Last Updated on January 2, 2021 by cmoarz
Ever wonder what landscapers do in the winter months? Your not the only one. Did you know in the US alone, there are over 347,000 landscaping companies? That’s a big number, so how do they all make money in winter when their job is so seasonal?
Luckily for many, most landscapers can still get a lot of work done in their own field of expertise in the winter months. Weather permitting, you can still build high demand buildings, such as decks, gazebos, and greenhouses.
So when the weather turns cold and the snowing begins, fret not. No need to put your tools away and just laze about (sorry). The best landscapers will always find work in winter, here are a few examples of successful landscapers use in winter months to offset the loss of summer income.
Snow Removal
This one’s almost redundant at this point. Every landscaper should know this is the default go-to in winter if you live in an area that receives a lot of snow.
Chances are you already have the equipment you need to plow, be it a tractor or push blower. If not, It’s most definitely worth the investment.
A successful company will even have a few tractors for their normal day to day operations and can earn by plowing streets and roads on the city and local business contracts.
But you don’t need to have that expensive fancy equipment either. A solid affordable push blower will have you earning your rent in no time, and may even allow you to easily upgrade for next year. If you’ve got a truck (which you do if you are a landscaper) you can even throw a blade shovel on the front of it.
When it comes to snow removal, the endless possibilities are the reason it’s at the top of this list and is why so many off-season landscapers choose it as a go to.
The stuff other people don’t want to do
There are things people need to do before winter starts. These chores are usually undesirable by most, Usually being put off until the last second.
Because of that, these small every day pre-season chores are a gold mine if your looking for off season work to supliment your lost summer income.
A great example of this is leaf removal. Cleaning up a lawn before snow covers it all up is a big deal. But of course, people put it off until the last minute, than it snows. The repercussions of that are come spring, all the wet half frozen leaves are a giant pain to clean up and ends up being twice as much work!
So cashing in on this one is really easy. No one actualy wants to deal with leaf removal right? So it’s better to pay someone else to do it. That someone is you!
Here are some other commons chores landscapers do in the winter:
- Draining pipes and hoses and sprinkler systems so they don’t split over winter
- Fertilizing/potash a de-leafed lawn so new grass gets a head start in spring
- Cleaning the gutters
- Putting up Christmas lights (very popular and profitable)
- Winterizing perennials like flowers or shrubs
- Chopping firewood
- Hauling peoples backyard trash to the dump
- Winterizing koi ponds
- Pressure washing decks, patios, porches, driveways, walkways, and fences.
Vlogging
Even landscapers have a spot when it comes to vlogging on youtube. Landscaping YouTubers such as Stanley “Dirt Monkey” Genadek have turned their real-life profession of lawn care and landscaping into a secondary business online.
If you start making videos in the summer at peak operational times, Your channel will eventually start producing an income all winter and summer long.
It also has the side effect of bringing in even more potential customers. The potential alone from that is huge for any small business!
There really is an audience for everything these days, so be sure to get a piece of that pie that every landscaper should be trying to get. You are already doing the work, why not film it for everyone else? It’s totally worth it!
If you ever want to get started, check out income schools’ awesome youtube course. Their free videos cover websites and youtube, and they offer a more in-depth course as well on their website.
Advertising for the next season
Every landscaper should be doing this. It’s the biggest key to success even in winter. While your out doing all those little winter jobs, You should be handing out cards, pamphlets and talking up potential future clients. Fully taking advantage of those opportunities. Idle hands don’t make money!
You should also be thinking of different or unique ways of pushing advertising for your spring business. Air time on your local radio stations (maybe even in exchange for work!), local Google and Facebook ads, and general handouts.
There is no shortage of contracts that continue to pay offseason, which you should be using your extra free time persuing for maximum business growth and income supplementation.
Conclusion
So what do landscapers do in the winter? Everything! There is no shortage of work to keep busy all year round. A few years of doing these things will have you forever booked solid all year. You’ll never have to go out and find more work again!