Enter Any Discounts Provided To The Customer
Landscaping and other businesses all use discounts as a promotional tool. Good business practice is to give discounts for loyal customers, those who refer new business, or to first-time customers. Overall, discounts are a good strategy to build goodwill, increase branding, and build the reputation of your landscaping business.
Add the value of the service under “Unit Price” and round off your offer by adding “0” under “Quantity.” Also, use the same principle to include multiple discounts under “Quantity” if you are doing a massive ongoing job for a potential customer.
Lawn Care Bid Template
Would you believe that many lawn care operators are underbidding yards by 20%, costing them potentially thousands of dollars every single year? In my conversations with dozens of operators, Iâve unfortunately found this to be true.
If youâve been mowing grass for a while and feel like thatâs you, itâs not too late! Keep reading and we can walk through this together.
If youâre just starting out, then letâs get this right from day one so you donât leave money on the table. And be sure to read our Ultimate Guide to Starting a Lawn Care Business if you haven’t already.
Fortunately, there are a few simple best practices weâre about to unpack that will be helpful guide rails as you get experience pricing yards.
Using these tips, I have been able to get 20%, and sometimes 50% OVER my target rate. Iâll explain how below. Toward the end of this article, weâll take all of the tactics and boil it down into an example to show how this all works.
To stay on topic, weâll give pointers on how to price lawn mowing jobs, not landscaping jobs.
Letâs dive in.
The Advantages Of Working On Commercial Contracts
I always liked commercial work because youve got a contract. You know how often youre supposed to visit in a month, what height youre supposed to cut the grass to, what your responsibilities are, and what your responsibilities arent, Ed explains.
Your client will be clear about their expectations, so your focus should be making note of that, and giving that information to your crew. If something goes wrong, there is inclement weather, or you need to return to finish the job, all you need to do is talk to the property manager.
So long as you care about their property, build a relationship, and do what they ask, youre golden.
Since youre dealing with a professional business, getting paid is a bit more predictable. That means youre not waiting for paychecks, and you dont need to re-send an invoice. Its very straightforward.
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Overhead And Equipment Costs
Overhead costs are everything that keeps your business operatingthat includes office space, computers and tablets, liability insurance, fuel costs, and advertising costs.
Many lawn care businesses add an additional 1520% on top of their estimate to account for overhead costs.
You should also budget for equipment and maintenance in your overall lawn service cost estimate. Even after youve paid off your lawn mower, for example, it might still need engine repairs, spark plug replacements, or oil changes.
Some lawn care professionals charge two times the hourly rate of labor just to have their equipment on the site.
It Should Be Beneficial For Both The Service Provider And The Apartment Complex
It is beneficial for both the service provider and the apartment complex to have a mutually agreed upon price for lawn care services. This way, the service provider knows how much to charge for their services, and the apartment complex knows how much to expect to pay. Having a clear understanding of the cost of services helps to avoid misunderstandings and ensures that both parties are satisfied with the arrangement.
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Keeping Commercial Clients Happy
Most commercial clients are considered easy clients because their property manager is the main point person in your relationship. They have few demands, and generally just want those boxes checked and their expectations met.
The best way to win these types of clients is to show them that you care, that youre doing the job properly, and that youre not missing anything.
That means that you need to keep track of the notes you make on their account, and ensure that your crew completes all the work they want.
From the start you should make notes of the job requirements during the site walkthrough with the client.
Using quoting software, like Jobber, helps you to add materials, services, and labor as you go so that you dont have to worry about remembering to add them later on.
Your secret weapon in keeping your client happy will undoubtedly be your CRM and job checklist . That way, you never miss a step with each phone call, email, or site visit.
When Do You Mow Your Lawn
Weekly mowing is the rule, but some lawns require more frequent mowing. However, some grasses grow more slowly and will only need mowing every ten or two weeks. In general, dont jack off more than a third of a grass blade at a time. More than that could be detrimental to the grass.
One of the easiest ways to create a professional landscape bid is using software or a template. If you dont have an idea and time to create one, use the given tips and templates above. They are not only accessible, but they are also easy to use. So, dont hesitate to download them now!
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How To Win Back Lost Commercial Lawn Care Accounts
Some warnings for people starting out on commercial landscaping contracts:
- Do NOT price yourself out of profit.
- Do NOT try to buy commercial jobs. This is a scam, and you will lose money on this.
- Do NOT depend on one account. You will lose accounts. Keep some steady residential accounts as a safety net.
When you lose an account, dont freak out. If your finances are straight, and you have back-ups, you will be fine.
But you dont have to just accept the loss.
