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How To Make Your Own Lawn Mowing Business

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Why Not Start Your Own Profitable Lawn Mowing Business And Increase Your Income With High Paying Clients In The Next 37 Days

How To Make $500 A Day Mowing Lawns- Solo Mowing Business

I was particularly interested in owning my own business because I wanted to work for myself but didnt have the money to purchase a franchise or buy an established business. The main benefit of buying this business-in-a-box system is that you are your own boss and have the help of Neil and the team for all your marketing so I dont have to worry about getting inquiries and leads. Plus I really enjoy working outdoors!

JS Garden Care

We had a dream to own our own business. Which has come true and we do enjoy the freedom of work hours, which is flexible. We both are from the hospitality industry and find running our own business really rewarding as we love customer service. Plus we are now earning a good income and can afford to leave our jobs. Thanks, Neil for all the marketing support you have provided, we have grown our business from zero to over 57 clients in under 6 months!

Plan On Working Extra Hours For Thursdays And Fridays

Many people want to have their lawn mowed on Thursday or Friday because that will allow their lawn to look great for weekend use. Sometimes you can push people to Wednesday for this, but only if youre fully booked on the other two days. Make sure to book extra slots near the weekend so that you can put in as many contract spots as possible. The extra slots will also help you out in case you have a bit of a rainy day that wont allow you to get working right away.

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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Step : Plan Your Business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

  • Website Creation Free to $500
  • Internet Services – $50 to $75 per month
  • Insurance $50 to $200 per month
  • Pickup Truck Lease – Nothing down with good credit, $299 per month plus $100 per month for insurance

Read our lawn care business purchasing guide to learn about the materials and equipment you’ll need to start a lawn care business, how much to budget, and where to make purchases.

What are the ongoing expenses for a lawn care business?

The ongoing expenses include labor cost, truck and equipment maintenance, and operating expenses. A typical monthly expense budget for a small operation with a home-based office would be:

  • Labor Minimum wage up to $15 per hour.
  • Employee Taxes – 7.65% up to about 15% of the wages paid
  • Telephone/Internet Connection – $50 to $100 per month
  • Promotional Flyers/Business cards – $75 per month
  • Insurance – $50 to $200 per month
  • Truck – $299 per month
  • Equipment Maintenance – $50 per month

Who is the target market?

How does a lawn care business make money?

These businesses charge a monthly service fee for the basic lawn maintenance service and earn additional revenues for any special services provided such as installing new grass sod, fertilization, and winter preparation.

How much can you charge customers?

How much profit can a lawn care business make?

Secure The Insurance That Youre Going To Need

Create your own Profile Card

If your lawn mowing business is classified as maintenance, then a standard general liability policy will be enough to cover most of your needs. Make sure that you include riders for whatever vehicles that you have in your fleet. You may also want to have damage riders included in case you catch a sprinkler head with your equipment or your lawn mower flings a rock through a home owners window.

If you are a contractor, then youll need general liability insurance and the specific riders, but youll also need to have a surety bond. Bond amounts are typically $6-$12k, but could be as high as $50k in some areas. If you have enough cash on hand, then you can designate a bank account with that cash to indicate its a bond. If not, then you can pay an insurance agency to extend a line of credit that will cover the bond amount for 1 year.

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Chance For High Income

As you grow your customer base and offer additional services, the money will keep rolling in and piling up. Yes, there is a chance of generating a high income from a lawn care business, but it takes time, effort, and the ability to manage others well.

While first-year income typically ranges from $5,000 $50,000, thats just when youre starting your lawn care business. In three, five or 10 years, as you grow from a mom-and-pop shop to the trusted lawn care services provider in your area or region, you could be making a lot more.

How can you get from starting out to growing fast a bit sooner? LawnStarter can help your lawn care business to leap years ahead in its growth.

Heres how: LawnStarters platform connects you to homeowners and property owners wanting lawn care and other outdoor services near you. The pro apps map shows nearby jobs. Just click for details, claim the jobs, show up and make a great first impression. Youll likely have added a new customer for life or until they move.

