Surviving a Hectic Summer Season in Florida’s Landscaping Industry

“Summer” is Endless in Central Florida

Most states in the U.S. have four distinct seasons throughout the year: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Here in Central Florida, however, it seems like we have one long summer endcapped by a couple of months with a few chilly days each. Considering our year-round tropical climate and ample rainfall, our grass growing season lasts much longer than June through August.

But even though Florida landscaping companies’ calendars are usually full throughout most of the year, summer is still a particularly busy season for lawn care and landscaping professionals. Not only are people generally spending more time in their lawns–meaning they’ll want them to be consistently manicured–but also the increased rainfall and humidity can make beautification and maintenance even more challenging. From fungus to chinch bugs, you may have to combat a wide variety of common lawn issues.

In stressful busy times, it’s important to establish a set of protocols to help ensure the success of your team and the satisfaction of your customers. Keep reading to learn how to stay on the right track when business is bustling.

Preparation for Your Landscaping Organization

By the time June rolls around, you should have already started preparing for the busy summer season for at least a couple of months. If your numbers are poised for growth, we hope you have hired a few new landscaping team members and gone through the onboarding process. You should also have organized your finances and created a budget for the upcoming months. If you haven’t already knocked out these tasks (where applicable), focus on these first.

Be sure you get price lists from your suppliers well in advance so you can stay within your projected budget. Also, stock up on marketing materials like signs and flyers to prevent the need to scramble for more when you need them the most. Finally, it might be wise to invest in a scheduling software so you can ensure you and your team are on time for every job.

Keeping Your Equipment in Shape

You and your lawn mower maintenance partners will most likely be in frequent contact throughout the season–be sure to get the most out of your relationship with them. When you work with a company like Gator Mower Parts in Longwood, you’ll get fast, customized service and years’ worth of industry experience. Your trusted maintenance and repair team can help you plan for whatever work you may need over the next few months so that you don’t have to face too many surprises. Every piece of lawn equipment goes through wear and tear, but regular professional maintenance appointments can help them last longer without breaking down and leaving you stranded.

Don’t Forget Customer Service

When you’re busy, it can be easy to let professionalism go by the wayside and to focus on the quantity of jobs instead. But by offering your customers the best possible service while moving at breakneck speed, you’re sure to retain a huge number of them through the year. Start out early by communicating with your customers to find out what services they’ll want through the busy season and determine how to set up your schedule to optimize your time. Offer new clients incentives for staying with you beyond the summer.

Keep in mind that your great service along with your marketing program will increase the number of potential new customers that want to get on your lawn care schedule. During the busy season, you don’t want to overwhelm your team and lead them to overlook the little details. Ensure you properly screen each new client to make sure they’re a great fit for your current capacity and menu of services.

Take Care of Your Team

Growing your lawn care business is hard to achieve without the help of a great team. Make sure you’re taking good care of them during this stressful period of time. As much as possible, avoid overloading their schedules to the point of exhaustion. Reward them for efficiency and great customer service, and ensure all of their safety equipment is in good shape.

It’s important that you refresh your employees’ knowledge of safety standards at the beginning of each busy season. Keep them informed about any new equipment and new services. Listen to their feedback about their schedules and the quality of their appointments.

Tracking is Indispensable

At the end of every busy season, you should review your successes and your shortcomings to determine the next steps you and your company should take for future growth. The easiest way to do this is by tracking efficiency and finances throughout the season. Several tracking tools that are specific for the landscaping industry can help you manage every aspect of your business, including expenditures, labor costs, required maintenance, customer onboarding, and beyond. Clerical tasks like these may seem secondary to getting your hands dirty at your landscaping sites, but they can greatly improve your operations and help push you toward success.

The Summer Landscaping Season is Here

With the month of June already underway, you’ve surely experienced the beginning of busy season for yourself. Team up with Gator Mower Parts to ensure your crew and equipment are ready to mow throughout the summer and beyond. To learn more about our services, give us a call at 407-260-1292 today.