Managing Seasonal Fluctuations in Your Garden and Lawn Care Business
In an ideal world, garden and lawn care business owners would be busy year-round. However, seasons don’t work like that. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to pause their services when the colder weather hits. Lawns don’t grow nearly as much, and gardens often go into hibernation.
Managing seasonal fluctuations in the green industry can be challenging, but you might be well-positioned to ride them out by taking some of the following actions:
Diversify Your Business Offerings
You might pride yourself on offering high-quality lawn mowing services year-round, but there might not be demand for them during all 12 months of the year. In that case, consider offering a raft of related services you can perform during the colder months.
Many lawn care businesses branch out into garden tidy-ups, weeding, water blasting, and moss treatments. You might even remain busy throughout the winter by offering leaf removal, lawn repairs, garden clean-ups, and gutter cleaning solutions.
Diversification can be the key to business success in any industry, and lawn care is no exception to the rule.
Spread Out Your Earnings
Many lawn care service providers are rushed off their feet during spring and summer. There are plenty of lawns to mow and gardens to tend to when the sun is shining. There can be great profit potential during these warmer months.
Knowing that your earning potential is higher in summer and spring, consider tucking away some of your earnings to carry you through the less-lucrative months of the year. The more money you set aside, the more financially comfortable you can be when your earning potential is less.
If you’re unsure how much to set aside, use invoicing software to track your earnings. You can then know how much you need to cover your costs and what you’ll have spare.
Hire Seasonal Staff
Some lawn mowing business owners can be so busy in summer and spring that they have more work they can handle themselves. It makes sense to hire staff to ease the load. While employees are a help, they can also be an expense you might not be able to afford when your workload lessens in winter.
Hire seasonal or casual staff rather than full-time or part-time employees with guaranteed hours. You might even ask friends and family members to step in and help so they can earn extra money. They can be available when you need them but won’t drain your bank account when you don’t have enough work for them.
Prioritise Marketing Year-Round
Marketing your business might not make much sense when you can’t keep up with your current customer base. However, marketing year-round can be important for keeping you at the forefront of potential customers’ minds.
They might not need you for lawn mowing in winter, but they might remember your name for other year-round services like hedge trimming, leaf removal, and water blasting in NZ. Lawn care business operators have a number of marketing tools at their disposal, such as:
Flyer drops
Email marketing
Social media
Google PPC ads
If you work for a franchise, you can also enjoy marketing support from your head office. They can provide helpful insight into the marketing practices to see your business thrive.
Take a DIY Approach to Maintenance
Lawn equipment maintenance can be expensive when multiple tools require regular servicing. Even with a reliable service provider near you, you can spend a great deal of money on this one part of your business.
When your equipment is under warranty, servicing with a professional is typically recommended. However, you might also be able to save money by taking care of this task yourself. At a minimum, in-house blade sharpening, oil changes, and basic repairs might help you retain as much of your earnings as possible.
It’s important to note that not everyone feels comfortable or confident enough to tackle equipment maintenance – and that’s okay! Rely on professionals as you see fit.
Ramp Up Advertising Efforts
You might know how crucial it is to advertise your services year-round, but consider ramping up your advertising efforts in autumn and winter. Highlight the services that matter the most to homeowners in winter, like water blasting, leaf clearing, lawn repair, and mulching.
You might even welcome new customers onboard through special deals and incentives, such as two services for the price of one or a half-price second service. Alongside keeping you busy, advertising your winter services might provide you with extra customers for your busier summer seasons. You might then have more money to set aside to supplement your income during the more trying months.
Don’t Let the Cold Weather Slow You Down
Business might be slower in the coldest months of the year, but it doesn’t have to come to a grinding halt. Focus on marketing, saving money, spreading out your earnings, and diversifying your services. Before long, you might be surprised by how easily you make it through your slowest seasons.