If you are in the landscaping and lawn care business, you would have noticed that much of your operations are similar to those of the construction businesses. That much similarity is alright, but your payment timelines are also similar to those of the construction industry.
Most traditional lenders consider landscaping a high-risk industry and avoid extending any credit to businesses in this sector. However, Direct Lenders Funding is one company that has always funded businesses on merit, irrespective of the industry they belonged to.
Like in the construction industry, all the groundwork in the landscaping and lawn care industry is done by smaller contracting companies that bear the burden of operational challenges.
Since landscaping is both a capital and labor-intensive operation, the need for cash to meet huge overheads is quite high.
Major landscaping projects are always given to large companies, just as it happens in the construction industry.
These large companies then subcontract the project execution work to smaller contracting companies like yours, which implement the project work on the ground.
You would appreciate that, unlike in construction contracting work, it is much more difficult to anticipate the project dimensions in landscaping. This impacts your cash flow and can result in a shortfall of capital in almost all the projects you handle.
The challenges that landscaping contractors face
Landscaping projects can present various challenges, least of all is access to much-needed credit to implement a new project. There aren’t many lending agencies that will process your funding application fairly unless you go to a company like Direct Lenders Funding, which lends on merit.
A successful landscaping project requires careful planning, consideration of site conditions, budget, sustainability, maintenance, and project timeframe. Here are some of the common barriers that a landscaping business faces:
Site conditions: The site conditions can significantly impact the design and implementation of a landscaping project. For instance, if the site has steep slopes or rocky terrain, it may require special techniques and equipment to complete the project.
Budget constraints: This is a crucial factor in any landscaping project. The cost of materials, labor, and equipment can quickly add up. Hence, it is essential to establish a realistic budget before starting the project to avoid unexpected expenses.
Climate and weather: The climate and weather conditions can also impact the landscaping project. Extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall or drought can affect plant growth and overall project success.
Sustainability: Sustainable landscaping practices are becoming increasingly popular, and clients may want a project that is environmentally friendly. Choosing native plants, reducing water consumption, and using eco-friendly materials are some examples of sustainable practices.
Maintenance: Landscaping projects require ongoing maintenance to keep them looking their best. The design should consider the maintenance needs of the landscape, such as irrigation, pruning, and weed control, to ensure the project’s long-term success.
Timeframe: Completing a landscaping project within a specific timeframe can be a challenge, especially if the project is extensive or requires significant changes to the site. Commercial business loans from reliable lenders can be very helpful in meeting such challenges.
Access to fast and easy cash on a consistent basis
All kinds of businesses require credit at different points of their growth, but such requirements can vary from one industry to another.
They can also vary due to the type and size of the landscaping project as well as due to the type and topography of the land where you are implementing the project.
Depending on your profit margins from earlier projects as well as the size of your savings, the cost of your future projects could be more or less.
However, it would be very difficult to avoid borrowing for the project, even if it is a smaller amount than what you borrowed earlier.
The challenge here is to find a reliable lending agency that understands the nature of your business as well as your needs. You should be able to get easy access to funds whenever you need it.
In most cases, you would need the funding at the time of starting work on a new project, soon after completing work on the earlier project.
Landscaping projects are capital intensive, and there are high chances that you would have used up all the cash in your hands.
Hence, in order to start work on a new project listed in your order book immediately after completing one project, you will need fast and easy funding.
Prioritizing human resources is critical for your operations
The role of human resources is the most critical in any industry, more so in landscaping and lawn care projects that are not just capital intensive but also labor intensive.
This makes the payroll component of your overheads extremely important and something that you need to prioritize above all your other overheads on most occasions.
In the landscaping industry, cash flow volatility is relatively higher than it is in most other industries. As already explained, it is quite unlikely that you will get by without incurring some debt in this business. This is where direct cash advances will be helpful in coping with such issues.
Among other things, you need to ensure that your staff is always with you in strength because your ability to implement any project will depend on them first.
Therefore, always make sure that they get their wages on time. They are human enough to appreciate the occasional delay once or twice a year.
In the landscaping business, the frequent requirement of credit funding means that your source of funds should be reliable and help you get fast and easy access to cash whenever you need it.
Of course, on your part, you need to make sure that every time you borrow from such lenders, you are able to service the debt as per the terms of borrowing. When you get your funds from a reputable company like Direct Lenders Funding, you will get the benefit of a fair amount of flexibility in the processing of your loan.
