How to Start Lawn Care Business
The Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA) delivers the Certified Snow Professional (CSP), which helps you build credibility to present yourself as a qualified snow care contractor. Start comparing offers here or click below to get started! Let Thimble take care of your insurance needs so you can take care of your community`s lawns without worry. Expert Jason Creel explains, “We need equipment to succeed in lawn care. People have different budgets and there is a good middle ground when it comes to buying equipment. In most cases, you don`t even need to register your lawn care business as a sole proprietorship. This is because when you start a business as an individual, it becomes a sole proprietorship by default. You have to choose how you want to structure your business. There are four main types: To start a lawn business that actually stays in business, you need to make sure you`re doing it legally. If you have 401(k) savings, you can withdraw it to fund the start of your lawn care business. In addition to being a debt-free option to finance your business, there are several ways to avoid tax penalties for withdrawing your 401(k) money. If you`re surprised to find the mention of “snow” in a list of lawn care certifications, don`t be. If you don`t have capital ready to invest in opening a landscaping business, consider the following options: As part of a lawn care business, you can find your niche by deciding which customer segment you want to target. Here`s how it works: Commercial insurance can be tailored with specific policies that cover common risks you face on a daily basis.
For example, as a lawn care specialist, you are likely to be exposed to property damage (such as accidentally killing a client`s precious bush or retreating against a stone wall, causing a game to fall). Whether you`re cutting grass in Lebanon, Tennessee, or doing landscaping in Marietta, Georgia, the job is the easy part. Getting and winning customers is the hardest part. At first, I recommend handing out as many flyers as possible. You should be able to attract at least 1 new customer for every 1,000 flyers you distribute. This is an inexpensive and effective way to grind it and attract new customers. Focus your flyers on density and spread them over a narrow geographical area. That way, you won`t be driving around the city when you start attracting customers.
Once you start getting your first clients, I recommend treating them like gold, as referrals are your most valuable method of getting new deals. If you`re growing your business, I recommend investing in basic online marketing. Here is our tutorial on how to promote your business with flyers. This is also the time to invest more in marketing. If you`re ready to expand, consider some of these more advanced marketing activities: Getting a contractor`s license is a way to hold your business accountable and protect your customers` interests. Another way to retain business customers is to enter into a legal contract with them. Most companies prefer that paperwork be done before establishing any type of relationship with a supplier, which can be a boon for your lawn care business. At this point, you can offer weeding and pruning as services. Little by little, investing in better equipment will help you expand your services to things like pest control, tree maintenance, and even landscaping. Lawn care companies should require their customers to sign a service contract before starting a new project.
This agreement should clarify customer expectations and minimize the risk of litigation by setting payment terms. Here is an example of a service contract. A clear plan is essential to success as an entrepreneur. It will help you identify the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. Some important topics to keep in mind are: You can start with a broom and a single push mower. But if you do a fantastic job and keep making money, it`s unclear how high you can fly. In general, you don`t need a license to start a lawn care business. However, you may need a license to provide certain services, such as fertilization.
If you haven`t done some research to make sure there`s a demand for your business, and if you don`t have viable customers, don`t buy equipment! The equipment you need should be one of the last things you buy. What will you do in the remaining months of the year to keep the lights on and pay for heating at home? Some lawn care professionals swap their lawn mowers for snow blowers in the winter. There is never a dry answer to these questions. However, with the equipment estimates above, you can get a good idea of what to expect to get started. This is often a win-win situation for you and your customers, as it`s easier for them to stay in the same lawn care store than to shop for a new store. The cost of the PSC test is $300 for SIMA members and $500 for non-members. You will need at least three years of experience as the CEO or owner of a snow maintenance company, or five years of experience directly in a snow-specific business. The average price of standard liability insurance of $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 for someone with a lawn care business is about $50 per month. Many lawn care contractors earn $5,000 to $50,000 in the first year. And once they`re in business for a while, they can earn up to $160,000 to $250,000.
Lawn mowing season runs from spring to fall across much of the United States, promising a steady income from March to November. One of the main advantages of a gardening, lawn care or landscaping business is the relatively low start-up costs. Ideally, you can afford a commercial lawn mower ($8,000), truck ($5,000 or more), trailer ($1,000) and other smaller costs for additional equipment ($1,000). The total cost of the equipment to start with would be in the order of $15,000. However, you might start with less capital on used equipment, but those savings will pay off with ongoing repairs down the road. The start-up costs of a lawn care business can range from $2,000 to $40,000 or more. It all depends on the equipment you have and the services you are going to offer. If you live in an area with harsh winters, you may find that your clients simply don`t need your services for this time. So, if you want to have a business that operates year-round, you need to diversify your offer, for example by offering snow removal services in winter. In most cases, you don`t even need a license or certification to perform basic lawn maintenance work.
“Wait,” you may ask, “what`s wrong with lawn care?” Well, how do you get to the construction site? Lawn care requires a lot of driving, so you need a reliable truck and trailer for your equipment. While a new truck can cost $30,000, a truck that is only three or four years old should still be in good condition, but more affordable – say, $20,000. Shop thoughtfully, take your time and your wallet will thank you. If you don`t want to be personally liable for your company`s debts or lawsuits, you need to register your business as a business. Under U.S. law, companies have the same “personal status” as an individual. “I`m not going to say you should get the cheapest equipment,” Creel says. “I`m not going to buy a house pusher mower in the big box store to begin with.
This will slow down production. Google Ads is Google`s advertising service that allows businesses to show their ads on Google`s search results pages (SERPs). Still not sure what type of business you want to start? Check out the latest small business trends for inspiration. Being the captain of your lawn mower sounds easy, but being the captain of your business requires more work and planning. The lawn care industry market is extremely price sensitive.
