Winter isn’t friendly to unprepared landscaping businesses. However, with careful planning and thoughtful execution, There are ways to make the winter months just as profitable as the summer months. This article is for you if you’re a landscaper searching for ways to increase revenue during the cold weather of the off-season.
Continue reading to learn:
- How Do Landscapers Work in The Winter?
- Do Gardners Work in the Winter?
- How to Separate Your Lawn Care Business From The Rest
By the time you’re finished reading, you’ll know how the most successful gardeners and landscaping companies survive and thrive during the winter season. Get started now.
How Do Landscapers Work in The Winter?
Unless you live in a region with hot weather and sunshine year round (i.e., Florida, Texas, California, etc.), there will be an off-season. However, the “off-season” doesn’t have to be a revenue killer for your landscaping services.
From hanging holiday lights to pressure washing to mulching and fertilizing flower beds, there are plenty of things a lawn care business owner can do to expand their winter services.
Listed below are some of the most popular and effective ways to turn your slow season into your best season.
Snow Removal Service
If you live in an area that experiences snowfall during the winter months, consider repurposing your employees and investing in snow removal equipment (i.e., snow blowers, shovels, truck plows, etc.) to capture some much-needed winter business. Heavy snowfall affects everyone.
Winter jobs like snow plowing, removal, and salting can open up many new opportunities and connections in the landscape industry. That’s because all sorts of people need the service, including:
- Homeowners with driveways
- Apartment complexes
- Business owners
- Parking lots
- Schools and Universities
- Sporting venues
Leaf Removal
Leaf removal (i.e., raking) can be an excellent service for customers during the fall and early winter months. In many cases, you can train your field service representatives to offer and sell winter lawn care services (i.e., raking, winter lawn prep, etc.) when their summer work is coming to an end.
Gutter Cleaning
Most people and businesses know they’ll need their gutters cleaned at some point and the consequences of waiting too long to clean them. With that in mind, training field service reps to recognize gutters that need cleaning can lead to a massive payoff.
Generally, it’s a win-win. You can supplement your winter income while helping homeowners and businesses save money during the winter months.
Hang And Remove Holiday Lights
One winter service that’s easily overlooked is holiday light installation and removal. Whether it’s Christmas lights, New Years’ decorations, or Hannukah lights, adding this service can help to transform your landscaping company from a seasonal business to a year-round service.
Powerwashing Services
There are plenty of power washing services offered by lawn care industry professionals, including pressure washing for patios, decks, fences, exterior windows, driveways, siding, roofs, and more. Don’t wait until next year to invest in pressure washers. The sooner you start advertising pressure washing services, the faster you can develop an additional revenue stream for all seasons.
Stump and Tree Removal
Stump and tree removal services can be an excellent source of income during the off-season. That’s especially true if you live in an area with heavy snow and ice. An excellent way to advertise stump and tree removal services is via helpful social media or blog posts about the dangers of overhanging trees and decaying tree stumps.
Do Gardeners Work in the Winter?
As the saying goes, “A gardener’s work is never done.” With that in mind, the winter months don’t bring traditional gardening and lawn maintenance work, but gardeners still have many opportunities to earn business during the cold season. They include but are not limited to the following:
Pruning
Failure to prune and get rid of dead plants in the winter is only asking for trouble the next year. That’s especially true for gardens with plants that have specific pruning requirements. The better your field service reps are at communicating the importance of regular pruning, the more winter business you can expect.
Planting
Winter is the perfect time to plant bare-root plants. However, it’s not always easy to tell if planting is needed or wanted. Therefore, you’ll need to uncover your customer’s need for tree planting services by training your field service reps to ask the right questions at the right time.
Weeding
Weeding is a year-round endeavor, but some types of grass (i.e., couch grass) require additional weeding during the winter months. Train your lawn mowing professionals and gardeners to recognize harmful weeds and how to approach current and potential customers about handling them.
Indoor Gardening
Lastly, winter can be prime-time for turning your attention to customers who have indoor greenery. Maintenance, removing dead plants, and preparing for repotting is essential for indoor gardens. It may not be as regular as outdoor gardening work in the summer months. However, there’s still plenty of potential to add consistent revenue during the winter from indoor gardening services.
Separate Your Lawn Care Business From The Rest
Green Group partners with lawn care companies throughout North America, using our unique portfolio of brands to create a unique opportunity for landscaping and lawn care business owners. Learn how to take your landscaping business to the next level and why countless companies choose to partner with Green Group.
