In this post, you’ll find many resources you’ll need and use during the planning stage as well as when you operate your business.
The resources offer insights you’ll need to start your own lawn mowing business. Included, you’ll find links to; business cards, logos, insurance, business plans, financing options, equipment, name ideas, the steps to start, and many more sections.
But First, let’s go over a few considerations about this type of business and get you thinking about some of the issues you’ll want to review.
What Type of Person Is Suited for This Type of Business?
Suppose you like to work outdoors, enjoy physical activity, appreciate beautiful landscaping, plus possessing an entrepreneurial spirit. In that case, a lawn mowing business may be an opportunity to consider.
Is This What You Want to Do?
Starting a business is a serious commitment. You need to make sure this is something you want to continue doing for the foreseeable future. Can you see yourself mowing lawns for the next 10 years? If so, that’s great, and you’re on track; if not, then what could you see yourself doing? And should you be doing that instead?
Becoming successful takes time and effort. A key to reaching success is to make sure you are passionate about the business you’re starting and dedicated to what you’re doing. If not, your chances of success will diminish.
Getting Inside Information
If you want inside information from an expert with experience in lawn care, then seek out businesses that are for sale. This will give you access to a lot of information that may take you years to acquire on your own.
This process has two benefits:
1. You will be able to ask questions about this industry and gain the knowledge you’re looking for from some qualified and experienced lawn care business owners.
2. While you look at different opportunities, you may find buying a business that is already up and running could be a better way to go. For the complete details of this process see, An Inside Look Into The Business You’re Considering
Key Issues to Focus on With This Type of Business
Competition
You need to research the competition to determine if a demand exists for this service. If there is no demand, then there is no use in starting your business in the area. If the market is saturated, you might not have what it takes as a newcomer to get a piece of the market.
The best scenario is an area where there is a demand; plus, the market is not saturated with lawn mowing services.
Suppose you are dealing with a saturated market. In that case, you may want to select a different location. Or you could find out what other companies are offering and look for ways to improve your service and offer something the competition doesn’t have.
Equipment
The quality of the equipment you choose will affect the quality of your service.
If you purchase machinery suitable for home-use, you’ll end up with problems. You need commercial-grade equipment to take on wear and tear.
You also need to determine if you will purchase new or used machinery. Used will cost you less money, but you may be buying problems.
You need reliable equipment because you only have so many hours during the day to mow lawns, and you can’t afford downtime. Once you lose time, it will be hard to make it up.
You also need to consider where you will store your machinery. You can’t just leave it outside. You will need sufficient storage, whether it’s your garage, a warehouse, shop, enclosed trailer, or a large shed.
How Will You Operate?
Will you work alone as a one-person business, or will you hire a crew? With a crew, you’ll service more customers, but you’ll also have more expenses and need more equipment. You may start off slow, and as you expand your customer base, you start to build a crew.
You’ll want your clients as close to each other as possible. Imagine if you had a contract to moe lawns for every house on the block. You would unload machinery at the end of the block and move from lawn to lawn, having very little wasted time. Compare that to each of your clients being five to ten miles apart.
You probably won’t get the whole block, but try and group as many customers as possible. For example, you could ask for neighbor referrals and offer a group discount if two or more sign up for your service.
Home Business or A Commercial Location?
Will you operate from home or a commercial location? A lawn care business is one you can easily run from home. When you operate from your home, you have a lot of savings. All you really need is an area where you can maintain and store your equipment and some office space to take care of administrative duties.
If you plan on having multiple crews running, you can still operate from home. Still, a commercial location may be a better option. One of the benefits of having a commercial location is customers see the business as more stable than a home-based operation.
Service Add-ons
In addition to mowing lawns, you may want to expand the services you offer, bring in more income, and keep revenue coming in year-round. If you live in harsh winter areas, you’ll only be able to run this as a seasonal business. To make up for the winter months, you may want to expand your business to include snow removal. This will keep you busy during a snowy winter and keep you in contact with your clients.
You may opt to take the winters off while you put most of your effort into the nice weather seasons, or you operate in an area with no snow and lawn care is year-round. Some ad-on services may include; gutter cleaning, pressure washing, landscaping, tree trimming, pest control, etc.