LawnStarter also handles all the billing, the insurance, and the rest of the business operations of your lawn care company. This means you can do more of what you want to do and like to do mow more yards and make more money.

Set Up Your Business Banking And Accounting

Set up a business bank account to keep your personal and professional finances separate. Youll also need this bank account so you can:

  • Ensure youre taxed properly
  • Build a credit profile for your business
  • Monitor your businesss cash flow
  • Make bookkeeping easier

Once you set up your checking account, create a monthly budget for any expenses. This should include your paycheck, insurance, overhead, supplies, and marketing. You can always adjust this budget over time.

Keep track of your income and expenses throughout the year so you can file your taxes accurately. Be aware of who youre filing taxes with in your country:

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Get The Right Lawn Care Equipment And Tools

To start a lawn mowing business, you need a lawn mower and a van or truck for transportation. With enough skill and expertise, one mower is all you need to offer high-quality mowing that brings you repeat business and referrals.

Here are the basic types of lawn mower you can choose from:

  • A push mower is the best option for new lawn care professionals. Theyre cheap, easy to use and maintain, and they work great for smaller yards.
  • A walk-behind mower or self-propelled mower can move on its own, cut through thicker grass, and cover more ground in less time. Theyre larger and more powerful than push mowers, so they cost quite a bit more than push mowers.
  • A riding lawn mower lets you sit and drive with a steering wheel while you mow. These heavy-duty machines are ideal for large-scale jobs. You might also consider a lawn tractor, which usually has more power and can cut widths of up to 48 inches.

Consider buying a string trimmer to do more precise mowing. These trim the grass in tight spots where your lawn mower cant reach. You can also purchase an edger to sculpt the edges of lawns where they meet patios, curbs, and driveways.

When youre prepared to offer more lawn care and landscaping services, you can invest in:

READ MORE:How to price lawn care services

To profit enough from each job, youll need to use different pricing models for certain lawn care services. Here are the most common pricing models you can use:

How To Start A Lawn Mowing Business

21 Year Old Starts a Lawn Care Business from Scratch | EP. 1

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Practically any able-bodied person can earn money by moving lawns. But lawn care is actually an extremely competitive business. But with a desire to provide great service, a small investment and solid marketing plan, you can not only start a lawn-mowing business, but also make it successful.

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Create A Lawn Care Business Plan

In order to be able to have a thriving lawn care business, you will need a business plan. Just like any other business, this will serve as your blueprint to guide you towards your goals and will help keep you organized and motivated.

In your business plan, you will need to outline your budget,, how many people you need, and what equipment you have/need to start a business.

Set goals for yourself based on how much youre investing into the business, and how much time you have to dedicate to the work. Is this your side hustle or you main source of income? It could very well start as one and turn into the other, but if so that also includes having an exit strategy from your nine to five.

An LLC or a legit company pays their expenses before taxes. This is a very crucial component to setting-up your business because being an LLC opens up a lot more tax loopholes for you.

What Kind Of Services Should I Offer

Most lawn care businesses have approximately 25 customers they see each week and offers services like these:

And of course, these old standbys:

  • Fertilizer application

As you can see, theres plenty of landscaping services you can offer. Just remember to always provide an superior customer service experience for everyone you do business with.

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What Should Be In A Lawn Mowing Business Plan

Every business needs a business plan, but many lawn mowing businesses dont create one until later in their business growth. Whether youre seeking finance for a new lawn care service, or youre taking an existing business to the next level, putting together a business plan is essential.

You may also need more documentation to get commercial lawn mowing contracts, or to attract investors to your business. But every business is a little different. So what do you really need to put into a lawn mowing business plan?

In your lawn mowing business plan, its important to include your business description, your financial information, the business revenue model, an analysis of your competition and any official business documentation you have. All of this information is vital to your plan and the success of your pitch.

But each section of your business plan will be pretty comprehensive. How much are you supposed to put in each section, and how are you supposed to structure it? Dont worry! In this article, we have the answers to all of those questions, and more, on how to write a lawn mowing business plan.

