What to Look for in a Landscape Management Software
Suppose you want to ensure your business runs smoothly and efficiently. In that case, a good landscape management software can be a huge help. But with so many options available, it can be challenging to find the right one for your needs. To make sure you get the most from your landscape management software, look for essential features like customer relationship management and material tracking.
Service/Maintenance tracking
The software should be able to track a variety of services, maintenance, and repairs. This includes warranty information, customer satisfaction, and warranty claims. It should also be able to track the service requests made by customers and their status in terms of whether they were completed or not. The software should also be able to keep track of your company’s response time. That means the time it takes for you or your employees to respond after they get a service request. This becomes crucial in a field like landscaping.
Customer relationship management
Keeping track of your customers isn’t just a good idea; it’s essential for the success of your business. That’s where the importance of customer relationship management (CRM) becomes obvious. The right CRM software helps you do this by providing a single place for all customer information and activities. That makes it easier to manage everything from customer orders to maintenance requests.
Customer relationship management can help you keep track of:
- Your customers’ individual details such as name, address, email address, and phone number;
- Their order history;
- Their billing information and even what they like about your service or product.
Scheduling Software for Landscaping Business
Scheduling is an important part of landscape management software, which will help you plan your work and manage your time. A good landscaping business software scheduling features will let you manage your appointments with customers without taking up a huge chunk of your time. With a unique contractor app like RunSensible, you can even make sure you get paid for every appointment — in fact, you can set up an online calendar that will confirm a booking of your services only when they have paid a preliminary invoice.
Payments/Invoicing
Managing payments and invoicing is a key part of any business, and it’s especially important when it comes to your landscaping operation. To make sure that you get paid, you need an accounting system that can help track payments and send out invoices.
When searching for software, look for these features:
- Ability to import/export data in different currencies (and associated currency exchange rates)
- Ability to track customer payments and invoices
- Payment methods include credit cards, PayPal, or other online payment methods
Ability to track expenses and generate reports. Ability to send out invoices and reminders
The best landscaping accounting software will allow you to import/export data in different currencies and associated currency exchange rates. If you operate internationally, this is especially important as it allows you to track customer payments, invoices, and expenses in different currencies.
Materials Management
Materials management is a feature that allows you to manage your materials inventory, orders, and returns. This process can be handled manually or automatically with the help of an online tool. With Materials Management software, you can keep track of the following:
- Materials Inventory: Your landscape manager may want to know if they have enough supplies on hand at all times. They need to know how much material they have left and how much they will need in order to complete jobs properly and efficiently.
- Materials Orders: If your business runs out of certain materials, it’s important that you are able to reorder them as soon as possible so that projects don’t suffer delays because of low inventory levels. By using this feature in your software, you’ll be able to easily add new orders for specific products without having to go through any extra steps beyond entering the required information into one screen (e.g., quantity needed).
- Delivery Status: The status of deliveries should always be regularly updated so that employees aren’t waiting around all day for something that has not yet arrived at their location when it was supposed to; therefore, this feature lets everyone know what stage each order is currently located at (ease letting others know where things stand).
- Delivery Planner: This feature helps you plan for future deliveries by showing everyone when they should arrive and how long it will take for them to get there. This allows you to ensure that all of your materials are always ready at the right time so that projects aren’t delayed by waiting around on shipments.
- Warehouse Management: This feature lets you keep track of what items are available in your warehouse as well as how many units of each item are on hand. You can also use this tool to see which areas need more stock levels and order accordingly—making sure that you’re never caught without enough materials on hand.
Now, from what I know, there are almost no contractor apps, CRMs, or landscape management software that include inventory management features like these — well, except RunSensible, that is! RunSensible has been designed with contractors in mind, so naturally, it includes an intuitive but feature-packed, customizable inventory management tool built right into the same platform, yours, for no extra charge. With generic solutions like Zoho, you will have to buy at least two or three different packages or add-ons, like Zoho CRM, Zoho Invoice, Zoho Inventory, and more. The price on these will stack up quickly, becoming more of a problem than a solution.
