LANDSCAPE

By Tim Kubista

nyone who has worked in the landscaping industry over the past decade understands how volatile the labor market can be. Professions that typically pay lower wages or require a lot of physical exertion are seeing a decrease in qualified job applicants nationwide.

But by applying creative management, smart scheduling, automated tasks and the use of autonomous technology, companies that face long-term labor shortages can see their fortunes improve. Keeping your clients and employees happy is also imperative as you prepare to scale your business in today’ s tight labor market.

Here are some key strategies you can employ as you help maximize your labor in a competitive and tight market.

Route optimization and smart scheduling

One way to enhance efficiency is by using task management software that helps you schedule jobs based on your crews’ locations – whether from the office, their homes or nearby job sites. Efficient routing and job sequencing ensures crews use less fuel and spend less time traveling. This can also reduce your labor costs since crews will spend more of their time working on paid jobs than other tasks.

You should also prioritize your high-revenue or contract-based accounts so that you are assured of having a reliable cash flow.

Offer scalable service contracts

Many home- and property-service providers experience seasonal demand fluctuations. That’ s why many of them have developed special loyalty clubs or tiered contract programs to ensure their clients understand the importance of having tune-ups, checkups and maintenance performed during the off seasons.

The same is true in landscaping. By developing tiered service offerings and multi-year contracts with built-in seasonal adjustments, you can balance your workload demands throughout the season. You’ ll have greater foresight into staffing needs for the entire year, and less reliance on hiring seasonal staff.

Other scalable options can include upselling high-margin, lowerlabor services – like fertilization, weed control and seasonal mainte-

24 OPE + April 2025 www. OPE-Plus. com