Heres what you do:
Write up a Thank You letter.
Be grateful, and use phrases like, We want to thank you for giving us the opportunity and, It has been a great experience working with your team
Be polite on your way out, and theres a huge chance youll get hired back when the next lawn care contractor messes up.
and heres the kicker:
When you write your Thank You letter, include one last counter offer.
Your professionalism + an irresistible offer will keep some businesses in your pocket.
If they still dont want you, then move on.
Chances are, they will switch landscape contractors again next year.
After all, you want them to remember your professionalism and high quality service, not your desperation.
Customize Your Bid Sheet With Your Business Logo
Including your landscaping logo is going to add professionalism to your proposal form. Distinguish your lawn mowing business by uploading your logo into your proposal template.
Above the address line, you will see an option, “Show Customization Options.” Click on the link and choose “Logo.” Upload your landscaping business logo by selecting “Browse.” Your logo will appear, giving your customers extra confidence that they are dealing with the right person.
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Nailing Your Pricing Strategy For High Margins With Less Mistakes
Youre just about ready to go out there and start growing a thriving new business!
However, this chapter is a critical key to making sure that you succeed. In fact, I can safely say that this is the most important chapter of this blueprint.
Whats that? Ive already said that a few times?
Youre right and thats because all of these chapters are the most important. I called this a blueprint for a reason. When a construction crew puts up a building, they base everything they do off of an engineers blueprint. Every single piece of that plan is required to make sure the building is solid.
Leave out an important support pylon on the ground floor and that 23rd floor will come crashing down.
Thats what these chapters are the support structures that go into making your lawn care company a solid structure thatll last for years to come.
The way that you price your services is absolutely critical to your success.
Price yourself too high and you wont be able to close enough new customer to sustain yourself. Price yourself too low and youll find that youre working your Mean Green off and not making any more than any old dead end job.
The bad news is that there really is no exact formula to figure this out. Even more bad news is that you will make some mistakes. The good news, though, is that this isnt a big deal. Youre going to get good at pricing your services by doing it.
Maybe youll go over or under but with a little experience, youll very quickly develop a feel for it.
The Reality Of Your Market And What It Means To You
Theres a funny thing about lawn care. While you dont want to compete on price thats to say you dont want to be the lowest priced guy out there you will certainly have to be competitively priced.
This means that youll want to close customers on the idea that youre competing with other landscapers on the quality of your service. However, what you need to know about lawn care customers is that they dont have much tolerance for price variations.
If the average price for an average lawn in your area is $35, then youre going to want to stay within $5 of that. Sure, there will always be idiots out there who say theyll do it for $20 but what those customers quickly find is that these low-ballers do a low-ball job of it.
Its funny how so many people will gladly pay more for quality for clothes or when they go out to eat, yet in this business, not so much. Its just a mindset, really. Yet as long as youre diligent and give them a fair bid, youre bound to do very well.
Pricing is one of those critical elements that tends to run a lot of newbies out of the business. Its not a matter of guesswork you need to have a formula for pricing.
Thats true for cutting grass, snow or leaf removal, fertilization, weeding and so on. Lucky for you, there is a way to do this that allows you to be accurate and plan for future revenue and growth as well.
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Bidding On Government Lawn Mowing Contracts
Before you bid on a Government lawn mowing contract you should be aware that Government contracts follow a different code of conduct than many other requests for proposals. Ive made a short video for you highlighting a few finer points of an example Code-of-Conduct manual. Understanding and agreeing to this manual is the first step in getting your lawn care company on a Governments bidding list.
Proposal Forms: I want to highlight a few finer points of this contract bidding instruction booklet. The first point is the Proposal Forms. Most bidding packets come with a series of bidding forms. You must complete the bidding forms that come with the bidding packet. Do not fill in your own forms or simply write your prices on a sheet of paper. Your bids may be rejected if you fill them out on anything but the bidding forms that come with your bidding packet.
Submittal of Bids: Bids must be presented in a special bidding envelope that comes with your bidding packet. The envelope will be time stamped by the Purchasing Agent as proof that your submittal was within time cut off of bid acceptance.
Payment Terms When You Bid Apartment Complexes
Where will you send the bill? What will your payment terms be? Unlike residential cleaning, you dont get paid on commercial jobs the same day.
And so, you have to determine how long you can go after you clean without getting my money back. And so, these are variables that you want you to be aware of.
If you need money the same day stay with the residential cleaning.
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Why You Need To Partner With Mowmore
As your commercial lawn service grows, you want a mower parts store to be at your fingertips, 24/7. At MowMore, we serve the professional landscaper with quality products, personalized service, and competitive pricing.
