Let’s get one thing straight—writing this blog was tough. The last few years have been a rollercoaster of emotions and tough times with one underlying reality—things are unpredictable right now.

With supply chain issues, increased lead times, and downright scarcity of some materials, it seems almost all industries are facing challenges not seen in recent decades. This is painfully true in the Landscaping world.

Fertilizer costs are up 30%, there is a legitimate energy crisis that has a stranglehold on companies that rely on fuel to perform their jobs, and labor shortages are still an issue. In other words, landscapers are looking massive price increases right in the face.

How are we going to address these impending price increases, and what do they mean for you? After a lot of thought, we have some answers. Read on for how we’re owning our price increases this year.

How We’re Fighting Skyrocketing Prices

Before we shrug our shoulders and admit defeat, we are taking actionable steps to make the most of the moment and reduce operating costs. While we have no control over the market, material shortages, and Skyrocketing Prices, we do have control over something—what we do with what we have.

First things first, we are focusing on becoming more efficient as a business. Make no mistake; we have always prided ourselves on our streamlined approach to our work and how it reduces our operating costs. In the face of this new adversity, however, we are taking that preexisting efficiency and striving to improve upon it.

A key component of this refreshed outlook is ensuring that we reduce windshield time and maximize our labor-cost ratios. To do this, we will be reevaluating our scheduling process in order to work jobs in an order that is fuel-efficient, decreases drivetime, and is smarter overall.

In addition to becoming more efficient and reducing windshield time, we plan to buy materials early and keep our finger on the pulse of the market. Materials costs are projected to continue rising, so getting them now can reduce future costs and ensure we actually have the materials we need to perform up to our standard of excellence.

The cost-saving strategies do not stop there, and we will continually adapt to ensure we are making the most of our opportunities. However, the three adjustments above are foremost among our priorities.

Open and Honest Communication

Despite our best efforts, we will not be able to offset the increased costs plaguing our line of work. This means our clients will also see price hikes. It’s an unfortunate reality that no one wants but it is unavoidable this year. So, we’re doing the best we can to address these increases head-on and communicate openly and honestly with you.

The first step to doing that is simple—we are establishing our new rates in a way that allows us to stay operational without driving our valued customers away. While we would love to eat the costs, retain all of our clients, and “ride the wave” in hopes things quickly get better, it’s simply not a viable solution for any company, especially small local businesses.

We want to be upfront with you both numerically and verbally. In other words, we will be straightforward about our new pricing and why it is a necessary evil. We don’t want to leave you in the dark, look greedy, or otherwise alienate anyone, even if you still have to put our services on hold.

It is because of you that we have enjoyed over two decades of success helping transform Tampa Bay properties into paradisical landscapes. It pains us to pass along increased costs, but as you have noticed from the grocery store to the gas pump, everyone is struggling to keep up with and survive this challenging time.

We’re in this thing together, and it is our hope that we will come out on the other side with a stronger relationship both professionally and as people enduring a period of such unpredictability.

Moving Forward

While we did not want to have to write this article, we do believe the future is bright. We’re doing what we can to provide you with the best service possible despite the trying times. We’ll come out on the other side with a refined, more efficient approach to our work that will benefit everyone in the long run.

If you would like to discuss this topic further and with more specifics, we encourage you to contact us. We’ll do our very best to answer your questions, address uncertainties, and, most of all, have a frank conversation with you about the current and future state of landscaping.

As the Tampa Bay area’s go-to landscape resource for more than 20 years, Landcrafters is no stranger to adapting, providing stellar services, and strengthening relationships in the face of adversity. We hope you’ll continue to trust us in a time when a little reliability goes a long way.

For valuable landscaping tips and tricks that don’t cost a penny, be sure to visit our blog. We update it regularly with new landscaping insights, so check back often!

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