As a landscaper, you face a delicate balance between maintaining existing lawn care clients and landing larger project-based work. Unless you have an extensive referral network or an established reputation, lawn care services are often the gateway that allows you to eventually transition into more complex landscape design, installation, and renovation projects.
However, too much focus on lawn mowing and maintenance can prevent you from dedicating the necessary time and resources towards generating new project leads, estimating, and completing high-value jobs. On the flip side, neglecting your existing lawn care customers could lead to a loss of recurring revenue and damage your reputation.
So how do you strike the right balance as a landscaper?
In this blog, we’ll explore some strategies to help you optimize your time, resources, and marketing efforts to land the perfect mix of ongoing lawn maintenance and lucrative project work.
Strategies for Balancing Lawn Care & Project Work
- Prioritize High-Value Clients
Look at your existing lawn care customer base and identify the clients who are the best candidates for potential projects. These are likely homeowners with sizeable properties, recent home buyers, or those who have already expressed interest in larger landscape enhancements. Focus your time and energy on providing exceptional service to these “VIP” clients, as they represent your best opportunities for upselling.
- Streamline Lawn Care Operations
Implementing systems and technology to improve the efficiency of your lawn mowing and maintenance routes can free up time for sales, estimating, and project management. Consider investing in GPS-enabled fleet tracking, automated scheduling and routing tools, and other operational optimizations.
- Market Your Project Expertise
Make sure your website, social media profiles, and other marketing collateral highlight your landscape design, installation, and renovation capabilities. Use keywords and phrases that your target customers are searching for, such as “custom patio design”, “landscape makeovers”, or “outdoor living space renovations”.
- Network & Build Referral Relationships
Attend local industry events, join relevant professional associations, and connect with other contractors (e.g. home builders, remodelers, etc.) who can refer project leads your way. Offer to reciprocate by passing along leads that may be a better fit for their services.
- Leverage Existing Clients
When communicating with your lawn care customers, look for opportunities to cross-sell or upsell your project-based services. Suggest seasonal enhancements, point out areas that could use a refresh, and provide estimates for larger landscape upgrades.
- Hire & Train Project Specialists
As your project workload grows, consider bringing on dedicated team members who can focus on the sales, design, and management of those complex jobs. This frees you up to oversee the overall business and ensure the lawn care side remains strong.
By implementing these strategies, you can create a more sustainable, profitable business model that balances the reliable revenue of lawn maintenance with the higher-margin opportunities of landscape projects.
It takes time and effort, but the payoff can be significant in terms of your lawn care company’s growth and long-term success.It takes time and effort, but the payoff can be significant in terms of your lawn care company’s growth and long-term success.
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