As a business owner, you already know that growing your company is essential to success. But what if you don’t have the time or resources to do everything yourself? That’s where hiring workers comes in. In this blog post, we’ll outline the process of how to find and hire new workers for your cleaning business.
What you’ll learn in this guide
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll learn in this guide:
Once you start expanding your business, you’ll likely have to fill in the following positions:
Cleaning staff.
Office manager.
Office assistant.
Marketing staff.
Sales representatives.
Customer service representatives.
Accountant.
Receptionist.
You’ll also have to consider whether you’ll need your employees to come on as full-time employees, part-time employees, or even independent contractors who help with short-term projects.
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You’ll have to consider a few requirements and make some preparations before starting the hiring process. Here are some of the things you’ll have to do to prepare your company for hiring:
Get insured: General liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance are the two most important types of insurance you’ll need to protect your business and your workers from any unforeseen circumstances.
Find a payroll system: Payroll management software can make it easier for you to track employees’ compensation accurately.
Get a lawyer: If you’re going to be issuing employment contracts, it’s best to hire a lawyer to go over each one.
Put together an employee handbook: This should include all the rules and regulations you expect employees to follow.
Draft application forms: These should include sections for applicants’ personal information, contact details, previous employment history, availability, references, and other relevant information.
Set up a workplace safety training program: This should cover the do’s and don’ts for handling equipment, responding to emergencies, basic first aid training, and risk assessment training.
Writing a cleaning may seem simple enough, but it does come with its particular challenges. The biggest challenge: conveying all the necessary information in a concise and attention-grabbing post.
When writing the job title, keep it short and straightforward. Write titles that are familiar to most people, like “commercial cleaning crew member,” “high-rise window cleaner,” or “pressure washer technician.” Make sure to avoid jargon titles as well.
When writing the job description, you’ll want to answer the following questions in one short paragraph:
What does the work entail?
Who will the applicant work with?
What kinds of clients or service areas can the employee expect to encounter?
What skills, educational background, experience, and certification are necessary to qualify for the position?
What job requirements must the applicant submit?
What is the hourly rate?
What are the work hours like? Is it a full-time or part-time position?
Where is the office located?
Is there a dress code, or will a uniform be provided?
Aside from this, you can also benefit from including the following information in your listing:
Once you’ve finalized your job listing, you can begin looking for places to post your ads. These days, search engines and online job boards like Indeed, Monster, and Glassdoor are your best bet. You can also post an ad on your social media pages, from LinkedIn to Facebook and Instagram. Posting to social media means that you can also get reliable referrals from valued customers.
If you want to go for a more traditional route, you can print out flyers and distribute them around your neighborhood. With this approach, you may have better luck finding someone from your community. However, this is a more expensive and labor-intensive approach.
Narrowing down applicants to a handful of qualified candidates can be challenging. Here are three tips for finding the ideal candidate:
1. Make a list of priorities
What are you looking for in an employee? Some of the most important traits that any cleaning professional should have are good social skills, problem-solving skills, reliability, and a strong work ethic. It’s up to you to decide whether having a fantastic attitude is a must or if not having any previous cleaning experience is a dealbreaker for you.
To make things easier, you can sort your applicants into three categories: yes, no, maybe, or a good fit, trainable, and wrong fit.
2. Master the art of the interview
The interview process can be nerve-wracking for both the candidate and the interviewee, especially if you’ve never done it before! When conducting a job interview, keep the following tips in mind:
Go over candidates’ resumes and cover letters before the interview. This will help you avoid unnecessary questions and allow you to go deeper into your candidates’ abilities and previous cleaning experience.
Ask open-ended questions. If you don’t want to get one-word, “yes” or “no” responses, design your questions to allow your candidates to tell you more about themselves.
Ask what candidates would do in a work situation. Test your candidates’ problem-solving skills and quick thinking by proposing hypothetical situations for them to solve.
Go out of the box with your interview questions. Don’t be afraid to get creative and ask questions like, “Describe a perfect day for you” or “What do people often get wrong about you?” Not only do these questions get your candidates to loosen up and become more comfortable with you, but they also give you a peek into how they think.
Avoid personal topics. Stray away from topics around a person’s age, gender, sex, religion, or race.
3. Conduct a thorough background check
Checking references and conducting a criminal background check may seem like overkill, but it can help protect your business from potential risks. You should look into educational credentials, employment history, and criminal records.
QuickBooks can’t do everything, so let Method:Field Services help.
You should hire more employees when you feel that your business is suffering from being understaffed or when you want to grow your business with more hands on deck.
Where is the best place to advertise cleaning jobs?
Some of the best places to advertise cleaning jobs include platforms like Indeed, Monster, and Glassdoor, as well as sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
How much should I pay my cleaning employees?
According to ZipRecruiter, cleaning jobs pay about $12 an hour or $25,836 a year. Of course, this number varies depending on your location, skill levels, and years of experience.
Closing thoughts
Hiring new employees can be a daunting task for any business owner. With so many factors to consider and so many options to choose from, it might seem like you’ll never find the perfect person for your team. But with just a little preparation and patience, hiring cleaners is easier than you think and benefits your business in the long term.
In this digital age, almost every aspect of marketing your cleaning business is done online. However, flyers are still used by business owners to this day because they are relatively cheap to make, and customers get a physical reminder that your business exists.
But how do you make effective cleaning company flyers? Read on for important tips and cleaning flyer examples to ensure you make the most memorable and impactful flyers!
You may be asking, do flyers still convert leads into paying customers in this digital age? You might be surprised to know they still do! Flyers are cheap, easy to print, and quick to distribute. Once you have a design ready, you can print them and spread the word about your business within days.
Moreover, flyers have a physical presence unlike digital ads. Even if a customer doesn’t book a cleaning appointment when they first receive a flyer, there’s a chance that they’ll do so in the future when they come across the flyer again.
The advantages of using cleaning services flyers
Still on the fence about investing in cleaning service flyers? Here are three main benefits of marketing with flyers:
Increase awareness
To even be considered by customers, they need to know your company exists. Flyers are a powerful branding tool to spread awareness by publishing your company’s name and logo in public. Even if they don’t need cleaning services now, they may recall your company name and contact you for a booking later.
Entice customers
Put in promotions like 10% off the first cleaning job or a free cleanup for every successful referral. This creates an incentive for people to book or otherwise engage with your services.
Market to certain areas
It’s very simple to market to a certain area with flyers. All you need to do is do flyer drops in areas you’re marketing to. This gives you control over your marketing reach and lets you target specific neighborhoods.
QuickBooks can’t do everything, so let Method:Field Services help.
How to make a professional flyer for cleaning services
Now that you’ve decided on making flyers, here’s a quick four-step guide on how to make your cleaning service flyer:
Look for inspiration: Look up cleaning flyer templates and designs from other companies to get yourself started. Keep the audience in mind and think about what elements they might like.
Brief your designer: Compile the information you need to convey and what graphic design elements should be included in a document called a brief. This brief should contain everything you or your designer needs to bring your flyer idea to life.
Evaluate the design: Once the design is done, check it against your brief. Some key points to examine include the information placed in the flyer and whether the design fits your company colors.
Proofread and print: Do some final checks before you send the design to the printer. After you’re 100% sure that there are no typos, they’re ready to print!
What should you put on a cleaning services flyer?
Your advertising flyers should contain everything a prospective customer needs. Here are several important things to put in your flyer:
Company name and contact details: This one is self-explanatory. If people don’t know what your company is called and how to reach you, they won’t even consider booking your services.
Short description of services: You only have so much space in a flyer, so just include key information you think potential customers need.
Service breakdown: In smaller font, break down the services you provide. For instance, if your flyer advertises kitchen cleaning, you can include things such as appliance cleaning and utensil polishing.
Call to action: A call-to-action tells the readers what to do next. Calls to action typically tell people to either call a number or visit a website.
Pricing and discounts: You don’t have to include your whole price book. Advertise your discounts and special offers so potential clients are more curious.
Specializations: What sets your company apart from the others? Highlight the uniqueness of your company like the cleaning products used or a specific service you offer that others don’t.
QuickBooks can’t do everything, so let Method:Field Services help.
To get the most bang for your buck, you need to know how to design effective cleaning flyers. Here are three ways to ensure your flyer catches people’s attention:
Know your potential clients
Pick a target market and design your cleaning company flyers according to their preferences. This way, you’ll make flyers that resonate with your target audience. For instance, a modern flyer with bright color graphics is more likely to attract the attention of young people while traditional designs are better suited to older people.
Make attention-grabbing flyers
Most people only spend several seconds looking at a flyer. If you don’t catch their attention with an interesting headline or a great offer, you’ll potentially lose out on a customer. Craft catchy headlines or use big, attention-grabbing font choices that pique the reader’s curiosity and make them want to read the rest of the flyer.
Keep it concise
There’s only so much space on a flyer. You don’t have to include everything you want to say because that usually results in an overly wordy flyer. Instead, simply offer a quick overview of your house cleaning service in easily readable, clean fonts and end with a call-to-action directing readers to your hotline or website. If they want more info, they can get it from there.
Need more references to craft your cleaning service flyers? Here are some cleaning flyer templates and examples you can take inspiration from, as well as why they’re good:
This flyer clearly separates the company’s services into two segments: residential and commercial cleaning. It also provides information that it offers green cleaning services.
The simple, eye-catching flyer design focuses on what you can get by contacting the company. It also clearly provides its email and phone number so customers can contact the company right away.
This flyer shows the company’s services as well as its prices at a single glance. Moreover, its big discount sticker will entice more potential customers to contact the company.
The large call-to-action for a free window washing quote is bound to catch a lot of eyes. In addition to that, this company also provides multiple contact points so people can choose to call, email, or go to the company’s website.
The title of this flyer accurately describes the house cleaning services provided, giving readers that information instantly. Reading further down, it also lists four key selling points of the business, convincing people to call.
ChemDry Duct Cleaning
Image credit: ChemDry Cleaning
This flyer clearly outlines what the company offers as well as the benefits it offers. It also provides cutaway coupons you can use to get discounts on its services.
QuickBooks can’t do everything, so let Method:Field Services help.
