If you operate a snow removal business in the Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and Wyoming area, chances are you have steady work for most of the winter. But what happens when spring rolls around? Many smart business owners put away their plows and bring out the mowers to offer lawn and landscape services during the warmer months.
Transitioning your snow removal service to a landscaping service is an excellent way to keep your cash flowing during the off-season. Like snow removal, landscaping doesn’t always require a substantial initial investment to get started. Many successful services began with nothing more than a mower, shovel, rake, and a wheelbarrow, and added equipment as the business and client list grew. If you’re thinking about branching out into landscaping service, you already own one of your most important and expensive landscaping tools – your truck.
Generally speaking, there are three types of landscaping categories you can consider: Lawn and Groundskeeping Services, Landscaping Services, and Interior Landscaping Services. Each area requires different skills and offers varying levels of services. This article provides an overview of these three categories.
Lawn and Groundskeeping Services
These professionals keep lawns, gardens, and existing landscapes looking their best. Mowing lawns, trimming trees and shrubs, and doing spring and fall cleanups are their most frequent duties. The primary customer base for lawn and groundskeeping services include:
- Homeowners who are frequently out-of-town on business
- Retirees who don’t care to do their own maintenance
- “Snowbirds” with winter homes in warmer climates
- Golf course managers who may need help with maintenance
- Rental property or condominium association managers who are personnel-impaired
- Facilities managers for botanical gardens, historic buildings, municipalities and other government entities, universities, cemeteries and other public places with green spaces
Basic Equipment: Commercial mower, trimmer, edger, leaf blower, assorted shovels/rakes, wheelbarrow
What You Need to Know: Generally speaking, you don’t need formal education or training to offer these services, but a little homework will go a long way with your customers. Read up on the best types of plants for your area and their proper care, so you can give them advice and be their go-to source for lawn and outdoor plant advice.
If you’re applying lawn chemicals such as fertilizer or pesticides, most states require you to be licensed and certified. Contact your state’s extension office for specific details.
Average Hourly Rate: $25-$35
Landscaping Services
In the most general sense, this is the person who installs and plants, flowers, trees, sod, and other natural materials like rocks and mulch. A landscaping service may also offer design services (a good eye and an equally good design software package make it possible) and add-on services, such as sprinkler installation. Customers who require landscaping services are usually:
- Homeowners who lack the skill or time to do their own landscaping
- New homeowners who wish to update their existing landscaping
- Homeowners who plan to sell their home and want to improve its curb appeal with fresh or updated landscaping
- Commercial and residential builders
Basic Equipment: Varies by job, but assorted shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows and other installation and gardening equipment
What You Need to Know: Most states require landscapers to be licensed. Check with your state’s department of licensing, labor, or contracting board to find out the requirements. If you’re installing pond systems, you’ll also need to know some aquaculture.
Average Project Spend (for residential customers): $ $1,600 to $4,318
Interior Landscaping Services
Interior landscapers install and maintain plants in office buildings, shopping malls, and other public places. These professionals often give advice about the types of plants and planters that will complement a building’s interior design. They advise clients about plant selection, supervise and/or set up or tear down holiday decorations, and offer other services that are loosely related to interior design.
Equipment: Assorted hand tools and a cart or other equipment for transporting plants and equipment.
What You Need to Know: While you don’t need a design background to be successful, it helps if you have an eye for color, shape, texture, and form that can create horticultural focal points to complement a building’s interior.
There’s no average rate for this type of work. However, there are a few factors you need to account for when bidding and estimating jobs:
- True costs for all items incorporated in the quote: plants, containers, accessories, shipping costs, etc.
- Length of lease agreement/minimum non-cancellable term of lease/desired payback timeframe of leased items
- Expected costs of replacement plants based on prior experience with similar accounts
- Labor costs for the maintenance phase
The best way to manage these costs is to either purchase a turn-key software package designed for the interior landscape industry or to create some simple spreadsheets that will help you calculate these items accurately.
Promoting Your Landscaping Business
Because you already have an established business presence through your snow removal service, you don’t have to start from scratch to build a client base for landscaping services. Promote your services to your existing customers and ask for referrals. Contact area contractors to see if they would subcontract your services. Talk with local municipalities and businesses to be added to their bid lists for ongoing and special projects.
Be sure to update your advertising to show that you’re now offering landscape services. Add your new information to all your business materials, such as business cards, stationery, and any brochures you may have. If you have a website, make sure to update that as well. If you don’t, consider launching one – you’ll need it to stay ahead of the competition.
Watch Out for These Common Pitfalls
One of the biggest mistakes made in starting up a landscaping service is failing to have sufficient cash reserves to make it through the first few lean years. You have an advantage over other startups because you’re expanding your existing business, and not trying to build one from the ground up. That being said, you still have to invest in new equipment and possibly additional employees. Revisit your business plan and crunch some numbers before diving headfirst into a landscaping business.
In addition, you have to be physically fit and able to handle the rigors of the job, which can include lifting heavy equipment off and onto trailers, and wielding bulky handheld implements for hours at a time. You’ll be handling potentially dangerous machinery and hazardous chemicals; and you’ll be doing this during the warm months. So if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the business.
Want to Learn About Upfitting Your Truck for Lawn & Landscaping Season?
Semi Service has several options for upfitting your truck, including systems for lawn and landscape services. Contact one of our representatives today, and we’ll design a package to fit your needs. Contact us online or give us a call at (800) 442-6687 to get started today!
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