NewsA properly manicured lawn ranks right up there with a white picket fence in our minds as the classic house. Nothing beats the aroma of freshly cut grass or the pride that comes with an even, bright green lawn for homeowners. If you’re thinking about beginning a lawn care company, you’re well aware that lawn maintenance requires time and energy that most homeowners lack.
While it may seem that all you need to start selling your services is a lawn mower and some time, careful planning may help your company flourish. With proper preparation, you may expand your business beyond mowing and into other in-demand services. We’ll go through the stages to beginning a profitable lawn care company in this short article.
Step 1: Decide what lawn care services to offer
While most homeowners need their lawns to be mowed, a little know-how and the correct equipment may aid when launching a full-service lawn care and landscaping company. Consider providing the following services in addition to mowing:
- Direct sales of fertilizer, insecticides, and other lawn care items to customers
- Weeding, mulching, and other gardening work
- Lawn installation
- Planting native lawns
- Planting natural pollinators and plants in and around grass lawns
- Seasonal offerings (snow removal in the winter, raking leaves in the fall)
If there is a need in your region for green and environmentally friendly techniques, expanding your expertise and providing specialized services might help you compete with other lawn care companies and attract more clients. You may also be able to demand a higher fee for your knowledge. Similarly, a rudimentary understanding of gardening might help you identify new income sources.
The services you provide will have a significant impact on your launch expenses. If you solely provide mowing, you may only need a lawnmower and a car for transportation. Other services, on the other hand, will need the use of specialized instruments such as wheelbarrows and hoes.
Step 2: Set up a legal lawn care business
You may begin setting up your firm after you’ve collected beginning funds to buy any essential equipment. Even if lawn care is a part-time or seasonal profession, managing your firm can help it thrive in the future.
Consider the following procedures to legally launch your lawn care business:
Check on business licensing requirements – Mowing services may not need a license. However, if you use pesticides or herbicides, your city or county may demand a permit.
Set up a legal lawn care business – If you need a federal tax ID to pay workers or independent contractors, you’ll need to form a formal business organization for your lawn care company, such as an LLC, S corporation, or partnership. Legally, you are not required to take this step if you are an independent contractor. Still, separating your company assets from your personal assets (through a sole proprietorship or LLC) gives you some legal protection if anything goes wrong.
Step 3: Purchase lawn care equipment
While you will not need to own office space as some other businesses do,Starting a lawn care company necessitates some initial investment, primarily the purchase of the lawn care equipment you’ll need to deliver your services. To begin started, most lawn care services need the following equipment:
- Mower
- Edger
- String trimmer
- Leaf blower
- Mowing goggles
- Safety ear muffs
- Gardening gloves
- Gas cans
- Lawn bags
You’ll also need a vehicle or trailer to move your equipment to and from the homes and businesses of your customers. If you don’t already have one, get one (and make sure it’s covered by a business car coverage).
Step 4: Protect your lawn care business
Once you begin offering lawn care services, ensure sure your company is legally protected. Having a legal corporate entity is insufficient. While an LLC, for example, might provide some liability protection, it is named a limited liability business for a reason. If your personal and corporate money are not properly segregated, your personal assets may be held accountable in the event of a lawsuit brought against you.
“Wait,” you may say, “what could possibly go wrong with lawn care?”
Assume your customer has requested you to build a new grass and apply pesticides to it. You sprayed the one-acre area as directed. If your client’s kid develops a rash after being exposed to the pesticide, they may sue you for physical harm and medical expenses. If this occurs, you may be held accountable.
You might also be held accountable for more than just bodily harm. If you get preoccupied while riding your mower and damage a component of your client’s property, you may be held accountable for the replacement or repairs.
As a result, lawn care workers need general liability insurance. General liability insurance may cover you if a customer or third party claims personal injury, medical expenses, or property damage as a result of your lawn care services.
Note: General liability insurance does not protect you in the event that one of your workers is injured or incurs medical expenses. If you have employees, you may need a workers’ compensation coverage as well.
Finally, consider Business Equipment Protection insurance to protect your equipment and a business car coverage to protect your work vehicle. Lawn care equipment, particularly high-end mowers, may be costly. If yours is damaged or broken in an accident, you want to know you’re covered for a replacement or repair.
