Start A Lawn Care Business

Can a lawn care business profit in this economy? The short answer is yes! Most get into this business thinking they can make some quick money, but few are able to sustain for the long haul. The long-haulers are the ones who truly love their niche and would not trade it for anything.
To make your lawn care company profitable will require hard work and great customer service.


  

Customer Service

Many lawn care services neglect basic customer service skills. Prior experience before starting your lawn care business will benefit you. Your customers will expect you to know your niche and be able to communicate it. They will also want a service for years to come, so having a great deal of knowledge about lawn care will serve you well.

But if you have not learned that great customer service will build long lasting relationships, you will scurry for new customers every season. We all have to learn from our mistakes. But there is no excuse for losing accounts because you did not pay attention to what the customer has asked of you.


Example: Mrs. Johnson said she was not going to be home next week when you come to mow the lawn.  She asks "can you please blow out my garden of any grass clippings after you cut the grass"? And of course the great service that you are you will take care of this small request.

To your surprise when you show up the very next week Mrs. Johnson is at the curb waiting for you. She is very disappointed to find dead grass in her garden. She let's it go this time.

Let's say this account was worth $35 per week to mow. That is $140 a month your company could have lost for what we call in the business "The little things".

Lawn Care Equipment, Maintenance and Compliance

Landscape equipment needed for your new lawn care business can run you into the thousands of dollars. There are many items that are a must when considering to start a lawn care business.

• Vehicle maintenance: oil changes, brakes, tires, etc., licensing
• Lawn mowers: oil changes, belts, greasing, tires, etc
• Landscape trailer: if you have an electric brake trailer, brakes and tires, licensing
• Insurance: Vehicle/s, contractor, workmen compensation,
• Employee payroll (don't forget to pay yourself)
• Department of Transportation Compliance for vehicles and trailers
• Register business with your state
• Fuel

New lawn care business means new customers

Competing for customers will require extensive drive and commitment. You will need to drive your company truck to a potential clients property. Since first impressions are everything, you must make this sacrifice and show up with the company logo displayed on your truck.

Accept that your competitors will win accounts by a mere five dollars. Stick to your guns and  never take a job just to get a job. Honestly there is plenty of work for everyone.

Example: Billy loses his full-time job at the local car dealership. Since he just purchased a lawn mower for his own lawn he figures will put it to good use. He takes on a couple of accounts hoping to make some quick cash, understandable.

Then one day he gets his full-time job back at the car dealership. Eventually leaving those lawn mowing jobs behind, because he has no time to take care of them.

Now guess who is calling the professional? You guessed it and they are looking for the estimate that Billy was giving them. There is a problem, Billy was not charging the industry going rate to mow those lawns. He lost his job and was trying to "make some quick cash".

The moral of this story is, established landscape companies will not be your only competition for new customers.

These are some of the experiences of my lawn care business.