Time-clock/Employee Tracking
The time clock software and employee tracking are the backbones of any good time management system. This feature allows you to keep track of all your employees’ hours and their progress, making sure they are working on what they were hired for. It also helps with time theft prevention.
Time theft is when people take longer breaks than they’re supposed to or start a project before clocking in or after clocking out. Time recording can help you figure out who has been stealing from your company by looking at where their work was done and how long it took them to do it.
Employees should also be able to fill out timesheets, which will give you an accurate picture of their part in the project.
General Ledger
The general ledger is a record of all the financial transactions that have taken place in your business. It also records how much money you’ve made or lost over a period of time, which can help you make better business decisions in the future.
You don’t want to go through the hassle of manually entering all these transactions into your books when there’s software out there that can do it for you!
The best way to reconcile an accounting program like this is by using Excel’s journal entry feature:
Customer Relationship Management and Time Tracking
CRM and time tracking are two of the essential features to look for in landscape management software. For example, CRM is useful for keeping track of customer information so you can stay in touch with them and build relationships with them. Time tracking is useful for billing customers, calculating payroll, and making sure your employees are using their time wisely. If you have customers who use your services regularly, then CRM gives them an easy way to schedule appointments with you or pay invoices online. It also helps you keep track of payments made, so it’s easier to bill them later if needed (such as when someone has forgotten about a past payment).
Time tracking is useful if you want to be able to bill customers based on how long it takes them to complete their landscaping projects. For example, if you charge $200 per day for labor and another $200 per day for materials, then your software can help keep track of this information so that you know exactly how much each customer owes.
The benefits of using a CRM are that you can stay in touch with your customers, build relationships with them, and keep track of payments that have been made. It also makes it easier to bill customers later on if needed (such as when someone has forgotten about a past payment).
Ultimately, the best way to find software that meets your needs is to do some research. Find out which features are most important for you (and your business), and then narrow down the options based on those criteria. In this article, we’ve covered some of our favorite landscape management software programs as well as their key features and benefits. Hopefully, this guide has given you some insight into what makes one program better than another so that when it comes time to choose which one will work best for you,
10 Candidates for Best Software for Landscaping Business
Landscaping is a unique industry that requires its own specialized software and services. If you’re in the business of landscaping, then it’s likely that you’ve tried many different types of software over the years. You may have even used some of these programs yourself! But I’m going to tell you what I think is the best software for landscapers in 2019:
RunSensible
RunSensible is a comprehensive contractor app, CRM, and business management software that’s packed with features that will help you manage every aspect of your business. If you’re looking for comprehensive, easy-to-use software that’s affordable and simple to set up, this is the one for you.
RunSensible includes a fully customizable invoicing tool with a library of clear, eye-catching templates to make invoicing easier. Use RunSensible to automatically turn estimates into invoices. Send branded invoices with a payment link to your favorite payment processors, including Stripe, Square, and PayPal. But there is so many other tools to use to your advantage.
You can use our built-in business phone on your laptop, real SIP-enabled office phones, and your cell phone. Increase your conversion rates with a dedicated business number for you and all your employees and a custom business display name. Show your leads and customers how professional you are and stay on top of all communications.
But RunSensible’s unique advantage for contractors and landscapers is the built-in inventory management system that comes with the app at no extra charge. Use any other CRM and invoicing software, and they will either not have an inventory manager (forcing you to constantly struggle with exporting and importing data between different apps), or they charge a considerable amount for add-on packages.
Gopher Software
Gopher Software is a cloud-based software that helps you manage your landscaping business. The software allows you to create and share customer records, schedule employees, track payments, and more. It’s subscription-based, which means that after purchasing the program, there are no additional costs unless you want to upgrade your package or change some of the features. The best part? You can access it from anywhere with an internet connection!
PlanSwift
If you are looking for software that is easy to use and affordable, then PlanSwift will be the best choice for your landscaping business.
