Thompson Landscaping

The Challenge

Thompson Landscaping had been in business for over 15 years, building a reputation for quality work in the Dallas metro area. But as the company grew to three crews and 12 employees, owner James Thompson was spending more time on paperwork than he ever imagined.

"I was spending 3-4 hours every evening just putting together estimates," James recalls. "I'd measure the property, take photos, go back to the office, look up material costs, calculate labor, and put together a proposal. By the time I got it to the customer, sometimes a week had passed and they'd already hired someone else."

The slow estimate turnaround was costing Thompson Landscaping jobs. Their close rate hovered around 35%—well below industry average—and James knew speed was a big factor.

The Solution

James discovered LandscapeDesk at a trade show and was immediately interested in the mobile estimate feature. Within a week, his team was creating professional estimates on-site, right in front of customers.

"The first estimate I created with LandscapeDesk took me 15 minutes—and I sent it before I even left the customer's driveway. They signed it that same day."

Key features that transformed Thompson Landscaping's process:

• Pre-built service templates with their most common offerings already configured
• Material price database that auto-updates with current costs from their suppliers
• Photo attachments showing exactly what work will be done where
• Digital signatures so customers can approve instantly from their phone
• Automatic follow-ups for estimates that haven't been reviewed

The Results

After six months with LandscapeDesk, Thompson Landscaping saw dramatic improvements across their business:

• Close rate jumped from 35% to 49%—a 40% improvement—largely due to faster response times
• Estimate creation time dropped 50%, freeing James to focus on high-value sales calls
• Average days to payment went from 32 days to 16 days thanks to integrated invoicing and online payments

"LandscapeDesk didn't just save me time," James says. "It completely changed how we do business. We're more professional, faster to respond, and our customers notice the difference."

Looking Ahead

With the time saved on administrative work, James has been able to focus on growing the business. Thompson Landscaping is planning to add a fourth crew next season and expand into commercial contracts—growth that wouldn't have been possible while drowning in paperwork.

"I tell every landscaper I meet: you need LandscapeDesk. It's not an expense, it's an investment that pays for itself in the first month."