Getting customers is often the first challenge faced by new lawn care business owners. Even if you’re providing the best service with the most advanced landscaping equipment, it won’t mean anything if you don’t have any bookings. If you’re racking your brain trying to figure out how to get new customers, we’re here to help! Read on to learn the best ways to do it!
The challenges of starting a lawn care business
As with any other industry, running your own business is both rewarding and challenging. While the landscaping business has experienced consistent growth and is relatively easy to get into, there are some challenges that you need to watch out for. Two of the largest challenges for a lawn care business owner are:
Seasonality
Lawn care and landscaping is often times a seasonal business. You might be swamped with bookings from spring to early fall, but dry up when winter hits. You need to know how to manage your finances or provide alternative services in the less active winter months.
Competition
The relative ease of entering the landscaping industry means you’re likely to encounter more competition. If you live in a densely-populated area, you are likely to have multiple businesses competing for the same customers.
Preparations before you get started
While getting into the lawn care industry is challenging, there are ways to prepare that will help you gain customers fast. Here are some areas you should consider before launching your lawn care company.
Check your competition
Examining what the competition does lets you differentiate your company to attract more business. For instance, if your competitors mostly serve residential clients, you can specialize in commercial properties. You can also concentrate on certain aspects of lawn care, like greenhouse maintenance or interior landscape installations.
Improve your skills
While you don’t need a certain degree to be a lawn care professional, some skills are guaranteed to set you apart from the rest. You can take certifications in certain hard skills like commercial pesticide use and tree trimming, or improve your soft skills to provide better customer service. Satisfied customers are more likely to recommend knowledgeable and friendly landscapers to their friends and family.
Set the right prices
There’s no one-size-fits-all pricing plan for lawn care services. Small lawns cost less than large ones, and commercial lawns pay differently compared to residential lawns. Do some research on your area’s potential customers and current competitors to get a good idea of how much people are willing to pay for lawn services.
Get insured
Another often-overlooked part of preparing a business is insurance. In lawn care, you can accidentally cause property damage to your customer’s lawn or have your equipment stolen while you’re on-site. Whatever the problem, insurance keeps you protected.
Top 5 tips to get lawn care customers fast
Once your business is up and running, the next essential step is gaining customers. But how do you find them? Here are five ways you can find customers to jumpstart your lawn care business. You can also check out this blog for lawn care marketing ideas.
1. Contact your family and friends
One of the best ways to kick-start your business is to search within your own network. Since you already have a good relationship with your friends and family, they should be the first to know about your new lawn care business. Even if they don’t need lawn care services at the moment, they can pass the information to their networks.
2. Use your social media channels
A strong social media presence is essential for businesses these days. Creating a social media profile for your company grows your reach and gives you access to a digital audience.
Your social media should contain contact information and your service prices. However, it should also have helpful information like gardening tips and be a place for you to answer customer questions. This way, potential customers are more likely to remember your page and contact your company if they need landscaping services.
3. Go door-to-door
Another way to build your network is the old-fashioned way — sell your services directly to neighbors. This method will be easier if you already have a good reputation in the neighborhood since they’re likely to feel better about getting landscaping services from someone they know. Your proximity to them is also an advantage since you can get there quicker than other landscaping companies.
4. Create print marketing materials
Distributing lawn care flyers, business cards, and posters is also a great way to get your company’s name out there. This can go hand-in-hand with door-to-door marketing, where you hand out cards to your prospective customers. While this is a more costly way to market your business, you’ll see the benefits and return on investment an informative and easy-to-read print ad can have.
5. Join facebook groups
Local Facebook groups are an excellent place to network with people who live in your area. Similar to face-to-face networking, you’ll have an easier time selling your landscaping services in Facebook groups if you already have an established online presence.
If you’ve just joined your local groups, you don’t have to immediately sell your services. Instead, you can chime in with useful gardening tips every time someone asks and build a reputation as a local landscaping expert.
How to get lawn care customers fast? — Frequently asked questions
There’s a learning curve when it comes to running businesses. To help you answer some common questions about getting landscaping customers fast, we’ve compiled the answers right here!
- How do you get lawn care customers fast?
- How to find your first lawn care clients?
- How do I get more lawn mowing customers?
- How do I promote my lawn care business?
How do you get lawn care customers fast?
There are many ways to get lawn care customers. One of the best ways to build your customer base is by word of mouth — be a knowledgeable, likable landscaper to make a good impression on your customers. Once they’re satisfied with your services, they’ll likely recommend you to friends and family.
Another good way to pull in more customers is to be active in local Facebook groups and be the go-to person when it comes to landscaping. Answer questions from group members so they know you’re an expert on lawn care and remember you the next time they need landscaping services.
How to find your first lawn care clients?
The best way to find your first few customers is through your family and friends! Ask around to see whether any of them need lawn care services. If they don’t need it at the moment, consider asking them to promote your business to their friends and family.
How do I get more lawn mowing customers?
Better prices tend to attract more landscaping customers, especially if you include excellent customer service with it. To get more orders for your lawn mowing service, do some research and find out how much people in your area are willing to pay for services. If you need help figuring out how to price your lawn care services, we have a great guide on setting lawn mowing prices.
How do I promote my lawn care business?
There are many ways to promote your lawn care business. Here are just a few ways you can put your company’s name out there and find more prospective clients. For more ideas, you can check out our tips on generating leads as a small business.
1. Discounts and customer referrals
Encourage current customers to tell others about your business by giving them discount coupons when they get someone new to use your services. For newcomers, you can offer a one-time exclusive discount so you can get them to experience your services firsthand.
2. Print materials
While print marketing may seem dated, flyers and lawn signs offer a personal touch that most people trust. A good piece of advice is to always carry business cards with you wherever you go. If the topic of your business comes up in a conversation, you’re ready to promote your business.
Printing T-shirts with your business name and contact information is also a good idea. Wearing them as a uniform lets you and your team become walking billboards, informing people passing by of your business.
3. Online presence
Online presence isn’t just about social media. You should also set up a Google business profile so your contact details are automatically displayed when people look up your lawn care company. Moreover, you can add photos and review scores to convince potential customers that your business is legitimate.
Closing thoughts on how to get lawn care customers fast
There are many ways to get new lawn care customers when you’re just starting out. However, there’s no single right way to do it, you need to research and experiment to see which methods work for your business.
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Image credit: Petar Tonchev via Unsplash