Level Up Your Lawn Care Business: CRM Software and Networking

What's going on everyone, you're now tuned in to Danny from All That Grass Lawn Care here. Welcome back for another one! I would like to give you two tips and tricks on how to become a better business operator. But before I do, I want to give a big shoutout to the UAG Advisory Group. ECHO means business—big shoutout to them for giving me this merch. I definitely appreciate the sweater. I love it! I'm definitely excited to be a part of the group, so thank you very much, ECHO.

Let's get straight into it. I want to talk to you a little bit about a question that was asked to me the other day. One of the questions was: What do I do, and how do I send my invoices? One of the things I told him was that when I first started in the green industry—and we all start somewhere—I was using paper. I went from paper to using more paper, but I actually bought a landscaper's book where I kept all my customers, and I was able to write everything down. But we all know that using paperwork can get misused and thrown in places. Sometimes you get unorganized.

One of the things that has helped me now and has made me better 100% is using a CRM. What is a CRM? A CRM is a software that you can use not only on your computer but also on your telephone and tablet. You can use it on all three things. You can use it to write up quotes, check your customers' files, and do so much with it—like having cards on file. It has helped me in a way where, when you go do quotes, you can take measurements on the property and send the quote directly to the customer. They get it right away and can approve the job instantly. That way, you'll know right away once they approve the job, and you'll get the email saying the job was accepted. Then, you can send them the payment amount or, if you already sent the payment amount, they've already accepted the job and paid for it.

That has helped me close jobs a lot faster than I used to. Before, it would take quite some time—maybe two or three days before I got a response. I was very persistent and always called the customer every day that I didn't hear from them because I just wanted to know: Do you like the proposal? Or is there something that I missed that maybe you want to change? You never know. So definitely using the CRM has changed my business tremendously, and I'm happy that I chose one.

There are many CRMs out there you can choose from. I would advise you to use whatever CRM fits your business. Whatever you choose is not a right or wrong choice. The one I currently use is Co-Pilot. Co-Pilot has been great. Their team is amazing. They help you out and help you set up the whole system from beginning to end. Any questions you have—even if you have questions about your customers and where to place them on the CRM—they will help you. From what I understand, other software companies will help you as well. There are free software options you can use if you're smaller. If you're a solo operator, Co-Pilot is free for your first 50 customers. After 50 customers, you’ll have to pay, just like any other CRM.

To answer your question, using the CRM has been a game changer.

Before I continue, I want to give a big shoutout to UAG's Advisory Group. ECHO means business—thank you for sending me this sweater. I love it, and I love being a part of the group. I can't wait to meet each and every one of you.

Another thing that has helped me is coming to events, like landscaper events. Whether it’s a hardscape event for you to learn how to lay bricks or learn how to write up quotes, attending these expos helps tremendously. You get to hear everyone else's story, and you might hear some tips and tricks on how to become a better business operator. Whether you're struggling or doing things a certain way that you haven't been doing the right way, it's always good to come to events like this. Today, I am actually at an event called the Blue Collar Summit, where many entrepreneurs who do home services come together.