put your company’s name or logo and phone number on your truck so passersby can see how to get in contact with you.
Also, if you’re working in a neighborhood where you only have one client, then you should go door-to-door and pass out flyers for your service. If your clients will allow it, leave a sign in their yard as a calling card for envious neighbors who want their lawns to look like your clients’ lawns.
- Encourage customer referrals.
Word of mouth is the most effective marketing tool known to humankind. If you want to grow your business, then you need to incentivize your clients to spread the word about your company. You also want to get them talking about your business on social media.
A great way to get your customers to refer their neighbors to you is to offer them a discount if someone they refer to you contracts your service. Your client gets a discount, you get a new customer, and everyone wins!
- Do excellent work.
The more you do, then the more you will start to establish a reputation for your work—so operate in excellence. You want your reputation to be that of a professional who does exceptional work and is worth every penny. Treat every yard as if it were your grandmother’s, and you can’t go wrong.