Remember when the only way to access crucial business documents was to dig through a paper-stacked cabinet or logging into the desktop at the office?

Besides the headache of disorganized paperwork, you had limited access to real-time job data, making it tough to stay productive. 

Well, not anymore! 

Managing a landscaping business has become easier with mobile tools like an iPad.  

From creating estimates and schedules to tracking crews and simplifying client communication, you can now handle it all on the go. 

In this guide, you’ll discover different ways iPads can help streamline your landscaping operations and stay organized.

What are the benefits of using an iPad for a landscaping business?

Imagine this: you’ve just met a client outside the office who is considering a patio build, but they’re hesitant about the project and you. 

Since it’s a huge project, talking won’t cut it. They need visual proof—past project media, customer testimonials, design mockups, and a sleek sales presentation—to convince them you’re the right fit. 

This is where iPads come in handy. 

Since you’re not in the office, you can easily access the resources needed to close such deals with a few clicks. 

Steve Dhont, founder of PMS Brick Pavers, takes this approach. During sales meetings with potential clients, he pulls out his iPad for a quick presentation and explains how the company works.  

In addition to that, see other benefits of using an iPad below.

Improve job site flexibility

As a business owner and manager constantly moving between job sites and client meetings, an iPad with landscaping apps allows you to oversee operations from anywhere. 

You can check in on real-time job data, approve equipment requests, and keep tabs on your crew—right from your tablet. No more waiting for the admin team to send over those numbers before making a decision. 

Enhance job scheduling and crew management

An iPad equipped with the right tools, like Aspire, simplifies digital scheduling and business operations.

For instance, the Aspire Mobile app lets you book jobs days and weeks in advance. And right there on the tablet’s screen, you can also: 

• Assign responsibilities.

• Update project status.

• Adjust the schedule to accommodate changes, e.g., new client requests or weather delays.

• Map the most efficient routes for the crew so they spend more time on the job.

This enables you to track the team’s performance and the project’s progress.  

Streamline client communication 

Using an iPad simplifies communication between clients, business owners, and field techs. It lets you share virtually everything—estimates, reports, and invoices quickly. 

You can review each document and make edits before sending it. And signing the documents? Easy on an iPad’s screen—no searching for a pen required.

Overall, it gives instant access to client records and job updates, enabling you to respond quickly and keep stakeholders in the loop. 

Reduce paperwork and improve organization

Accessing contracts and processing documents is way easier on an iPad than wading through a stockpile of paperwork. 

Think about it: there’s less chance of coffee spills on files, lost documents, or difficulty sharing documents.

Because everything is stored in the cloud, it’s easy to:

• Search for documents to improve your productivity. 

• Collaborate and share files with people in different locations.

• Track changes made to a document and see who’s working on what.

• Store important files away from prying eyes.

• Categorize documents by client, project, or team for easy organization.

The possibilities are endless.

How can an iPad improve estimating and property measurements?

You know how you manually have to measure properties to create design plans and ensure accurate installations?

With an iPad, the process becomes simpler and easier. Instead of visiting the site, you can remotely measure using built-in apps and tools. Simply put, a well-equipped iPad:

Enables digital site mapping and measurements

With the right measuring app, like PropertyIntel, and an iPad, you can map out properties and take accurate measurements in a few clicks. 

PropertyIntel, for instance, lets you measure from aerial imagery or existing maps. You only have to upload the files into the app and use the built-in tools to capture the property area, length, and volume. 

And yes, even if the job site has complex shapes, the app features a multi-select tool for advanced measurements. 

There is no need to leave the office with measuring wheels or tapes—just tap the big screen, measure, and create designs. This approach is fast, precise, and keeps the work flowing.

Simplifies estimate creation and approval

You don’t have to wait for field measurements or visit job sites before creating estimates or sending bids to clients. 

An iPad equipped with software like PropertyIntel allows you to measure properties and automate estimations on the spot.

As you measure, you can calculate material and cost estimates right there. Once done, you can present the proposal with visuals and send it to clients for approval. 

This is by far a simpler way compared to how estimates used to be created, where everything had to be done manually.

What are the challenges of using an iPad for landscaping operations?