Completing a construction project is no easy feat, and the biggest obstacle is usually scheduling. Many construction managers spend hours in their workweek constantly monitoring and fixing construction schedules.
The process causes a lot of headaches and wastes valuable time that could go toward growing your construction company.
Using construction scheduling software:
Saves you time.
Enhances construction project coordination.
Facilitates effective project management until completion.
But finding the best construction scheduling software requires you to consider which tools your business needs to succeed.
What is construction scheduling?
Construction scheduling involves planning a project and is the blueprint for making sure a job gets completed on time and within budget. In a construction schedule, you’ll find the individual tasks required to finish the project and a timeline to bring each task to completion.
This process simplifies task assignment and monitoring as it considers multiple aspects of your projects such as:
Resource management.
Specialty contractor and employee availability.
Budgeting and time tracking.
Area restrictions and building laws.
Client requests and time restraints.
What is construction scheduling software?
Construction scheduling software is a digital tool designed specifically for the construction industry. It assists project managers, contractors, and engineering teams in planning, coordinating, and tracking various tasks throughout a construction project.
By providing a centralized platform, this software enhances communication among project stakeholders and ensures:
Project activity alignment.
Milestones are met.
Efficient use of resources.
Timely project completion.
Reduced overhead costs.
How does construction scheduling software work?
Construction scheduling software allows users to enter various project details, from task progresss to resource allocation. Overall, it streamlines project scheduling.
For example, you can enter the project’s start and end dates, define key milestones and prioritize tasks. Then, you can break the project down to individual tasks or jobs, assign them to team members and set deadlines.
Most scheduling software offers a Gantt chart view to provide a visual representation of the project timeline, dependencies, and progress. Construction scheduling software also optimizes resource allocation, including:
Labor.
Machinery and equipment.
Materials.
As the project progresses, team members can update task statuses for real-time tracking. Some platform also automate reminders to ensure no task goes overlooked and any bottlenecks are addresses timely.
Plus, many construction scheduling software integrates with other construction management systems, such as budgeting tools or CRMs for a holistic view of the project.
What are the benefits of construction scheduler software?
Construction scheduling software is more than just a digital calendar for your projects. For instance, it:
Enables efficient resource utilization.
Facilitates effective risk management.
Enables collaborative project planning.
Provides data-driven insights for decision-making.
Supports accurate project forecasting.
Let’s go deeperinto its standout benefits.
Better manage your construction budget
One of the primary advantages of construction schedulers are the enhanced control it offers over your budget. Scheduling software lets you:
Analyze expenses as they occur, so you don’t overspend.
Predict future costs based on current spending trends.
Coordinate resources to avoid unnecessary rental or overtime costs.
Generate detailed reports that show where the money is going, highlighting areas for potential savings.
Avoid bottlenecks from bureaucracy
Bureaucratic delays area hindrance in construction projects that digital workflows help with.
As it pertains to document management, software helps you:
Access permits, drawings, licenses, and other essential papers.
Assign project tasks and set deadlines.
Automate the steps in your approval process.
Improved collaboration
A construction project involves multiple stakeholders, from architects to subcontractors. As such, it helps if all team members communicate in one platform. Real-time feedback reduces misunderstanding and ensures everyone is on the same page.
The shared calendar scheduling software offers allows teams to:
View project timelines.
Understand job roles.
See how tasks fit into the big picture.
Another way that construction scheduling software improves collaboration is through sharing essential documents, like blueprints or designs, with the parties that need the information.
Types of construction scheduling software
Scheduling is paramount for every construction business, big or small. With so many tasks, stakeholders, and resources to juggle, having the right software can make all the difference.
While the term “construction scheduling software” might seem singular, there are actually several types, each catering to specific needs within the industry.
Let’s explore these types in more detail.
Construction management software
Construction management software focuses on the entire lifecycle of a construction project, from initial planning to the final handover.
This software integrates functions like:
Budgeting.
Resource allocation.
Timeline tracking.
It’s particularly useful for larger projects where there’s a need to monitor multiple job aspects simultaneously. With features tailored to construction, such as site logistics and safety compliance, it ensures that projects are executed seamlessly.
Project management software
While construction management software is tailored for the construction industry, project management software emphasizes:
Task organization.
Collaboration.
Milestone tracking.
Effective communication.
Labor management.
Job management software
Job management software zeroes in on specific jobs within a project. It’s ideal for contractors that focus on tasks, such as:
Plumbing.
Electrical work.
Masonry.
This software helps in scheduling jobs, tracking progress, and ensuring that resources are available when needed. It’s less about the overarching project and more about the nitty-gritty details of individual tasks.
For subcontractors or specialized construction teams, job management software ensures that their specific responsibilities are executed efficiently and on time.
Who uses a construction scheduling app?
Scheduling software for construction crews is essential for construction managers and their teams to keep track of each task.
Project managers need an efficient and accurate construction scheduling app to break down the project into smaller tasks and make sure that they deliver the final project within their client’s budget and timeline.
It also helps construction managers bid estimates that make sense for their customers and that are profitable.
Key features of best construction scheduling software
Easy crew scheduling
Scheduling your team is not as easy as sending employees and contractors to a construction site. Construction project managers have to consider their crews vacation days, possible sick days, and other time-off requests.
When hiring contractors, their specific skillset needs to be taken into consideration as more than one contractor might be required to complete the job.
Construction schedule software lets you schedule your crew easily.
The best solutions offer automation tools to schedule your crew automatically, with all availability and specialties already considered. This save you hours of scheduling, and reduces the likelihood of mistakes or misscheduling crew.
Accurate progress tracking
It’s essential to always check your construction project scheduling software for accuracy and to see the progress of the project. A construction scheduling app increases accuracy and reduces entry errors.
Fewer mistakes mean that you’ll have fewer issues built up over time and won’t overwhelm the whole project plan.
Project management
A good construction schedule software has tools that let you personalize your process to fit how you operate your business. Project management tools help you:
Visualize project timelines with drag-and-drop capabilities.
View hours worked on individual tasks with time tracking tools.
Never miss materials and tools by monitoring.
Avoid double data entry by integrating with your accounting software.
Financial tools
Use construction scheduling software to help you keep track of payments and billing throughout your projects with ease. Some key financial tools found in construction scheduling apps include:
Employee hours log.
Payment processing.
Invoicing, estimates, and work orders.
Budgeting tools.
Protip: When looking for the best construction scheduling software, choose one that integrates with accounting apps that sync your data across both apps so you don’t spend hours on double data entry.
Customer management
Managing your customers is an important part of your project scheduling process. It’s important to ensure that your customers are happy and in the know for the entire project.
A construction schedule software gives you access to customer details and past job history anywhere and anytime.
Your customers can also use customer portals to stay updated on project changes and have a professional channel to communicate with your customers.
How much does the best construction scheduling software cost?
The price of construction project scheduling software varies depending on the amount of users using the software and what features your business needs to operate efficiently.
There are other costs to consider. For example, in general, the more features a solution offers, the more expensive it is.
Starting off with a construction schedule software that covers all the key features you need to deliver projects successfully, Method:Field Services is an all-in-one solution for project managers.
Communication between managers, crew, and speciality contractors has never been easier with Method’s mobile app for Android and iOS users. Easily update tasks and timelines on the job site so that you’re always a step ahead when it comes to staying on track with your project.
What’s more, never worry about inaccuracies when paying suppliers, staff, and others as Method integrates with accounting software like QuickBooks. Company information flows safely from your construction scheduling software to integrated apps and enables real-time project tracking.
Some other features that Method:Field Services offers include:
Connecting your entire team. Give your team access to time tracking, route plans, job updates, and any other project details on the go with the Method:Field Services mobile project management app.
Route optimization. Save time on travel with automatic routes and a built-in mapping system.
Flexible pricing. Choose from flexible pricing plans that grow with you starting at $15 per month.
Customizability. Method’s no-code platform lets you personalize your construction scheduling software.
Customer relationship management. Have access to customer details, project history, and leads to follow up with.
Customer portals. Keep your customers up-to-date on projects through an online portal.
Stellar customer support. Support is available to help you create a personalized scheduling system for your unique construction company
Fieldwire gives construction managers time back and focuses on not wasting valuable time finding loose information on projects.
This construction scheduling software makes it easy to organize tasks and leaves little room for miscommunications. Their tools allow for information to flow from managers to crew in an instant so everyone is always in the loop.
Some of the key features and benefits that Fieldwire offers are:
Scheduling tools for projects several weeks in advance.
Free help centre with videos, how-to’s, and other guides to get you started.
The ability to seamlessly add data like 360 degree photos to tasks in progress.
Real-time progress reporting to keep you and your team updated.
Fieldwire’s has four pricing plans to choose from including a $0 Basic plan. Their other three pricing plans are billed annually and priced per user. The Pro plan costs $29 per month, the Business plan costs $49 per month, and their Premier plan costs $89 per month.
Methvin is a simple solution for project managers looking for a construction scheduling app that offers the basic tools to deliver projects from start to finish successfully.
Their platform connects teams and gives you total control overprojects. All apps are native within Methvin, which gives you a complete project record that is all in one place.
Methvin offers several of the standard features needed from a construction scheduling software, some of which include:
Secure storage of documents including contracts, payment details, and other confidential information.
Schedule tasks easily by organizing them to a timeline and inviting others to view projects.
Manage projects from anywhere and anytime through virtual team management tools.
Collaborate in real-time and view jobsite processes with an easy-to-use mobile app.
Methvin offers three pricing plans starting with their Free plan which doesn’t cost anything, their Business plan costing $27 per month, and their Enterprise plan costing $179 per month.
Contractor Foreman is an all-in-one construction management software that works across channels, including tablets, phones, and computers.
Their construction schedule software manages your projects and makes the process as simple as possible. Whether you’re a newer company or have been in the industry for a long time, they offer the features you need to successfully deliver your construction projects.
Contractor Foreman’s features can streamline your scheduling process. Some of their other features include:
Easy estimates, invoicing, and online payments.
Time tracking tools for tracking crew hours.
Call or email customers, crew, and contractors directly from the app.
Custom form creation.
Their plans start at $49 per month for their Standard plan, $87 per month for their Plus plan, $123 per month for their Pro plan, and $148 per month for their Unlimited plan. All of their plans are billed annually.
