The Basics Of Landscaping
Landscapers come in all shapes, sizes and backgrounds, but they all share one thing in common: a genuine love of the outdoors and growing things. It’s what drives them to spend most of every day on the job covered in dirt. It induces them to learn the Latin names of plants, shrubs and trees-on purpose. And it makes them gleefully haul around 45-gallon containers like it’s child’s play rather than actual work. Sound like fun? Then you’ve come to the right place.
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There are numerous ways you can forge a business in either residential or commercial landscaping-or both. Some of the fields require more than just a love of gardening to succeed-they also require experience and formal education. The major career paths for landscapers include:
Gardener/groundskeeper: This type of green industry professional is usually in charge of keeping up appearances-he or she may care for plants and other greenery, and may perform that work in a garden, greenhouse or work shed. What sets gardeners and groundskeepers apart from other landscape professionals is that they normally don’t do any design work rather, they tend existing landscapes, although they may render other services like applying pesticides and herbicides, mowing lawns, doing spring and fall cleanups, composting, etc. They need a good working knowledge of horticulture and plant varieties.
How To Start Lawn Care Business
Do you ever think about starting your own lawn care business?
Russell Jeffcoat, owner of Legends Lawn Care in Blaine, Washington, did more than just dream about owning a business someday. He took decisive action by starting the lawn care business of his dreams, and then, earned $100,000 in his very first year!
Today, he rakes in between $500 and $6000 every time he takes his machines out and works on peoples lawns. Although he started his lawn care business with only $2,000 when he was a senior in high school, its a six-figure business now.
In fact, hes so busy, he often has to turn down work!
In this article, well go through the exact steps youll need to follow to start your own highly lucrative lawn care business. Lawn care is a $102 billion a year industry, and is expected to grow phenomenally with each passing year.
Youll discover everything you need to know on how to run a successful lawn care business. This includes tips like innovative ways to craft a business plan, getting your website ranked on Google, building long-lasting relationships with your customers, and a lot more!
If youre not interested in starting the business from scratch, consider buying an already established business here on UpFlip.
You can watch our two part interview with him here and here.
Without further ado, lets jump right into it.
How To Start A Lawn Mowing Business:
Before I focussed on building a lawn mowing business, I was running a general property maintenance service for landlords and estate agents. I also used to tidy the gardens and cut the grass, which ended up being my favourite part of each job. This got me thinking, is lawn mowing a good business?
Before you get carried away researching the pros and cons of every mower and strimmer out on the market, you really need to understand the how the figures will work in your business, consider who your target market is and how you will charge for your services.
Having had my 36,000 mile lawn mowing van fail its MOT for an unknown emissions fault last month, I was forced to consider the other options out there for continuing my business whilst my van was either fixed or replaced. This got me thinking, do I need a van to run a successful lawn mowing business?
Following on from our recent article on writing a business plan for your lawn mowing business, this article digs a bit deeper into calculating your fixed costs – the basic costs of running your business, regardless of how much work you do.
It should be pretty easy to be a professional lawn mowing contractor, right? After all, its just cutting the grass, anyone can do it?
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Get Your Business Financials In Order
When you’re starting a landscaping business, it’s crucial that you keep your finances on track. And we’re probably past the days of using a pen and paper to keep track of all your business expenses, schedules, and accounts. Even spreadsheet applications, though capable of handling large quantities of information, are a bit outdated.
Luckily, there are plenty of business apps out there that can help your landscaping business operate more smoothly. There are apps and software to help with everything from inventory management and payroll to employee timesheets so you can focus on the important things like actual landscaping work.
Clayton also recommends accounting software for new landscape contractors. You’ll be able to manage invoices and, depending on the program, even automate fixed asset management.
How You Can Use It
The step-by-step plan we share in this post focuses on the fundamentals to help you get all your bases covered for your lawn care business. Think of it as a launchpad for a zero to six figures lawn care company.
If youre hungry for more, we added links to different resources throughout the post to satisfy your learning appetite. Each section can be read independently, so you can jump to any topic that is relevant to you. However, we recommend you to go section-by-section to get the most out of it.
So if youre ready to turn your dream of owning a lawn care business into a reality, read on In this post, we are going to lay the foundation to make it super easy for you .
