Setting Business Goals for the New Year

Have you thought about 2023 and the opportunities it holds for your business? We are at the beginning of a new year and it’s time to break down what you want the new year to bring your company. Setting realistic and achievable goals can boost company morale and keep stress levels low. Offsetting large goals with smaller accomplishments helps keep the team moving forward and removes the intimidation factors that large goals can bring. This blog post outlines key goals for your lawn care business in 2023 and how to manage them.

Goal #1 – Back to the Basics

It’s a no-brainer that any business wants to see growth, but what does business growth look like in 2023? Three growth aspects to keep in mind are employee satisfaction, new and upcoming technology, and what income needs set aside to accommodate these changes. When sitting down to think about these aspects, it’s important to be ambitious about your outcomes while staying realistic. A healthy balance is possible and important to prevent burnout throughout the year.

Employee Satisfaction 

Start by meeting with your employees to get their feedback or sending them a survey that can be completed anonymously. Creating a desirable work environment will increase your productivity all on its own. This is a good time to give deserved raises, and promotions, and create plans to implement feedback from your employees. When your employees feel understood and properly rewarded, the quality of work and efficiency skyrocket.

Now is a great time for any hiring and training to be done as well. If your business is growing you’ll need the extra help. Bringing in new employees during slow seasons will give you plenty of time to properly train. This will also ensure that your company is a well-oiled machine when spring rolls around.

New Technology

Does any equipment need to be replaced or fixed? Is it time to upgrade your tools? Make sure your technology is at its best to ensure jobs are done as efficiently as possible. Fewer trips to the hardware store to replace equipment that breaks in the middle of a job will save you time and money. The less troubleshooting crews have to do on-site, the better. This also gives customers the impression of a well-organized and prepared service that is in and out as quickly as possible.

Aside from equipment, many technologies can improve your business. Use Lawn Buddy to manage your operations, Canva to create flyers and business cards, and MailChimp to send out mass emails to leads and customers.

Your business is growing! Implementing software like Lawn Buddy can save you time and stress. Send invoices, schedule jobs and crews, optimize routes, and more. Click the link below to select a plan that works for you!

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Necessary Income

While upgraded tools and employee raises sound great, staying in touch with your budget is important. Taking a quick look at the books and determining what can be set aside for these things is imperative. How much income can you put aside without taking it away from your company? After looking through your numbers, you might find that implementing a budget now for 2024 tools and raises can make this an easier task. Smaller amounts of money set aside every month will make this a less intimidating task for the years to come and can save you some headspace. It’s important to make these adjustments but to do so realistically.

Goal #2 – Keeping Up With Price Changes

Staying informed about competitor prices can help you know if you are undercharging yourself. When was the last time you raised your prices? Are you worried about losing customers if your prices go up? Increasing your prices can be a daunting but necessary task. Your business and capabilities are expanding and your prices should reflect that. When determining price changes, you should keep in mind your competitors, your advancing skills, and the impact it will have on your customer base. Implementing this step for your business is a necessity.

Know Your Worth

Your prices exist for a reason. If a customer goes in a different direction because your prices are too high, that’s okay! There are people out there that will pay for your service. Your work will speak for itself. Word of mouth is a powerful tool and your satisfied customers will do the work for you. As your business improves your clientele will shift. Learning to say no and being okay with outgrowing a customer on occasion is imperative. Make it a goal and learn to be okay with saying no to some customers. Outgrowing customers is normal; if this happens, take it as a sign that your business is upgrading. Is it time to start shopping for a new customer base?

Competitors 

Keeping up with competitors doesn’t mean you should charge exactly what they charge, but knowing this information can come in handy. If you are faced with a customer who wants to know why you charge more than company X for the same service you are prepared to answer. You can explain why your version of the service is worth more.

Checking in on competitor prices can also let you know if it’s time for price raises. Seeing that multiple companies in your area are up charging for specific services is a good indicator that you should as well. Prices change as you grow, but they also change as the industry grows. Make sure to stay in touch with your industry so you don’t fall behind!

Goal #3 – Social Media 

What use does social media provide for your business? Taking your business to Instagram doesn’t have to mean becoming an influencer. Posting your hard work on any platform can increase your business’s awareness and create a place for customers to see your skill. Social Media is also a great place to make new connections. Following local companies in your area can keep you up to date and open new opportunities. When creating your social media account, make it clean and consistent. This makes your post easy to identify. Social media can be daunting at first, but the results will be worth it once you start.

Lawn Buddy has a step-by-step guide to Instagram and Facebook for more detail about using these platforms!

A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Advertise with Facebook & Instagram

Keys to Clean and Consistent 

All your social media posts will be different, but there are easy ways to make them cohesive. Using the same text, colors, logos, and details keeps things consistent. Tools like Canva makes this an easy task. Canava is free to use and keeps your designs in one place. Upgrading gives you the option to save your brand details for easy access. You don’t have to be a graphic designer for this task.