How much does construction scheduling software cost?
The cost of construction scheduling software varies widely. The price is influenced by the:
Software’s features.
Number of users.
Level of customization.
Type of licensing model.
Basic versions are available for as low as $10 per user per month, while more comprehensive solutions are thousands of dollars monthly.
Some software providers offer tiered pricing, allowing construction companies to choose a package that best fits their needs and budget. Additionally, while some platforms might have a one-time purchase fee, others operate on a subscription model, incurring monthly or annual charges.
When considering the cost, factor in the return on investment, as the right software:
Improves construction project efficiency.
Reduces scheduling conflicts.
Minimizes project delays.
Leads to cost savings in the long run.
Recap: Why you need construction project management software
When choosing a construction schedule software, make sure you consider all the must-have features you need to get your projects to the finish line.
Look for scheduling software that:
Supports agile project scheduling and crew time tracking.
Automates schedule updates with notifications.
Offers a built-in mapping system for scheduling and routing.
Increases project transparency through custom forms and schedules.
Helps meet project deadlines while saving costs.
FAQs
How do you manage a construction schedule?
Managing a construction schedule involves meticulous planning, continuous monitoring, and timely adjustments.
Start by defining the project’s scope and breaking it down into individual tasks. Assign durations to each task, identify dependencies, and use scheduling tools, like Gantt charts, to visualize the timeline and allocate resources efficiently.
As the project progresses, monitor the schedule regularly, comparing planned progress with actual achievements. If discrepancies arise, optimize the schedule or allocate additional resources to stay on track.
Regular communication with field workers is also crucial to ensure issues are addressed promptly.
How do I improve communication in construction estimating?
Improving communication in construction estimating is pivotal for accurate project assessments.
Start by ensuring that all stakeholders, from architects to subcontractors, have a clear understanding of the project’s scope and requirements.
Regularly hold meetings to discuss estimates, ensuring that any assumptions made are clarified. It’s also beneficial to have a standardized format for presenting bids, so office and field staff know what to expect and where to find specific information.
Lastly, encourage feedback after project completion to understand any communication gaps and make improvements for future projects.
What are some common project scheduling techniques?
The Critical Path Method (CPM) identifies the longest sequence of tasks in a project, helping managers pinpoint critical tasks that could delay the project if not completed on time.
Gantt charts provide a visual representation of the project timeline, showcasing when each task starts, its duration, and when it ends.
The Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) is a statistical tool that uses three time estimates for each task (optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic) to determine the project’s expected completion time.
Lastly, the Last Planner System (LPS) is a collaborative approach where those executing the work are involved in planning for a realistic schedule.
Each technique has its strengths, and the choice often depends on the project’s complexity and the manager’s preference.
There are many moving parts to construction job management, so it’s crucial to have a construction project schedule that keeps your business on track and profitable.
From organizing contractors, to equipment and construction materials, a structured scheduling system is the blueprint for a successful construction job. But construction project scheduling requires time and energy. You want to make sure that the schedules you create are accurate and save you time to avoid profit loss due to scheduling miscalculations.
Keep reading to find out how you can create accurate, money-saving schedules with construction project scheduling software.
Construction scheduling basics
There are many aspects that go into construction projects, including:
The date and time frame to complete the project.
The equipment, and building materials needed.
The availability and skill set of the contractor.
The construction project schedule takes into consideration all these project tasks and details how the job is expected to be completed.
What is a construction schedule?
A construction project schedule is an outline of every task and the duration of each task for a project. It is an essential part of the project planning stage and is needed for outlining resources and assigning contractors for each project task.
Why are construction schedules important?
Construction projects are complex and require strict budgets in order to stay profitable. That is why a construction project schedule is important for the success of a construction company.
For each day that a construction project is delayed, profits are lost. With a structured schedule, you can avoid costly delays and have projects run as smoothly as possible.
5 steps to make a construction project schedule
1. Collect the relevant information
There is a lot of information that you need to know about a construction project before you put anything into your construction project schedule.
Before scheduling, make sure you have the following information:
The number of subcontractors that are going to be involved in the job.
How long it will take for materials to be ready for the start date of the project.
Equipment and tools needed to complete the job and purchasing of any new resources.
A list of inspections and requirements needed throughout the project from your local code office.
Communication with your bank to know when funds will be released for each individual task.
Along with the above, you should also choose a construction project schedule template that will help you organize the project information. Keep reading to find out how you can get a free template.
2. Prioritize tasks
Now that you have the information you need to start the construction project, it’s time to break down the big project into smaller tasks. Keeping your task list clear and detailed will help you keep your construction project schedule as accurate as possible.
A lot of project tasks are dependent on others so make sure you give realistic timelines for each task so your entire project doesn’t get derailed.
3. Estimate task duration
Your tasks now need a start and finish date. Having a clear start and end date for each task will help you manage resources, schedule staff, and plan other projects.
To determine the duration for each unique project task, take a look at past projects and how long they took. Be sure to keep weather and climate conditions in mind as that can impact how long certain tasks take.
Lastly, don’t forget to factor in your employee’s sick days, vacation days, and holidays. Add some time for any last-minute staff scheduling changes so you can be prepared.
4. Assign your crew
With any sized project, but especially bigger construction projects, it’s tough to keep track of every employee and subcontractor. Whether you’re using an excel template or construction project scheduling software, it’s important to rely on a few team members for a time-consuming project.
Create a balance for your team and assign people based on their skillset and available hours, while keeping workload in mind to make sure you don’t overwhelm your staff.
5. Review, then review again
Scheduling construction projects is complex and needs constant monitoring. A construction project schedule is also never set in stone, at least not one that will succeed. Changes happen, and if you aren’t consistently reviewing your schedule throughout the job, those changes will derail the entire project.
You’ll need to check your schedule during all stages of the project to make sure that you are always a step ahead.
What to include in your construction schedule template
When it comes to the essential information you need for a construction project, the following items should be on every project schedule:
Tasklist: Prioritize tasks based on which ones are dependent on others and the skill set of your available employees.
Duration:The duration of each individual task will change but it’s important to have a blueprint to reference and work around.
Start and end date:Having a clear start and end date will help with an estimation as well as scheduling staff, getting equipment, and buying materials.
Task status:It’s crucial to constantly be reviewing your construction project schedule and that includes the status of each task.
Workers assigned to the project:Make sure you have a good understanding of what your entire team is able to do for each project. This includes their time-off requests and also possible sick days.
Tips for creating a construction project schedule
Prioritize and manage your project pipeline
One of the most important parts of construction project management is prioritizing tasks as efficiently as possible. In most cases, each task depends on the previous task’s successful completion. Focus on prioritizing each task accordingly and you will have the best chance of successfully scheduling projects one after another.
Start work on your next construction project plan ASAP
For any successful construction company, new projects are always come up. It’s best to schedule them as soon as possible even if you already have a lot of other projects scheduled. This lets you plan ahead and avoid any serious delays in finishing the project.
Choose a construction scheduling tool
Construction scheduling is one of the most challenging aspects of any construction project. From tools and materials to staffing hours, there are many details in each project to track. Having a good scheduling template or a scheduling software for construction crews can make all the difference and get you to your completed deadlines.
With that in mind, if you’re looking for tools that let you create customizable, automated schedules, then a construction project scheduling software like Method:Field Services will help. You’ll save time on every unique project so you can focus on marketing efforts and gain more clients for future projects.
Free construction schedule template
Use this free construction project schedule template to get started with organizing your construction projects. This template has all the required form fields so you won’t miss any important details in your schedule.
The takeaway: Construction schedules organize your business
Now that you know what to put into your project management schedule, you have the knowledge to organize your construction projects in a way that will best support your success.
Consider the following project management tools and tips when organizing your construction project schedule:
Grasp a better understanding of your employee’s schedules by color-coding their hours worked on each task.
Highlight the latest and earliest project completion time to have the most realistic schedule.
Block out time in your day to check your project schedules and rework any delays.
Use project management tools in software like Method:Field Services to automate scheduling and save yourself hours in your workday.
Transform your scheduling process today with a Method:Field Services demo.
No two days are alike in the construction industry, especially if you’re a contractor. Thankfully, several tools simplify construction management, including contractor scheduling software.
Find out how software keeps your construction teams organized so you can complete projects quicker and bring in more revenue.
What is contractor scheduling software?
One of the hardest parts of managing a construction business is tracking your resources, especially if you employ contractors. Luckily, construction software simplifies how you:
Plan projects.
Organize jobs.
Assign tasks to your crew.
Contractor scheduling software gives you the tools to lead your crew and keep every job on schedule. As a result, you:
Get schedules to your crew quicker.
Gain a comprehensive view of your contractors’ day.
Track job progress more accurately.
For more flexibility with your scheduling, consider software that has a mobile app.
What is a contractor scheduling app?
A contractor scheduling app is a mobile application (for iOS or Android) that lets you schedule jobs on the go. As a result, you can schedule more efficiently, since you don’t have to be in the office to do it.
What’s more, a construction scheduling app benefits your contractors as it lets them:
Receive last-minute schedule updates.
Track time spent.
Communicate job progress.
This is possible thanks to the top-notch features of construction scheduling software.
The best way to judge a contractor scheduling software solution is by its features and capabilities.
Several aspects take a construction solution beyond scheduling and transform it into an all-in-one business system, such as:
Multiple calendar views.
Automated reminders.
Real-time collaboration.
Native integrations.
E-signature capture.
Let’s explore these key features.
Custom schedules and calendar views
Any good construction scheduling software generates comprehensive schedules and timelines, but the best choices offer customization options for your needs.
If you have a preferred way of making your construction project schedule, you don’t want your software to disrupt your usual workflow.
Contractor software that enables custom scheduling is the perfect solution, as it gives you more flexibility over jobs.
Software that allows multiple calendar views is helpful too, as the way you display your schedule can highlight areas of opportunity and risk.
Real-time job updates
Your contractor scheduling software’s benefits don’t stop once the schedule is out. When you start on the job, your software monitors and tracks progress on scheduled tasks.
The best scheduling software practically brings you to the field with your contractors by simplifying communication through a mobile app.
A contractor scheduling app provides real-time updates from your crew on the job site, so you always know that jobs are going smoothly.
