Landscaper's Circle

Managing workloads

Don’t panic it's summer and while most people head for the sun during the summer months it is the busiest time of year for landscapers says Paula Warman. She tells us how can we be better prepared for this time of year

I have six top tips to help get business-ready for busy periods.

1. Keep marketing Don’t stop your marketing efforts or strategy just because you are too busy or don’t have the time or capacity for an influx of enquiries. During these busy periods (particularly summer) we often think that ceasing any marketing activity is a good idea as it will stop the enquiries and reduce workload. However, if enquiries begin to dry up as you are head into the quiet season, you may find yourself spending more of your budget on marketing than intended, to get your name out there again. It is not a quick fix, so I would recommend to keep marketing regardless of workload but review what is working best on a regular basis.

2. Outsource and delegate What tasks are you currently doing that you could pay someone else to do or delegate to someone else in your team? As business owners we often fulfil many roles, especially when we first start out in business. You are trying to do all the things – marketing, sales, admin, accounting, landscaper, designer, debt collection, customer service and more! The problem is then exacerbated when we hit the busy summer months. So, consider hiring a bookkeeper or virtual assistant. Could you outsource some of the marketing or could any of your digital saavy team take more responsibility? Always look at these options as you begin to grow your business but keep in mind cashflow and breakeven point as you make decisions.

3. Reset client expectations To ensure customer satisfaction, setting their expectations is very important, particularly at this time of year. We are all busy and quotes and designs are taking longer than normal, so ensure you communicate this to potential clients when they book a site visit. When can they realistically expect a quote and/or design from you following the site visit? At the time of booking also let them know your next available start date – this will not only manage their expectations, but sort the time wasters from the real deal. I would also put everything in writing in a follow up email so there can be no disputing timeframes further down the line.

4. Block out time for admin Easier said than done I know, however, if you start getting into the habit of blocking out sections of time for tasks such as admin and scheduling quotes, then your time becomes more manageable. This is especially important when you are feeling the pressure of the busy period. Getting better at managing your time, setting clear boundaries, and focussing on one clear action at a time is the best way to get through busy periods.

5. Systems and automations Setting up systems and automations within your design and landscaping business can really take the pressure off and help manage workloads. They buy you time, they help reiterate the expectations for clients and they are simple to set up. I love automated email sequences that can respond to clients at the first point of contact as well as emails to follow up later in their customer journey. Looking at what you can automate or delegate once you have a documented process or system can really ease workload.

6. Be realistic with your time, workload and calendar Many of us overestimate what we can get done in a day, let alone how long a landscaping project or full design will take. Try and factor in contingency days where possible and plan in the inevitable staff holidays. Encourage staff to give you as much advance notice for holiday requests as possible so you can look at teams and gaps that may need to be filled.

Many landscapers are in fact busy all year round , not just summer, so these tips are there to help suggest tweaks to help your business run more efficiently. As landscaper’s we can get caught up in the design and creation of a project sometimes to the detriment of the actual business itself. So, even in busy periods we need to look at ways in which we can continue to develop the business for it to evolve as we want it to.

The Landscaper’s Circle is the only online platform exclusively for business owners in the landscaping industry to learn how to market and run their business better. Become part of the #TLCTribe today for training and support. If you need our help please email at info@thelandscaperscircle.co.uk | www.thelandscaperscircle.co.uk