Professional landscapers are accustomed to working in difficult situations. However, the most difficult working situation is having no employment. Winter may be a difficult time for landscapers. Patio projects and lovely backyards aren’t developed during their off-season unless the weather permits.
Pavilion projects and landscaping aren’t developed during their off-season unless the weather permits. Fall and winter may be difficult seasons for landscapers who have the misfortune of Mother Nature sending in large amounts of snow and frigid temperatures. Especially for individuals just starting in business who don’t have enough capital from summer contracts to see them through the winter. How can you keep your income coming if there is no need for landscapers?
Jobs Landscapers can do during off-seasons are leaf removal, Christmas lights installation, gutter cleaning, pressure washing, snow removal, and planting of trees and shrubs.
Extending your service offerings is the ideal approach to improving revenue during the dreadful winter months, whether you’re a lawn care provider or a landscaper. Not to mention, it’s a brilliant way to bring in new customers who can become regulars in the spring and summer.
To keep the funds flowing, more job possibilities and a comprehensive description of how the previously listed works are detailed below.
Leaf Removal
Is there anyone who likes raking leaves? Leaf upkeep could be an add-on to your project work if you have customers with many trees you may have planted. Some customers will not desire frequent leaf collection unless their backyard is densely forested and raking up what has fallen this week is a weekend activity. It could take up to eight weeks to remove the leaves, depending on how long the winter snow stays off. Schedule your teams using your landscape business management software, just like you would for normal lawn maintenance.
Christmas Lights Installation
Putting your design abilities to the test and installing Christmas lights is one of the most profitable winter projects for landscapers. Keep the project work coming with Christmas displays, which, depending on the size of the display and the property, may bring you over $1,000 in labor hours per installation. Off-season work necessitates more forethought than the other jobs on this list. It also necessitates adequate insurance coverage for your crews who will be scaling ladders and working on roofs.
This, however, may be a tremendous revenue source over the winter using landscape business management skills. Schedule your crews for each project, as well as the teardown. Inquire when your customers want them up and down, and schedule your personnel accordingly. Get some lights and other Christmas supplies from a wholesaler and put your designs to the test to liven up any house on the block. Your work is on display each off-season, which might make you a busy and in-demand company the next off-season.
Get gritty with gutters
Gutter cleaning is chilly, damp, and generally unpleasant for most households. It’s also possibly hazardous. Many homeowners avoid it because it’s a hazardous and unrewarding chore. Homeowners who ignore the gutters may face more costly repairs in the future.
On the other hand, professional landscapers have the tools, training, and experience to reduce this massive task into a straightforward operation that takes a crew less than a day to complete. Set up two or three sales drives in the fall to promote gutter-cleaning services to your customers using fliers or emails.
Snow Removal
Snow removal is the most common off-season job for landscapers. They already have the trucks for summer use, so the only thing left is to attach a detachable snow plow to the front and plow parking lots and driveways. It’s a great way to show off your landscape business management software, demonstrating that it’s not just for busy seasons. And that it can assist you in making money throughout the off-season.
Businesses, condo units, and homeowners all want to know that someone will be on hand to clear the snow when it snows. Using your landscape company’s management software to set up snow removal contracts is an excellent method to generate recurring revenue. It’s similar to regular lawn care but with snow on the ground. The same crew scheduling you use in the summer can be used in the winter. Depending on when the snow falls, you’ll need to be more flexible with your snowplowing. Snow removal contracts can be lucrative for landscapers during the winter months.
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Planting Trees and Shrubs
As long as the ground is not frozen, fall and winter are ideal times to transplant plants, shrubs, and trees. Using your landscape business management software, schedule your teams for each client and get them into their yards to transplant. Other actions under this category include pruning, tree trimming, planting winter annuals, and raking the soil. Even though it’s the off-season, consider what your clients want their yard to look like once the snow melts and it’s ready to use again. Also, for future projects, you could work during the summer.
Pressure Washing
The fall season is ideal for pressure cleaning various surfaces, and you can get a good pressure washer for under $200. You can provide the following pressure cleaning services:
- · Siding and roofs.
- · Decks.
- · Patios and porches.
- · Walkways and driveways.
- · Fences.
Gutter cleaning can even be done using a pressure washer. Before you begin providing this service, ensure that you are familiar with the proper detergent for each surface.
Winter Lawn Prep
Many people would gladly hand over various tasks to prepare a yard for winter to you. These are some of them:
- · Trees and shrubs to be pruned.
- · Dead plants to be removed from flower beds and pots.
- · Sprinklers to be drained.
- · Lawns to be dethatched and aerated.
- · Lawns that need to be fertilized.
- · Bulbs that will sprout in the spring to be planted.
- · Burlap to preserve young trees.
- · Outdoor furniture and other lawn and garden goods that need to be moved into storage (Many seniors and people with disabilities appreciate this option).
You may easily put together a variety of winter preparation packages that include a variety of services.
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Provide weed removal service
Provide winter weed removal services to protect those lawns you’ve worked hard to perfect. While most lawn care companies include weed eradication in their summer services, several types of weeds like the cold and begin their germination and growth throughout the winter.
Preventative actions will aid in preventing the spread of weeds and will make your job easier once spring arrives. Weed removal may be a terrific addition to your lawn care business at any time of year if you have all of the appropriate instruments.
Training and designing
The off-season is a great time to unwind, but it’s also a great time to master new skills. If you’ve settled on landscape business management software with a design component, there’s always time to brush up on new approaches and obtain more software training. As a landscaper, you should never stop learning. Your landscape software may contain a tool, module, or element that may revolutionize the way you think about the off-season business.
If you don’t work all year, you won’t be able to build your landscaping firm into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. It may not produce the same flashy outcomes as building award-winning backyards, but it still generates revenue. And who was it who turned down money? Schedule recurrent maintenance for the winter months to keep your staff occupied and prevent them from taking the winter off.
Add winter mulching to your landscaping services
Winter mulching is a service that professional landscapers may provide when the weather turns cold. Mulch works as an insulator, keeping the ground frozen and the plants dormant, especially during brief warm temperature rises.
Mulching is recommended once the ground has hardened or after the first severe frost to protect perennial plants from cold damage. Mulching in the winter can also keep weeds and pests from entering your soil’s surface.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When does the landscaping season begin?
Spring, summer, and fall are the designated landscaping seasons. This enables you to plan for all three seasons in the early spring. Then, as spring progresses, you can make little adjustments to your plants and grass. You’ll need to keep track of temperatures and watering regimens during the summer.
Why is the off-season the best time to design a landscape project?
It is the best time because you’ve already done your homework and worked out your plan. The actual process of implementing your landscape project will be less stressful. To actualize your landscape vision, you’ll need to plan with a design, and the first step is to get your ideas down on paper. The off-season is an excellent time to consider your last fantasy.
No matter how you imagine your property, you’ll need plenty of time to review the finer points, so don’t rush the process. Winter is an excellent time to consider adding a tranquility zone with a water feature to a backyard patio, deck, outdoor kitchen, or even a pool. You’ll need time to daydream, sketch, research, and figure out how everything will go together and budget for it.
Off-season planning gives you plenty of time to consider design layouts, features, and materials. As a result, you won’t feel rushed into making a decision. You’ll also have more time to check prices if you opt for a slightly more expensive feature than you anticipated.
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.