Automated reminders
The only thing worse than a late contractor is a no-show.
Unfortunately, this happens more than it should, resulting in delays and last-minute schedule shuffling.
Luckily, most contractor scheduling software reminds contractors of upcoming assignments and deadlines to avoid these setbacks
What’s more, the best contractor scheduling software lets you remind customers through automated notifications when they need an update or notification about jobs or payment.
Integrations
Running a contracting business requires several tools. And great contractor scheduling software allows you to continue using the tools you love with more efficiency.
Pro-tip: Look for scheduling tools that integrate with your software of choice, including:
Integrations create a system that connects your workflows and improves efficiency — giving you more than just a scheduling solution.
E-signature capture
A job isn’t complete without a final signature.
By getting your customer’s signature on-site, you can immediately invoice and receive the payment, finalizing the job before your contractor even leaves!
A contractor scheduling app with e-signature lets your customers capture their signatures on their mobile devices. Then, all they have to do is hit send and your office team has the completed documents.
With these features in mind, let’s take a look at the top benefits of contractor scheduling software.
Benefits of contractor scheduling programs
The main purpose of scheduling software is to improve your construction schedules, but the benefits go far beyond that.
At its core, contractor scheduling software improves your bottom line. Here are some of its top benefits.
Schedule jobs quicker
Time is money when it comes to construction projects. So the sooner you get the schedule done, the better.
Contractor software simplifies your scheduling process and associated tasks, including:
Job assignment.
Project team coordination.
Schedule distribution.
Automation also plays a key role in speeding up your scheduling process. For example, the best software solution automatically manages and dispatches field workers to job sites, taking another large task off your to-do list.
Manage your crew more effectively
Managing a crew of contractors requires special skills, but small contractor scheduling software makes it easy. It automatically confirms appointments and ensures timely arrivals without you lifting a finger.
Scheduling software starts with creating efficient and accurate schedules that follow your project timeline. From there, optimized routing ensures that your contractors make it to the job site on time.
Better yet, a mobile app lets you communicate last-minute updates to your contractors, such as customer requests. As you make adjustments, the software provides real-time visibility into schedule status and changes, minimizing potential delays and errors on the job.
Keep up with job progress
A mobile app lets you inform your contractors of changes, but the communication benefits go both ways. With a contractor scheduling app, you get real-time updates on project progress from your crew.
Your contractors can instantly send texts, photos, or videos to get your opinion when you check in with them on the status of a job. This is helpful for industries like HVAC, where contractors make visual progress.
Streamline your payroll
As mentioned, a contractor scheduling app enhances every aspect of your business — even payroll.
Most options on the market empower your contractors with a time tracking tool. Once your team members submit their time entries, it takes one click to approve their hours. This gives you everything you need for accurate payroll and makes the process easier.
Better yet, if you choose a software solution that automatically syncs to your trusted accounting software, you’ll cut down on payroll time even more.
Best construction scheduling software
Now comes the fun part: Choosing a solution to take your scheduling to the next level.
To get you started, here are the top five contractor software solutions to elevate your scheduling.
To kick off our contractor scheduling app list, we have Method:Field Services.
Method:Field Services is the best scheduling solution for construction companies using QuickBooks, thanks to Method’s patented two-way sync.
You can easily update your schedules with simple drag-and-drop tools, and your contractors can view their latest schedules on Method’s mobile app.
What’s more, your contractors can track their time on the job and submit entries for payroll approval. From there, the time entries sync to QuickBooks and are ready for payroll processing.
Method’s key features include:
Flexible scheduling to pre-schedule or set up recurring jobs.
Automated reminders so your contractors never miss a job.
Optimized routing to minimize travel time.
Multiple calendar views for a complete display of availability.
Ending our list of the best contractor scheduling software is Fieldwire.
Fieldwire provides general and specialty contractors solutions to enhance their project management processes, including scheduling.
The platform also simplifies day-to-day project planning and dispatches work to specialty contractors on an ad hoc basis. From there, your team can update you on their job status using the mobile app.
Other key features include:
Transparent progress tracking with comments and photos.
Real-time messaging.
Scheduling reports.
QuickBooks can’t do everything, so let Method:Field Services help.
Now that you know the best contractor scheduling app choices, keep these considerations in mind before making your final decision.
Caters to your needs as a construction contractor
When diving into the vast sea of construction scheduling apps, it’s crucial to ask yourself what your unique needs are to find a solution tailored to your contracting business and the construction industry as a whole.
Whether you deal with residential or commercial building, or mainly do renovation and remodel projects, the right app efficiently schedules and manages contractor assignments. This improved organization ensures that everyone from home builders to remodelers is on the same page.
A good contractor scheduling app also supports rescheduling and adjusting schedules as needed, ensuring that your construction projects stay on track and within budget.
Integration with your existing software suite
In today’s digital age, many construction companies juggle multiple software products to manage their business.
So, it’s essential that your contractor scheduling app integrates with other systems to streamline scheduling workflows. Integrating with your existing systems:
Ensures synchronization of schedules across multiple platforms.
Broadens communication between contractors and clients.
Automates scheduling processes for improved productivity.
Whether it’s with your invoicing, time tracking, or reporting tools, integration capabilities optimize your workflows and enhance collaboration.
Reasonable pricing
Cost is always a deciding factor for any company — especially in the construction industry, where budgets are tight.
When evaluating construction scheduling software, you should consider each platform’s pricing in relation to its features and capabilities.
Look for software that provides a good balance between cost and functionality, ensuring you get good value for your money.
Some software providers offer a trial period. Testing the software before making a commitment ensures alignment with your business needs without straining your budget.
Promotes collaboration
Construction projects are a collaborative effort, involving multiple contractors, vendors, and clients. Naturally, a top-tier construction scheduling app:
Improves team collaboration.
Streamlines communication between contractors and clients.
Enables efficient allocation of resources based on project requirements.
Features like Gantt charts, calendar views, and progress tracking help project managers coordinate and track contractor availability and tasks. As a result, it becomes much easier for you team to meet construction schedules and satisfy every client.
Wrap up: Empower your team with contractor scheduling software
The success of a construction project depends on accurate and efficient scheduling. Having the right tools is the best way to ensure that your timeline stays on track.
Contractor scheduling software simplifies how you manage your contractors and other parts of your business. The best software connects your scheduling with your other workflows, creating a system where you complete more projects in less time.
Key takeaways
Overall, finding the right contractor scheduling software requires research and deliberation, but it’s worth it in the end. Now equipped with your five best options, you’re sure to find the perfect fit for your business.
The best contractor scheduling app includes the following capabilities:
Efficient scheduling: Modern construction scheduling software plans and organizes project schedules effectively, ensuring that your teams meet deadlines and projects stay on track.
Integration capabilities: The best of these tools integrate seamlessly with your existing software, giving you an all-in-one business system with 360-degree visibility.
Resource optimization: This software optimizes resource allocation for efficient scheduling, ensuring that you’re using your materials, equipment, and employee time efficiently.
Real-time updates: A contractor scheduling app gives you real-time visibility into your scheduling. It also updates and notifies stakeholders of schedule changes, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
Enhanced communication: A scheduling platform facilitates collaboration and communication among team members, bridging the gap between field workers and the office.
Flexibility: With this software, you can reschedule as needed, ensuring that unforeseen challenges are addressed promptly.
Comprehensive reporting: Contractor scheduling software generates reports and analytics on scheduling performance, providing insights for continuous improvement.
Contractor scheduling app FAQs
Is there a free scheduling program?
Yes, there are free scheduling programs available, but they lack the comprehensive features and integrations that businesses focussed on growth need. Confirm your scheduling is simple enough before choosing a free option.
How does construction scheduling software work?
Construction scheduling software works by giving managers tools to plan and organize construction project schedules effectively.
It coordinates and tracks contractor availability and tasks, ensuring that you allocate your materials, equipment, and labor efficiently. This software also:
Communicates task assignments and updates to contractors.
Provides reminders of upcoming deadlines.
Manages the dispatch of field workers to job sites.
Additionally, construction scheduling software can generate comprehensive schedules, timelines, and reports, giving you a clear path to monitor progress and make necessary adjustments.
How much does construction scheduling software cost?
The cost of construction scheduling software varies based on its features, the number of users, and market value.
Some basic versions are available for free, but more advanced systems with project management tools and data analytics come at a premium.
While pricing is available on most solution providers’ websites, you might need to request an estimate based on your specific requirements.
Strengthen your contractor scheduling with Method:Field Services. Start your free trial today.
How you schedule your jobs impacts how fast your business grows. For contractors, it’s crucial to get a scheduling system that organizes your business and puts time back into your day.
A small contractor scheduling software gives you the tools to run your entire business, action growth opportunities, and avoid scheduling mistakes.
Why use small contractor scheduling software?
As your workdays become busier, it’s the perfect time to maximize your productivity with contractor scheduling software. You get more time in your day with features like:
Automatic scheduling.
Time tracking tools.
Self-service customer portals.
Access to scheduling tools from anywhere and anytime.
Beyond scheduling tools, an all-in-one solution helps run multiple areas of your business and fuels your growth. These tools include:
Custom forms specific to your business.
Easy access to customer and lead data.
Integration with your accounting software to avoid double data entry.
Automation to get you paid faster.
The best scheduling software features for contractors
It’s important to know which features of construction scheduling software will benefit your business the most. The following are scheduling software features that every contractor should consider.
The ability to schedule and notify in a few clicks
See the most important aspects of your day with construction scheduling software that filters your schedule in the way you need. From filtering your schedule based on technician availability, job status, or location, it’s easy to gather data-driven insights and produce routes that maximize your efficiency.
You also see the gaps in your work schedule and where opportunities are which allows you to:
Follow-up on leads and fit them into your schedule.
Avoid missing materials and equipment on the job.
Fix scheduling conflicts as soon as possible.
Adapt to last-minute changes.
A mobile app for real-time updates
Your software should offer you access to your schedule from anywhere, including your desktop, mobile phones, and tablets. This lets you see the progress on each job so you can make sure that jobs stay on track and resolve any issues as they arise.
This benefits not only your peace of mind but also:
Boosts customer satisfaction and positive customer reviews.
Keeps contractors from becoming overwhelmed.
