Source: www.TurfMagazine.com
Fall is a great time to promote services clients want done before winter arrives. Leaf removal is a big opportunity in many areas, and the cooler weather is ideal for planting everything from trees to grass. Clients are more interested in improvements now that summer is over and will listen to your proposals more attentively. Give thought to what you can do to increase revenue this fall, and you’ll find opportunities to add business.
1. Mulching & pruning
Mulch beds always need servicing, especially after a hot summer left the mulch looking faded. Many beds are filled with weeds, so servicing your client’s beds this month gets them looking great for the next three months. The service is almost all labor, so your margin will look great, too. Be sure to communicate with clients about adding trees and shrubs to open areas and remind them of the value shade trees offer. Speaking of trees and shrubbery, now is the time to recommend pruning and trimming so properties look good all fall and into winter.
2. New opportunities
New construction is on the rise again, so keep in contact with builders and new property managers. Communicating with them can bring in new year-round business. I travel a lot and see new commercial and residential developments everywhere. These new developments are low-hanging fruit for you to harvest new business. Commercial developments usually have managers who handle several sites. Get in touch and let them know you’re interested in their other properties and you’ll start as soon as needed. The economy has had its ups and downs, but new construction is booming and so can your landscape business.
3. Edging landscape beds
Ornamental beds begin looking worn down as summer turns into fall. Keep an eye out for those beds that need re-edging and shaping. This is another easy-to-perform service that improves a property’s look and can add revenue dollars in the fall. Many times bed edges don’t need complete cutting; just a little TLC can do the trick.
4. Lawn rejuvenation
Core aerating and reseeding is another fall service that can really improve a property’s look in a few weeks. Many varieties of turfgrass suffer with the hot summer weather, and unless turf is managed properly, it can become weed infested very fast. Bermudagrass and other warm-weather grasses need scalping or overseeding, so you can develop a campaign to increase these services. The best candidates for lawn rejuvenation are properties adjacent to properties with lush green turf. You can bring those properties up to a higher standard this fall and improve the look of the entire development. This just might bring in more business, so begin property evaluations now.