Over the last few years, the landscaping market has grown consistently by at least 2.5% per year. With this growth comes new market and service trends. I will share some of the popular trends with you in this article.
The top 4 landscaping market trends are:
- Continuous industry growth
- Streamlining teams using tech
- Accurate reporting
- Hiring challenges
Being aware of landscaping market trends is important to your business. If you have a landscaping business or are considering starting a landscaping business, you will want to keep reading so you can learn more about trends that are currently taking place in this industry. We are going to discuss the top 4 landscaping market trends.
Continuous Industry Growth
Continuous industry growth is a trend in the landscaping business and for the past few years, the industry has grown by over 2% each year. This came as a shock to some who were familiar with the landscaping industry but not working directly within the business. Landscaping has always been a popular industry because so many people focus on their yards both commercial and non-commercial.
Decades ago, the landscaping industry was big because so many high-class and middle-class neighborhoods would compete for the best yards. I do not think that these people always hired landscaping companies but a lot of them did. Some people took care of their yards on their own but others would bring in landscapers to beautify their yards.
These days, landscaping is truly a big deal but not just for neighborhoods anymore. It is not uncommon to see beautiful landscaping work at a mall or local restaurant. The commercial industry takes landscaping seriously and they don’t mind paying for good landscaping services.
As long as importance is being placed on landscaping services, the industry is going to continue to grow. While the industry, in my opinion, is not growing at a rapid rate, the increase in these services is evident.
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Streamlining teams using tech
Streamlining teams using tech is a new landscaping trend as technology has made this trend possible. Landscaping businesses are known for the work that they do to people’s yards. However, there is more to a landscaping business than what meets the eye. Teams are working behind the scenes to make sure the landscaping business is successful beyond the physical work they do.
Many landscaping businesses have teams such as their marketing and social media teams. Each of these teams uses some form of tech to manage their landscaping business. It is more crucial than ever before that landscaping businesses utilize tech for several reasons. Some of the things that tech enables landscaping businesses to do are:
- Manage invoices and payments for completed services
- Organize customers and engage with them through follow-up emails about new landscaping services and any sales or discounts
- Appointment reminders
- Build a social media following
- Help generate leads by reaching out to potential landscaping clients
- Monitor flow and inventory for landscaping supplies
- Retargeting past landscaping customers
- Utilizing referrals from past customers
The list goes on and on because several different aspects of technology can be utilized within a landscaping business. Technology is vital in landscaping because there are so many moving parts to this kind of business. Every landscaper uses some sort of technology even when it comes to the physical work of beautifying a yard.
This may come as a surprise but there is a ton of lawn mowing software that some landscapers use. Many landscapers use the same tools and technology but there are some technological tools that landscapers can use to stand out as well. Not every landscaper is using these technologies in particular:
- Smartphone applications – landscapers can use these apps to identify work that needs to be done to a site and even to take measurements of plants and other parts of the yard.
- 3D Software – this software is a big deal when it comes to landscaping. 3D software can be used by landscapers to see where they should put certain things like rocks, plants, mulch, and even how the yard will look if they cut it a certain way. Not only that but 3D software can be an excellent sales aid because landscapers can show potential customers what their yard will look like upon completion of their services.
- Virtual Reality – the next big thing in landscaping technology is virtual reality. This tech makes it easy for landscapers to show projects to potential clients in a way that makes it look like they are standing in an actual landscaped yard. This helps give prospects a good idea of what their yard will look like if they were to hire this landscaping company to carry out the services.
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Accurate Reporting
Over the years accurate reporting was difficult for landscapers as they did not have the time or capacity to keep up. The current trend has been to report more accurately. Technology has also made this trend possible. Landscapers are busy people and owners usually do not have the time or capacity to keep up with all of the necessary reports for the business which is why they hire others. Without the proper software, it would be a lot harder and take a lot longer for even experts who are proficient in reporting, to carry out their tasks of accurate reporting on the business. Some of the things that landscapers must report accurately are their financials including their cash flow, expenses, profit, and losses. Another thing that must be reported correctly is inventory. While a landscaping business inventory is slightly different than that of an eCommerce store, it is still important. Some of the inventory that is important to keep track of are:
- Plants
- Mulch
- Soil & Fertilizer
- Gravel
- Pavers & Bricks
- Sand
- Retaining Wall Blocks & Edgers
These are just some of the inventories that need managing. Even things that do not have to be continuously bought should be monitored such as shovels, lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, rakes, and weed eaters. An inventory management system is a great idea for managing inventory and creating accurate reports.
Many other things need to be reported within a landscaping business. Having the right tools and technology can make reporting easier and many landscaping businesses are catching on. Landscaping businesses all over the country are focusing more on accurate reporting so that their business can be more organized, effective, and efficient. Reporting is important and cannot be overlooked or ignored, especially in a landscaping business.
Better reporting is a popular trend because it makes business owners’ and workers’ jobs a lot easier when everything is in order. The landscaping industry is growing because of accurate reporting. Reporting plays a bigger role than many people would think.
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Hiring Challenges
Hiring challenges have always been a trend in the landscaping industry since those who work for a landscaping business are often laid off because business is slow. Others quit their jobs when they are unhappy with the way the landscaping business is being operated.
It is normal for a landscaping business to give pay cuts because they initially were able to pay but the lack of landscaping clients affects cash flow. While this doesn’t just happen with landscaping businesses, this has been a growing concern over the last few years. Landscaping businesses have certain requirements and criteria that their potential hires should have or meet. If a candidate does not fit the job description, they will not be hired.
It is not that hard to cut a lawn but there are so many things that go into a landscaping business. Most people who apply for landscape jobs are not technically qualified to be a landscaper. They usually are entry-level workers with no professional experience in the industry besides cutting their yards. When it comes to hiring someone for a landscaping business, they have to be trained and onboarded, and sometimes this part of the process is the most difficult for those who have no experience.
Also, people who are not good at the job must be removed because they could be costing the business money through their own mistakes. It is steadily becoming more difficult to hire, train, and retain workers in the landscaping industry. For some people, the responsibilities of a landscaper are too much. Some landscapers would rather be in an office giving out orders rather than outside in the heat doing the heavy lifting.
It all boils down to the kind of people that are applying for these jobs. There are also some issues on the side of recruiting and human resources. Recruiters tend to overlook the signs that show a person is not qualified to do the work of a landscaper, out of being desperate to hire new workers.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the demand for landscaping?
People often want landscaping services for their home lawns as well as commercial lawns. Landscapers often have a wide variety of clients from residential to golf courses. The demand for landscaping is huge.
Why is the landscaping industry growing?
The landscaping industry is growing because importance is placed on having a nice and presentable yard. More people than ever are hiring landscapers because they want beautiful yards without having to do the work themselves. The landscaping industry continues to grow each year because of the importance placed on having a good-looking yard.
To learn more on how you can start your own landscaping business, check out my startup documents here.
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Meet Shawn Chun: Entrepreneur and Landscape Business Fan.
I’m a happy individual who happens to be an entrepreneur. I have owned several types of businesses in my life from a coffee shop to an import and export business to an online review business plus a few more and now I create online resources for those interested in starting new ventures. It’s demanding work but I love it. I do it for those passionate about their business and their goals. That’s why when I meet a landscape business owner at a job site, driving down the road or anywhere else I see myself. I know how hard the struggle is to retain clients, find good employees and keep the business growing all while trying to stay competitive.
That’s why I created Landscaping Business Boss: I want to help landscape business owners like you build a thriving business that brings you endless joy and supports your ideal lifestyle.