Allows you to take on last-minute jobs when jobs finish early.
Gives contractors a way to communicate delayed services as soon as possible.
Time tracking tools for optimal accuracy
Improve your budgeting skills by using a contractor scheduling cloud-based solution to monitor labor costs, billable hours, and nonbillable hours.
By integrating your scheduling software with your payroll solution, you also reduce payroll errors and spend less time on processing. A true win-win.
What’s more, small contractor scheduling software lets you track project progress to better plan for future projects. This highlights where opportunities are for taking on more jobs and fitting in last-minute projects.
These connections ensure you don’t get stuck in the endless cycle of typing data into your accounting software from your scheduling software.
The benefits of software integrations include more time for high-value tasks during your workday, fewer mistakes, and more accurate, up-to-date information.
Pro-tip: To avoid mistakes when inputting revenue, billing customers, and paying your suppliers, invest in a scheduling program that integrates with your everyday tools.
Online customer portals for self-service
Customer management is a big part of running a business. So it’s a good idea to automate parts of this key workflow with self-serve options for your customers. This expands your business’s reach and lets your potential customers book your services without needing you to be open and available.
This frees up more of your time so you can focus on expanding your business and concentrate on marketing efforts.
How to choose the right scheduling solution
Choose software that lets you do more with less
You want to find an all-in-one construction management software that gives you more than just a calendar. While software for construction companies usually comes with many key features for running your entire business, you want to make sure you find one that offers educational tools, and other helpful construction management features.
Pro-tip: Look for a construction project management software that grows as your company does.
Find a tool that grows with your business
As your business grows, pick a software solution that grows with you. Consider solutions that offer prices that scale with you and the number of users using your scheduling software.
Some businesses run into an issue when they start using software that they soon outgrow because it can’t offer growing business features. Think about your current and future needs to avoid this situation!
Take advantage of free trials
Many software solutions offer free trials and demos for you to test out their software and see if it’s the right fit for your business.
This is a great way to see if the software fits with how you run your business.
Many software providers also offer a free one-on-one session so you can ask questions and understand how the software can best serve you.
Method:Field Services is a small contractor scheduling software that grows with you and takes care of all the aspects of running a successful business.
This construction scheduling software has powerful tools like project scheduling, integration capabilities, and other essential features you need for your needs.
Starting at just $15 per month, Method is made to grow with your business.
Method:Field Services’ primary features and benefits include:
Automatic scheduling and dispatching. Method:Field Services offers filter views of your schedule and automatically dispatches your jobs.
Customizable CRM. Get an overview of customer details, job completion history, and leads all in one place with a CRM that’s entirely customizable for your business needs.
Sync with accounting software. With Method’s two-way sync with accounting software like QuickBooks, you keep everything accurate and organized.
Route mapping. With a built-in mapping system, this software instantly creates routes to save you time, gas, and mileage.
User-friendly mobile device app. An easy-to-use app allows contractors to review their schedules anytime and anywhere.
CoConstruct is a simple tool for home builders and remodelers. It has a range of features that help construction business owners with scheduling. The pricing is also very affordable for most companies.
Some of their most popular features include:
Lead management.
Timesheet and employee management.
On-job progress details.
Photo and additional file sharing.
They offer two pricing plans. Their first plan is the Standard plan which is $99 per month for the first two months and then $349 per month afterward. The other plan is the Plus plan which is $399 per month for the first two months and then $599 per month.
With all of CoConstructs great benefits, keep in mind that their pricing model is a flat rate. As a result, it’s most beneficial for businesses with a lot of users.
If you’re looking for a small contractor scheduling software for just a few users, it’s better to choose a software solution that prices per user.
Jobber is an all-in-one scheduling software. It comes loaded with features your business can use to grow and replace menial tasks.
The most popular features include:
Customer relationship management.
Scheduling and dispatching.
Invoicing and follow-ups with leads.
A mobile app.
Jobber offers three pricing plans that are billed annually. The Core plan costs $39 per month, the Connect plan starts at $119 per month, and the Grow plan starts at $239 per month.
Procore is a scheduling tool that helps contractors organize jobs and projects. While it is expensive software, it comes with all the features you need and includes customer support.
Procore’s top features include the following:
Custom reports and analytics.
Files and document management.
On-job progress data.
Unlimited users.
Procore plans start at $499 per month. They recommend their $699 plan, which includes financial management on top of project management.
While Procore is a powerful software solution, it might not suit you if your business is small. It is best for larger teams with a lot of users.
Housecall Pro is an all-in-one contractor scheduling solution that helps businesses grow faster and work smarter. With easy-to-use tools for scheduling and managing jobs, Housecall Pro lets you manage your business efficiently.
Some of Housecall Pro’s leading features include:
Quick and easy scheduling.
Time tracking tools.
Integration with accounting software.
Multiple payment options.
Their pricing plans consist of three annual options. The Basic plan costs $49 per month, the Essential plan is $129 per month, and the Max plan requires pricing upon request.
The Basic plan allows for one user and the Essential plan allows five users. The Max plan is suitable for larger teams.
Wrap up: How scheduling software transforms your business
Now that you’ve gone through the top 5 best small contractor scheduling software, you have the knowledge to choose the right cloud-based construction management solution.
Pro-tip: Keep these core features in mind when deciding on a solution:
Automation tools to save you hours in your work week.
Mobile options toeasily track job progress.
Time tracking tools toreduce payroll issues and errors.
Accounting integration to track your revenue and avoid costly mistakes.
Online self-service tools to give your customers choice when buying your services.
Kickstart your scheduling process with a Method:Field Services demo.
If you’re in the landscaping or lawn care business, you know that commercial mowing contracts can be a great source of revenue. But how do you price them? Bid them? Win them? Today, we’ll teach you the basics of commercial contracts so that you can start landing more jobs and boosting your bottom line.
What you’ll learn in this guide
Before we jump into our commercial lawn care contract guide, here’s a quick overview of what you’ll learn.
Residential vs. commercial mowing: What’s the difference?
It may not seem complicated, but making the move from a residential to commercial client base requires some adjustments. While the work will more or less stay the same, there are some aspects to the business that could change significantly. This includes:
Equipment
Commercial and home use lawn mowers differ in terms of quality, endurance, range of features, and, of course, pricing.
Residential mowing equipment is built for infrequent use on smaller lots, while commercial mowers are made to withstand daily use over larger areas. The latter will have engines with higher horsepower and features that allow them to operate in a range of terrain.
With that in mind, you can expect to spend more to purchase and maintain commercial lawn care equipment.
Revenue per customer
Commercial properties generate higher revenues compared to residential ones, commercial lots are often bigger and require more frequent maintenance. This is especially true for businesses that want to make sure their properties look well-maintained and professional.
Competition
Residential landscaping is a competitive field, so you could have a tough time scoring loyal customers if you’re new to the game. However, while there may be fewer commercial lawn mowing and landscaping contractors, you’re going to have to work hard to win new business. You’ll be up against skilled competitors, and the quality of both your service and equipment will be key to your success.
The benefits of working on commercial mowing contracts
If equipment is expensive and competition is tough, why waste your time with commercial clients? Aside from earning higher revenues per customer, commercial contracts will also give you:
Consistency
Residential mowing jobs are usually project-based, while commercial lawn mowing is typically based on a contracted agreement. Property managers will usually request month or year-long contracts with commercial lawn care contractors. These contracts will indicate how often the landscaping company makes visit, what the responsibilities are on each visit, and whether specialized services are required.
Predictability
Because of the aforementioned set up, commercial accounts are also far more predictable.
Given that you’ll be working with professional businesses, you’ll know when and how you’ll be getting paid from the get-go. You also won’t have to wait around for your clients to decide when they can afford to pay for your services.
Pricing commercial mowing contracts
We previously discussed how to price residential lawn care services. In a nutshell, the key to good pricing is putting the time in to realistically estimate the number of hours the job will take to complete. You may be tempted to calculate a price based on the lot size, but taking this approach will likely leave you stretched for the time you need to do the job well.
After estimating the number of hours the job will take, you need to apply your hourly cost. How much to charge per hour should depend on the following factors:
Labor: This is what you’ll be paying your workers per hour. This should also include your hourly rate as the owner. To find out your hourly labor rate per worker per job, consider the average rates of commercial lawn care companies in your area, the amount you pay your employees by the hour, and your target profit margin.
Equipment: Most commercial lawn care contractors charge an equipment fee, which is usually billed as a flat rate. This should cover the cost of purchasing, maintaining, and repairing equipment over its lifecycle.
Overhead costs: This includes the costs of maintaining administrative staff, an office, transport vehicles, communications, marketing, etc.
Time: To determine how much time a job will take, do a thorough walkthrough of the property and discuss any specialized service your client might need.
To compute for pricing, follow this formula:
Hourly labor rate (number of hours) + overhead fees + profits + taxes = Total job price
You commercial lawn care contract should include the following details:
Your business’s and your customer’s name, address, contact information, and the date.
Your business’s license information.
The time period in which your services should be rendered.
The frequency of your visits.
The number of workers assigned to the project and the amount of hours they will work per day.
The equipment that will be used.
The pricing.
An outline of the services you will provide, along with a list of exclusions.
Clauses to indicate which party takes responsibility for damages incurred to things like fencing, irrigation systems, etc.
An agreement on the application of pesticides, including the names of pesticides to be used.
Finding new commercial clients and building relationships that last
Now that you know how to price your services and what to include in your contract, it’s time to get out there and start finding new clients. But where do you even begin? Here are four ways to build your commercial client pool.
Tap into your residential clients
Your existing relationships and clients are an easy place to start. If you previously worked with residential accounts, you can use your already established relationships to secure recommendations for commercial clients. Ask your clients if they have any commercial businesses that need your services, or if they can endorse you to businesses they know.
Attend community events
Gone are the days of cold calls and emails. Today, it’s all about building real-world connections.
One way to do this is to find local events or community meetings where you can rub shoulders with property managers. Consider joining your local chamber of commerce, networking events, or CEO forums to get to know the business owners in your community.
Identify businesses in your service area that may need help
This method of finding potential clients is almost too simple, but it works! Just hop in a car and drive around your neighborhood to look for properties that look like they may need help in the landscaping and mowing department.
