Lawn Mowing Business Tips for Increasing Productivity

Once you have your lawn care business up and running you will soon discover that time can easily slip away on you each day. You have to schedule jobs quite tightly to make the most out of each day. At the same time though you need to leave enough time to get the jobs done.

To be successful in the lawn mowing business you have to develop and refine systems or processes for every major task that you do on a regular basis. Saving time and energy is the desired result and it is amazing how a few seconds here and there can add up to considerable savings over a period of months or years.

In this article we offer some lawn mowing business tips to help you and your crews to be more productive.

Lawn Care Equipment Tips

Make sure that you have good quality lawn care equipment in order to avoid downtime. All equipment should be cleaned and maintained regularly. Keep notes on when lawn mowers were serviced and when parts were changed. Ensure that you or your employees sharpen mower blades at least every second day.

As you start to scale up into a larger, more professional operation try to ensure that you have the best possible equipment for each job. Depending on a lawns size, contour and the number of obstacles you may need a 'ride on' mower, a 'walk behind mower', a ZTR or a combination of these.

Keep a supply of parts in your truck so that you can make basic repairs onsite if necessary to save wasting time by driving to get lawn mowers serviced.

To maintain your equipment well, find out about how it should be used in a way that maximizes its lifecycle. For example you may not want to go 'full throttle' with your lawn mowers and with other equipment that you have and you may want to let engines cool down before you switch them off.

Equipment Storage and Security

Make sure that your vehicle is fitted out with racks so that all equipment can be stored neatly and safely. Attach labels to the racks so that all employees know where each item is stored. If your vehicle cannot be locked then you can also fix locks to these racks so that your equipment can be stored securely.

Lawn Mowing Productivity Tips

It is far easier to mow a lawn when it is dry so you should try to work your schedule around the rain as much as you possible can.

Teach your employees that lawns should be mown systematically. Have them mentally divide the lawn into parts first and then tackle each part one by one. Looking for rectangular shaped areas and then mowing them up and down is better than mowing around in the shape of a square.

Be careful around the doors and windows of your customer's house. If they are open you don't want grass and leaves blowing inside and if they are shut be particularly wary of glass doors as they can smash if your mower flicks up stones or other hard objects.

Work in Teams

Lawn business operators often have mixed viewpoints on whether lawn care employees should be working in teams or individually. The disadvantage of sending out a crew of more than one is the temptation for slacking off and longer lunch breaks. The advantages are that two people can be more productive under some circumstances such as when heavy lifting is required.

Tips for Efficient Route Planning

To maximize efficiency it is best if you or your lawn care company employees each service a smaller area. Driving time and gasoline costs can quickly add up so the best way to use your business time and resources is to have a schedule that minimizes traveling time.

If you have customers that are located far away consider swapping them with one of your competitors who is working that area. Your competitors may have the odd customer in your area that is too far away to travel to.

Offer discounts for multiple jobs on the same street. Get word out in your lawn care business flyers or through your customers that if three or more families sign up for your services then all customers in the street will get significant discounts. What a great way to spread the word about your services as your customers tell their neighbors about your services and the discounts possible. It's a win-win situation all round as you also save a fortune on traveling time, loading time and gasoline if you are servicing multiple accounts in the same street.

Take the time to watch your employees in action and take note of any inefficiencies that you observe. Constantly work on improving the way that you run your lawn care business by using these tips and other ideas that you pick up along the way. If you do you will be increasing your profits by making better use of the resources that you have available.