How Much Do Lawn Companies Make

From $0 To $5000 A Month

Okay, so what is this blueprint all about? What I’ve done for you here is to boil down my experience getting my landscaping business started from the ground up. And no, I didn’t have a bunch of money in the bank either. I started with a few hundred bucks. So if you’re reading this thinking that you don’t have a pot to piss in, don’t let that be an excuse, because I’m going to show you why that doesn’t matter and how to overcome that little issue easily.

Now I built my business to six figures within a year. You can too, yet I also want to keep things realistic for you. Toward the end of this guide, I’m going to show you how to get to that incredible level of making $100K. And I’m talking about take home pay, too. However, let’s focus on a goal that I think you’ll agree with me is a bit more achievable for a person just starting out.

What this blueprint is going to show you is exactly how to start from the ground level and quickly create a landscaping business that generates $5,000 per month in personal income for you.

That’s $60,000 per year and the truth is that you can do that working part time.

If you follow the advice laid out in this guide, you’ll see that it takes less than 40 hours each week to generate that kind of take home pay being your own boss and taking care of your customers.

Getting Your First 10 Clients

Itâs time to get down to brass tacks: finding people to give us money.

Who is our target audience?

The first thing we need to do is understand WHO needs our service. There are really only two necessary characteristics:

The best place for us to start is by using our existing network. Social media is an extremely powerful way to get information out there. If youâre not on any social media platforms, just twist your friendâs arm to help you out.

Post on Social Media

A simple post on a few platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, is sure to get us a few clients. Letâs copy the paragraph below and fill in the blanks.

Hey, everyone! Iâm starting a lawn care company called and would love the chance to service your property. Iâm offering and estimates are completely free! Shoot me a message and we can go from there.

If youâre willing, please share this with anyone you know who you might be interested!

Thanks,

Simple, but effective! You could also use that as a script for a video if you feel comfortable with that.

Using Other Websites

There are a few other great options out there to help us get the word out about our business such as Craigslist and Nextdoor. The Nextdoor app allows people in the same area to talk about relevant topics to their neighborhood. Many people use it to request services such as lawn care. Weâll keep an eye on these.

Step : Define Your Brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren’t feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners, we’ll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended: Get a logo using Truic’s free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a lawn care business

Promotional signage on the truck used for the business is important. If possible, when the truck is not in use, park it on a street with lots of traffic in a place that is highly visible. Using door-to-door distribution of discount promotional flyers to residences and business is also an effective way to advertise your business. Hand out your business cards to everyone you meet. If possible, put a promotional sign on all the lawns that you maintain that has your contact information on it. Make sure you have an attractive website that uses the best practices for search engine optimization to have a good rank on the search engine results page for local searches.

How to keep customers coming back

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Should I Start An Llc For My Lawn Care Business

Every lawn care business should operate as an LLC because lawn care businesses are at high risk for personal injury and property damage.

Limited liability companies offer these main advantages:

• Personal asset protection
• Tax benefits and options
• Increased credibility

Our Should I Start an LLC for my Lawn Care Business guide will walk you through what an LLC is, the benefits of an LLC, and How to Form an LLC yourself.

HAVE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE FORM AN LLC FOR YOU

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Why Higher Prices Will Get You More Clients

If you follow our blog, you will hear this again and again: Premium is the best strategy for most lawn care business owners.

Seek to be the highest-quality service in your area. After all, premium services will bring in premium clients, which means premium profits.

Dont be the cheapest guy on the block. Be the most valuable.

Years ago, a tech company decided to enter the laptop market.

Their competitors clashed over more memory, more power, lower prices.

Inch by inch, they fought a battle nobody could win.

So, this tech company went the opposite direction and didnt focus on low prices or low production costs.

They went all out and made sleek, user-friendly laptops. Their laptops looked like they came from the future, and it was exactly what people wanted.

Today, you know this company as Apple, and their premium pricing strategy was a huge success. Most recently, Apple reported an impressive 42.5% in gross margin.

You too can be the Apple of lawn care or landscaping in your area. You can live out The Pareto Principle in your market to increase your profits.

Bottom Line: Make yourself unique. Differentiate yourself from the competition. People should see the quality in everything you do your performance, your customer service, and your lawn care prices.

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Rates Vary A Little By Location

Much of this depends on what part of the country you live in.