Make a list of the types of properties you find and their addresses, then create targeted ads aimed at these very businesses.
Get in touch with HOAs, real estate groups, and BOMAs
Real estate groups, building owners and managers associations (BOMAs), and homeowners associations (HOAs) are all wellsprings of potential clients.
So you’ve made connections. How do you then get potential clients into signing your landscaping contracts?
Listen, don’t impose
Most clients already have an idea of what they want in terms of landscaping and lawn care. Your job is to listen, take note of their expectations, and deliver.
Discuss the benefits of a well-maintained property
How will a professionally-maintained lawn bring in more customers? landscaping and mowing costs money, so you have to find a way to convince your clients why they should be spending their hard-earned money towards your services.
Take a professional and scientific approach
When bidding for a project, make it a point to be systematic and clear about what exactly you can provide.
Make sure your proposal is professionally made, with a strong and cleaning branding. Ensure that it is formatted so that it can be easily understood as well.
You can also check out our landscaping estimate template for a guide on delivering a consistently accurate estimates.
Expanding into commercial mowing work: Dos and don’ts
Expanding into commercial mowing and landscaping is not as easy as it sounds, even with a residential background. The following tips should help you navigate the commercial landscaping market.
Don’t rely on just one account
Commercial landscaping contracts can bring in a significant amount of money compared to residential contracts. But this doesn’t mean that you can rely on just one or two clients to get by. It’s good to have a variety of different property types on your roster, so that if one client cancels, you aren’t left scrambling for ways to pay your workers.
Don’t compromise your pricing to get started
As a new player in a field of well-established businesses, you may be tempted to lower your pricing to appeal to more clients. However, this move will be detrimental both to you and your competition. Clients will continue to expect your services at low rates, and will demand the same from other companies. If you want to get the pay that you (and your team) deserve, charge at reasonable rates.
Do invest in training
Just because you have experience in residential accounts, it doesn’t automatically mean you’ll succeed with your commercial accounts. Invest in training, especially for your sales and marketing team, if you want to see your business flourish.
In our recent blog post on how small businesses can provide world-class customer service, we talked about how customer service is essential to the very survival of any business. When you can make a client happy, you can almost be certain they will return to your business.
Here are some top tips for keeping your client roster satisfied with your service:
Listen and learn
Provide your customers with opportunities to provide feedback — then make an effort to act on that feedback.
Some companies provide their clients with an automated survey email upon completion of each job. Others allow clients to leave reviews on their sites or Facebook pages. The key is to ask for a review once a job is done – great work leads to great reviews, which leads to new business.
Keep customer information organized
When you have all your customer information in one place, you can respond to job orders, inquiries, issues, and special requests in a snap.
CRMs are great for keeping all client information in one easily-accessible dashboard. Instead of wasting your customers’ precious time looking for an invoice or a note, you can simply pull up all the information you need on one client and answer all their concerns in an instant.
Offer promos and discounts to loyal customers
One simple way to keep customers coming back is by rewarding their loyalty. There are many ways to go about this, from offering discounts for pre-paying to providing referral fees to customers who send recommendations that sign.
Listen to your clients and take note of their expectations, outline the benefits your business can provide to the client, and send a clear, professional, and well-formatted proposal.
How do you get commercial property to mow?
You can find commercial clients by tapping into your former residential clients, joining community events, and surveying your area for the types of businesses to market to.
Is a mowing business profitable?
Yes, a commercial mowing business is profitable. Any establishment with a patch of grass and some landscaping needs help with upkeep.
Create professional estimates for your lawn care business with Method:Field Services!
Running a lawn care business isn’t as simple as mowing people’s lawns. Contrary to what you might think, it involves a lot of careful planning, communicating with employees and clients, managing equipment, and marketing your business. Fortunately, lawn care business apps exist to make your job easier by automating repetitive administrative tasks and allowing you to focus on the bigger picture.
If you’re on the hunt for the best lawn care business apps out there, this guide is for you!
Sometimes, even the most experienced lawn care professionals overlook the challenges of running an independent landscaping business. If you’re running into the following problems, it might be time to invest in lawn care business management software.
Low customer acquisition
Landscaping jobs can be challenging to come by, especially if you live in a climate that gets snow. Not to mention, competition is stiff, so acquiring new customers is not as easy as it looks.
The good news is that lawn care apps provide a unique opportunity to simplify your daily business operations and increase bookings. By automating administrative tasks and providing a more seamless customer experience, you can get jobs done faster and more reliably.
Features like real-time reports and customer feedback give you an idea of what works and aspects of your business that might need improvement.
Trouble managing equipment
Keeping track of your equipment can be challenging, especially if you’re doing things the pen-and-paper way. By keeping a digital inventory of what’s in use, you can schedule jobs more efficiently.
You can also monitor what equipment might need maintenance or replacement.
Strict government compliance
Government regulations are constantly changing and can make it challenging for landscaping businesses to keep up. By tracking regular updates, lawn care companies can make the necessary adjustments on time.
Slow payments
Everyone wants to be paid on time, but keeping track of invoices is not as easy as you might think. If your business is behind on payments, using payment processing services can automate payroll, send customers notifications, and ensure that you get paid on time.
Using an app for lawn care purposes doesn’t just solve administrative problems — it also puts you one step ahead of your competitors. Here are a few benefits you can enjoy with a comprehensive lawn care platform.
Easy scheduling
Without project management software, something as simple as scheduling jobs can take up most of your time. Luckily, advanced features like drag-and-drop, calendar integrations, and automated recurring jobs can take a lot of the weight off your shoulders.
Improved productivity
By improving communications between team members, you also increase productivity. A good lawn care business app lets you interact with staff whenever you need to. By keeping track of who is doing what, your employees are more accountable and provide more opportunities for new jobs.
Better customer relationships
To run a successful lawn care business, you need to keep your customers happy. The good news is the best lawn care business apps can help you do just that by collecting customer feedback and maintaining records of your completed jobs. Use this information to pinpoint areas of improvement and best practices.
Organized information
Say goodbye to lost lawn care invoices, inventory lists, and cheques. With an app for lawn care, you can centralize all your documents and save more time on paperwork.
There is no shortage of dependable apps for landscapers on the market. However, choosing one is not as simple as you might think. Below are a few factors that can make your choice a difficult one.
Vague business goals
As a lawn care business owner, it’s your responsibility to set defined, concrete goals. With no discernible direction for your company, it’ll be just as challenging to pick out the right software for your lawn care business needs.
Small budget
While most lawn care apps come with affordable plans, additional features come at a price that businesses think they can’t afford. This is often the case with expectations and goals are unclear, making it difficult to understand the impact an app could have.
Unrealistic deadlines
Setting unachievable deadlines for major projects not only stresses out your employees but also throws your schedule off track. The best lawn care business apps should help you improve your job scheduling processes, not cut corners.
Is a lawn care app affordable?
As a lawn care business owner, how much you pay for software will ultimately depend on the features that you need. However, most software is priced according to a per user, per month basis, with basic plans starting at $10 – 25.
The top apps for lawn care service businesses
If you need a dependable lawn care scheduling app, here are the top 12 we recommend.
If you need an app to manage your contacts, track jobs, and provide accurate cost estimations, Method:Field Services is for you. This lawn care business app offers the following features:
QuickBooks integration: Create estimates, sales orders, invoices, and everything you need to get paid faster.
Time tracking: Eliminate the need for time sheets by monitoring jobs, projects, and customers from your mobile time tracking app.
Dispatch management: Assign start and end locations to individual technicians and minimize travel time through automatic routing.
Method:Field Services starts at $15 per month and the payment plans scales with you as your business grows.
Leafsnap is a unique electronic field guide for landscape professionals who work with a collection of tree and plant species. It is a mobile app with the following capabilities:
Species glossary: Identify tree and plant species from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Information sharing: Exchange high-quality images, species identifications, and geo-coded stamps with other users.
Educational materials: Learn more about specific biomes and explore evolution patterns.
For landscaping business owners who want to scale their companies up, Jobber can increase profits with the following features:
Payment processing services: Send invoices and transact from anywhere – accept online payments or get paid on the field.
Job scheduling: Schedule jobs and dispatch teams according to client requests and staff availability. Create recurring jobs for regular customers.
Project management: Equip your team with everything they need on a single platform. Provide customer information, optimized routes, and task lists on one screen.
Jobber’s Core plans cost $35 per month, while Connect and Grow plans cost $98 per month and $196 per month, respectively.
Do you want to replace manual and outdated procedures with automated workflows? Try Aspire, which provides these unique features:
Training and support: Access unlimited resources through Aspire’s Knowledge Base. Get tips from other professionals and build business partnerships.
Crew control: Set and adjust schedules from a single dashboard. Keep track of staff productivity to optimize future jobs.
Custom integrations: Integrate custom features according to your needs. Benefit from dashcams, GPS tracking, integrated electronic payments, early wage access, and more.
Aspire’s pricing plans are available upon request.
Managing landscaping projects can be time-consuming, especially when they involve many menial tasks. Fortunately, Lawn Buddy can help optimize your time with these impressive features:
Customer management: Centralize all your customer information. Easily access data like jobs, contact details, invoices, and payment history.
Daily reporting: Keep track of your entire team and assets through daily reports. Note details like miles traveled, equipment usage, jobs completed, and money earned.
Route optimization: Send your field team the best possible route with automatic navigation.
Their Lite plans are free, while Standard plans cost $5 per month. Pro plans cost $30 per month, and Exclusive plans cost $60 per month.
If you’re looking for affordable lawn care team management software, RazorSync should be on your radar. You can stay on top of all your moving parts with these helpful features:
Customer portals: Keep clients up-to-date by providing portal logins and uploading reports.
Time tracking: Track what your entire team is working on and get geographical information via map view.
Hyper-fast transactions: Enable one-click payments and automatic billing notifications to get paid faster.
Their Solo plans cost $55 per month, while Team and Pro plans cost $145 per month and $300 per month, respectively. Enterprise plan prices are available upon request.
TurfHop is an award-winning software for lawn care pros looking for a mobile-centric project management solution. It is available on both iOS and Android devices and provides the following benefits:
Third-party integrations: Sync your TurfHop account with apps like Google Workspace, Google Meet, Stripe, QuickBooks, Zapier, and more.
