Spring and summer are peak seasons for green industry businesses like lawn and landscaping companies. As we get into the warmer parts of the year, it’s a good time to think about steps you can take to help keep your business thriving.
Richardson Saw & Lawnmower is here to support our commercial clients by providing quality equipment and maintenance service. We also like to help you out with tips for helping your lawn and/or landscaping company thrive year-round.
1) Enhance Your Online Presence
You really can’t run a thriving business in today’s world without an online presence. A website, social media pages, and/or a Google Business profile are must-have tools for marketing your company. When potential clients in your area search for lawn-care services, you want to be one of the first options that show up.
Claiming your Google Business profile and filling out the information helps your business show up in local searches. You can add a link to your website, photos of your work, contact info, and hours of operation to make it easy for potential clients to learn about you.
2) Ask For Reviews
It’s okay to ask for reviews. Point customers to your Google Business profile so they can leave reviews or send surveys for feedback and ask if you can share their comments on your website.
The more positive reviews you have online, the higher you’ll rank in searches and the more likely new customers will be to check out your company. You can also reply to posted reviews. Thank customers who leave satisfied reviews and reach out to try and resolve issues if anyone leaves an unsatisfied review.
3) Invest in Quality Equipment
Whether you rent, lease, or buy your equipment, good quality lawn care tools are essential for any lawn and landscaping business. You just can’t do this kind of work without reliable mowers, trimmers, edgers, and other equipment.
If you opt for buying equipment, as many do, then you also need to think about when to replace your equipment. Many commercial lawn care companies replace their equipment at the end of each season, but with supply chain disruptions since the 2020 pandemic, it might make more sense to hang onto equipment for multiple seasons. Investing in quality equipment makes it possible to keep using tools for multiple years.
4) Stay On Top of Maintenance
Even if you plan to replace equipment at the end of each season, it’s still important to keep up with regular maintenance tasks. You can do this sort of maintenance work yourself, or you can bring the equipment into our service department for tune-ups and other maintenance. And of course, we offer repair services if any problems come up. We always service what we sell.
For mowers with 4-cycle engines, stick with the recommended oil change schedule. You can check the oil filter at the same time and replace it as needed. Clean all the equipment regularly to keep it working at peak efficiency. Also, remember to check air filters regularly to make sure you’re getting good airflow in the engine. Finally, keep track of a sharpening schedule for lawnmower blades so you’ll consistently provide customers with a neat, well-manicured lawn.
5) Work On Customer Retention
It’s easier, and far more cost-effective, to keep existing customers rather than constantly searching for new ones. The more customers you can retain year after year, the better it is for your company. Keeping customers happy and coming back to your company isn’t always easy, but there are some things you can do to make it more likely.
First, be intentional about your retention strategy. This might include things like offering discounts to existing customers, sending out surveys, and setting up auto-renewal. Also, be sure you’re offering responsive customer service and taking the time to listen to questions and concerns.
6) Communicate Changes
Maintaining good communication with customers is important. When you’re offering a discount or new service, make sure your customers know about it. Offer digital options for customers who want to sign up and communicate with you online, but don’t underestimate the value of a friendly phone call or scheduling an in-person chat.
Communicating promptly, professionally, and positively also applies to communicating price increases. LandOPT, a company that works with landscape contractors to support their businesses, recommended raising prices in 2023. It’s not an easy thing to raise pricing in the lawn and landscaping industry, but increased operating costs and inflation this year make it nearly inevitable. Communicating these increases promptly and transparently can go a long way toward keeping clients happy.
7) Keep Up with Marketing
Marketing isn’t something you do just when starting a new business or once a year when trying to get clients to sign up for year-long contracts. Treat it as a year-round thing. If you have an email newsletter, send out updates on a regular schedule. Keep your website and online presence up to date whenever anything changes.
If you use stickers, magnets, and/or wraps on your work vehicles to help you stand out from the competition, keep an eye on those as well. They’ll need to be updated if the information is out of date or they become too faded to read easily. Also, remember to update fliers, mailers, online ads, and other marketing materials to advertise seasonal services.
8) Offer “Green” Services
Environmentally friendly lawn care is becoming more and more popular. You might have already noticed an increased number of customers who are interested in “green,” organic, sustainable, or environmentally friendly lawn care options.
You might already be doing some “green” lawn care things, like mulching grass clippings instead of bagging them. Other green initiatives include using battery-powered equipment and offering organic/natural options for fertilizer and pest control. To learn more, read our article “5 Steps Toward Making Your Landscape Business Green.”
9) Consider Water Conservation
Another environmentally friendly way to approach a lawn and landscaping business is to pay attention to water use. Water conservation is particularly important since we’re in Texas, where water shortages are a very real concern.
You can support customers’ water conservation efforts by advising them to cut their grass a little higher (taller grass means deeper roots, and more drought resistance). If you offer irrigation system services, offer water-efficient equipment and check regularly for leaks. You could also offer to evaluate and reinstall/update inefficient irrigation. If you offer landscaping services, you might talk with your customers about low-water, low-maintenance xeriscaping.
10) Focus on Employees
Retaining good employees is just as important as retaining customers. Every industry is facing challenges with finding and keeping workers, but there are some steps you can take to make this easier. These include providing a clear path to promotion, a healthy company culture, and respect for employees’ work-life balance (click here for more tips).
Another thing you can do for employees is to make sure you’re purchasing ergonomic equipment. For example, backpack blowers from STIHL distribute weight comfortably across the back and shoulders. Mowers from Scag are equipped with anti-vibration technology so it’s easier to cut with them all day. The other quality brands we carry here at Richardson Saw also offer operator comfort features, though the exact features vary depending on the model.
If you’re in the market for reliable new professional lawn equipment, want reliable service from equipment professionals, or have questions about your commercial equipment options, get in touch with us or stop by our location in Richardson, Texas. We’ll be happy to help!