For example, pricing for lawn maintenance services in warmer climates such as Florida or California are more competitive than they are as compares to cooler climates.

You might be wondering why this is?

Well, think about it. The lawn care business is more stable in climates where the grass needs cutting year-round. Naturally, in an area where grass grows for shorter seasons, lawn care services have to figure out how to make ends meet, during the wintertime.

Put another way, lawn mowing services are treated more as a commodity in warmer climates.

And more as a luxury service in Northern climates.

The Best Incentives To Keeping Local Top Talent

So far, we’ve discussed about the various ways to properly pay lawn care employees as well as various payment models.

Now, let’s talk about the best incentives for keeping local top talent.

Take a look at a few different types of perks lawn care businesses can offer to remain competitive:

• Flexibility
• Company events
• incentive program

“I have done all sorts of things . My favorite was handing out scratch-off tickets if the crews hit their quota for the week. If all met it by noon on Friday, then a lunch party was provided at 1:00 PM, and they got paid for it. It helped keep overtime down, yet they were being rewarded. They also got the big scratch-off $10 ticket, and we had fun hanging out, talking shop at the end of the week. I had a ton of respect for my employees, and I tried to keep it on a professional level.”

– Karl Naegler CNLPVP New York State Nursery and Landscape Association Board

For more ideas on rewarding employees, check out Chad Reinholz’s incentive ideas for the green industry.

Remember, salary and pay are still very important to employees but many consider benefits to also be in the conversation.

As you determine how much to pay lawn care employees, keep these numbers in mind:

• 80% of employees prefer new or additional benefits over a pay increase
• 90% of millennials prefer benefits over a pay raise

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Scotts Lawn Service Cost

The average Scotts Lawn Service cost is between $200 and $300, depending on the size of the lawn and the type of treatment requested. Some people spend more on this service if they have a bigger area that needs fertilization. Others spend less if they have a smaller yard or choose a less comprehensive treatment plan and ongoing maintenance. Usually, these services are offered as yearly maintenance plans and are provided as one-time services.

How You Can Keep Your Lawn Healthy Year

If a healthy lawn is what you want, then year-round maintenance is vital. Your lawn needs different treatments and maintenance depending on the season to ensure that it is properly prepared for the months when it is at its peak for growing. Below you will see some of the most common maintenance tasks performed during each season of the year.

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Yard Cleanup In Spring And Fall

Ever spring youll have downed branches and debris in your lawn and garden beds to pick up and remove.

In the fall youll want to prune back perennials and rake out garden beds to make them neat and tidy.

Homeowners generally pay between $100 and $250 for yard cleanup in the spring and fall, and its a great investment in making your home neat and tidy so you can focus on enjoying your lawn all year.

Weekly Lawn Care Cost

Weekly grass maintenance averages from $65 to $125 per week, depending on the size of your lawn and maintenance items involved. Your maintenance company may choose to bill you for the services performed on a specific week or include all of the seasonal items and break it out to a weekly contract price. Most often, contracts include leaf removal, mowing, fertilizing, and aeration.

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Why Is Lawn Care Important

As most of us know, appropriate and consistent lawn care is essential if you want a beautiful lawn.

If your lawn doesnt get the care and maintenance it needs, you will end up with a variety of problems, such as pests, browning, ugly thin patches, and even lawn diseases.

Your grass can eventually die, as well. You dont want to end up in this situation, so make sure you learn about all the care your lawn needs and the steps you can take to make sure it gets it.

I have a lot of great resources for homeowners looking to make their grass green and healthy on this site, so I hope youll look around.

Landscaping Business Owner Salary

According to Turf Magazine-A survey conductedOwning a Landscaping Business Can Be LucrativeLandscaping Business Is ProfitableSome owners just guessHow the landscape owner should determine his salary?Starting Salary for lawn or landscaping businessPlanning is important for a Landscaping Company

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Getting Lawn Care Quotes

Wondering how to find and hire landscape contractors? When youre shopping for the right pro, there are a few things to take into consideration.

• What youll pay for services. Get at least three quotes from different pros.
• If youll hire an independent contractor or major company. Larger companies tend to be more expensive, but come with vetted pros.
• The type of licenses and insurances the pro has. Especially if you hire an independent pro, make sure they have a current license and liability insurance.

