Spending time outdoors, surrounded by beautiful nature, is one of the things landscapers love most about the job. For many, it's the reason they chose the career in the first place.
Admin is understandably less beloved, but it’s essential – after all, running your own landscaping business comes with plenty of work that's more about managing the books than managing green spaces.
If you often find yourself working late evenings, wondering how you can possibly find the time to squeeze everything in, it might be time to look for a little help from the world of artificial intelligence.
We’ve explored a handful of AI tools and new technology solutions that can be a significant time saver if used correctly, so you can spend more time outdoors doing the work you love.
Business management is an unavoidable aspect of a self-employed landscaper’s day-to-day work, and while it can feel like a chore, it doesn’t have to be.
AI tools can help small businesses free up time, taking care of many time-consuming or repetitive tasks, ultimately reducing your to-do list. The technology can help speed up processes that once took hours into seconds, or even automate tasks altogether.
From data analysis to marketing campaigns, AI can give you an advantage in areas where you're lacking resources.
AI technology has developed at an exponential rate over the past few years, and many are understandably concerned about how it might impact their job security. The good news is, for now at least, landscapers are less at risk than their office-based counterparts.
The Tony Blair Institute's 2024 report suggests that complex manual work will be less vulnerable to AI, particularly as AI-enabled hardware for physical work is often more costly. A recent McKinsey report supported this claim, indicating that the industry is likely to experience increased demand with only relatively small changes to working practices as a result of AI automation.
Even in landscape design, which is more vulnerable to machine learning technology, the output is currently not at the level of professionals – though its use is being encouraged as a tool to enhance the creative process.
Instead of worrying about replacement, landscapers can instead use AI to their benefit, as an aid or assistant – think of it as an addition to your human resources, handling time consuming tasks and allowing you to focus your efforts elsewhere.
Admin doesn’t have to take up your evenings. The right software can automate repetitive jobs and make complex tasks far simpler, helping with:
Field service management systems are particularly well-suited to landscaping work; these are a few examples of the AI-enhanced software you may find useful:
If you want software to simply handle customer experiences and contacts, a CRM (customer relationship management tool) like HubSpot or Zoho can help you maintain your client base, keeping track of repeat customers, preferences, and past jobs.
For financial forecasting and bookkeeping, many small businesses are now using AI-powered tools inside platforms, like QuickBooks or Xero, to spot data trends, predict cash flow, and provide valuable insight into future trends and performance.
If you have a website, an AI chatbot like Tidio or Zendesk could be useful for handling customer interactions.
A chatbot can capture leads and chat with customers when you’re not available, like in the evening or while out on a job, and is slightly more informal than an auto-reply email. It gives the impression that you're seemingly always reachable, and can help increase customer satisfaction.
Lacking inspiration when it comes to marketing? If you struggle with this side of business management, generative AI – which creates new content, both written and visual – can be useful.
Content creation is time consuming, and for small businesses, it's often at the bottom of the to-do list. Content marketing can help you reach more potential customers, however, so is worth exploring if you're looking to expand.
With AI, you can produce content with requests very specific to your business and needs; generally, the more detail you give in a prompt, the better. The results are likely to need tweaking and checking over, but you can ask AI to:
Here are a few examples of tools you can use to generate content:
A word of caution when using generative AI models is needed, however: AI is not perfect. Generative AI models like ChatGPT can make errors or ‘hallucinations’, so it’s important to always double-check their work for accuracy.
AI won’t replace a marketing expert, but it can be an affordable way for small businesses to stay visible and consistent online.
While you'll likely find the AI tools for business management most useful, there are some that can help with the hands-on side of the job. These include:
As reducing water usage becomes an increasing priority in dry summers, AI-powered irrigation can offer a solution. Constantly monitoring and adjusting use according to conditions, these systems use sensors and AI to optimise watering schedules.
While still relatively early in their development, generative AI for landscape design can help you mock up basic garden layouts and visualisations to show clients.
Human intelligence and creativity remain critical when it comes to landscaping design and execution. AI-powered tools can support your work, but they won't replace a human touch.
We know that you would rather spend more time outside, doing the work you love, than on admin and business management. AI tools can help with that, providing many benefits for small businesses, freeing up time to do the work you actually enjoy.
And when it comes to the work you do outdoors, nothing beats having the right equipment. With smooth operation and reliable power, a Kawasaki engine is as much a boost to your efficiency as AI – explore Powered by Kawasaki equipment today.
Social media marketing is an essential tool for small business owners working in the professional landscaping industry.
Capturing images of your work to advertise your landscaping business to potential customers is no longer a nice to have – it's a necessity. One of the best ways to do this as a landscaping business is by taking great photos and videos that can be shared to your social media, on your business website, or shown to prospective clients.
Often it might feel like business ownership and burnout come hand in hand, especially during a tough economic climate. For landscapers coming out of the busy summer season, it’s the time of year when those extra hours may be starting to catch up with you – so it’s best to get ahead of a potential burnout before it happens.
Whatever stage you’re at in your landscaping business’s life there’s usually room in the busy market of the self-employed to make your business stand out from the rest. We’ve spoken to many Landscape Pros over the years and bring you here the collective top tips for building and growing your landscaping business from those out there doing it.