Getting the Word Out and Getting Customers
It’s my opinion you should become knowledgeable about lawn care before you begin to advertise. This will allow you to answer all questions a potential customer may have. Plus, when you let your work speak for itself, you have proven your service is worth the cost.
You’ll have a better chance of promoting your business; once you become a known expert, people will be coming to you. Becoming a known expert takes time and experience. But before you begin to advertise, make sure you know everything there is to know about the service you offer. This will put you on the right track to becoming an expert in lawn care.
You can advertise your business using traditional methods, like; newspaper advertising, radio advertising, local advertising ideas. You can also use Google and Facebook ads. You want to make sure your getting results, so start off slow, test, and expand on what works and stop doing what doesn’t work.
Discounts for Lawn Signs
You could offer your clients a discount if they allow you to place a “Lawn maintained by…” sign to attract customers.
Naturally, you would need to create a tasteful sign. Make it easy to read and understand, and keep it at an acceptable size because no one will allow you to place a billboard on their lawn.
You could also create custom signs that read the home address and below it would be the message lawn maintained by…and your company name and contact info.
You could create a variety of signs your clients can choose from and even add signs that light up at night. You could also add some landscaping around the sign. It may cost $50-$150 per custom sign, but that’s advertising for the area that works year-round.
A Collection of Resources Related to Starting Lawn Mowing Business
In the resources below you’ll find an abundant amount of information. If you went through each article by the time you finish you’ll have the knowledge of an expert in the lawn care industry. Naturally, you’ll want to spend time on, How to start a lawn care business, but also see:
- Business Name Ideas
- Trends and Statistics
- Profitability and Revenue
- Startup and Operating Costs
- Equipment
- Insurance
- Businesses For Sale
- Franchise Opportunities
- Publications
How to Start a Lawn Mowing Business
How to Start a Lawn Care or Landscaping Business
How to Start a Lawn Mowing Business in 12 Easy Steps | Crewcut Lawn & Garden
How to Start a Lawn Care Business
How to Start a Lawn Mowing Business (with Pictures) – wikiHow
Experts Share How to Start a Lawn Care Business Right
How to Start a Lawn Care Business
What Does It Take to Start a Lawn Mowing Business? | Small Business – Chron.com
How To Start A Lawn Care Business | Merchant Maverick
How to Start a Lawn Care Business
Everything You Need To Know About Business Loans
What to Consider Before You Start
Reasons for Getting Into Your Own Business
The Pros and Cons of Owning Your Own Business
10 Questions You Must Ask Before Starting a Business
Passion – An Important Key You Need to Succeed in Business
Steps and Considerations
Over 21 Steps and Considerations When Starting Your Business
Getting Inside Information
An Inside Look Into The Business You’re Considering
A Simple Guide To Starting A Business
How to Start A Business – Making a Complex Topic Simple
How to Finance Your Business
Fast Lawn Care Business Loan | Small Business Funding
Lawn Mowing Business – Lawn Care Business Grants, Loans and Financing
Landscaping Business Loans: The Top Options
7 Types of Grants You Can Use for Your Lawn Care Business
How To Register a Business
How to Register Your Business Using These Resources
How to Get Licensed & Insured for a Lawn Business | Work – Chron.com
5 Certifications & Licenses Needed to Start a Lawn Care Business
Landscaper Licensing Requirements – State Guide by Next Insurance
How to Get a State Business License for Lawn Mowing | Bizfluent
Is Your Lawn Care Business Legal?
