How To Start A Lawn Mowing Business

Background Information For Starting A Lawn Mowing Business

Starting a lawn mowing business is a great way to work out side and make a good income. A normal day as a lawn care professional may start early in the morning fueling mowers and trimmers.

Afterwards, you drive to your firsts property and begin cutting grass and performing other lawn maintenance tasks including; edging, trimming, fertilizing, aerating, shrub trimming, and weed control.

As your day progresses you may manage several lawns or only a few large properties.

Lawn Care Business Considerations:

There are a few things to consider before starting your lawn care business. First, consider your equipment. Larger zero turn mowers have a large initial cost but cut faster than walk behinds and normal riding mowers.
Next, consider certification. A lawn care certification can help you get larger jobs especially for government contracts but may be nearly useless for small residential work. Also, consider diversifying your work. Skills like laying sod and installing flowerbeds and hardscapes can bring in larger jobs but require more equipment.

Tasks, Skills, and Issues, Needed To Run A Lawn Care Business:

Whether you do all the work yourself, hire, or subcontract, here's a list of tasks, skills, and issues that need attention:

Marketing, advertising, networking, sales

Staying current with business matters such as licenses, insurance, and permits

Website maintenance and marketing

Money management

Bookkeeping

Invoicing

Scheduling mowing times and areas

Handle the necessary machinery adequately

Maneuver a trailer pulled behind a truck

Calculate estimates and submitting bids

Ordering of supplies such as fertilizers and pesticides

Knowledge of grass health and types

Experience in small engine repair is a plus

Knowledge of different fertilizers and chemicals

Equipment repair

Approximate Daily Hours Needed To Run This Business:

General Hours of Operation: This business is typically seasonal. Often in the late fall and winter there will be little work while during the spring and summer it can be very busy. A busy summer day may start at 7 am and end at 7 or 8 pm.

Hours Needed to Prepare: Plan to spend about an hour to load equipment and get to your destination. At the end of the day, plan on closer to two hours to clean and store equipment and chemicals properly.

Employees Needed To Run A Lawn Moving:

During the start up phase, you can run this business single-handedly. Once Your Business is up and running successfully, you may need to hire the following:

Lawn care professionals

Record/Bookkeeping

Receptionist

Specialists (sod or paver installers, etc.)

Approximate Minimum Start up Cost:

Entrepreneur Magazine estimates that the average startup for a lawn care business can be under $2,000 USD. However, larger zero turn mowers can cost several thousand dollars.

Background Information For Starting A Lawn Mowing Business

Starting a lawn mowing business is a great way to work out side and make a good income. A normal day as a lawn care professional may start early in the morning fueling mowers and trimmers.

Afterwards, you drive to your first property and begin cutting grass and performing other lawn maintenance tasks including; edging, trimming, fertilizing, aerating, shrub trimming, and weed control.

As your day progresses you may manage several lawns or only a few large properties.

Lawn Care Business Considerations:

There are a few things to consider before starting your lawn care business. First, consider your equipment. Larger zero turn mowers have a large initial cost but cut faster than walk behinds and normal riding mowers.

Next, consider certification. A lawn care certification can help you get larger jobs especially for government contracts but may be nearly useless for small residential work. Also, consider diversifying your work. Skills like laying sod and installing flowerbeds and hardscapes can bring in larger jobs but require more equipment.

Tasks, Skills, and Issues, Needed To Run A Lawn Care Business:

Whether you do all the work yourself, hire, or subcontract, here's a list of tasks, skills, and issues that need attention:

Marketing, advertising, networking, sales

Staying current with business matters such as licenses, insurance, and permits

Website maintenance and marketing

Money management

Bookkeeping

Invoicing

Scheduling mowing times and areas

Handle the necessary machinery adequately

Maneuver a trailer pulled behind a truck

Calculate estimates and submitting bids

Ordering of supplies such as fertilizers and pesticides

Knowledge of grass health and types

Experience in small engine repair is a plus

Knowledge of different fertilizers and chemicals

Equipment repair

Approximate Daily Hours Needed To Run This Business:

General Hours of Operation: This business is typically seasonal. Often in the late fall and winter there will be little work while during the spring and summer it can be very busy. A busy summer day may start at 7 am and end at 7 or 8 pm.

Hours Needed to Prepare: Plan to spend about an hour to load equipment and get to your destination. At the end of the day, plan on closer to two hours to clean and store equipment and chemicals properly.

Employees Needed To Run A Lawn Moving:

During the start up phase, you can run this business single-handedly. Once Your Business is up and running successfully, you may need to hire the following:

Lawn care professionals

Record/Bookkeeping

Receptionist

Specialists (sod or paver installers, etc.)

Licenses:

In addition, to a business license, you will need a Federal Employee Identification Number (EIN), insurance and possibly incorporation paperwork such as an LLC.

You are not required to have a professional license for a "lawn cutting" business, but that limits to "mowing, blowing, trimming, edging, weeding, etc." according to the Dept. of Agriculture.

However, certain herbicides and pesticides cannot be sold to the public; they can be sold only to those who have the proper license to purchase them. If you spray chemicals for a fee (such as a lawn-care business) will need a Commercial Applicator's License. You may also consider being certified as a lawn care professional

Approximate Minimum Start up Cost:

Entrepreneur Magazine estimates that the average startup for a lawn care business can be under $2,000 USD. However, larger zero turn mowers can cost several thousand dollars.