No matter how great of a landscaper you may be, your company will always struggle if you don’t know how to plan and run a solid business. Fortunately, with the right landscaping software and a few best practices, you can set yourself on the path to success. Below, learn five must-use tips for running an effective landscaping business and how a landscaping app can help you put them into action.
The Value of the Right Landscaping App
Running a business is no easy undertaking, especially if you are out making customer visits. You can simplify or improve a lot of the core functions of your business with software. It can help you with everything from staying organized to gaining insights through data collection and analysis.
Chances are that you already use some software to help run your business. You may have a tool for bookkeeping and one for organizing your leads. However, it is worth adding a solution specific to landscaping to your mix. There are some unique characteristics about the sales cycle, jobs and processes of this industry. Having a purpose-built tool can help you to save time and grow your business faster.
Tips for Running a Better Landscaping Business
The difference between simply running a business and building a successful firm is often in the details of how you operate. There are many small opportunities and efficiencies you can harness. The following five tips will help you find your path to success.
1) Get Friendly with Your Data
Businesses around the world are making better decisions by using data. From focusing on high-return customers to eliminating costly inefficiencies, the more you understand about your business, the better you can manage it. However, you first need to capture information.
Fortunately, you are likely already doing a lot of this. You have data on what you spend on each job and how much you earn. Perhaps you also track which of your leads convert to sales. By organizing this data and getting comfortable with analyzing it, you can gain insights into how your business could grow faster and/or become more profitable. You may be surprised how much valuable information is currently sitting on your desk.
2) Implement Time-Saving Processes
Processes are the series of repeatable tasks that help you run your daily operations. For example, you likely have processes for capturing employee time and for preparing proposals for customers. If your business is like a lot of others, these processes have emerged organically without much planning or thought.
It is often worthwhile to spend some time identifying, mapping and improving your processes. Specifically, you can look for opportunities to save time. This may be something as simple as switching from manual timesheets to an automatic clock-in/clock-out system. It may also be finding the right landscaping business software to help you manage and send proposals faster. Improving the way you do things can save you time and money.
3) Plan with Scaling in Mind
If you want to grow your landscaping business, you need to think about your needs now and when you get larger. However, you don’t want to put the cart before the horse. If you invest in an expensive, fancy payroll solution when you only have one crew, you will likely be wasting a lot of money and effort.
The key is to find scalable solutions. Pick landscaping apps that can be expanded as you grow. Similarly, think about your processes and structures with a more flexible mindset. You can do this by thinking through some of your day-to-day operations and asking “what would happen if I hired another crew? What if I doubled the size of the company?” You don’t necessarily need to fix every scalability issue immediately, but it is good to be aware of them.
4) Say “No” When You Need To
Many landscaping business owners started out having to say “yes” to every project and opportunity. However, you may be reaching a point at which that is not only not optimal but even not feasible. You may need to learn how to say “no” when it makes sense to do so. Not every job is going to help you get where you want to go. It is okay to turn them down.
This can have some internal, cultural benefits also. Team members need to know it is okay to ask for help or to say when they can’t do something. Seeing the boss have a thoughtful and honest approach to accepting work will encourage them to do so also.
5) Budget Like Your Business Depends On It
Finally, get in the habit of budgeting carefully. Create annual, quarterly, and even monthly budgets for your business. Plus, have a budget for every job. This should be more than just a rough estimate. Get in the habit of really figuring out what things will cost. Then, make sure to reconcile all your budgets against the actual costs.
You should make this a habit like your business depends on it. After all, in a lot of ways, it does depend on it. Good budgeting and job costing will help you stay on the path of profitability.
DynaScape’s Manage360 Is a Must-Have Landscape Business Software
DynaScape’s Manage360 can help you do the above and so much more. It is a landscaping business software designed specifically for businesses like yours. Using Manage360, you can increase the visibility of your sales cycle and your overall performance. By examining this data, you will gain greater insights into your current strengths and weaknesses. That insight will serve as a guide for your planning and growth.
Additionally, you can use Manage360 to plan, manage and oversee your jobs. You can schedule tasks, assign people to jobs, create purchase orders and more. Plus, you can do this with the same software you use to manage sales and make proposals. It integrates and streamlines your operations from proposal to payment.
Start Managing Your Landscaping Business More Effectively
Discover the difference that DynaScape Manage360 could make for your landscaping business. With this landscaping software, you could build a more profitable business quickly and efficiently. Order Manage360 today or contact us today to learn more. Alternatively, request a demo of Manage360 to see more for yourself.