Using an iPad can streamline your operations, but it’s not always the smooth, perfect system you imagine. Below are a few challenges you may face when investing in this mobile device.

Potential connectivity issues in remote areas

For job sites in urban areas, connectivity isn’t typically an issue. However, sites with poor cellular or Wi-Fi coverage make it challenging to use an iPad, especially if you use apps that require the internet to work.   

Here’s what you can do when faced with such situations:

• Use apps with offline functionality, like Aspire Mobile. It allows you to view work tickets, tasks, and notes, and update information when you’re back online.

• Download job details before heading to the remote sites.

• Preload the property’s map area while you have a good network to cache the site’s mapping. 

• Use a mobile hotspot or cellular iPad data.

Learning curve for new software

People without web savvy might experience difficulty adapting to iPads or new software. And even if they’re handsy with digital tools, learning how to use the new system effectively could take a while, especially under job site pressures. 

This could lead to delays, mistakes, or initial resistance from crew members.  

To make the switch easy for yourself and your team members, ensure you:

• Use software with a user-friendly interface, like Aspire, to ease the transition. 

• Host an onboarding meeting to show the team how to use digital tools on an iPad in the field. 

• Explain the benefits of the transition to your landscaping business with social proof.

• Provide an incentive if you can. For example, the first landscaping crew to complete a work ticket with the new system gets a bonus.

Initial investment cost

Getting iPads for everyone on your landscaping team is an expensive investment. Even if you can afford the cheapest one, which costs $349 in the US, you’ll still need software subscriptions for the device.

Costs can quickly add up, especially if you run a small crew or are just starting. 

However, like most investments, the return is outstanding. It can help: 

• Save costs and hours weekly, automating operations like measurement, estimation, scheduling, and invoicing. 

• Improve the professionalism of your team and perception of your brand. 

• You can close new deals by running sales presentations, showing visual proof, sending estimates, bidding on jobs, and sharing invoices on the spot.

If new iPads will stretch your budget, here are some cost-saving alternatives to equip your team without breaking the bank:

• Go for refurbished or pre-owned units.

• Purchase older iPad models, preferably one or two generations behind.   

• Buy in bulk.

• Leverage financing programs to spread out payments and ease the initial cost.

• Consider tablets from other brands. 

 What are the best apps to use on an iPad for landscaping businesses?

An iPad is only as useful as the apps it runs. 

Without the right software, your landscaping employees might only use it to take site pictures, communicate, or store documents such as site maps. 

That’s useful, but far from its true potential. 

With the right digital tools—like the ones listed below—you can turn the iPad into a powerhouse for your landscaping crew. 

Project management and scheduling apps

These apps streamline daily operations and help you manage multiple projects. Instead of asking for updates and manually creating reports to share with stakeholders, these tools simplify how you request progress status and create reports. 

For example, Aspire’s mobile app allows: 

• Landscaping crew leaders create daily schedules for different projects, including materials and equipment needed. 

• Field techs get to clock in, add notes, request equipment service, and view open issues they need to work on.

As a landscaping business owner or manager, you have access to all this information. Because everything is centralized, you can track and report on labor and material costs for different projects, monitor daily progress, see hours spent on a job, and more.  

In a nutshell, project management and scheduling apps enable you to oversee jobs and stay on top of everything that happens in the field. 

Aside from Aspire, here are other landscaping project management software you can use:

• Jobber

• GoCanvas

• ArborGold

Estimating and proposal software

Estimating tools simplify the process of creating and sending accurate bids to clients. 

The software automates much of the work, replacing manual measurements, material and labor cost calculations, and building proposals from scratch. This ultimately saves time and costs when creating quotes. 

Aspire’s estimating feature, for example, allows landscapers to build a pre-set catalog of material and service prices. This makes it easy to create estimates by choosing a template and customizing it with your brand’s design kit, pricing, and description. 

With this, your estimators can send bids in minutes by adjusting takeoffs, pricing, and quantities. 

Once clients receive the bid, they can approve it with digital signatures.

Communication and collaboration tools

A dedicated communication app will help your landscaping company to be more effective. Here’s why: 

• It ensures everyone is aligned and responsive, especially when people work across multiple sites.  

• Dispatchers and managers can share and request updates without forgetting to call anyone. 