Decide On Which Services Youll Offer

Landscaping Lawn Care Grass Cutting Business Card

You can offer a long list of services beyond lawn mowing. Heres a list of services to consider for your lawn care company:

Its wise to start small and only offer services youre capable of doing. You dont want to say youre an expert in a skill like landscape architecture if you cant deliver on that promise. Its better to hone your skills and offer the best lawn care services that will lead to fully satisfied customers. Limit your services at first and expand your offerings as your business grows.

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Protect Your Lawn Care Business

Once you start providing lawn care services, make sure your business is legally protected. Having a legal business entity is not enough. While an LLC, for example, can protect you from some liability, its called a limited liability company for a reason. If your personal finances and your business finances arent rigorously separated, you could find your personal assets liable in the case of a claim made against you.

Wait, you might ask, what can go wrong with lawn care?

Imagine your client has asked you to install a new lawn and treat it with pesticides. Youve sprayed the one-acre expanse as requested. Should this practice lead to your clients child suddenly breaking out in a rash, they could claim its from exposure to the pesticide and sue you for bodily injury and medical costs. If this happened, you could be held liable.

Bodily injury isnt the only thing you could be held liable for, either. If you get distracted while riding your mower and this leads to you damaging a part of your clients property, you could be liable for the replacement or repairs.

Thats why lawn care professionals need general liability insurance. General liability insurance can protect you in the event of a client or third partys claim of bodily injury, medical costs, or property damage related to your lawn care work.

Bonus: Lawn care insurance on your schedule

As you start your lawn care business, make sure that a client or third partys claim doesnt cut your business off at the root.

Consider Having Different Billing Plans

One of the best ways to get your lawn mowing business off the ground is to offer residential customers a seasonal plan. Give them a 10% discount on your honest estimate if they pay their entire contract in advance. Youll get a surge of capital that you might need and your customer will get a discount on services that they want.

Starting a lawn mowing business is rather easy to do once you get beyond figuring out what licenses are required. Secure a storage space for your equipment, start marketing your business, and then enjoy having a business that allows you to work all Summer in the outdoors.

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Your Business Mission Statement

A mission statement helps give prospective investors insight into who theyll be working with if they choose you over another company. Your mission statement is about more than just your lawn mowing services, its about selling yourself as an owner and a business.

Its very easy for different companies within the lawn care industry to offer the same services. You wont be the only gardening business in your town, so what makes you different? Your mission statement should answer that question.

Some things to consider including in your mission statement, are:

  • Your companys goals
  • What you offer that other companies dont
  • Your companys core values
  • The types of clients you work best with
  • Your companys strengths and weaknesses

Having a solid mission statement is key to building trust with potential clients and investors. It shows that youre not just in it for the money, you actually care about your clients, their landscaping needs and earning their trust. This is especially important in a business such as lawn mowing, where people are inviting you onto their properties and into their homes.

If youre not sure what makes your business different, consider the feedback customers mention in . What really leaves a good impression on clients, and how can you leverage that to the fullest?

Cost Of Lawn Mowing Equipment

Starting a lawn care business | beginners tips for your success!

The cost of equipment needs to be in your business plan, especially for a lawn mowing business. Having the cost of equipment as a separate section allows you to monitor the depreciation of the equipment and understand when it is time to upgrade.

As you will know, there is more equipment necessary for a lawn mowing business than just the lawnmower itself. Everything from backpack garden sprayers to leaf blowers to is equipment that needs to be documented, and this will only increase with additional services you provide.

The upfront cost, depreciation and maintenance of equipment is also important to consider when setting prices for a lawn mowing business. You will also have to factor in the cost of running the equipment, maintenance fees, replacement parts and refills. The fuel for your lawn mower for example is something that will quickly add up as you use it all day, every day, and that needs to be factored into the cost of your equipment.

This information will be used to shape your business projections and affect the financial targets and thresholds you need to reach.

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