How do I start a lawn mowing business?

[shipwreck33]

I want to start part time but have no clue where to begin, how to get jobs or anything, I worked for parks and landscaping, so I have the experience, jusst dont know where to begin. I would love any help people has to offer, thanks

[ODTB]

Hello, I would try a search of this site as you will find the answers to a lot of your questions.I am new here and have been searching and reading the old posts for a month now.Have found some new good info everyday.I was in lawn care back some years ago in california.I have now moved to tennessee and decided to get back into the lawn care biz.Have a lot to learn still, but this board has been a valuble tool so far. hope this will help you and good luck.

[gregn]

I'm sure there are a million different ways to start but I'll offer my 2 cents. Since you've done parks and rec you should have an idea about some commercial equipment.

The minimum you need is a 36" deck or larger mower. Maybe you can find a good used 1 for about the price you would pay for a homeowner rider. For that matter, the Quick 36, which I haven't used, is priced decently for a startup.

Then you need a gas trimmer and blower. If you can get commercial to start up with that would be best.

A truck and possibly a trailer to get around in, and voila, you're in business.

Put some fliers out, some ads in newspapers, and go to it.

Good luck.

[cjm2783]

start letting your freinds know that you're going into the business. get some cards made up, flyers, and pass them out. you'll get business.

about pricing. i'm not sure what's the going rate where you live, but here i go no lower than 30.00. over time it will come to you. try to find out what others are charging.

agree with commercial equipment. just break down and get a good 21", 36" mowers. good straight shaft trimmer, blower, and you can build on that.

good luck,

cjm

[clclawn]

Don't know the best way to start, but the fastest way to fail is spending to much money. use flyers and direct mail to advertise, all other ways are too expencive for you to figure out what works. Don't go buying a 30k truck, get a 4-7k truck that looks good. Dont go buying a 8k mower, get a decent new or used walkbehind. get a commerial grade wb with a name you recognize. If you buy used get somthin vary common so you can get parts quick.

[cruelsummer]

hilarious, realistic post by seascape

http://www.lawnserviceforum.com/show...=August+better.


Can you support your family? Absolutely,, if you have a market. Thats where you want to start. Whats your market like? Lets say your market is really good.And lets say you come out of the whole full time. Just drop the corp. and start this gig.

Im not a betting man but im gonna go out on limb and make a few predictions.My predictions will be based on the fact that you have 0 contacts and virtually 0 experience running a business and 0 experience in the lawn care business.Not to mention 0 capital after you purchase a truck trailer and a couple mowers and 2 cycle peices.

Your first year youll get started early,,, but by april youll only have 9- $30 accounts and you probally wont like any of those. By the end of april you will have lost 3 of those and only replace 2 of them.

During May you will obtain 1 more account and get victimized by a late bloomer residential mulch job that has been getting bids since March. And finally your sucker ass came along and need a job bad enough to do the job for chump change. But,,,, you dont care cause you finally came up w/ enough money to pay some bills.Plus,, you got your feet wet on some mulch. So its really not all that bad of a thing. So now your a big shot.

During June (just when your on a roll) cutomers start calling and asking you to cut bi-weekly cause its dry and grass aint growing.So you hound up some more late mulch and take a few brush jobs. Your catching on.

During July you notice that 2 of your accounts are past due by 2 months ,the grass still isnt growing, and your truck payment is due again. But the phone hasnt rang in 3 weeks.

Get used to it cause August aint much better.

During September you get lucky. Its cools down and fall is showing signs. At this point the best thing that could happen to you is every leaf in town fall at once. But they ont,, they just turn a little yellow on the edges and hang there.But the grass picked up and some retired couple let you spend a day on a early fall clean up.You paid your bills and took your family out to dinner.

During October things get alot better for you. A few leaves are down and you bought a nice rake. You get a few fall clean ups and even think to sell a return visit in 2 weeks to at least 1/2 those jobs. Plus your still mowin. You paid your bills ,took your family to dinner ,and got 1 good drunk night out on the town w/ your buddies.

During November it gets even better. All kinds of fall clean ups. LCOs everywhere w/ box trucks and blowers. Plus you still got 3 cuts in. To top it off about 10 people have blown smoke up your ass about letting you cut theyre grass next year and mulch. So your excited. Plus you paid all your bills ,took your family to dinner, 1 drunk night out on the town, and bought yourself one of those really nice $500 Echo back pack blowers. Its your baby!!!Plus ,,, it finally dawned on you that a applicators lisence would do you a world of good. You get really down on yourself for not thinking of this in the first place. You can thank me later.

