If you have a lawn care business, chances are you’ve thought about ways to grow that business. How to attract and retain customers and whether to add more services are perennial considerations in the green industry.
There’s no denying that the lawn care sector is growing. According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, the “United States Lawn Care Market size is estimated at USD 58.69 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 75.71 billion by 2029.” That’s some significant growth, and your company can be part of that growth.
But how do you grow a lawn care company? It’s more than just adding new services and sending out more marketing materials. You’ll want to plan strategically, and make sure the new services that you add make sense for your company. You’ll also want to think about partnerships you can build, consider diversifying your client base, and find ways to invest in your customers and employees.
1) Plan Strategically
When you think about diversifying your lawn care business, don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need to do everything. Spread your business too thin, and you might not be able to keep up with offering the quality you want on every service. You also won’t stand out from other one-stop-shop companies that try to do it all.
Plan your growth and diversification strategically. What are your specialties? Which current services do your customers use most? Are there any services customers repeatedly ask for? As you grow, focus on leaning into those core specialties in your business.
2) Add New Services
Once you’ve identified strengths and core services, expand in relation to those. For example, if your focus so far has been on lawn mowing, it would make sense to add other lawn care services like fertilization, aeration, and weed removal. If you already offer full lawn care services but also have experience with landscaping, then it might make sense to expand into landscape services like planting and pruning plants and installing irrigation systems. Or you might choose to focus on something that makes your services stand out from the competition, such as offering “green” lawn care services.
By focusing on specific services within the lawn and landscaping industry, your company will have an easier time establishing itself as an expert in the field. Even as you grow and diversify, don’t stray too far from the core competencies that helped you build your business in the first place.
3) Build B2B Partnerships
Business-to-business (B2B) partnerships involve building relationships with suppliers like garden centers, hardware stores, and equipment dealers. These relationships can have several advantages for your business. A good relationship with suppliers gives you better negotiating power if you’re ever making a contract with them or buying in bulk. It can also result in word-of-mouth referrals when your business partner recommends you to clients.
You may also find it useful to build partnerships with other businesses offering services in the green industry. For example, if your company doesn’t offer hardscaping services, you might partner with a local masonry company that doesn’t offer lawn care or landscaping services. Mutually referring customers to each other helps both companies thrive.
4) Diversify Your Client Base
Diversifying your services isn’t the only important part of growing a business. You’ll also benefit from growing your client base. Don’t be afraid to ask customers for referrals, especially if they specifically tell you they like the work you’ve been doing. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to grow your client base.
If you specialize in one type of client (for example, residential or commercial properties), consider diversifying your client base to include other types of customers. In many cases, you’ll be offering the same types of services to both clients. Golf courses, corporate headquarters, and residential homes all need lawn mowing, for example. You can also use many of the same marketing strategies, though you may need to set up separate marketing campaigns aimed at different client bases.
5) Invest in People
As you grow your company, it’s important to stay in touch with the people who make your business thrive. Both customers and employees are essential to the success of your lawn care business. Ask for feedback from both groups as your company grows. You might find that they have excellent suggestions for how to improve or diversify your services.
Invest in your team by providing training and incentives for them to stay with your company. It’s a win-win for your business since qualified employees deliver the type of good service that customers expect, and employees who are happy stay with your company and you don’t need to go looking for someone to replace them. Also, invest in your customers by providing top-quality customer service that shows you value their business.
Work With a Local Dealer
As your business grows, you’ll need quality equipment to keep up with the increased workload. Working with a local dealer like Richardson Saw & Lawnmower is the best way to maintain your commercial equipment fleet. You won’t need to worry about contacting some far-off customer service representative if you need parts or have a question. We’re right here, and we have a lot of experience meeting the needs of green industry pros.
We carry reliable commercial brands including STIHL, Scag, RedMax, Toro, Echo, and EGO to meet all your lawn and landscaping needs. We also service what we sell. If your equipment ever needs repairs or maintenance, our certified technicians are here to help. Stop by today to see what we have in stock and chat with equipment experts, or click here to browse our online shop and learn more about the services we offer.
