10 Top Tips for Starting a Lawn Care Business

Landscaping is a $99 billion industry. Are you looking to get a piece of that profit?

Starting a lawn care business may be a good fit if you love being outdoors and have a good understanding of how to care for lawns.

You can start a small lawn care business relatively easily with minimal investment. Growing gradually helps you remain profitable.

Not sure where to start?

We have 10 tips for starting your lawn care business to help you get started.

1. Get Permits and Licenses

The requirements to start a business vary by area. Most areas require a business license to operate your company. 

You may also need a license for your lawn care business. If you offer additional services, such as herbicide and pesticide application, you’ll probably need a specific license to do that.

2. Investigate the Local Market

Before you start a business, look at the other local lawn care options. Is the market saturated, or is there room for another lawn care company?

If you live in a small community that already has multiple lawn care services, you may have trouble finding enough clients to support your business.

Find a way to set yourself apart in the current market to make your company more profitable.

3. Decide on Your Working Conditions

Decide on the scope of your business to help plan the rest of the details. Are you starting the business on the side part-time, or are you going all-in and running it as a full-time business?

It’s usually best to start small and gradually grow. This lets you keep your business costs under control and minimize the risks.

You may be able to run the business without any employees if you start small enough.

If you plan to have employees, determine how many you’ll hire initially. Consider the total cost of having employees, including benefits, payroll taxes, and workers’ compensation insurance.

4. Choose a Target Customer

Narrowing down your target market to certain types of clients or services can help with marketing. It can also help you focus your equipment purchases based on what you’ll need for those services.

Your market research can help you find niches that aren’t well-covered in your area. You might target a specific neighborhood or market to small business owners who need lawn care services.

5. Consider Equipment Needs

It’s important that you know what type of services you’ll offer before you buy your equipment. You’ll need a commercial-quality mower and trimming equipment for basic lawn care.

Spreaders and aerators expand your options for additional lawn care treatments.

If you plan to add landscaping services to your lineup, you may need additional equipment, such as a tiller and basic gardening and landscaping tools.

Start with the required equipment based on the services you plan to provide. You can add to your collection of equipment as you grow and make more profits.

6. Line Up a Vehicle

Beyond the lawn care equipment, you’ll need a reliable work vehicle to haul your mowers and other equipment to your job sites. If you’re working solo or only have one employee helping you, start out with one work truck.

Find trailers for sale to hook up to your truck. Drop deck trailers work well because you can load and unload your mowers quickly and safely.

As you expand, you’ll need more vehicles and trailers. This allows you to send out multiple teams at the same time to different job sites.

7. Have a Base of Operations

Having a base of operations helps you run your lawn care business properly. When you first start, you might run it from your home. Find a dedicated space for the business management tasks, even if it’s just a desk and file cabinet in another room.

You’ll also need a secure storage spot. When you invest in your lawn care equipment, you want to make it last. If you don’t have a garage or shed with enough space, add one to your property for the lawn equipment.

As you grow, consider expanding to a commercial property. This gives you more room for additional equipment.

8. Create a Marketing Plan

Develop a marketing plan to promote your business. You may already have a few neighbors, friends, and acquaintances lined up as customers, but you’ll want to expand beyond that to make a profit.

Online marketing is typically the most cost-effective option. It’s also easy to manage and effective.

Start with social media platforms, which are free and full of potential clients. Engaging with followers on those platforms builds your reputation in your area.

Local advertising is also effective since your clients will all be local. Use targeted advertising to reach local audiences.

9. Start Finding Clients

Your current circle is a good place to start to grow your clientele. Even if your acquaintances don’t want lawn care services themselves, they can spread the word for you.

Providing quality service to your first customers is also important. When you do a good job and provide reliable service, those people are more likely to give your name to their friends. Referrals can help grow your business quickly.

10. Make a Plan for the Off-Season

Depending on your climate, lawn care is often a seasonal business. Once the temps drop and the lawns go dormant, your work slows significantly.

If you’re running this as a full-time business, you need a plan for the offseason.

You can extend the season beyond mowing by providing fall lawn prep, including fertilizing. You can also offer lawn cleanup by removing leaves for clients.

Start the season earlier in the spring by offering fertilizing, overseeding, aerating, and dethatching. 

In the winter, consider offering snow removal services if you live in an area with snow.

You can also use slower times to ramp up your marketing for your busy season. Handle the administrative tasks during the downtime, so you can spend more time working for clients in the summer.

Starting a Lawn Care Business

If you’re thinking of starting a lawn care business, it’s a good idea to have a solid plan first. The business requires some initial investments to get commercial-quality equipment, but you can start it relatively easy if you start small. Keep reading to find more articles that can help you start your business.