Automated communications: Send clients scheduled texts, emails, and payment reminders.
Multi-location support: Separate teams and schedules according to branch.
You can try TurfHop for free or get a Solo plan for $24 per month. Team plans cost $99 per month.
If you’re experiencing scheduling problems and want to eliminate administrative headaches, FieldVibe can help you keep it simple. Get countless benefits like:
On-the-go scheduling: Schedule jobs even when on the phone with your clients. Set durations, job locations, descriptions, and more.
Map tracking: Get an overview of your team, where they’re located, and what they’re working on.
Subscriptions to FieldVibe are made on a pay-as-you-go basis. The first customer is free — prices scale up according to the number of users on your team.
Growing teams will love WorkWave for its powerful automation and collaboration tools. You can get more tasks done quickly with these standard features:
Dashboard widgets: Get at-a-glance overviews of your active jobs, earnings, and expenses with customizable widgets.
WorkWave payments: Lower processing costs and eliminate hidden fees with a flat processing rate for every credit card.
GPS tracking: Know where your team is and what equipment is in-use with advanced GPS tracking.
To succeed in the landscaping industry, you need more than a business mindset and good equipment. The fundamentals to any successful landscaping business are:
Lawn care software is a tool that allows business owners to manage teams, automate administrative tasks, manage billing and invoices, schedule jobs, and more.
How do you start a lawn care business?
Becoming a landscaping professional is one thing, but starting a business is another – and it’s even more challenging. To create a lawn care business, you’ll first have to scope out your competition and determine what makes you stand out. From there, you’ll have to constantly hone your skills, purchase the right equipment, obtain a business license, register your company, and seek out your first clients.
Maintaining your business won’t always be easy. As such, investing in robust project planning software can help pinpoint areas of improvement and help you come up with actionable steps.
How do you price lawn mowing services?
There is no universal formula for pricing your services. However, you can account for factors like:
Running a landscaping company is no easy feat, but finding the best lawn care business apps can make your job a lot easier. With the lawn care business apps listed above, you can improve overall productivity, satisfy more customers, and increase your profits.
Reach your business’s potential with a free trial of Method:Field Services!
If you consider yourself an expert on lawn care, starting a business only seems natural. However, creating a successful lawn care business involves more than just skill. You’ll have to consider equipment, licenses, and insurance, among other things. While entering the lawn care industry is not as easy as you might think, a bit of careful planning and execution will give you the best chances of success.
Coming up with a lawn care business plan can help you prepare for the future and tap into thousands of potential customers. You’ll learn all about how to write a lawn service business plan and why it matters.
What you’ll learn in this guide
Before jumping into the planning process, here’s a closer look at what you’ll learn in this article.
A comprehensive plan is necessary for all lawn care business owners. Not only does it help you stay organized, but it also allows you to set your goals, maintain focus, and pinpoint areas of improvement.
A good plan outlines how you think about your work’s financial, sales, marketing, and technical aspects and how you can use them to succeed. They are also helpful for getting a better grasp of competitors and identifying unique opportunities to get ahead – remember, work within the landscaping industry is often seasonal, so being on top of your game is crucial.
Pros of starting a lawn business
Many people need their lawns mowed and gardens fertilized, so you can rest assured that starting a lawn care company is profitable! Plus, you’ll get to enjoy these benefits.
Many service opportunities: Unlike other businesses with clearly defined responsibilities, the options with a lawn care service business are vast. For instance, you can work primarily in residential areas or expand your services into commercial spaces. Not to mention, you can work with all kinds of customers.
Flexible costing: Being your own boss means you get to price your services accordingly. By considering your existing costs, equipment, the average time you spend on a project, and other factors, you can come up with numbers that make sense.
Choosing your own clients: Customizing your client list means working with dependable customers during good working hours and in areas not too far from your headquarters. You can also prioritize higher-paying or return customers for more stable income.
Traditional vs. modern business plans
Traditional business plans are lengthier, more detailed, and present more concrete, plausible outcomes than the structures you see today. On the other hand, modern plans are more flexible and focus more on creating a vision than making a detailed financial model.
While traditional plans include a detailed executive summary about the business involved, modern start-up plans offer a value proposition instead, outlining how to gain a competitive advantage in your target market. Start-up plans also require developing growth rates and revenue models from the ground up, especially if the business in question lacks historical data.
What type of business model best suits your lawn care company will depend on your goals and the most critical aspects of your potential growth.
How a lawn care business plan sets you up for success
Now that you know having a lawn care business plan is necessary, it’s time to take a closer look at the benefits you can gain from having one.
Stable work: Depending on your geographical location, coming across yard work can be challenging. Fortunately, business plans can help you develop alternative ways to profit even with low demand for your particular service.
Custom solutions: Business plans are easy to customize to your specific needs. You can alter your plan to suit goals like introducing new services, opening a new location, or providing options for commercial customers.
Seasonal employees: Maintaining a regular workforce can quickly become time-consuming and expensive. The good news is, your business plan can cater to employees with seasonal professions like snow removal.
Flexible goals: Not sure where you want your business to go? Use your business plan to scale your goals accordingly.
Key elements of a lawn care business plan
A complete lawn care business plan includes the following sections.
Cover page
Your cover page should clearly state your company name and include your logo. You should also include your company role, business address, and other contact information.
Executive summary
As the title suggests, executive summaries should summarize your entire plan in a few short paragraphs. In it, you should include your mission and vision, business goals, factors that set you apart, and a brief company history. It is best to write your executive summary last when you have a complete understanding of what the entire document includes.
Business overview
Your business overview is a look into all the aspects of your lawn care and landscape company. These include:
Ownership type: Determine whether your business is a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or other structure. Doing this will help you adhere to government regulations such as tax implications.
Assets: List out the equipment you already have, such as a lawn mower, a fleet, additional tools, or laptops, and list the assets you’ll need in the future. Include how much money you have already invested in your business.
Start-up costs: Create an overview of what you spent to launch your business. Include items like the cost of office supplies, employee compensation (if any), rent, marketing materials, etc.
Lawn care services
Provide a list of the services you want to offer according to your existing assets and current budget. Common lawn care services include:
Lawn mowing.
Pest control application.
Mulching.
Lawn fertilization application or weed control.
Tree and plant services.
Aeration or dethatching.
Grass and leaf blowing.
Landscape design.
Tree trimming.
What you can offer will ultimately depend on your existing equipment, your competition, and what your customers need.
Market analysis
Creating a market analysis is similar to crafting a buyer persona. In this section, you’ll want to define your target market, what solutions they need, and how you fit into the equation. When taking a closer look at your target market, list their characteristics such as:
Income level and occupation.
Geographical location.
Size of property.
Then, include an analysis of your top competitors. Consider factors like:
What services they offer.
Who they cater to.
What they charge for their services.
What competitive advantages and disadvantages do they have.
Business strategy
This section of your business plan is where everything comes together. Think of it as a road map to success that outlines your:
Financial objectives: Create financial goals that take into account your projected profits and investors.
Pricing: You can’t expect to profit just by pricing your services high. You’ll have to consider your hourly rate, how much you’re paying your employees, overhead for equipment, taxes, and additional fees. You may need to consider pricing your services lower for your first few customers. Use this pricing formula to get started.
Operational objectives: Create short and long-term objectives that break down your mission and vision into actionable goals. For instance, if you want to increase brand loyalty, your goals might be to engage clients or improve customer service channels.
This part of your business plan should outline how you intend to market and sell your products and services. Ultimately, it should provide a summary of your:
Marketing strategies .
Pricing plans.
Competitive advantage.
Sales strategies.
You can also use this information to ensure you’re not spending more than you can afford. Once you’ve determined your financial goals, you can identify how many potential customers you’ll need to meet them.
As your company grows, so will your need for more employees. In most cases, labor costs take anywhere between 30-35% of your revenue. To keep these costs down, you’ll need a strategy for improving productivity, efficiency, and communication.
Before you start hiring more employees, you’ll want to consider:
How much you should pay yourself and your employees.
How many employees you need to achieve your business goals.
How much work load can one employee handle per day.
This stage of your business plan is where investing in lawn care software might come in handy. These programs can automate repetitive administrative tasks and keep everyone on your team accountable. This allows you and your admin team to focus on adding value to the business instead of doing menial, repetitive tasks.
If maintaining regular employees ends up costing your business too much, you might want to enlist contracting services instead. Working with specialists on a contract basis can reduce your overall costs, as you’ll pay for labor only when you need it.
Financial plan
Finally, it’s time to think about how you will bring revenue into your business. Especially if you are applying for a lawn care business grant, you’ll want to make this section as detailed as possible. Your financial plan should outline:
Financial statements (and an analysis of them).
Sales forecasts.
Personnel costs.
Overall budget.
Cash flow projections (incoming and outgoing costs).
Starting a lawn care and landscape company from the ground up is no easy feat. Having a lawn mowing business plan in place can make the process far more manageable. You can create one by following these steps:
Decide what kind of lawn care and landscape company you want to run. Knowing what kind of services you want to offer can help narrow your customer base and influence the rest of your decision-making processes.
Study your target market and direct competition. Consider whether you have potential clients in your area or if other services might suit them better. Be realistic about how many prospective clients you can serve per month. Then, create a competitor analysis and think about your competitive edge – what can you offer that they can’t? Where can you get ahead of the game?
Think about how much work you can do in a day and how much you’ll charge for it. If you’re going into the landscaping industry as a sole proprietor, you may have to invest in legal and accounting services. If you’re not quite ready to hire regular employees, you can work with specialists on a contractual basis.
Consider your potential income and expenses. Create best and worst-case scenarios for each month and what you’ll need to do to break even on your costs. Consider factors like business insurance, tax deposits, maintenance and storage fees, and accounting.
How much is insurance for a landscaping business?
How much you pay for business insurance will depend on the services you offer and the risks involved. For general liability insurance, which covers property damage and employee injuries, you can expect to pay an average of $45 per month. However, you may need to purchase more insurance depending on how you operate your business.
Some policies only cover claims on a per-occurrence limit, restricting coverage to only one incident. If your business is growing, you may have to expand policy limits.
