Starting a lawn care business can be a tough road, but very rewarding. You may want to start a lawn care business for many different reasons, extra money, be your own boss, etc.
First thing you need to decide is what you want to do with your business, if that be just a side job, a huge franchise business, or a job where you don’t have to do any work.
Set goals for your business. Such as making a certain amount of money your first year, supplying your business with brand new equipment, running a second crew. Having goals creates motivation, you’ll be more motivated to reach your goals than just working to make money.
You’re going to want to put some good thought into your equipment. If you just plan on cutting residential lawns, you’re obviously not going to need a giant zero-turn mower. A basic 21 inch self propelled mower will work just fine for starting out.
Equipment–
Basic start-up equipment includes; A mower, a trimmer, and a blower. That’s literally all you need to go out and start making money TODAY. A truck or SUV is a big plus, you can haul a trailer to carry all your equipment. Make your company look as professional as possible. Having company shirts does the job. Logos on your trucks is a must, it’s free advertising and looks professional.
As you work your way up and you’re starting to collect more and more lawns, then you can start buying the bigger and more expensive equipment.
How to get more lawns?
Well, just like any other business, you’re going to have to advertise. which means going door to door passing out flyers, posting on Craigslist, posting on social medias, radio or tv commercials. Always treat your customers with the most respect possible. One of the best ways to get business is word of mouth. If your customers are telling their friends how great you are, well, odds are they’re going to call and offer their business.
Business is going to start slow, but as long as you are persistent and you just keep pushing yourself to reach those goals you set in place, you WILL be successful and be running a successful business in no time.
Pricing–
In the beginning you might want to offer a discounted rate to gain your first customers. An average rate per lawn is about $20. But you’re going to want to factor in gas, maintenance on your equipment, your pay, and any other costs you may have.
Never offer a free cut during the first month. If you’re going to offer that kind of deal, make sure you’ve made money off them first. Maybe after your first or second month.
Always do your best job, because you never know which future customer is watching.
Growing–
As your business is starting to take off you’re going to want to start to investing in new equipment, hiring more people, offering additional services.
When investing in equipment, only buy what you need, if you plan on getting higher paying commercial lawns, now is when you can buy the nice zero-turns.
Hiring more employees is not always a good thing, think of it as an investment. Make sure you’re hiring people you trust and have taken the time to train yourself. Always train them yourself so you know that they know how to do the lawns correctly. Make sure hiring a new employee is going to actually make your company more money instead of costing money. If you have 100 lawns, that you’re doing by yourself, then you go and hire an employee, but don’t continue to grow and your still at 100 lawns. Well now your just paying him to do half your work. Causing you to make less money. Make sense?
Once you have a nice set foundation to your business, you can start adding in additional services to set your business apart from the competition. Sraying chemicals to prevent weeds, you need special licensing for that. Start adding in landscaping jobs. There are plenty of ways and extras you can do, and most you can do on your weekly route, you’ll just spend more time that day at that specific house.
If you believe you have the skills, you can start taking on the big $100,000 landscaping jobs. But if you’re just starting to add landscaping into your business, stay away from these, one wrong decision can cost your whole business. Work your way up until you’re completely confident in yourself and your crew, then you can start making the big buck.
I hope this how-to helps, If you have any other advice for others, please feel free to share in the comment section, I will add it to the article and you will be given credit, Thanks!
Brandon T.
Finding Funds 