The Investment Needed To Start A Lawn Care Business
For many people, starting a lawn care business is attractive because of the low initial investment. You do need some cash, but compared to other industries, its much more affordable.
Often, starting a lawn care business costs less than $10,000 initially, depending on your needs. It may not get you a fancy lawn care setup, but you can get started. You may not even have to worry about hiring employees right away.
Dont start with fancy equipmentyou dont need it. Decide your specialty early on and get the tools you need to make it happen.
Theres also a minimal time investment to starting a lawn care business. If youre considering starting a lawn care business, you probably already know how to do the work.
Youll need tools that fit the type of work you plan to do. That may include lawnmowers and trimming tools, but it also means getting a vehicle and trailer to transport those tools. And dont forget to take care of the legal parts of becoming a business owner.
However, youll need to put effort into marketing your lawn care business to get clients. That can take more time than anything else. That means youll need a website, marketing strategy, and other ways to get your name out there.
Kickserv can help you as you start your business. It makes scheduling clients easy so you can keep track of everything from the beginning.
Kickserv creates more efficiency in your business, so you get more repeat clients while tracking your lawn care businesss progress.
How To Fix A Dead Lawn Summary
In summary, the easiest way to fix a dead lawn is to prevent it in the first place . If thats not possible, then you can follow these steps:
- Apply post emergent weed killer
- Mow the lawn
- Overseed the lawn
- Fertilize the lawn/ Apply a pre-emergent weed killer
There are other more advanced things to keep your lawn from dying like applying lime or using core aeration. Its is a learning process and I must admit fun to watch as you make small adjustments to see results over time.
Now that we know what were supposed to do, I hope that lawn maintenance will be easier in the future and we wont let it get to that point again.
What do you do for your lawn care?
Have you ever had to learn how to fix a dead lawn?
Even Grass Needs To Drink
Depending on your location, nature may provide enough water for your lawn on its own with no help. Other locales are not so lucky .
Depending on the sprinkler youre using, youll want to water between 20-30 min twice a week. That should amount to about ½ in of water each time.
However, be aware of the time of day you are watering. You want to avoid watering between 11 am and 3 pm, the hottest part of the day, to reduce the rate at which the water evaporates. Watering at night is also not a good idea, leaving an open invitation to all kinds of mold and fungus in your yard.
Read Also: How To Kill Wild Violets In Your Lawn
Establish Your Business Now
Get started by selecting the right legal structure for your business. Next, all you need to do is fill out a simple application
Starting a lawn care business can be exciting yet daunting at the same time. From registering your new business to acquiring a lawn care business license, finding customers, and managing finances, there are many things involved.
However, youll be glad to know that starting a lawn care business is a lucrative business idea. The United States landscaping industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.6% from 2020 to 2025
Millennial consumers are becoming more health-conscious and are more inclined towards gardening, landscaping, and lawn care activities. This has led to an increase in demand for lawn mowing and lawn care service providers.
Before you start a lawn care business, lets take a closer look at the pros and cons of starting one.
Your Lawn Gets Hungry Too Feed It
Your lawns favorite meal is fertilizer. The nitrogen found in fertilizer is just as important to your lawns health as water, so knowing these lawn fertilizing tips is key to caring for your grass. Start with a slow-release fertilizer, so you only have to spread between 6 and 8 weeks instead of every 4.
The best time to start fertilizing is in mid to late April for most areas, when the temperature is around 55 degrees. Plan for another feeding in late May, and continue that schedule until growing season stops in mid-October.
When you start spreading, we recommend using granulated fertilizer in either a rotary or a broadcast spreader. Be sure to fill it on a non-grassy surface, such as your patio or driveway, in order to keep from accidentally dumping a bunch in your grass. Too much of a good thing isnt always a good thing. Keep this as a rule of thumb, fertilizing too little is better than too much. Most grass can and will grow without fertilizer, but using too much can kill it early.
Also, take note that the more you fertilize, the more you need to water. The more you water, the more growth you get, the more growth you get the more fertilizer you need, and the more you need to mow. Its a vicious cycle, but its worth it to have a gorgeous lawn all summer long.
Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Wild Violets In Your Lawn
Use A Variety Of Ways To Deal With Problems
Pest problems that keep coming back are often a sign that your lawn care practices need to change. These changes can include:
- correcting drainage or fertility problems
- adding lime
- increasing mowing height
- removing thatch
For help in dealing with common problems like weeds, pests, and diseases, see Dealing with lawn problems.
Amend The Soil For Better Water Retention
It is also best to have a good knowledge of your landscape.
