Starting any business is a scary, and challenging proposition. Just like any other industry, there are certain do’s and dont’s in the lawn care business. I’ve gathered a few links that will hopefully prevent you from making too many mistakes when starting yours.

Starting a lawn care business

Lawn care business and software

Lawn care business resources

Lawn care business forums

Hopefully after browsing through some of these links you’ll have a better idea of what to expect when starting a lawn care business.

Starting your own lawn service business

One of the quickest ways to jump start your business (lawn care or otherwise) is to buy an existing business. There are of course disadvantages to this, but for many, the advantages will outweight them.

Customers are the lifeblood of any business venture - and they are even more important for service oriented businesses such as lawn care. The lawn care industry can be somewhat unique in that when you get a customer, there is a good chance they will turn into a recurring customer - the most valuable kind. In other industries, you may have one-off clients - those who purchase a good and you will never see them again. When you perform lawn care and maintenance for someone, though, there is a very good chance they will need your service again in the next few months, and for years to come. This illustrates the first advantage of buying a lawn care business - you get existing customers right off the bat.

Lawncare businesses also have a naturally growing client base. Obviously new homes present new opportunities to get new clients, but you’ve also gotta consider folks who might be first time home owners, as well as older families. First time homeowners might be overwhelmed with a new yard, and many have never had to maintain one before. While they might move into a home that has never had professional yard maintenance, they might not feel like doing it themselves. On the other end are the folks who might have maintained their yards for a period of time, but are starting to get a little older - spending hours on their knees just doesn’t appeal to them any longer. There’s a good chance they’ll start looking for professional services instead of doing it themselves.

You also have an extremely potent marketing tool - your work itself. Neighbors talk - if someone notices that their neighbors yard looks very nice, there is a good chance they’ll ask about it. You’ve got instant referrals just from doing a quality job.

Finally, to actually find a lawncare business for sale, you can do a quick google search, or check out this site for business for sale listings.

Starting a lawn care business can be a profitable, and scary, undertaking. These tips will help make this a reality. Note that this doesn’t deal with business formation or financing - you should speak with a CPA or your local bank on getting the startup funds to purchase the needed equipment and registering your business.

First, you should always keep the customer in mind. Without customers, you have no business. Basic customer service skills are an absolute must. For example, when answering the phone to your business, don’t just pick up and say, “Hello?” Answer with your name and the name of your business, and make your voice sound pleasant. You want potential customers to feel comftorable with you - you’d be surprised how much easier it is to get and keep customers if you just act friendly.

One of the best resources out there for those looking to start a new lawn care business is the lawn care directory. This has some great free tips on how to best get started with your business.

You should also take advantage of advertising if you can, and encourage referrals. Offer a discount to customers who either refer others to you, or who are referals themselves. For example, for every customer, let them know that if they refer 3 people to you, you’ll offer some of your services for free. By the same token, offer a 10% discount to customers who come from an existing customer. Pretty soon you’ll have a snowball effect. You might be getting paid slightly less, but typically if you get a customer, you get them for a long time. Over the course of your business dealings, you’ll more than make up that discount on bulk.