Alternative Revenue Source During the Drought

[JimLewis]

I've been having a lot of friends here on Lawnsite email me lately from areas of the country that have been experiencing significant drought, asking me what they should do, how they can hang on when there is nothing to mow, what other services they could get into, etc. There's been a number of threads about this here on Lawnsite as well.

I always look at challenges as opportunities in disguise. So my advice so far has been to diversify (which is usually a good thing anyway) and also to look at what challenges the current situation creates and see how you can help your client get through those challenges. If there's a lack of rain water, perhaps getting into installing irrigation systems is something some people should check out. If lawns are dying, perhaps synthetic turf is something worth looking into (we make really good money installing these!), etc. That's the essence of being an entrepreneur! Adapt your business as needed to match the client's needs.

Well today I ran across an article that I thought was really a great idea. It was this article about MOISTURE MANAGEMENT. I love the idea. And I love that term. That's a sellable term! That's something that could catch on. For those of you in drought areas, you should check out the article. It's a pitch for this product called Hydretain, that is applied to turf and plants to help them retain water more. I don't really care whether you use this specific product or not. I am sure there are many products out there that work like this. But I just loved the idea, from a marketing perspective! What if you could offer your clients a service that helped them keep their lawn and plants looking great after a watering - even during drought! You're solving several problems for the client. You're keeping their landscape looking better. And you're protecting their investment by keeping it from dying out.

If I was in a drought area and couldn't mow, I'd be spending a lot of my free time working on marketing "Moisture Management" all around town. I'd be marketing it to my existing customers, putting flyers on doors, creating a page on my website about it, talking about in on my social media pages, doing other advertising, etc.

I realize it may require an applicator's license in certain states. But if you can't mow and got all this free time anyway, why not look into getting that! And maybe it's too late this year to really get into this too much. But who's to say we won't be in a drought again next spring / summer? I'd be getting ready for this and if we did get into a drought next year I'd immediately move into marketing this idea as soon as the drought hit.

Just an idea. Thought I'd share it with you all. Hopefully this helps some of you.

[JimLewis]

The article was in the current issue of "Lawn & Landscape" Magazine, for those of you who subscribe.

Also, looks like this company has some nice contractor/product support options. Free introductory sales kit. Customizable marketing materials. Ongoing product tech. support. Pro Applicator website listing. etc. hydretainadvantage.com

[KrayzKajun]

Kudos Jim. Great advice and resource for those being affected by the drought.
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[GreenI.A.]

I used to use EcoSential and Moisture Manager during extreme droughts on my own lawn before I had irrigation. My business has been built around being "Green" and offering the most efficient irrigation systems we can, but I have never thought about offering a service like this to customers. Thanks for the idea.

[orangemower]

I've thought about lawn painting as a option. In a drought, it can be painted green with a dye and looks like a fresh cut lawn. Not sure if you'd even need a contractor or spray license. All it is, is water and green dye.