Landscapes that have less organic matter and more sand will need a heavier saturation of water.
Conversely, soils that have heavy clay deposits will require less of a saturation of water.
Pro Tip! Soils heavy with clay should be watered once a week. Because , sandy soils need more moisture, every three days should be sufficient.
Also Check: How Much Does It Cost To Astroturf Your Lawn
Scotts 4 Step Lawn Care Fertilizer Program
- y_2021, m_10, d_16, h_19
- loc_en_US, sid_Scotts_bv32_4-Step_bv32_Program, prod, sort_
- clientName_truevalue
Grass does not live by sun and water alone! From spring to winter, be sure to feed and nourish your hungry lawn with these 4 steps. 5,000 and 15,000 sq. ft. coverage.
Step 1: Apply in early spring. For fast greening and to prevent crabgrass.Step 2: Apply in late spring. Kills dandelions and broadleaf weeds.Step 3: Apply in summer. Feeds and strengthens grass during heat & drought.Step 4. Apply in fall. Protects during winter and strengthens roots for spring.
Rebates Available! Valid 3/1 – 5/31 $20 rebate for 5,000 sq. ft. program$50 rebate for 15,000 sq. ft. program
Watering Is All About Timing
It is best to water the lawn during the early morning hours.
If at all possible, avoid watering during the middle of the day. This is the time of day that most evaporation occurs, lessening the effects the water will have on the lawn.
Early morning watering minimizes the effects of evaporation and this helps to nurture the lawn throughout the day.
Also Check: How To Kill Wild Violet Weeds In Lawn
Bottom Line On Watering And Fertilizing For A Greener Lawn
Knowing how often to water the lawn , means learning the terrain.
But now that you know how to water and fertilize properly, you just need to pick out the right sprinkler for your lawn.
Be sure to share this with your friends and family! But not your neighbor!
At least not if you want the greener side of the fence.
Create A Business Plan
Before you start buying landscaping tools and supplies, you need a plan. The good news is that this is one of the most complex and time-consuming parts of creating your lawn care business. It saves you time, money, and headaches later.
Your business plan should outline your:
- Equipment costs
This is where you come up with your business name, too.
If creating your business plan seems like it accounts for a lot of small details, it does. But you need them all to be able to function as a business. If you want to grow your business and run it professionally, a business plan is a must.
Each of the above factors is important to getting your ideal clients and serving them well. It also outlines what you need to know before starting, like how much money youll need for each part of your plan.
You should talk about your specialties in the landscaping business here, so you can work to promote those once youre ready.
At this point, check out your competition. Know who offers similar services to yours in your area and include how you plan to set your business apart from them.
This part of the process should show your goals from the start to several years from now. At this point, you might also want to consider using business software like Kickserv. Planning early means fewer surprises later.
Also Check: How To Estimate Lawn Mowing Jobs
Register Your Lawn Care Business
If you want to offer your lawn care services legally, you will have to register your business with the federal and state governments.
To get started, you should choose a business structure that meets the ownership, taxation, and operational needs of your lawn care business.
If youre starting as a solopreneur, you can choose to form a Sole Proprietorship or a Single-Member LLC . If you want to start a lawn care business in partnership with someone else, you can form a Partnership or a Multi-Member LLC.
Forming a lawn care company requires that you complete state filings, acquire an EIN/Tax ID, and submit necessary documents. Doing it all by yourself may be challenging but we have made it easier with our unique business formation packages. With these packages, we will register your lawn care business for you.
Why Starting A Lawn Care Business Is Worth It
Starting your own lawn care business comes with freedom and flexibility. When you work for yourself, you can create your own hours, work full-time or part-time, and hire people who work well with your vision for your company.
Plus, theres always a demand for lawn care. People want manicured green spaces, and many know that hiring a landscaping professional is the way to go.
However, you have to stand out in your industry. If you can do that, you can make a sizable profit.
While formal landscaping training can help when starting your business, you dont need a degree to get into lawn care. Many can learn skills as they go, as there are few formal education requirements for the industry.
You can customize your lawn care business as you like. Different companies have different specialties.
Some offer more basic services like mowing lawns and weeding. Others expand into tree care, gardening, topiary, landscape design, and more. As a lawn care business owner, you can choose the path for your business.