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Decide On Your Services
Lawn care services can essentially be divided into two categories: landscaping and lawn maintenance.
Many lawn care businesses offer services in both categories, but many only offer one other the other. Its worth reviewing these so you can decide which services youd like to offer in your new business.
Landscaping:
- Design the layout for a home or business
- Update existing landscaping for a client
- Improve curb appeal for houses that are going on the market
- Landscape design services for business that dont have their own landscaper on staff
- Optional: Hardscape designs for rock sculptures, waterfalls, etc.
Lawn Maintenance:
- Landscape business accounting software
- Optional: landscape design software
If youre just starting out, it may be difficult to scrape together all the funds needed to get this new equipment. Again, know that you can start small by offering a select number of services and then expand once you have more revenue coming in.
Formulating An Initial Plan
While planning to start a landscaping business, the formulation of all ideas should be in a proper format. A business plan includes many elements, viz. company description, market analysis, marketing techniques, financial data, key strategies, etc. Vision and mission are also parts of a business plan.
Jotting down all the thoughts in hard or soft copy can help in organizing the thoughts. Structured writing helps in clearing the haywire in mind. A clear plan is also essential for ruling out irrelevant ideas. Also, you can discover new ideas while screening the plan.
Also Check: Who Makes Greenworks Lawn Mowers
Finding Clients: What Is The Ideal Client Like
It’s simple the ideal lawn care client appreciates the above, and beyond service, you give them. As opposed to the undesirable price shopper that will go with the cheapest price they can get a year in and year out.
But before you start looking for clients, you will want to consider the location of your business and your clientele.
Get A Business License
A business license is absolutely necessary to start your lawn care company. To find out what kind of business license you need, contact your local Chamber of Commerce or the Small Business Administration .
Typical business licensing and registration can cost between $75 and $400 USD per year, depending on your region.
In all states, you need a license to apply any product registered as a pesticide with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . Some states require you to get certified through a pesticide safety education program.
To find out if you need a license for a certain product or service you plan to offer, check with your local Department of Agriculture to learn about your states specific restrictions.
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Keep Track Of The Weather
The ever-changing weather will really affect how and when you should take care of your lawnfor example, mowing your lawn the day after a rainstorm isn’t always the best idea because wet grass can clog up mower blades. However, the day after a storm might mean that you will have many sticks and leaves strewn about your lawn that need to be picked up and disposed of.
With an online Calendar, you can note essential changes in the weather and how your lawn care routine will be adjusted accordingly. Otherwise, you might be ill-prepared for a sudden change in weather that disrupts your ordinary routine. Being prepared for changes in advance is the best way to maintain normalcy.
The first days of spring are a perfect example of this. Farmers and gardeners need to be aware of those random days that feel like winter in early spring. Keeping track of the weather ahead of time allows them to protect their plants and crops from cold snaps that would otherwise ruin their harvest.
Don’t Wait To Register Your Lawn Care Business
Its inexpensive to register your business. In some states, its as simple as filing paperwork and going on your way.
You want to operate legitimately from the very beginning.
When you operate as just a person and not a registered business entity, you can run into legal issues or potential client disputes. Without an S Corp or LLC shielding you, your personal assets could be taken in a lawsuit.
Its not worth the risk. Make your lawn care business legal and get registered ASAP.
Find out more by checking out our easy guide to making your lawn carebusiness legal.
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How To Start A Landscaping Business In 5 Steps
Considering the range and depth of landscaping from residential to commercial, maintenance to removal and designing to tree care the economics of starting your own landscaping business are remarkably simple. It can be as easy as renting a lawnmower and knocking on doors.
My previous company was a lawn care business that I grew from myself and a push mower to over 125 employees, says Bryan Clayton, the founder of GreenPal, an online lawn care ordering service that is a bit like the Uber of landscaping.
Most customers have to deal with shoddy and unprofessional competitors, says Clayton. Creating a successful landscaping business is almost easy if you simply answer the phone when your customer calls, return their voicemails promptly, and do the work that you agree to with your clientele.
Sounds simple enough, right? But what else can a landscaping business owner do to move beyond the basics? Here are some tricks of the trade as you start your landscaping business.