PlanSwift is a powerful landscaping management software that helps you manage your business easily. You can create, manage, track jobs and estimate jobs with this software. In addition, there are many other features in PlanSwift, which make it one of the best software for landscaping business owners.
The mobile app lets you capture photos from your phone camera so that they can be attached along with other documents like invoices or quotes created using iPlanSwift is the cloud-based software version of PlanSwift that can be accessed from any device. Naturally, as an afterthought, this SaaS version does not have all the features of the original, and many users have reported bugs using the web app. You can manage your business and projects from anywhere using this software. In addition, it has various features which make it easier for you to manage your business. You can create estimates, track time and expenses, and send invoices with this software.
Stakeout Software
Stakeout Software is a landscaping business management software. It helps you create quotes, estimates, and invoices and also helps you with your customer management. With Stakeout Software, you can manage customer information such as their contact details and email addresses. You also have an option to send them SMS alerts when there are any new updates on the project that involves them.
The software has a mobile app that will help you manage your activities on the go and sync with Stakeout’s online platform seamlessly. The mobile app lets you capture photos from your phone camera so that they can be attached along with other documents like invoices or quotes created using it.
Stakeout Software is a landscaping business management software. It helps you create quotes, estimates, and invoices and also helps you with your customer management. With Stakeout Software, you can manage customer information such as their contact details and email addresses. You also have an option to send them SMS alerts when there are any new updates on the project that involves them. The software has a mobile app that will help you manage your activities on the go and sync with Stakeout’s online platform seamlessly.
If you want to get started with this software, then just go through its free trial version first!
ShapeWorks
ShapeWorks is a great software option for landscaping businesses that need to create and manage their own in-house projects. It’s easy to use, it comes with all of the basic features you need to run a successful landscaping business, and it’s one of the most affordable options out there.
ShapeWorks is an online app that allows you to create quotes and proposals quickly so that you can get back on the road as soon as possible. It helps you keep track of multiple bids at once and also lets customers share any feedback with them directly from within your quote proposal. If a customer wants more information about what’s included in their project or how much time will be needed for certain tasks, they can simply click on a link to make sure everything stays organized without having trouble finding anything later on down the road (which means fewer mistakes in billing!). Finally: if someone needs something added to their job after receiving their initial estimate based on incorrect information, then ShapeWorks may be a good choice.
Fieldwork Manager
Fieldwork Manager from SolidGround Software is a great choice for landscaping businesses because it helps you manage all your jobs and customers. You can create detailed estimates, track time and expenses, manage scheduling with the help of its calendar view, and more. The app also lets you keep track of your inventory. All in all, it has minimal features as a software for landscaping businesses and is not much cheaper than other options.
Landscaper’s Companion
If you’re looking for a software that will help your landscaping business run smoothly, look no further than Landscaper’s Companion 2. This cloud-based software allows contractors to manage every aspect of their business, from estimating costs and tracking invoices to scheduling jobs and running reports. It also has an easy-to-use mobile app so that no matter where you are on the job site, there is always access to information about clients and projects. The interface is simple yet powerful enough for even the most novice user; with just a few clicks of the mouse or taps of your finger, you can track materials used on each job as well as labor expenses at any level of detail needed (e.g., by a crew member). While this program was originally designed specifically for residential landscape contracting businesses, it can also be used by commercial contractors who want an all-inclusive solution for managing multiple projects simultaneously across different types of property (e.g., commercial parks).
The software also helps you get paid faster on jobs by sending out reminders and tracking payments from your customers. You can even create invoices online, so you don’t have to spend time doing paperwork at home.
QProfit System
QProfit System is a great software for landscaping businesses. The software tracks everything from sales to expenses, so you can see how much you’re making and how much you’re spending right away. Plus, it helps you manage your business—from managing employees to getting paid faster on jobs.
GroundsKeeper Pro
GroundsKeeper Pro is a powerful and easy-to-use lawn care software that helps you manage your lawn care business.
