Before you start a landscaping business make sure to have a plan in place. Keep reading for 5 key tips for starting a landscaping business.
According to market analysis, the landscaping industry has grown to reach a revenue of $99 billion over the last few years.
That is some serious revenue, and if you are reading this article, then chances are that you want in on it. But before you dive into starting a landscaping business, you will need to strategize how to make it a success.
Opening your own business can be risky, and without proper planning and insight you could easily end up with a failed business and a financial loss at the end of it.
But, fortunately, this does not have to be the case. There are a number of things that you can do to ensure that your new landscaping business is a success.
If you want to know what these tricks are then read on — because we are about to share with you five top tips for success.
1. Identify and Cater to Your Market
One of the most important things when starting any business is to identify and cater to your target market.
Once you know who your target customers are (i.e. high-end clients, busy people, hotels, people wanting specifically native plants, etc.) you will be able to tailor your services, branding, and marketing to suit them.
2. Get Savvy With Estimates
One of the trickiest things for a new business owner in the landscaping niche to wrap their heads around is how to give good estimates. Estimates for jobs need to strike the ideal balance between being cost effective for the client and still profitable for you.
Although it is estimated that Americans spend over $90.23 per capita annually on their gardens — this does not mean that anybody wants to be ripped off or pay more than they have to. It can be tempting as a new company on the circuit to under-quote your competition to gain a foot into the market. But this will not pay if you cannot meet your overheads.
To successfully generate good estimates establish a system of pricing. For example, if you specialize in lawn care then work out a per square foot rate that covers all your costs and has a profit margin worked in.
3. Invest in Your Employees
Building up a reliable and skilled team is essential to making it as a landscaper. While you can hire experts, you can also hire aspiring employees who are eager for training and experience. The key to this strategy is to actually provide the training, whether it is in the form of courses, on in onsite instruction.
4. Set up a System to Track Your Metrics
To be successful in a competitive area like landscaping it is essential that you keep tabs on the numbers and metrics of your business so that you can use this data to inform your business decisions. These are things like sales, production, balance sheet figures, and cash flow.
To streamline this you can opt to go with a form of field service management software that automates parts of the bookkeeping process, invoices, payroll, etc.
5. Create a Strong Online Presence
One of the most vital things for any new landscaping business to do is to market their services so that their sales and gross profit can rise. Nowadays one of the best places to do this is online. This is why, if you want your business to be a success it is crucial that you build a strong online presence for it.
To do so you will need to create an SEO optimized page for your landscaping business, formulate and carry out a social media marketing strategy and set up targeted ads on platforms like Facebook.
If you do not have the energy to undertake this all yourself, you should then call in landscaper marketing services.
Starting a Landscaping Business Doesn’t Have to Be Hard
While starting a new business might come with its share of risks and challenges, now that you are armed with these top tips for starting a landscaping business – you are already headed in the direction of success.
So go out there and take the area by storm with your killer services, spot on estimates, great team and savvy marketing strategy!
If you have any questions or comments about starting your own landscaping business, be sure to hit us up in the comment box below.
This is a sponsored post.