Landscaping can be a great business – sunshine, fresh air, exercise, and (if you play your cards right) great money. That’s also what makes it so competitive. Depending on your location, it’s pretty likely that your landscaping business isn’t the only game in town. With the economy the way it is, it’s time to pull out all the stops and do anything legal, moral, and ethical that you possibly can to rise to the top of the heap. Here are a few tips that may make a big difference when you are trying to make it in the landscaping biz.
The more you can offer, the more money you can make. Typical landscapers mow, edge, trim hedges, etc. These are all good, but it’s a good idea to add more services too. Think about possible jobs that you could do that are in demand in your area: gutter cleaning, tree removal, snow removal, tree and shrub planting, exterior painting, stone or concrete work, or anything else you can think of. It’s not a bad idea to ask customers, friends, and family for ideas. This is a simple approach, but an important one.
Invest in Multi Tools and Blades
Tools are not cheap, so it’s crucial to get as much “bang for your buck” as possible. One of the best tool investment strategies is to buy oscillating multi tools for yourself and your crew. These tools are spectacular. Each multi tool can work like a couple of dozen tools, depending on the blade you put into it. Their versatility is impressive. You can use them for precise cuts in all kinds of wood, fiberglass, drywall, paneling, plastics, insulation board, plywood, sheet metal, and other materials. You can also use certain blades for scraping dried paint, concrete, or tile grout, sanding, or grinding and polishing metals. As you expand your services for your customers, you can experiment with different blades to make your work quick, easy, and efficient.
Invest in website development and SEO
Landscaping tends to be a local type of business, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t need a website to keep up with the competition. Even if you have relied on word-of-mouth advertising for years, it’s time to get with the 21st Century and get at least a basic website set up. And, if you are serious about expanding your business, the task doesn’t end with the creation of the website. That’s just the beginning. What many business owners don’t know is that web development and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are vital parts of turning a website into a money-making tool. Once your website is set up, including lists of your services, testimonials from customers, rates, and photos of your bests work, you still have to get people to check out your site. That’s where SEO professionals come in. These experts use a variety of methods to direct traffic to your site, primarily by using techniques to move your site toward the top of the search engine listings for certain keyword searches. In other words, when people punch in “landscaping” or related words for your service, you want your website to come up first. These days, most people look for services online, not in the phone book. If you don’t have a good website with great SEO services, customers will not even know you exist. This is probably the biggest key to staying competitive in the modern day.
The author is a business owner and craftsman who has written several articles about multi tool applications, replacement sonicrafter blades, and other oscillating tool blades. He also writes about selecting the best SEO consultant to acquire affordable SEO services.
Featured landscaping image courtesy of OutdoorArtisansVA