This software comes with a variety of features, including:
- A lawn care calendar for scheduling services and reminders
- A customer database for storing customer information such as contact details, payment history, and photo gallery
- Contract management feature to help you create contracts when signing up new customers or renewing contracts with existing customers
- Invoice management feature that allows you to generate invoices on the fly
Landscape Contractor App
The landscape Contractor App is another great option for a landscaping business. It includes features like invoicing, job cost, scheduling, and more, but it is a desktop app, not a SaaS solution. That means it’s only as secure as your own security software. More annoying than that, you and your employees can’t even take it with you out on the field, so you won’t be able to send instant estimates and invoices and get paid the quick way. There is no clear way to find out which of these features are only included in the more expensive plans and which can be accessed by the basic plan. Here are some other things to know about Landscape Contractor App:
- Pricing starts at $19/month with unlimited users and projects (does not include taxes)
- They do not offer a free trial but do have a 30-day money-back guarantee (you can’t cancel via email, though)
- Payment is monthly or annually; there are no setup fees or cancellation penalties.
The software is compatible with Windows 7, 8, 10, and Mac OS X 10.12 or later (you’ll need a newer computer to run it). It works on both PCs and Macs!
Great software helps your landscaping business grow.
Landscaping software can help you be more efficient. You can save time by using software to plan your projects, manage your inventory, and organize photos of completed work. This type of contractor app also allows you to enter customer information and track their payments. When you have an organized database of clients, it’s easier to get new customers in the door because they will want what is already working for their neighbours!
Landscaping software helps with organization and communication between team members. You can assign tasks between workers quickly without having to call them individually or email them back and forth multiple times with questions or updates on certain jobs. With better organization comes more productivity from you and your employees, more free time to invest in improving your business or balancing your life with the family — after all, our job isn’t everything, right?
I hope this list of the best software for landscaping businesses has given you some ideas and hopefully helped you decide on the right software for your business. If you’re still not sure which one to choose, ask around! It’s important to get input from other people who have used these programs in their own businesses so they can tell you what worked well for them and what didn’t work at all.
Why Use Software for Landscaping Business
Landscaping contractors are some of the hardest working people in the world. From the moment they wake up until the time they go to bed, they’re always thinking about their business. And this is because their livelihoods depend on it! Landscape contractors need to be able to balance many different aspects of their companies at once: marketing, customer management and sales, project management, and scheduling. The list goes on. It’s no wonder that all sorts of contractors, including landscapers use software programs like RunSensible to take care of all these different parts of their business. But what about using landscape management software in your own landscaping business? Why should you think about investing in a contractor app? Let’s see. Whether you’re trying to start your own landscaping business from scratch or are planning to grow your solo business, using the right business management app can make your success much more certain.
A great way to save time
A great way to save time is by using software to manage your business. You can use software that automates tasks that would normally require manual labor, like sending and receiving quotes, follow-up emails, and invoicing customers.
If you’re in charge of managing projects for a landscaping company, then project management software will help you do so much more efficiently than without it. You’ll be able to create estimates, track expenses (and generate invoices), and monitor progress against deadlines or milestones — all from one central location.
If you need a tool for communicating with both your customers and your employees (the fieldwork service providers, the sales staff, any employees, basically), then customer relationship management (CRM) systems with built-in communications features are key. RunSensible, for example, comes with a full communications suite that includes a native, built-in business phone with amazing features, as well as automated text messaging and customized emailing tools. You can even set up your own ticketing support system and handle customer complaints before they turn into customer churn! And because they’re naturally part of a CRM system, RunSensible will allow your business to add information about their customers’ accounts and the communications in one place so that everyone involved has access at any given time — RunSensible can also add customer feedback tools to each line of communication, helping you get first-party, actionable data from where it matters most.
A better alternative to paper-based systems
In the landscaping business, we’re all about efficiency and the right tool for the job. The problem is that paper-based systems are often time-consuming and inefficient. Paper-based systems are not secure, they can’t be easily tracked over time, and they don’t scale as your business grows.
