There are lots of ambitious landscapers who want to grow their landscaping businesses. Whether that is just within their local area, or they wish to grow beyond their current location, their ambition is to be applauded. However, an issue that often arises is, that when they try to expand their business, landscapers can make one or more fundamental errors that compromise that expansion.
We say that not to put off landscapers from trying to grow their business, but, instead, that when they do, they ensure they do not make the same mistakes as others have. To that end, we have outlined five of the most common mistakes that landscapers can make when trying to scale their landscaping business.
Scaling Mistake #1 – Not Fixing Crucial Issues That Currently Exist Within Their Business
This first mistake happens frequently, and not only can it prevent a business from scaling, but it can also compromise its current performance which sets it backwards. We are not saying that your business must be 100% with no problems whatsoever, but unless you tackle some of the current issues which exist when your business does grow, those problems could grow too and become magnified to the extent they are even more difficult to resolve, if not impossible.
Scaling Mistake #2 – Not Having Proper Control Of The Costs Used To Scale The Business
Firstly, we are not suggesting that you do not invest financially in your landscaping business’s growth. Indeed it would be difficult for it to grow without investment. However, a mistake often made is that money floods in and costs rise significantly but there is no control over them. The result is when it comes time to assess your business’s growth, you have huge holes in your budget, and your P&L sheet shows significant losses, which is hardly the best basis for growth.
Scaling Mistake #3 – Not Paying Attention To What Other Businesses In Their Sector Are Doing
Ultimately you must take the right actions for your business and your business alone, however, that does not mean you cannot learn from the mistakes and the successes of other businesses. Ask business associates and other entrepreneurs you know how they expanded, what actions they took, what hurdles they encountered, and how they overcame them. Believe us, having that kind of firsthand knowledge is worth more than ten years spent attending business school.
Scaling Mistake #4 – Not Having Identifiable Short Term And Long Term Goals
The oft-quoted phrase “Those without a target, hit nothing” most definitely applies when seeking to grow your landscaping business. Not only should you have the long term target of where you would ultimately like to see your business, but to get there, it must first hit several smaller shorter-term goals. Even those who have a long term goal often make the mistake of having no short term goals which means there is no way to measure ongoing success or progress.
Scaling Mistake #5 – Not Appreciating That Scaling A Business Takes Time And Thus Taking Risky Shortcuts
This is simple to understand but it is also a mistake that is still often made. You must be patient and not expect your business to double in size within a week or even a month. Do not try to force it either by throwing money and resources at it or taking risky shortcuts with no proper thought as to why and how they will impact your progress.