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 Kind Of Time Constraints Should You Have For Your Lawn Care Routine
With sunburn and bugs, you can apply a spray and go your way. With lawn care, on the other hand, a bit more time investment is required. Grass needs to be mowed, debris needs to be picked up, and weeds will need to be continuously eradicated.
To keep your mowing, fertilizing, and other necessary tasks in order, the best thing you can do is learn to manage your time. Using an online calendar will help you keep your lawn care routine nailed down while optimizing your efforts so you can go back to enjoying the best of what summer has to offer:
Funding From Investors Or Partners
You may have a group of friends or family members who are willing to invest in your new business. Their funding might be part of the solution to get you off the ground with the equipment and initial startup costs. Make sure that you are on the same page with your investors about day-to-day operations and shares in your business.
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After Starting A Lawn Care Business: Dos And Donts
After starting a lawn care business, DO:
- Maintain amazing customer service: The only way a customer will refer your lawn care business or write a review is if you provide amazing customer service. It isnt just that you did a good job its that YOU and your team went above and beyond. You were kind, patient, and attentive. You didnt leave a giant mess behind you were on time and responsive. Its all about presentation.
- Look to up-sell: If you offer additional services, then look for any opportunity to up-sell. Sometimes your clients arent aware that they need additional work. For instance, a client of yours runs a day camp, so they probably need kid-friendly fertilizer and weed treatment, or maybe they could use a fun garden that the kids can enjoy.
After starting a lawn care business, DONT:
Make A Lawn Mowing Business Plan
Most of what you read about planning is not appropriate, complicated and confusing. The lawn mowing business plan you write down on one piece of paper will be suited to focusing your attention on the right type of development path. There will be some simple ideas you can edit and adjust over time.
Answer some simple questions: What sort of money do you want from you business? What hours and lifestyle do you want to attain, and by when? Will you work in the weekends? What type of jobs will you do? What geographic areas do you want to work in?
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How To Start A Lawn Care Or Landscaping Business
Cutting the grass isn’t for teenagers anymore. Put your landscaping and lawn-care skills to work by starting a lucrative business.
Entrepreneur
Editor’s note: This article was excerpted from our Lawn Care/Landscaping start-up guide, available from the Entrepreneur Bookstore.
When you think back to the long, lazy summers of your youth, chances are some time was spent trudging along behind a lawn mower, pushing with all your might and sweating profusely, just so you could make a few bucks to buy some baseball cards or a really cool bike. You may have occasionally mowed down a few pansies or zebra-striped a lawn, but you sure were proud when the homeowner came to the door, surveyed your handiwork, and forked over the agreed-upon fee.
Mowing lawns or landscaping residential or commercial properties for a living will give you that same sense of pride-while earning you some pretty serious cash.
The ProsThere are many advantages to running a homebased lawn care or landscaping service. You’re master of your own destiny, and you can devote as much or as little time to the business as you want. You have a short commute to work if you’re based in your own community. You can work at your own pace and at virtually any time during regular daylight hours. You also can enjoy the fresh air, get a good cardiovascular workout, and bulk up your muscles.
Landscaping:
Lawn maintenance:
- Lawn mowing/maintenance
- Landscape architecture services
Purchase Lawn Care Equipment
While you wont have to purchase office space like some other businStarting a lawn care business requires some startup costs namely, to purchase the lawn care equipment youll use to provide your services. At a minimum, most lawn care businesses require the following equipment to get started:
Youll also need a truck or trailer to transport your equipment to and from your clients homes and businesses. If you dont have one you can use, invest in a work vehicle .
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How To Price Your Lawn Care Services
To know how much to charge, you need to know how much it costs you to provide your lawn care services.
Lawn care pricing is where most start-up businesses fail. They set prices to be competitive or seemingly random, which is why many of them dont make it off the ground.
A lot of one-man operations are happy to be to make $15-20 per hour.
Thats more than I made when I worked for someone else, they think. Assuming your company’s hourly income is equal to profit is a bad idea. That’s how you own a job, and not a business.
The second you hire a lawn care employee, youre not making money anymore.
Why?
Because you’ll assume the same thing when you hire an employee. And then you won’t be making money anymore. When you scale your business, youll increase all the costs of running it.
You want to build long-lasting profit margins into your business. Set expectations early for your customers to pay you like a real business because you are a real business.