During December it gets cold. The grass shuts off and the phone quits ringing again.You get about 7 clean ups all month but you under bid 1/2 those cause you needed the work. You only got 1 cut this month and the rest of the time you sit around looking at your new back pack wondering how much youd get from it on ebay cause your truck payment is due. Plus,, xmas is coming. OH FK!!!!!!!!!! Good time to get started on that applicators lisence huh? But shiit,, you aint got the money for that. So you and your wife decide to take out a 2nd mortgage on the house to get you through winter.

During January you study for your applicators exam and plot out a advertising campaign. Just this shiit just aint cuttin it. It seemed like it was just ready to POP a few times but just never did? So you drive your self crazy all month trying to figure it out. But its to copmplicated and your thoughts just race and you get nowhere w/ it. So you just decide on a nice paper ad to go out March 1. Thats your best shot as far as you know. Plus youve been hangin out on here all month and heard everyone talkin shiit about flyers so your gonna try those to.

During february it snows like hell. But you aint got a plow. Some of your customers call and talk you into shoveling theyre drive ways. SUCKA!!!!!!!! But,,, you are the proud new owner of a Custom Applicators Lisence! Your future is bright.

Finally March 1 rolls around. Long winter huh? You still have 5k from the 2nd mortgage and more if you really have to. But your paper ad went out and the phone is ringing good. By the end of March you have 20 accounts and have done 5 mulch jobs. Hell,, this month alone you done grossed 1/2 of what you did all last year!

April rolls around and you have to pay your taxes since nobody suggested you submit quarterlys last year. So you discover you barely made a *** dime last year. But its ok,, that was last year,, this years looking much better. During April you aquire 10 application sites and pick up another 20 cuts. Not to mention your up to your ass in mulch and you need a helper plus another 48.

Get the picture?

My best advice for you is stay on the board here. Read everthing. Advertise. perform quality service at top market value,,, and dont sleep for 3 years. Your 5th year youll MAKE 80k and mowing will be a pain in your ass.


How long do you think it will take you to regret leaving to corp.?

How long will it take you to discover you really dont want a million dollar company?

How long do you think it will take you to realize YOU DID IT?
__________________
Mike

[Getter Done Lawn]

I love the post cruelsummer! - it's my first year..started last fall with leaf cleanups and your predictions are nothing but what has happend

- Aaron

[jmcclurelandscape]

Their are already enough lawn companies start another business

[shipwreck33]

I already have all the equipment to get started, I just dont know where to put my foot in the door. how do I bid for commercial contracts? I would prefer to just do residential for the time being but I wouldnt say no to a commercial account if it was a good opportunity.

[clclawn]

stick with res. take comm as they come. go after comm after you know what you are doing

[SixPackSuperBee]

Get your feet wet with residential customers and learn from there. Dont listen to jmcclurelandscap. You asked for honest help and he sends a reply like that? Not cool at all. Hang with it. You will make it.

[Phil Nilsson]

I want to start part time but have no clue where to begin, how to get jobs or anything, I worked for parks and landscaping, so I have the experience, jusst dont know where to begin. I would love any help people has to offer, thanks

Begin with a real simple business plan.

[MowMoney]

i started my lawn business a little over 4 years ago part time...as of 2 years ago i went full time. im not going to say owning your own business is the greatest thing for everybody...but for me i dont think i can ever work for the man again. starting out part time would be the best thing to do its not going to be you only source of income so really you dont have that much to loose. start with residentials and take care of them..treat them like your babies because if you have a good relationship with them they will keep you for a really long time...commerical accounts its all about the $$$$,someone cheaper will come along and your out of there. never quit looking for business, in this business as soon as you are happy with how big your business is you loose a few accounts and then you will be scrambling looking for ways to make payroll, mower payments, truck payments, ect. set yourself apart...there are a million lawn business but only 1/4 of them do good work,show up everyweek, and give honest work for honest prices. and i think the most important rule...dont get to big to fast. owning a lawn business has been super stressfull but i love it, ive made more money now than i have in my whole life, and im happy, thats the most important thing. good luck.