If you are a lawn care business owner, it is no surprise that your services are seasonal and cash flow is heavier during the spring months. A typical busy season probably looks something like this: your technicians are constantly out in the field, your phones are ringing off the hook, and you are caught up in a whirlwind of items that all seem to be high priority. Sound familiar?

As the end of summer approaches, everything starts to slow down and you finally feel like you have time to relax. But how does your seasonal lawn care business keep the cash flowing during those slower months?

PROMOTE ADDITIONAL SERVICES

Once the busy season comes to a close, it is time to reflect on where you stand from a revenue standpoint. Are you on track to hit your new customer goal? Are you behind on sales? If you are behind on revenue and your season is nearing the end, or if you’d like to increase your goals for the coming year,  it’s time to implement a more aggressive upselling strategy. This includes promoting your end of summer/fall services like:

• Aeration and Seeding

• Grub Control

• Weed Control

• Mosquito Control

By pushing these services through various marketing techniques, you’ll increase your chances of making up that revenue and/or meeting your future goals.

EXECUTE A HIRING STRATEGY

As things start to slow down, take this time to train your current staff and fill any holes left after the busy season. Using this downtime to really focus on training your crew will help build an even stronger team and help retain existing customers in the upcoming year.  In the lawn care industry, it is also important to execute a hiring strategy that matches your business cycle.

Consider a tool like Forgely, an LMS (learning management software) and hiring tool developed specifically for service-based companies like yours. Automating your training and hiring saves time and creates more efficient workflows for you and your team, so you can stay out of the nitty gritty and focus on the big picture.

CONNECT WITH EXISTING CUSTOMERS

More times than not, businesses are afraid to contact their existing customers in fear that they will come off too salesy. But with the proper strategy and techniques in place, this can be very effective tool. Think about it - if you never hear from your service company unless it regards billing, that doesn’t give the best impression either. Here are a few low-pressure strategies to start implementing to connect with your current customers:

• Send a monthly or quarterly newsletter. Consistently reach out to customers with educational lawn care tips, company news, information about seasonal services, and more. By keeping your email relevant and conversational, you will be able to build a stronger relationship with your customers. Don’t be afraid to inject a little personality - let your customers know who you are as a company!

• Promote your referral program. This is a perfect way to share your services in an organic way. For this to be successful, you let your happy customers (they’re the most likely to refer you, of course) understand the benefits of your program, like a seasonal incentive. Whether you have a page on your website or include it in an email campaign, promoting your referral program is an easy option to help your growth.

• Build your credibility. Have a well-trained, experienced customer service representative talk to your customers on the phone about their experience with your company. If they provide positive feedback, ask them if they would share their experience online as a review or testimonial. This shows your current customers that you care about their experience, and it gives potential customers positive signals that your company is the best one for them.

• Advertise your packages. Lawns may die off after the summer, but that doesn’t mean your revenues have to follow suit. By offering year-round packages, you can keep the cash flow coming year-round. If you have them, promote them now. If you don’t have any, use this time to develop a few and test them with your customer base.

WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND YOUR BUSINESS

When you work with a marketing company, it’s important for them to understand all aspects of digital marketing. Being able to effectively execute strategies for SEO, social, email, PPC, online reputation management and more is crucial to the success of your online presence. What’s even more important is that the company is a specialist in your industry. What good does implementing all of these techniques do if the company doesn’t truly understand how your business operates?

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an SEO company that focused specifically on service-based industries like your lawn care business? Guess what…there is (spoiler alert: this is another shameless promotion.) Our lead generation platform, is specifically designed for lawn and pest control companies. With proven results and strategic insights, we can help you attract new customers and help your business grow.