Business Name Ideas
Selecting a Good Name for Your Business
List of 350 Good Lawn Care Company Names – BrandonGaille.com
500+ Unique Name Ideas for Your Lawn Care Business
Lawn Care Business Name Generator – How to Name a Lawn Care Business
400+ Lawn Care Business Name Ideas (Free & Available)
Lawn Care Names: 600+ Adorable Lawn Care Business Names
Business Plan
How to Write a Business Plan Using This Unique Collection of Resources
How to Write a Marketing Plan Using These Select Resources
List of 350 Good Lawn Care Company Names – BrandonGaille.com
500+ Unique Name Ideas for Your Lawn Care Business
Lawn Care Business Name Generator – How to Name a Lawn Care Business
400+ Lawn Care Business Name Ideas (Free & Available)
Lawn Care Names: 600+ Adorable Lawn Care Business Names
Lawn Landscaping Sample Marketing Plan – Executive Summary – Mplans
Create an Ultimate Lawn Care Business Plan in 5 Steps | Next Insurance
Trends and Statistics
The Top 6 Lawn Care Industry Trends & Statistics for 2018
Landscaping Services in the US – Industry Data, Trends, Stats | IBISWorld
2020 State of the Industry report – Lawn & Landscape
Lawn Care Industry Statistics | Curated by LawnStarter
Profitability and Revenue
Estimating the Profitability and Revenue for a New Business
Are Lawn Mowing Businesses Profitable? | Crewcut Lawn & Garden
Building a Profitable Lawn Care Business: Experts’ Secrets on Margins
Lawn Mowing Business – Making a ‘Six Figure’ Lawn Care Income
How to Make $40,000+ » Your 1st Year in Lawn Care
How profitable is a lawn care service? – Quora
Startup and Operating Costs
Estimating Startup Costs – Are You Missing Anything?
Lawn Mowing Business – Lawn Care Business Startup Costs
Cost of Starting a Lawn Care Business – Lawn Love
Starting a Lawn Care Business – Business – Courses For Success
Equipment
Essential Office Equipment You May Need to Run Your Business
Here’s the Equipment Needed to Start a Lawn Care Business
What Equipment Do I Need to Start a Lawn Mowing Business
What Equipment Do You Need to Start a Lawn Mowing Business?
The best equipment for starting a lawn care business – Lawn Love
Insurance
Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Business Insurance
How to Buy Lawn Care Business Insurance | Insureon
Landscaping Insurance | Progressive Commercial
Lawn Care Insurance | Insurance for Lawn Mowing Businesses | $465/year
Landscape Insurance – Coverage for Lawn and Garden Care | Hiscox
Lawn Care Insurance – Starting at $17/month | Thimble
Lawn Care Insurance – Buy Online | Next Insurance
5 Reasons Your Lawn Care Business Needs Insurance | CoverHound
Employee Considerations
The Pros and Cons of Running a One-Person Business
How and When to Hire a New Employee
Your No-Nonsense Guide to Hiring Lawn Care Employees
How to Hire Your First Lawn Care Employee | Service Autopilot
How to Hire the Best Employees for Your Lawn Care Business
How to Find Employees for your Lawn Care Business – Lawn Care Millionaire
Common Jobs Needed for Running a Business
Hiring an Employee VS Subcontracting
Business Cards
How to Design Business Cards That Draw Attention
Lawn Care Business Cards – Business Card Printing | Zazzle
Landscaping & Gardening Business Cards Templates & Designs | Vistaprint
Lawn Care Business Cards (Standard Horizontal) – Customizable Design Templates – YouPrint.com
Latest Image Search Results Related to Lawn Mowing Business Cards
Logo
How to Create an Impressive Logo
Lawn Care Logo Maker – Create a Unique Lawn Care Logo | Tailor Brands
Free Lawn Logos | Lawn Care Logo Designs | LogoDesign.net
Lawn Care Logos: the Best Lawn Care Logo Images | 99designs
Lawn Care Logos | Lawn Care Logo Maker | BrandCrowd
Latest Image Search Results Related to Lawn Mowing Business Logos
Forms
Lawn Care and Landscaping Business Forms | LoveToKnow
Free Lawn Care Contract | Sample Template – Lawn Care Contracts
lawn care forms | free lawn care forms
Lawn Care Service Agreement Pdf – Fill Online, Printable, Fillable, Blank | pdfFiller
Software
Best Lawn Care Software 2020 | Reviews of the Most Popular Tools & Systems
20 Best Lawn Care Software of 2020 – Reviews, Pricing, Demos
Top 10 Lawn Care Software 2020 | Tech.co
Best Lawn Care Software – 2019 Reviews, Pricing and Demos
Lawn Care Software Reviews & Ranking for 2020 | GetApp®
Businesses For Sale
Buy A Business or Build one From Scratch?
