Lawn mowing season is coming to an end, so you might be preparing for a slump in business in the winter season. But winter doesn’t have to be a slow season — there are many ways for a lawn care business to use its resources to make money in the winter. While other types of businesses are enjoying a boost during the holidays, so can your lawn care business in the winter months. Here are a few ideas.
Your Lawn Care Business Can Help Prepare For Winter
Even before the first snowfall and blustery winds hit, there is work to do to prepare for winter. Removing dead leaves and grass from flower beds and gutters, pruning trees, covering fragile plants like perennials to protect them during winter months, and draining hoses or sprinklers to prevent freezing must be done to keep a lawn looking good.
Winter mulching also insulates plants and the ground to help protect foliage. Offer this service after freezing has made the ground hard, or after the first frost.
And don’t forget that once winter freezes start to thaw, there may be a lot of dead debris to clean up in a yard. Aside from snow removal, preparing for and cleaning up after winter can keep a lawn care business busy and profitable all year round.
Let It Snow!
One of the most obvious ways to extend your profits in the winter is by offering snow removal services. While the young and healthy may prefer to shovel snow themselves, many are too weak or too frail to do the job. That’s where your landscaping business can help.
Obviously, the amount of revenue you generate will depend considerably on how much snow you get. Adding snow removal services in Florida might not be such a good idea, but a landscaping business in Michigan may see a huge surge in revenue by adding this service.
‘Tis The Season (To Keep Your Lawn Care Business Profitable)
Commercial businesses as well as private clients may need help with holiday decorating. Businesses, especially ones needing professional-looking decorations, may have some additional challenges with high-rise ceilings and lobbies. Even if you don’t have a landscaping contract, inquire with business headquarters and hotels, among others, for seasonal decoration needs.
Some residential clients go all out with their holiday decorations — a drive through the neighborhood shows some real creativity and elaborate decorations for some households. Whether the residents don’t enjoy getting up on ladders and hanging their decorations or they can’t do it for some reason that season, they may choose to hire someone to do it for them. This presents a great opportunity for both hanging decorations and taking them down — think about how much you dread just taking down the Christmas tree!
Keep The Fires Going With Wood Delivery
Have you ever considered adding a firewood delivery service to your lawn care business? Arborgold suggests this service, which may be overlooked by many lawn care businesses. Clients may not have a proper vehicle for hauling firewood or they simply may not want to get the inside of their vehicles dirty. Even if there is not a lot of snow during the winter, you’ll likely have cold temperatures and people trying to lower their heating costs.
Cleaning Up Before And After Winter Weather With A Good Pressure Wash
In addition to cleaning up the yard or flowerbeds, homes and additional buildings may need a good pressure wash to get rid of dirt and salt build-up from the winter months. Or clients may want to clean up after the summer months to prepare for winter and the holidays. Either way, offering pressure washing services can bring in more business in the slower months between seasons.
Commercial Contracts Can Help Year-Round For Lawn Care Businesses
Commercial businesses may set up a contract with a lump sum for the entire year, which if budgeted properly, can provide income year-round. Plus, they likely need some snow removal in winter, as well. In particular, the need to manage icy walks and parking lots to avoid employee and visitor accidents. Failure to do so can lead to pricey lawsuits, which no commercial business wants.
Planning For Summer Starts Early
Don’t hesitate to start offering planning for gardening and landscaping services early. People often grow tired of winter and look forward to returning to a lush, green landscape or garden. They will often attend home and garden shows as a way to escape the sometimes dreary feelings of winter, according to Spyker. These are great opportunities to get your foot in the door with new clients early, when other lawn care businesses may be taking a vacation.
Keeping Everything Running Smoothly In Your Lawn Care Business
Perhaps the biggest key to running a successful business and staying profitable is giving good customer service and keeping clients happy so they keep you coming back. ServiceWorks helps with several different tasks associated with any small business.
From lead management to scheduling appointments, this software is invaluable, especially for planning service routes efficiently. It also helps with bookkeeping, invoicing, and accepting payments, plus more.
Give ServiceWorks a try today, and it won’t cost a thing with our free trial so you can see for yourself how this software can help your lawn care business, even in the winter months!
