If you've ever thought about starting a landscaping business, you probably have come to realize that there is a lot to consider. While the prospect of owning your own business no doubt seems like an exciting and rewarding endeavor, it’s sometimes hard to determine if you're taking the right steps to get on the path to progress and success. This is where having a well-crafted business plan can be the difference between dreaming and achieving.
The right business plan will help you articulate your goals, formulate a business strategy, and help you reach your desired outcomes quickly and efficiently. To make sure that your landscaping business plan is up to the challenge, use SMART goals to make it both actionable and attainable. In what follows, we'll define SMART goals, and explain how to use them to build a business plan that will help you achieve them
What are SMART Goals?
SMART is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. The origin of the acronym is commonly attributed to Peter Drucker's "Management by Objectives" concept. In essence, SMART goals are the "who, what, when, where, why, and how" of achieving what you want. The five criteria outlined by SMART goals are meant to help guide your business goal-setting and strategy.
Incorporate SMART Goals into Your Landscaping Business Plan
When setting business goals, it's important to consider what it is that you want to accomplish and why. Your SMART goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant to what you want to accomplish, and time-bound. As you build out your business plan, incorporating these elements can help you drive success.
Make Your Goals Specific
First, it's important to be clear about what it is that you want to accomplish. You can gain clarity by using your goals to answer the 5 W’s: who, what, where, when, and why. For example, if your goal is to increase sales from landscaping services, you may ask yourself who are the specific customer segments you'd like to target, what services could be offered for each customer, what timeframe you need to accomplish it in, and what resources you need to get there. Specific business goals leave no questions as to what you’re trying to achieve.
Make Your Goals Measurable
Once you know what you'd like to achieve, your next step is to determine how you will measure your progress. For each goal you set, you should also identify a quantifiable objective. For example, this could mean determining how many new customers you want to get in the next 6 months or how much profit you want to make in the next quarter. Another example of a measurable goal would be stating that you want to increase recurring revenue by 15% year over year. By giving your goals an objective that is easy to measure, you can better track your progress.
Make Your Goals Attainable
While setting ambitious goals can be motivating, it's also important to make sure that your goals are realistic and attainable. Otherwise, you may risk setting yourself up for failure. Before you set a goal, it's important to consider what resources you have available and what steps are necessary in order to achieve your goals. It's also crucial to research the landscaping industry and see what other businesses in the same space have accomplished. Look at the population, demographic and economic trends that may present opportunities or impact on your local market. In this way, you’ll gain a better understanding of what you should expect to achieve and be better able to define your attainable goals from there.
Make Your Goals Relevant
In addition to specific, measurable, and attainable, your business goals should also be relevant to what you want to accomplish and what your business stands for. Having an overall vision, mission statement, and set of guiding principles can help you determine what relevance means to your business. Then, you should set goals that are aligned with your company mission and business objectives. For example, if your mission is to become the most trusted landscaping company in the area, you should set goals that will help you meet that goal, such as offering the highest quality customer service or a service guarantee. Having a set standard can also help you decide whether adding new landscaping services is a good move for your business.
Make Your Goals Time-Based
Finally, it's important to set deadlines for your landscaping business goals. Having a defined timeline keeps you on track and can help prevent procrastination. Time-based goals are effective motivators for many business owners, as they help to create a sense of urgency. Additionally, it's important to set deadlines that are specific and realistic. For instance, establishing annual goals with quarterly benchmarks helps you to better understand your progress over seasonal fluctuations. In this way, you can ensure that your business is growing at a pace that matches your expectations and forecasts.
Build Your Landscaping Business Plan with Neighborly
While SMART goals are essential for any profitable business, it can still be a challenge to define these goals on your own. That is why franchising with Neighborly offers the resources and guidance needed to set and achieve SMART goals for your landscaping business. For example, Neighborly franchise brand The Ground Guys® comes with an established business model that outlines what you need to do and provides the tools to put you on the path towards success. You are buying into an established brand and system rather than building your own landscaping business from scratch, helping expedite your path to ownership.
Additionally, The Grounds Guys franchise offers an array of support services that can help you develop a comprehensive business plan and make sure that you are consistently meeting your goals. As a Neighborly company, you get access to a dedicated team of experts who can provide the tools and resources you need to grow your business, from marketing strategies to financial management tips. With The Grounds Guys, you'll receive the training and support you need to achieve your business goals.
Ready to start a landscaping business with nearly unlimited growth potential? With Neighborly and The Grounds Guys, you can develop a business plan, take charge of your future, and start on your path to reaching your goals. Download our Franchise Guide to learn more!
