Accessible working capital can be the catalyst for growth your landscaping business needs this summer. You can use the cash from a working capital loan to hire more staff, buy equipment, and even launch a seasonal marketing campaign.
Working capital loans can also help you cover day-to-day operation expenditures like payroll, payments on trucks, or even rent costs. It serves as a flexible way for landscape business owners to capitalize on the busiest season in the industry.
Get your landscape business ready early by developing a financial growth strategy supported by small business funding.
1. Hire More Staff
More landscapers means more clients, and more clients means more profits. There is still plenty of time to secure the cash needed to hire more staff before summer arrives, and you definitely don’t want to wait until the last minute to start recruiting.
By being proactive about funding, you can get proactive about hiring new staff. With cash for new salaries in hand, you can begin the hiring process and take your time finding quality people that are skilled, efficient, and impressive to clients.
2. Upgrade and Fix Equipment
Upgrading or fixing equipment can be spendy for any landscaping business, especially if you need to add a new mower or truck and trailer to your fleet. Having accessible funding can make the difference.
As summer approaches you’re probably checking existing equipment, which requires maintenance or essential fixes. Calculate how much you’ll need for parts, and get quotes from mechanics. This will give you a good idea of how much working capital you’ll need.
Thinking about purchasing new equipment? It’s important to think lifetime cost of ownership, not just sticker price. For instance, a mower with a lower sticker price may not serve your business in the long run.
Ask your peers, read reviews, and talk with dealers before making purchase decisions. You’ll also want to consider warranty and customer service as well.
3. Invest in Team Training
Ongoing education and training for your landscaping business is critical for worker safety. “The implementation of a comprehensive safety and health program is an important tool in providing both a safe, and profitable, workplace,” according to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).
How to properly use equipment and protect your crew from breathing in dust, dirt, and chemicals is also important for keeping staff skills and knowledge up to date. From safety and health training to understanding the idiosyncrasies of planting, a skillful staff can set your business apart from your competitors.
4. Locally Optimize Your Website
Your team may do most of its work outdoors, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invest in your online presence. In fact, 97 percent of consumers use the internet to check local businesses before visiting them. For this reason, a locally optimized website is essential to the growth and success of your landscaping business.
Can potential clients find you for local searches? Are you on Google Maps? Is your website mobile-friendly? Is it easy to navigate and find key information like your business’ address and phone number? Your contact information should be front and center for soon-to-be clients to find.
Your online presence can also highlight positive reviews, customer testimonials, and examples of your work. A working capital loan gives you the cash you need to hire a professional to build out your website while you focus on running your business.
5. Make Marketing a Priority
Did you know that you can use your car title loan for marketing? Since you’re operating on a local level, you’ll want to do your best to drum up buzz in your community. You can add your landscaping business information to Google My Business and Yelp and set up meetings with business personnel on different places around within your own car with that loan.
You can also hire professional freelancer to create a social media marketing strategy for summer. This can be Facebook and Twitter posts of your team and their exceptional work. Or, YouTube videos of your team hedging or edging.
Traditional marketing is still valuable for local businesses. You can take out ads in local papers, showcase your business on bus stop benches, or rent a billboard. These marketing efforts can be spendy, but with access to cash when it counts can make any summer marketing idea you have achievable.