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Lawn care management — How to run a successful lawn care business

man with hoodie and glasses using a weedwhipper to wheedwhip

Managing a lawn care business isn’t easy. There are many things you need to juggle if you aim to run a successful lawn care company, from managing crews, invoicing customers, to the lawn care work itself. Fortunately, we’ve got you covered. Learn all you need to run a successful lawn care business in this guide!

What you’ll learn in this guide

 Before jumping into the guide, here’s a quick overview of the topics you’ll learn about. 

Top tips for running a successful lawn care business

There are many ways to measure a successful lawn management business — from revenue, customer satisfaction, to the number of jobs done. Here are some top tips to help you succeed in the lawn care industry.

There are many ways to advertise and draw in new customers. If you’re planning to reach more people in your local area, distributing flyers and putting up lawn signs are good ways to get your name out there. You can also use Facebook or Instagram ads targeted at your local area. 

Ask for reviews and referrals

Satisfied customers are one of your greatest resources. If you ask them to write a good review on your website or social media, they may help draw in more customers. You can also simply ask them to recommend your landscaping business to their friends and family — word of mouth is free and often very powerful. 

Provide great customer service

Simply giving your customer a healthy lawn isn’t enough nowadays. You need to have excellent customer service if you expect your client base to remember you. If you show that you and your team went the extra mile to provide great lawn care service, customers are much more likely to come back and recommend your company to others. 

Remember to upsell

Another great way to get more money and appear like an expert is upselling. You’re the one who knows the ins and outs of lawn care, while your customers aren’t aware they can benefit from extra lawn care work. For example, if a client has small children, you can offer to use child-safe alternative weed and pest control methods, or even offer to make a garden specifically for their kids to play in. 

Purchase lawn care business software

Lawn management business software offers digital tools that let you track time and receive invoices via email, among other features. This lets you cut down on paperwork and other repetitive administration tasks so your team can focus on making beautiful lawns for your customers. 

A lawnmower, being used by someone who is barefoot. I'm sure there are safety issues they're not thinking about here.
Image credit: Magda Ehlers via Pexels

Best practices to implement in your lawn services business

Being successful isn’t just about concentrating on the now. It’s about planning ahead and seeing how your business can grow. To help you do that, here are three best practices that can boost your company’s growth.

Limit your service area

While it may sound strange, limiting your service area may mean increasing your profit margins. By shrinking your service area from the entire city to just several districts around your company offices, you’ll spend less time on the road. Reducing time spent in transit means you have more work hours per day and save on fuel costs which will lead to increased profit margins. 

Be an expert, not a jack of all trades

Providing every single lawn care service a customer needs means you’re a one-stop-shop, but it doesn’t necessarily translate to higher profits since some jobs cost more than others. Additionally, doing all types of lawn care work under the sun means you may need to hire a larger team with different skill sets. 

Instead of doing everything your client wants, you can concentrate on providing a handful of lawn care services — and be really good at it. Specialists are typically more in demand than generalists, which means you’ll attract more clients if you specialize in certain lawn care services. 

Several good areas to concentrate your lawn business in include commercial lawn management, agronomic lawn management, and pesticide application. 

Set high prices, and add extra value

Growing a business is expensive. If you don’t have extra cash to hire more people or buy more equipment, you’ll end up constricting your cash flow and delaying your company’s growth. One of the best ways to build extra cash reserves is to simply charge more for your services. 

Instead of trying to beat your competitors’ prices, think of the extra value you provide to customers. For instance, you may charge a little more than the other company, but you also throw in a free lawn mowing and pesticide application. 

How to improve your lawn care business management

Good business management leads to a successful lawn care company. If you’re looking to improve the way you run your company, here are some top tips to do it right.

Hire the best employees

The best lawn care companies start from a competent, tightly-knit team. Instead of trying to save money by hiring new, inexperienced landscapers, you should hire people with more experience. While you may need to pay more for their expertise, you’ll get better customer satisfaction with the work they do. Check out Method’s article on hiring landscaping employees if you’re looking to expand your team.  

Have flexible pricing

While you should never undercharge your services, it pays to adjust your prices from time to time when needed. For instance, you can offer discounted services when it starts getting cold since not many people need lawn care services when winter arrives. You can also give discount coupons to loyal customers or customers who bring in a friend or family member to your business.

To ensure you always have the best prices, check out Method’s guide on lawn care service pricing

Get to know your clients

Customer retention is another essential part of the business. If you know your clients well, you can offer birthday discounts and recommend lawn care services you think they may need. Moreover, happy clients mean they’re more likely to recommend your business to friends and family. 

Plan efficient routes

Time spent on the road means time spent not tending to someone’s lawn. Whenever your team goes out, make sure they can tackle several jobs at once before returning to the office for new assignments. In addition to saving time, this also lets you drive down fuel expenses.  

Man Riding a Lawn Mower Vehicle
Image credit: Hermaion via Pexels

Frequently asked questions about lawn care management

There’s a lot of things to learn about lawn care management and it’s impossible to get everything right the first time. Find answers to common questions about lawn care management here!

How do I manage my lawn care business?

There are a lot of moving parts to a successful lawn care business. However, most successful lawn care businesses do these things:

  • Know their costs and price services accordingly.
  • Schedule jobs efficiently.
  • Build relationships with clients.
  • Ask for reviews and referrals.
  • Remember to upsell.

How much should I charge for lawn care?

The price range for lawn management services varies greatly depending on what your customers need. For instance, lawn mowing can cost anywhere between $25 and $100 depending on the lawn size and other factors. Be sure to set reasonable prices that won’t turn away your clients.   

What is lawn care software?

Lawn care software is a set of digital tools created to assist in day-to-day business operations.  It lets you track time spent on each job, process lawn care invoices automatically, and track inventory use in real-time. Some lawn care software even lets you process online payments from customers. Check out Method’s guide on lawn care business for more information.

How much does a lawn care business make a year?

How much your business can earn in a year depends on how long you’ve been in business. Most lawn care business owners earn up to $50,000 in their first year. With a few years under their belt, a lawn care business owner can earn up to $250,000 annually. 

Closing thoughts on successful lawn care management

Running a successful lawn care business requires many management skills. Things such as employee management, customer relationship building, and price-setting all contribute to the success of your lawn care company. Fortunately, all these things can be learned — so don’t be afraid to make mistakes and keep growing your lawn care business!

Reach your potential today with a free trial of Method:Field Services!

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