Commercial landscaping – the shopfront to your business
Commercial landscaping and curb appeal are like the shopfront to your business. Before your visitors even enter your building, they have an impression – and as they say, first impressions count!
Landscapers have the experience and the special magical touch to create and enhance the beauty of your gardens – and add value, on every level, to the entire experience of your organisation. Whether the areas make a bold statement or provide a relaxing space to sit and linger, careful planning of beautiful settings can attract people and have them thinking about you long after they have left your premises.
Considering its importance (the investment and the long-term relationship building as you work with commercial landscapers) knowing what to look for will help you choose the right team for your needs.
Here are attributes to look for before you hire a firm to roll out your commercial landscaping requirements:
Commercial landscaping Expertise:
Track record
Does the company have a strong track record with proven results, happy clients and a good reputation in the area? Do they have earned, sincere, trustworthy testimonials? Ask around to get a feel for what other property managers and owners think! References can tell you about the landscaper’s timeliness, quality of work and plants, level of communication and the overall delivery of their service.
Expertise and positioning
Choose a firm that typically serves properties similar to yours and perhaps visit sites to see how they approach those environments. Some may be uniquely positioned to address your needs. On the other hand, if a commercial landscaping company has a diverse portfolio, you can view their overall quality as well as see the potential of their work and additional services.
Great customer service
Even though this should be a given, customer service can be gauged in many ways – such as through web reviews and word-of-mouth referrals. Check to see if anyone you know and trust has worked with a recommended supplier and do a little research- before you sign on the dotted line.
Company Licenses
All full-service companies should be able to provide you with their current occupational, arborist, irrigation and spraying licenses. You can also ask if they have liability, workers compensation, automobile and/or umbrella policies or insurance. A quality landscaper will place emphasis on safety. Ask about their equipment inspections, how they train their employees and how often they address their safety protocol.
A Designated Account Manager
A great relationship and open dialogue with the person overseeing your account will impact the level of service and attention to detail that will reflect in your landscaping. This person may be different from your salesperson.
A Healthy Business Culture
This is a team you will be working with year-round. It helps to have a good relationship with the management as well as the crew. You want a reliable team that you can trust and that brings with them a culture and a set of core values that align with your own.
Commercial Landscaping Services:
Offering the Services You Require
Commercial landscapers offer a multitude of services. Ask the company to provide a list of its offerings. Every company will have different landscaping needs that should be outlined in the contract. These can include daily, weekly, monthly and annual maintenance, installations, edging and emergency work (e.g. severe weather).
Common Services Offered by Commercial Landscaping Companies Include:
Landscape Maintenance (Garden Maintenance) – Mowing, edging, weeding, trimming, pruning, and ornamental programs.
Landscape Design – Planning and creating, enhancing areas and focal points.
Landscape Construction – Planting, turf placement, water feature installation, retaining walls, drainage, erosion control and outdoor amenities.
Hardscaping – Concrete, bricks, paving, and stone.
Irrigation and Lighting – Installation, maintenance, repair and upgrades.
Landscape Enhancement – The redesign of focal points or addition of seasonal colour displays, planters or baskets, tree removal and trimming.
Large portfolio of services
If the scope of landscaping services falls under the supervision of the same contractor, your property will be better-taken care of. There is an overall invested interest and less coordination and hassle. Your billing and communication processes will also be more streamlined.
Commercial landscaping budget:
Sustainable Practices
Sustainable landscapes are cost-effective, energy-efficient, water-saving and environmentally sound. These are all fantastic ways to make a positive impact on your budget and the environment. Landscapers that recycle debris and turn it into mulch, or chopped branches as poles that support saplings, for instance, can equate to savings on your bottom line. Sustainability should be at the forefront of everything they do – from the materials and plants they use to their water management plans for your site.
Resources to Maintain a Large, Commercial Property
Commercial landscaping requires more workers, more equipment and greater expertise. Consider what team complement and assets they have available to ensure that your grounds are well maintained.
Are you ready to enhance your property value with commercial landscaping? At FSG, we have over twenty years of experience in landscaping: designing, construction, creating, and maintenance. Let us create an award-winning landscape for your company – contact our experts today and let’s start discussing your vision.
