As a green industry business, you know that when spring comes around, you get busy. You get an influx of work because the warmer weather and dry ground makes for more possible landscaping and lawn care work. This means that you have to make sure that you are giving new and returning clients the best you have to offer. The best way to ensure this is to properly maintain your equipment. Here are just a few of the ways you can make sure that you are ready for spring and the upcoming increase of work.
Check Your Warehouse
Look through your warehouse and do inventory. Look and see how new your equipment is and what model everything is. Make sure that you are not using outdated or unsafe equipment. Also look to see if you need to replenish your stores of seed, fertilizer etc. You d o not want to run out of anything halfway through a job and put everyone on hold while you order in what you need. Make sure everything is stocked and new for the season.
Clean Your Equipment
A big turn off with a green business is dirty equipment. Before you start going out on jobs pull out everything that you will be using. Clean off the dust and dirt; make everything look as new as possible. It is also a good idea to continually clean your equipment during the season. Yes, you are working with dirt so things are bound to get messy; it is okay to have a little dirt clinging to your equipment. But, lots of dust or caked on mud is going to make you look unprofessional. It is a good idea to clean off equipment at the beginning of the season as well as the end of season and between large scale jobs.
Spring Clean
As your business grows and expands the jobs you do are going to change. This means you may not need everything that is currently residing in your warehouse. Go through and chuck anything broken, outdated, or unsafe; get rid of things that are no longer usable for your jobs. Also throw away old seed or fertilizer that could be defective. You can simply throw away the old equipment to make room for the new or sell it locally as scrap metal. Sometimes you can receive a decent amount of money for scrap metal, which you can then put back into the business.
Repair
Sometimes equipment will break form hard work or being stored improperly. In these cases sometimes it is better to repair the equipment instead of throwing it out and buying new. If you cannot repair it yourself, call a trained professional. Always ensure the person working on your equipment is trustworthy and knowledgeable.
Go To a Trade Show
All big industries have trade shows where you can go see new equipment and developments in the industry. Learn about what is new for the season and talk to other industry professionals. Even if you decide against buying new equipment you can still learn about what is up and coming, and how to make your business even better.
When it comes to owning a green business it is not just about customer service. You need to make sure that your equipment is in good working order and is “keeping up with the times.” Each spring you should be looking in your warehouse, getting rid of what you do not need, and bringing in what you do. This is a great way to ensure that you are giving your clients exceptional services.
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