You should also research ratings and reviews and take a look at their prior work experience.

Lawn Fertilizer Service Cost

Expect the labor portion to make up roughly $50 to $60 of the $70 cost to fertilize a 5,500 sq. ft. lawn or between $0.09 and $0.11 per sq. ft. on average. Labor makes up a big portion of the cost to fertilize a lawn. Landscapers usually purchase fertilizer in bulk, so they do not pay the same price per bag as you do. They may charge less for materials because of this. Depending on the company or landscaper you choose, they may charge labor by the hour at a rate of around $45 to $75 per hour, but its generally charged by the sq. ft. The amount of time required depends on the size of the lawn and the method being used to fertilize. The average is around one to two hours for a ¼- to ½-acre property.

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How To Start A Successful Landscaping Business From The Ground Up

If youre thinking of starting a landscaping business, you probably have a green thumb and a love of the outdoors.

But building a successful landscaping, lawn care, or irrigation business takes more than just talent and motivation. Before you jump in with both feet, you need to ask yourself:

• What services will I offer?
• How will I finance my business?
• How will my business be structured?
• Do I have the right equipment?
• Who are my customers?
• What licenses and certifications do I need?
• Will I need an office?
• How will I grow my business?

The following steps can help you answer these questions and turn your passion into profits.

Organic Vs Synthetic Fertilizer

Most fertilizers come in two varieties, organic and synthetic. Both help nourish your lawn and give it what it needs to grow. Synthetics tend to be faster-acting and more powerful. It is possible to overuse them if you are not careful. Organics work more slowly, but it is difficult to use too much. They also do a better job of enriching your soil.

Synthetics tend to be less expensive in general. It is possible to find some less-expensive organics, depending on the brand, what you need the fertilizer to do, and the fertilizer type. In the table and subsections below, we discuss the average costs of synthetic and , how the costs are determined, and what factors could impact how much you spend.

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Lawn Care Costs Per Month

The average cost of lawn maintenance if you have all of your maintenance services billed monthly is between $350 and $450 per month. Monthly service most often includes weekly mowing and different maintenance items based on the season. Because different services will be performed each month, your monthly service cost will be higher some months and lower on others.

Buy Equipment Without Researching

If you havent done the research to make sure there is a demand for your business and if you dont have any viable clients, do not buy any equipment! The required equipment should be one of the last things you buy.

If you do buy equipment, make sure to look into the guarantee or warranty that is included in the equipment and if its easy to find replacement parts.

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What Is The Difference Between Gross And Net Profit

Youve likely heard the terms before, but what exactly do they mean when it comes to your lawn care business?

Gross profit is all the money you make in sales, minus the cost of goods.

Phil Sarros explains,

the cost of goods sold is the amount of money that you spend on items that are directly related to the production of a job. The most common item here is going to be your materials. But, it could also be your subcontractors, or your equipment.

So, in a lawn care business, the cost of goods is generally made up of the materials required to complete a job.

Net profit is your gross profit minus your overhead costs. Your overhead costs are usually made up of recurring bills, like phones, vehicle leases, office space, etc.

When youre running the numbers to figure out your costs versus profitability, make sure to separate your expenses into the cost of goods and overhead. Then, when youre pricing jobs or setting goals, youll have a clear idea of your net and gross profit for each job.

This can help you to set growth goals, adjust pricing for certain services, and show you where you gain and lose the most profit.

Benefits Of Lawn Care

Keeping your lawn regularly maintained comes with a lot of benefits. The first and most noticeable is the appearance of your yard. When kept in good condition, it can add beauty to the look of your home and even value when it comes time to sell it. Maintaining it also helps you to have a healthy grass that prevents bare and burnt patches. Keeping your yard weeded and properly mowed lowers your risk of pests since it removes one of their most popular hiding spots.

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Lawn Fertilizers Cost By Type

The various types of fertilizers range in price from $20 to $85, on average. Depending on the type of grass you have, the climate you live in, and your overall goals for your lawn, you may need a specific fertilizer. Fertilizers come in a broad range of synthetic and organic varieties. Your landscaper may recommend or use one specifically, while others allow you to choose. For example, the weed and feed cost will be higher for an organic weed killer compound than a synthetic one. Your lawn care professional will advise you on the best option, regardless of its formula or cost.