Green Industry Advice: Darryl's Total Lawncare
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always cut grass, but it was always a side thing,” Babik said. “I started advertising a little bit and really wanted to pursue it. It just took off.”
1. Always document your work.
“Take pictures of your work and if you can upload those with the invoice, I would do that,” Babik said. He unfortunately had to learn this the hard way after a client received an invoice for a job Babik completed that they claimed to be unaware of. Once that happened, Babik had to try and prove to the customer that he did the job but he had no proof because there were no photos taken detailing that the job was completed.
After all was said and done, he ended up not getting paid out for the job because of lack of proof. “Since that day, you’ll get a before and after picture every time,” Babik said.
It’s a tough lesson to learn, but an important one to remember moving forward.
2. Keep customer service #1.
Babik stressed the fact that customer service needs to be a top priority for everyone within the industry because once you let that slip, you’ll start to notice a negative impact in the amount of business you receive.
“I try to keep myself in that quality bracket and that customer care bracket,” Babik said. “That sets me apart from other people.”
3. Invest in yourself and your business.
“I really want to grow the business in 2023. That’s my goal,” he said. Babik explained that in order to grow, you need to invest in yourself and your business. For example, one of his main goals is to keep on growing and with that, he’s looking to add a new hire to the company this spring.
4. Use social media to grow.
An avenue that every lawn care company can be using is social media. There are so many different social channels that can be leveraged to get your name out there like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Another platform Babik mentioned that can benefit businesses within your community is Nextdoor. This is a great way to let those in your area know what your company has to offer.
“Get on Facebook, get on Instagram, get on Nextdoor, just let people know you’re available,” he said. “I get quite a bit of work from that and it’s free.”
Babik uses the multiple platforms to share what he has to offer and as he mentioned, he also uses them as free advertising tools.
You can check out the full interview with Darryl Babik of Darryl’s Total Lawncare, LLC on our YouTube channel below, as he spoke with our marketing team about the lessons he’s learned while navigating the green industry and trying to grow his business in a very competitive profession.
To learn more tips for success in the new year, see what other lawn experts had to say.