How to Start a Lawn Mowing Business Using These Resources

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

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