Also Check: Does Lime Get Rid Of Moles
How N P And K Are Mixed
If you look closely at most store-brand lawn fertilizers, they look like little pebbles of different colors. That’s because the N, P, and K are all separate. So, when you spread the product on the lawn, you don’t get an even distribution. Most Scotts® Lawn Food products have Scotts® All-In-One Particles®, which means your lawn gets an even distribution of nutrients every time you apply it
The Roles Of N P And K
Nitrogen greens up your lawn and helps it grow. Phosphorus stimulates root growth and helps seeds sprout. Potassium helps grass withstand stresses like disease and drought. That’s why Scotts® Turf Builder® Starter® Food for New Grass contains phosphorus: It helps small seedlings establish a good root system. Once these roots are developed, though, they can access the phosphorus found naturally in most soils, which is why you wont find it added to Scotts® Turf Builder® products that arent for new grass.
Also Check: Where Are Honda Mowers Made
How To Have A Healthy Lawn
Like many Canadians, you probably take pride in having an attractive lawn. Find out how to care for your lawn as easily as possible, while reducing the need for pesticides!
Many people use lawn care products like herbicides and insecticides to maintain their lawns. But “cosmetic” pesticide use is now restricted and even banned in many communities across Canada.
There are ways to have a healthy lawn without using pesticides. And when you do have to use pesticides, there are ways to use them safely.
Easy Steps To Start A Lawn Care Business
Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links that we may earn a commission.
Starting a lawn care business gives you the opportunity to have freedom in your work in a potentially lucrative field. But tackling the startup process can get intimidating when you think about marketing, finding clients, and keeping track of your behind-the-scenes needs.
These parts of the job dont look so hard if you take the right steps and have tools to help you on your way.
Contents
Also Check: How To Kill Wild Violet Weeds In Lawn
Establish A Legal Entity
It might not be the most exciting part of starting your business, but you need to create a legal entity before you can fully establish your business.
The type of legal entity depends partly on whether you hire employees or its just you. You can register your business as a:
- Sole proprietorship
- Partnership
Look at the requirements first to see which designation fits your business best.
At this point, you should have also named your business so you can register it in that name. This is a good time to start thinking about how people will perceive your business based on its name, logo, and other front-facing features.
Apply for an employer identification number , too. Your EIN is important for tax purposes.
If you dont have one, you cant pay taxes, which is just part of owning a business. Getting an EIN is free, so dont worry about budgeting for it.
How To Get Your Grass Green
Thatch is a common reason for brown spots in your lawn. If you want to know how to get your grass green again, de-thatching is a great lawn maintenance tip.
If your lawn has a brown mat over it, de-thatching is probably in order. We recommend examining your lawn to determine if you need to de-thatch. Is there a brownish-gray cover of grassroots that has grown together over the soil? If so, is it at least an inch thick? If you said yes, then detaching is the next course of action for you.
For smaller lawns, use a manual thatch rake with sharp tines that collects the thatch like it would collect leaves. For larger lawns, you can rent a power de-thatcher, and run it over the lawn once, just like you would a lawnmower. When finished, rake up the debris, and take the opportunity to water and fertilize. Your lawn may not look amazing for a few weeks, but soon your efforts will be rewarded.
Don’t Miss: Who Makes Cub Cadet
Get To The Root Of The Matter
Start by dethatching your yard. Thatch is that thick layer of grass clippings and other organic material at the base of your grass. Too much starves your grass of oxygen and nutrients. Shovel out a triangular plug of grass thats a few inches deep. If the thatch layer is up to an inch thick when you press on it, its time to detach. Its best to do this in spring or fall.
Evaluating When Its Time To Outsource Lawn Care
If youve tried all of the above and are still stumped on how to fix a dead lawn, then it might be time to consider outsourcing your lawn care to professionals.
If you want grass that looks like a green carpet, or a golf course style lawn, it might be time to consider outsourcing it to landscaping and lawn care professionals.
Even the most frugal of people that I know outsource their lawn care.
How much does lawncare cost in Vancouver?
Lawncare costs in Vancouver vary, it can be about $35-50 for a standard lot in Vancouver per grass cutting. Your expert lawn care person will know how often fertilizer needs to be applied and other things that need to be done to maintain a green lawn.
For all in one lawn care and landscaping that includes removal of leaves in the fall, this can be paid for as a package and we have gotten quotes of around $1000 a year.
One of our neighbours uses Nutrilawn and her lawn looks absolutely amazing- like you could sleep on the lawn amazing. Like the grass would envelope you in a pillowy softness and your kids could play on your grass all day and develop wonderful childhood memories from it.
Nutrilawn is not cheap though, about $430 for 1000 square feet of weed control including weed control applications and a controlled release fertilizer application.
Read Also: How Often Should You Water Your Lawn In Texas