Were your one-stop online shop for all of your commercial lawn care equipment needs. If you have any questions about your landscape equipment and replacement parts, call our customer service today at 1-800-866-9667 or fill out our contact form.
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Estimating The Time To Complete A Yard
No two lots are the same, even if they have the same square footage. You have to take into account a number of factors that can make a significant difference in the time it takes you to complete .
Use a âBenchmark Yardâ
A benchmark is simply something that you use as a point of reference for other items of a similar nature. I like to apply that strategy to bidding by visualizing one of my clientâs yards thatâs fairly average difficulty, meaning there arenât many obstacles and itâs pretty easy to complete. This is my benchmark yard.
The key to having an accurate benchmark is that you have to track your time for that yard. You can literally start a stopwatch on your phone or in the Check app to do this.
As Iâm walking around other properties and estimating how long it will take me to complete, I can envision how aspects of that yard are either easier or harder than my benchmark yard. Is it bigger or smaller than my benchmark? Does it have more or less obstacles? You get the picture.
As you get to know your clientâs yards better, you can use all of them as benchmarks for new properties youâre bidding. You can have a feel for which one of your clientsâ yards is most similar to the one you are bidding and tweak the price accordingly. I guess thatâs just a fancy way of saying that the more experience you have, the easier it is to price yards in the future.
Obstacles
Go With Your Gut
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Where To Find Commercial Lawn And Landscaping Accounts
Once you understand the difference between residential and commercial accounts, you can start looking for potential customers.Use your network of existing residential clients to see if they have any connections to commercial accounts. A lot of the time, if youre new to the business, it might take time to gain traction, Durden says. Start small, and start working on that.You can also drive around your service area looking for businesses with points of entry, such as a sign that needs replacing, windows that need cleaning or lawn needing repair. That can help get you in the door for maintenance work. When trying to identify prospective commercial lawn and landscaping accounts, look for locally owned places. These are the best because you often have a chance to deal directly with the owner, Delany says. You can also try to find properties that have the highest up-sale potential.As for accounts to avoid, he says hotels, restaurants, low- to mid-income apartment complexes and nursing homes tend to be the worst.Once you decide on a type of business youd like to approach, go online and collect information on all of them in your service area, Delany says. Then, create a pamphlet aimed at that market, and start visiting the properties.We offer to bring lunch by for the office staff, Delany says. That nearly always gets us in the door.
Determine Your Desired Profit
How much do you want to make from your business each year personally? Run the numbers to see what you need to cover your living expenses. You can download an Excel budget spreadsheet at My F.I.R.E. Facts to help you plan your expenses.
If that number comes to $50,000, you need to earn more than a $50,000 profit this year. Remember, you have to pay taxes on your total profits. Talk to a tax professional to find out what you can expect to pay in taxes in your state.
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How Many People Will You Need For The Job
So, what did the job involve before? And then figure out is it too much for one person to do. Do you have a team? Are you going to be cleaning every day? Or will you be cleaning once a week?
Are you going to be cleaning once a month or are you only coming in to do those tenant turns when people move out?
What do you need to do to complete the job and what do they pay?
Utilize A Suite Of Business Solutions To Support Organic Growth
Landscape maintenance and lawn care bid templates are part of the solution to building a sustainable business. Why not access other free templates, such as quotes, business proposals, order confirmations, deposit requests, and more?
You can already convert your bid template to an invoice automatically on customer acceptance. Access Skynova’s solutions for long-term growth through better administrative housekeeping – all in one convenient place.
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A Trusted Partner In The Hoa Bidding Process
At Yellowstone Landscape, it has always been our goal to become true and trusted partners of the HOAs that we work with. We think that an educated HOA makes our industry as a whole better, and thats why were always here to answer questions and to offer as much information as we can.
Some may see it as revealing trade secrets but frankly, we dont believe there should be any secrets. We think that the clearer the entire bidding process is, the more likely it is that everyone is happy in the long run.
That is why we feel that you can never ask too many questions.
Whether its questions about the bidding process itself or questions of the landscaping companies you are considering in the RFP, theres no such thing as gathering too much information. You deserve to be armed with knowledge. Its what will help you make the best decision for your residents.
Thats why we love it when a potential HOA client takes the time to analyze the bids we offerwere up for that challenge because we know it will make both of us happier in the long run. Expectations should never have to be guessed. They should be known and understood from the very start.
Are you ready to feel confident in making a wise choice in the bidding process? Request a consultation today. Well meet to learn more about your property and its challenges and come up with a comprehensive plan to take care of all of the details for you.
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