• Allows quick decision-making as everyone can share feedback asynchronously. 

• Simplifies coordination across different departments, ensuring the main office, field workers, and managers are on the same page. 

• Enables crew leaders to notify the office when there are incidents or emergencies. 

Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Trello are good examples of collaboration apps your company can use. They’re easy to use and allow teams to create different channels for specific communications. 

Aspire also has a communication feature that allows the field crew and office staff to communicate on specific projects with Visit Notes.

How to train your team to effectively use an iPad in the field?

Here’s a three-step guide on how to equip your landscaping crew to use an iPad:

Provide structured onboarding and training

Begin with hands-on training, preferably in the field, so your crew learns how to use the iPad in real-life scenarios. 

Focus on specific apps they’ll rely on daily to help them understand how the tools support their landscaping tasks. 

If you’re busy in the summer or fall season and short on time, consider hosting early morning training. That way, the training is fresh in their minds and easier to implement throughout the day. 

Share tutorial videos and reference guides to support self-paced learning outside of work. You can also contact the app providers for team training resources; they often have training materials built for this purpose.   

Implement a gradual transition

If you only have a few tech-savvy crew, consider rolling out the iPads in phases. 

Instead of giving everyone, assign them to the team’s techies and let them lead the charge in getting others comfortable with the new system.

Here are other ways to help the team break into the future:  

• Encourage your crew to share what’s working and what's not, so you know how to retrain the team. 

• Celebrate small wins, e.g., a field tech uses an iPad to send estimates. This will motivate the team to embrace it.

• Design a cheat sheet showing step-by-step daily workflows to help the team retain the process. 

Monitor usage and provide ongoing support

Make it a practice to check in with employees to see how things are going. Ask what they find easy or challenging.

Has using an iPad helped simplify their workflow, or is it making it more complicated?

This feedback helps you identify areas where people are struggling, processes that need improvement, and gives you an opportunity to provide timely support.

You can also host bi-weekly huddles where crew members can discuss and ask questions. The goal is to keep the conversation going and help the team gradually embrace the tech.

How does Aspire enhance the use of an iPad for landscaping businesses?

Aspire is a powerful tool that transforms your iPad into a productive digital titan. It enables you to manage your landscaping business from anywhere. 

More specifically, here’s what Aspire enables you to do on an iPad:

Optimizes scheduling and job tracking

Aspire enables you to organize and assign landscaping jobs with ease. It keeps things simple and automated, so instead of assigning tasks manually, you schedule jobs right after the proposal is approved.

This digital tool has a built-in calendar that lets you designate tasks and crews to specific times and dates based on open work tickets. 

For longer projects, you get to schedule multiple visits until the job is completed.

This lets you track who’s doing what, when, and where on your iPad. 

And since Aspire enables field techs to clock in and out, you can monitor time spent on each job and improve productivity.  

Simplifies property measurements and estimates

Aspire’s PropertyIntel product turns your iPad into a powerful measuring tool. It enables you to get precise property measurements, create takeoffs, and calculate estimates automatically.

PropertyIntel features a proposal builder that allows you to design visual proposals to send to clients. 

These proposals are custom-built to be presentation-ready, complete with pricing, color-coded sitemaps, and a customizable cover letter. Essentially, everything you need—precise measurements, estimates, maps—to send and win bids, all available on the iPad. 

To top it off, PropertyIntel generates real-time automated data insights into potential sales opportunities for your landscaping company. 

Integrates all operations into one system

The real kicker with using Aspire on your iPad is that it acts as a centralized digital hub for managing all landscaping operations.

You’d have access to all of Aspire’s features—scheduling, estimating, job costing, customer management, equipment management, and reporting. 

This allows you to use or transition from one feature to another on your iPad device.

It’s what The Greenery, a top landscaping company based in South Carolina, Georgia, uses.

Their operations team uses Aspire to organize tickets, track time spent, communicate with customers, and provide estimates. 

The business development team uses the system to monitor new leads, from proposal to account management and report creation. 

The accounting team uses Aspire to process accounts receivable, and data from the platform is transferred into the payroll system for seamless and efficient delivery.

Book a demo with Aspire today and see how it can make your iPad a powerhouse.