An Inside Look Into The Business You’re Considering
Lawn Care Businesses for Sale | Buy Lawn Care Businesses at BizQuest
Lawn Care Businesses for Sale | BusinessBroker.net
Landscaping and Yard Service Businesses For Sale – BizBuySell
Landscape Gardening Businesses For Sale in the US, 290 Available To Buy Now
Latest Search Results Related to Lawn Mowing Business For Sale
Franchise Opportunities
The Ins and Outs of Owning A Franchise
Lawn Care Franchise Opportunities for Sale | FranchiseDirect.com
6 Best Lawn Care/Landscaping Franchises of 2020 (UPDATED RANKINGS) | Franchise Chatter
Should you Buy a Lawn Mowing Franchise?
Which Lawn Mowing Franchise Should You Buy?
Established Lawn Mowing Business
2019 Top 100 Lawn & Landscape companies – Lawn & Landscape
America’s Top 50 Lawn Care Services – RealtyBizNews: Real Estate News
Best Lawn Care Services for 2020 | ConsumerAffairs
Marketing Tips
8 Effective Ways to Advertise Your Lawn Care or Landscaping Business
13 Effective Marketing Ideas for Your Lawn Care Business
Lawn Care Marketing: The Best 11.5 Ideas for Your Business
9 Marketing Tips To Prepare Your Lawn Care Business For Spring
8 Best Offline Lawn Care Marketing Strategies
10 Essential Lawn Care Marketing Ideas, Tips & Strategies for 2018 – Marketing 360® Blog
Lawn Care Marketing – What to Consider When Growing Your Business
Article Mix
Pros and Cons of Starting a Lawn Care Business
7 Lawn Care Business Tips, Tricks, & Secrets | Service Autopilot
5 Success Tips for Your Lawn Care Business
How to Run a Successful Lawn Care Business: Managing Your Day-to-Day
23 Tips for growing your lawn care business
10 Mistakes To Avoid When Starting a Lawn Mowing Business
Common mistakes to avoid when estimating lawn care services
The 7 Deadly Pricing Mistakes that Will Kill Your Lawn Care Business | Service Autopilot
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Your Landscaping Business | ECHO Means Business
Avoid These 5 Lawn Care Business Marketing Mistakes
10 Common Mistakes When Starting a Lawn Business | Crewcut Lawn & Garden
Our guide on how to fail – Lawn & Landscape
Running a Business
How to Run a Business – A Quick Look Into Skills You’ll Need
Publications
The Top 9 Lawn Care Publications of 2019 | Service Autopilot
List of Lawn Care Trade Publications | Magazines
Best Lawn Care Magazines: Top 7 Lawn and Landscaping Magazines
21 Best New Mowing Books To Read In 2020 – BookAuthority
6 Best Lawn Care Business Success Blogs – The Lawn Solutions
Top 100 Lawn Care Blogs And Websites For Lawn Care Professionals in 2020
Best Lawn Care & Landscaping Blogs For Business Owners
50 Top Lawn Care Blogs to Help Bring Out the Green Thumb in You — Sprinkler Supply Store
8 Landscaping Blogs You Should Follow – Turf Magazine
Terminology
Lawn Care Terms | Spring-Green Lawn Care Glossary
Glossary of Landscaping Terms – Lawn Service and Maintenance Davie FL
Glossary of Common Lawn and Garden Terms – LawnStarter
Glossary of Yard Care Terms | Toro Yard Care BlogToro Yard Care Blog
Books
Books from Amazon Related to Starting a Lawn Mowing Business
Google Book Search Related to Starting a Lawn Mowing Business
The Latest about Starting a Lawn Mowing Business
Google Searches
Latest Search Results Related to Starting a Lawn Mowing Business
Latest Scholar Search Results Related to Starting a Lawn Mowing Business
Latest Image Search Results Related to Starting a Lawn Mowing Business
News
Latest News Related to Starting a Lawn Mowing Business
Tweets Related to Starting a Lawn Mowing Business
YouTube
Videos Related to Starting a Lawn Mowing Business