Bonus: Lawn care insurance on your schedule
As you begin your lawn care firm, be certain that a client’s or a third party’s claim does not cripple it.
Obtaining lawn care company insurance with Thimble is quick, simple, and, most importantly, adaptable. In most locations, lawn care is a seasonal industry. If your city does not have year-round pleasant weather, you do not need a year-round policy. Thimble’s policies are only valid for as long as you need them to be: pick from daily, weekly, or monthly policies.
When you’re ready to sign up, just enter your ZIP code, crew size, and a few business-related facts to obtain a fast estimate, pay your policy, and get proof of insurance in less than 60 seconds.
Allow Thimble to handle your insurance requirements so you can worry about your community’s grass.
Step 5: Price your lawn care services
Any new company owner may find it difficult to choose what to charge for their services. It is, thankfully, feasible! Consider the following when determining the appropriate cost for your lawn care business:
- Identify your target customers. Will you mainly serve business or residential customers, or a combination of the two? Pricing expectations fluctuate between the two groups, with commercial customers often willing to pay more.
- Understand the market. How much do your rivals charge? Investigate how much your rivals charge for the identical services you’ll be providing; you’ll want to keep within a comparable price range. Clients may lose faith if you charge too little.
- Will you charge per hour or flat rate? Again, market research might be useful here. Many customers like to be offered a fixed cost for lawn care services because it allows them to budget for the ultimate amount. Of course, the flat charge might be based on the hourly rate required to be profitable.
- Factor in ongoing expenses. Running a lawn care company is expensive! Overhead expenditures like as taxes, health insurance, business insurance, marketing materials, mobile phone, petrol, car and equipment maintenance, software (accounting, scheduling, website hosting, and so on), and personnel should be considered. (if you plan to hire any).
- Add in profit. Pricing isn’t about making a profit. It’s all about making money. Add a reasonable amount to your fees to cover your expenses and assist your firm become successful. A thriving company will allow you to weather any unforeseen charges and build your lawn care service over time.
Pro Tip: When a customer requests many services, itemize your quotation with the cost of each service. This allows them to pick and select various services without having to say no to everything.
Step 6: Grow your client base with savvy marketing
Your company, like your customers’ lawns, need regular irrigation to develop and remain green. Use these marketing tactics to attract new customers.
Design a logo – A logo not only helps your company appear professional, but it is also an important marketing tool. Your logo may be included to bills, quotations, email signatures, and marketing materials. You may have it printed on t-shirts or caps that you and your staff wear. You may even get a decal printed for your vehicle or trailer! Use a free design tool like Canva to create a logo, or employ a freelance designer from Fiverr or Upwork.
Check out your competitors – Which marketing channels do they use? What do they do well that you can replicate, and what do they do badly that you can avoid?
Network through word of mouth – Many small lawn care firms begin with only one client. As you begin, consider giving reduced services to family, friends, and neighbors. You may even conduct a campaign in which you provide a one-time discount to everyone who recommends a friend.
Ask for reviews – When it comes to word of mouth, client evaluations are one of the most effective marketing methods for lawn care providers. Request that satisfied customers post you a review on Google and Yelp.
Print flyers and business cards – Flyers and business cards are inexpensive ways to market your new lawn care service around your city or town. You may distribute fliers to neighborhood companies and hand out business cards to possible customers.
Build a website – Website builders such as Wix and Squarespace make it simple to create a professional-looking website. All you need is a one-page website that describes your services, has your contact information, and includes customer testimonials.
Set up your social media presence – Make it as simple as possible for folks to locate you on Instagram and Facebook. Consider include images of any landscaping projects as well as good client comments.
A fresh cut awaits
You’re ready to go ahead and start your lawn care company now that we’ve covered the fundamentals. Remember that you must:
- Decide what services to offer
- Set up your business structure
- Purchase lawn care equipment
- Protect your business with insurance
- Price your services
- Grow your client base with marketing
At the end of the day, you’re doing a good thing for your community. Take the same care with your company, and it will be as well-kept as the lawns you maintain.
Thimble’s Lawn Care Insurance will help you get started right away by safeguarding your lawn care company. Simply provide us with your zip code and a few facts about your company. Sixty seconds later, you have proof of insurance.
Sources:
- https://www.thimble.com/blog/starting-lawn-care-business