Furthermore, you’ll also have to get commercial auto insurance, which costs lawn care and landscaping companies an average of $150 per month. If you employ company-owned vehicles, this type of insurance is necessary. Otherwise, you can purchase hired and non-owned auto insurance for rented vehicles.
How much do landscaping businesses make every year?
How much your lawn care and landscaping company can earn each year will depend on what type of services you offer and how broad your customer base is. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, average landscapers’ salaries can range between $33,000 – 73,000. However, top performers can expect to earn up to $97,910 a year.
Is starting a landscaping business worth it?
Whether or not starting a lawn care and landscaping company is worth it will rely on the pros outweighing the cons. For instance, if you’re operating out of an area that requires lawn care services year-round, starting a business might seem logical. However, some contractual landscapers choose not to start a business because of the seasonal nature of lawn care and the economic risks involved. However, creating a lawn care and landscaping company also comes with high earning potential. It all depends on how much work you’re willing to put into your business and how prepared you are.
How do you get lawn care customers?
There are many effective channels for generating potential lawn care leads. Some of the best ways to obtain potential clients fast are through:
Paid advertising.
Social media marketing.
Referral systems.
Subcontracting.
Collaborating with key industry players.
User-generated content and testimonials.
Investing in organic search.
Word-of-mouth.
If this is your first time looking for customers, don’t hesitate to ask your family and friends – they might even promote your business to other people who need your services. We’ve also put together some lawn care ad ideas to help you get started.
Starting a lawn care and landscaping company takes a lot of work. However, crafting a detailed lawn care business plan can help you get ahead of your competitors and stand out as an industry leader. Using these tips, you can worry less about how much starting a business will cost you and focus more on high-earning business tactics that will make your hard work pay off!
Most lawn care companies have been marketing their services the same way they have for years. But marketing has changed. With the internet and social media, there are so many new ways to market your business in a cost-effective manner. Today, we’ll give you some great ideas on how to do just that. This list is full of tried and true methods that will lead you on the path towards success!
Why you need to create a detailed marketing plan for your lawn care business
Many small business owners fail to realize the importance of putting together an annual marketing plan. An annual marketing plan will guide you and your business the same way that a map does, pointing you in the right direction towards achieving your goals and KPIs.
But before we get started on our guide to creating a lawn care marketing strategy, let’s get one thing out of the way. What is marketing anyway? And how is it different from advertising?
Think of marketing as a pie, with advertising as just one slice of the pie. Marketing involves understanding and predicting customer’s needs, while advertising is about communicating a business’s answers to those needs.
If you want tips on how to advertise a lawn care business, take a look at our article on lawn care advertising ideas.
Here’s what you need to know to create a detailed marketing plan for your lawn care and landscaping business:
Review your business goals
What do you want to accomplish as a landscaping business in the next one to three years? Knowing this can help you figure out your marketing goals and set your KPIs for the year.
As always, we recommend developing goals using the SMART format. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
This is also a good time to set your marketing budget. When you can identify your goals, you can start to see how much marketing materials you’ll need to accomplish your goals. By breaking up your goals into milestones, you can identify how much and what kind of marketing strategies need to be done to hit them.
Do a SWOT analysis
SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Businesses use SWOT analyses to evaluate which areas of their business should be improved upon and which areas can be further highlighted.
Your strengths are the things that make your landscaping company unique, basically the value you offer your potential customers. Your weaknesses are the areas which you can improve on. This can range from having a limited roster of services to having a small team. Opportunities are changes you can make to grow your landscaping business. An opportunity for a landscaping business could be something like a newly built residential development that you can serve. Finally, threats are the obstacles that can get in the way of your business’s growth, from emerging competitors in your area to new regulations on certain services.
Define your buyer personas
A buyer persona is a fictional representation of your ideal customer, covering things like a buyer’s age, gender, residence, goals, habits, preferences, income, problems, and more.
To figure this out consider asking yourself the following questions:
What does my ideal customer do for a living?
How much do they earn?
What makes my ideal customer excited to get up in the morning?
Where does my ideal customer get their news?
Where does my ideal customer go to unwind?
Buyer personas are important because marketing strategies don’t operate on a one-size-fits-all basis. Each person will need a different approach and platform.
List down your marketing goals
What do you want to achieve with your marketing efforts? In most cases, businesses ramp up their marketing efforts to increase revenue. But you can also have other goals that are more specific to your brand.
To determine your marketing goals, revisit the SMART framework.
Decide on your marketing channels
Once you’ve got your buyer personas and marketing goals down, you can begin to decide on your marketing channels.
You have tons of options here, from traditional channels like outdoor display ads, flyers, business cards, and direct mail marketing, to digital channels like social media marketing, email marketing, search marketing, and affiliate programs.
With the foundations for creating an effective plan set, consider the following marketing tips to further boost your efforts:
1. Build a well-designed website
Having a strong online presence can positively impact your chance of generating more revenue. Websites boost credibility, increase one’s chances of getting leads, and is an excellent digital marketing tool.
In the list, we also talk about some of the important elements that make up a good website, including high-quality photos, testimonials, detailed pages on each of your lawn care services, and pricing details. For reference to pricing lawn mowing and lawn care services, visit our guide here.
Pro tip: A memorable domain name can go a long way. Keep it short and simple, but make sure it isn’t generic so that it stands out as well.
2. Highlight what makes your business unique
There are dozens of landscaping and lawn care maintenance contractors out there. How do you make sure that customers choose your business out of everyone else?
It isn’t enough to just list your landscaping services in your lawn care marketing materials. Everyone does that.
You need to have a unique selling proposition (also referred to as a USP). This is what makes your landscaping business have an advantage over your competition. Your USP should be something that your business does well and that your customers want. Because what use is pushing a service that nobody needs anyway?
3. Join local trade associations and groups
In our guide on how to grow a small business, we highlight the importance of getting involved in community efforts. This is an essential step for those in the lawn care industry as well.
Consider joining your local chamber of commerce. This can help your digital marketing efforts as you can get featured on their business listings. You can also try reaching out to groups like building owners and managers associations, homeowners associations, and real estate groups. These are all great opportunities to meet with potential lawn care customers, both for commercial and residential projects.
4. Hire a social media manager
Facebook clocked in roughly 2.89 billion monthly active users in 2021, while Instagram sees about one billion active monthly users. And approximately 4.48 billion people are said to use social media worldwide. That’s over half the world’s population!
With that being said, not having a strong social media presence is almost like a death sentence for a brand. And social media marketing is so much more than just starting a page and putting your logo on your profile picture. You need consistent, engaging, and relevant content that speaks to your potential customers.
If you want to make the most out of your social media platforms, hire a professional social media manager.
5. Commission professionally-designed landscaping business cards
Despite the rise of social media and digital marketing, business cards remain as essential as ever.
A business card is more than just a place to put your business info, it offers a peek into the kind of company you own. In fact, according to one study, over 70 percent of people will form an opinion about a company from its business card alone.
So make sure to commission a professionally-designed business card with information that positively represents your business.
Want to achieve lawn care marketing success? Consider video marketing. Thanks to YouTube and TikTok, more and more brands are realizing the power of video to captivate and entertain audiences.
But what kinds of lawn care videos can your lawn maintenance company do? Here are some examples to consider:
Before-and-after videos: Most companies already post before-and-after photos on their websites, so this is just taking the concept a step further. With video, you can add narration, explaining how your company tackled a particular project.
Lawn care tips: This is an indirect way of showing potential clients your level of knowledge and expertise in your field.
Day in the life videos: Not only is this a great way to show off the skills and capabilities of your team members to your potential customers, this format also works as a recruiting video to potential employees.
7. Learn search marketing tactics
Search marketing involves utilizing search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click or pay-per-lead ads to boost one’s presence on search engines like Google. Search marketing falls under the larger umbrella of digital marketing.
With SEO, you optimize the content on your website to build authority and to allow search engines to find your site more easily in a sea of other similar sites. With paid search marketing, you place ads on search engines and pay Google whenever a viewer clicks on your ad or when an ad turns into a lead.
8. Try your hand at email marketing
For small businesses, email marketing can be a highly effective way to grow your business.
One of the simplest ways to go about this is to maintain a weekly or monthly email newsletter.
You can invite people to sign up for your email list by offering a discount or running a promotion. You can also advertise your email list on your social media channels and your website.
With an email newsletter, you have an instant audience to send targeted ads and information to. You can also offer up “exclusive content” through your newsletter, from loyalty discounts to special raffles.
9. Make the most of word-of-mouth advertising
Word-of-mouth marketing is defined as “when a consumer’s interest in a company’s product or service is reflected in their daily dialogues”. In a nutshell, this type of marketing is when your current customers sell your business for you.
But how can you take advantage of word-of-mouth?
One of the easiest ways to do so is by collecting customer reviews. Request your clients to fill out survey forms and seek permission to post their testimonials on your website and social media pages. You can also allow customers to leave reviews on your Facebook page and Google business profile. Positive reviews will help you establish credibility and build up a reputation of trustworthiness.
10. Establish a referral program
Want to take your word-of-mouth marketing another step further? Try offering your customers a referral discount. How does this work?
After doing business with your customers, you can offer them a referral code which they can share with friends and family. When new people sign up for your services with the code, you’ll know which of your previous customers referred you. You can then offer a gift check or a discount on the next service to your customer.
Not only does a referral program get you more clients, it also creates happy customers!
Closing thoughts on marketing strategies for lawn care business owners
We hope these 10 marketing ideas have provided some inspiration on how to better market your lawn care company to your customers.
Remember, the key is planning ahead. Always start with a detailed marketing plan outlining all of the ways you can market your business effectively. So that when someone lands on your website or calls for an estimate, they are already sold on what sets you apart from other companies in town!
A good marketing strategy can help inform potential clients of your services, engage current customers to keep patronizing your business, and differentiate your lawn care business from the competition.
How to market to your existing customers?
If you want to maintain good relations with existing customers, you should continue to stay in touch, whether that means keeping up an email newsletter, engaging your community online, or even sending out personalized messages and promotions on special occasions.
When should you advertise for lawn care?
You can advertise your services all year round, especially if you live in a location with good weather all year round. However, if you experience seasonal changes, it’s always a good idea to start advertising your services a few weeks before your spring promos start.