But there is a better alternative: software! When it comes to software, you want tools that help keep your team organized and on track with their workflows so they can focus on serving customers instead of managing paperwork (which is a big win for both parties).
One of the most important things you can do for your business is streamlining your processes and workflows. This will help you save time, money, and resources while also improving customer satisfaction.
With a software-based system, you can also easily track your team’s performance and growth. This is especially important if you have multiple locations or employees who work remotely. With paper-based systems, it’s hard to keep track of everything that’s going on—especially when you lose documents in filing cabinets or forget where they are! And if something does go wrong, it might take days (or even weeks) to fix the problem.
A better way to manage and track jobs
The software that you use to manage your landscaping business should allow you to track jobs, manage jobs, and communicate with customers.
It’s no secret that managing the right amount of inventory is essential for a successful business. Having the right tools to keep track of your jobs will help you do just that by allowing you to:
Track all open projects and activities across all employees. This lets them know exactly what each person has been assigned so they can work together as a team.
Manage each project from start to finish with details on materials needed and costs incurred, so everyone knows where they stand financially at any given time during each job (this includes costs associated with subcontractors). In addition, it allows authorized personnel access only through one central database system, so there aren’t multiple spreadsheets floating around trying to figure out where things are coming from or going!
An easier way to record-keeping and billing
Software for landscape business is a great way to make your life easier. It can help you manage all your data, invoices, and customer details with ease. You can use it to record all the information related to your customers, such as their contact details and payment history. Also, you will be able to keep track of when they booked appointments or requested quotes from you. The software also manages staff details for each employee so that everyone gets their paycheck on time every month without any hassle from you!
Better communication with customers and staff
Notification and messaging. Email notifications are a great way to keep your customers and employees in the loop about what’s going on with their landscaping projects. Text message notifications can be used as well, but email is often more effective for this purpose because it’s easier to send texts than it is to open up an email client when you’re on the go.
Integrations with other apps. You might already have some software that helps you out in the office—a CRM, project management app, accounting system—but consider adding a landscape design tool like LawnStarter or another solution that integrates with these systems. That way, you won’t have to learn how to use two separate apps when you could just use one of them instead!
RunSensible Helps You Grow Your Landscaping Business
If you’re looking to grow your landscaping business and make it more profitable, then the best way to achieve that goal is by using RunSensible, the
one and only tool contractors need outside their toolbox.
RunSensible has been designed to help contractors manage their businesses better so that they can focus on what matters most: growing their business.
Here are just a few ways that it helps contractors manage their landscaping businesses better:
RunSensible automates repetitive tasks, saving time and effort in the long run.
It allows you to streamline communication with customers, staff members, vendors, and suppliers.
It helps you manage your business more effectively, saving you time and money. It allows you to focus on what matters most: growing your landscaping business.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and learned something new about landscaping software. If you’re looking for a way to grow your business, then I recommend checking out our website. We have a lot of great resources available for those who want to learn more about working with us or using our software themselves.
FAQ
What is Software for Landscaping Business?
It’s an app to help landscaping contractors and businesses manage their business easier and faster. The best software for the landscaping business allows contractors to save more than a dozen hours per week and get paid much easier.
What is the best software for the landscaping business?
That depends entirely on what kind of contractor and landscaping business you have and what you want your software to do. This article has a list of 10 candidates for the best software for the landscaping business, and you can definitely find one that matches.
Do landscaping management software include inventory and materials management tools?
RunSensible is unique in offering a built-in inventory management feature natively integrated with the rest of the software and available at no extra charge. Of course, you can also use generic solutions like Zoho and get different add-on packages, like Zoho Inventory and Zoho Invoice, which will cost you considerably.
Can I handle promotions and email marketing with a software for the landscaping business?
The best landscaping business software should include a comprehensive marketing suite, with tools to define promotions and discounts as well as email marketing tools to let your leads and customers know about the promotion.
Disclaimer: The content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice.