Winter can be a tough time for many landscapers. Your entire season could depend on how much snow falls or if rain will wash out a day of productivity.
Winter is seen as a necessary evil for many landscaping businesses.
Between balancing seasonal employees, making sure you land in the black, and basing your entire business around the weather is extremely difficult.
During the summer and spring, the grass will always grow and flowers will always need to be planted. However, winter means three, four, five or even six months of uncertainty. Even so, there are some services that you can add and things that you can do to keep busy during the winter months.
Add holiday lighting
Adding extra services to your offerings can be a great way to get your company through some slow times. If the snow is not cooperating, or if you live in an area that doesn’t receive snow, adding a service like holiday lighting can be a great way to add some extra cash.
However, don’t take holiday lighting lightly. It’s a hefty service, and you should be sure that you have the manpower and availability to offer extra services.
Forecast the forecast
Staying 100 percent on top of the weather is going to give you a realistic expectation for the winter. Follow the Farmer’s Almanac to watch how the weather is going to turn out by you. By setting realistic goals and understanding how the weather is going to behave (minus a few unexpected turns here and there), your mind and budget will get through the winter just fine.
Hold employee appreciation days
Winter can be a tough time for more than just you. Your employees will start to feel the pressure of not getting enough work mixed with cold temperatures and long days. If you hold holiday parties, that’s great. However, maybe start thinking bout adding an additional or even two employee appreciation days. Even if it’s just going out to a restaurant for lunch or going to a holiday fair in the area, make sure your employees have something to look forward to during the season.
Keep a positive attitude
Most of all, keep a positive attitude. If you’re being negative, so will your employees, which feeds a negative atmosphere across the entire company. If you keep a positive attitude, your days will go much smoother.
