Do you enjoy being outdoors and working with people while having a passion for being your boss? Then, you are ready to learn how to start a lawn care business, which is a perfect fit for your professional plan.

For many people, building a home with a luster lawn is a dream come true. Yet with that comes the undeniable need for lawn care, a task that almost every house owner outsources to professionals.

However, starting a lawn care firm takes more than having a mower and rake. You should have the right steps, skills and tools to help you on your way. 

Read this guide to start your own lawn care business to set yourself apart in the market!

What is a Lawn Care Business?

When you think of starting a lawn care business, it is not just about cutting the grass and tree timing. Lawn care is a seasonal business providing mowing services and maintaining lawns for people. The main motive of this business is to give a lawn a new look and make it best from the inside out. In short, lawn care is about ensuring the entire ecosystem of your client’s yard is balanced and healthy while looking great all year long.

Here are some other advantages of starting a lawn care business.

• Stable and repeat business: The lawn care business is perpetual, meaning it is consistent and continual. Your customer base always needs their lawn mowed at least once a week so that you can build a stable book of business.
• Revenue generation consumables: Lawns require special fertilizers and treatments once every four to six weeks. These services are considered consumables, meaning recurring product usage can provide your business with an attractive model.
• Scalable: You can start a lawn care business with one service and extend it with other offerings. It might include landscaping services, new sod installation, gardening, weeding, and more. Such a myriad of options will help you scale up in the market with the evolving demands of customers.

Lawn Care vs. Landscaping vs. Gardening – What's the Difference?

Lawn care, landscaping, and gardening are distinct types of businesses, but their services overlap with each other. The common thread between these services is that they encompass the work area that tends to surround a residential or commercial building.

• Lawn care companies focus on keeping the lawn looking good. It certainly involves grass cutting with a lawnmower, clearing bushes, and more.
• Landscaping is specific to designing the layout of a landscape. It involves strategic planning of plants around the property, building hardscapes like waterfalls, and more.
• Gardening refers to small-scale landscaping. It includes building flower beds and small boxed gardens and tending to the plants to keep them looking great and healthy.

How to Start a Lawn Care Business? 

Are you ready to take the first step toward building a thriving business? Here’s your step-by-step guide to starting a lawn care business.

Step 1. Conduct a Thorough Market Research.

Before starting a lawn care business, make sure to do extensive research in the market. This will tell you the demand for your service in the community. You can also find out whether you can turn your ideal into a successful venture. The research also helps you find potential customers, competition, and a niche for your business. You can utilize these valuable resources to find a competitive edge for your firm.

Conduct the market research for your lawn care business by keeping in mind the following concerns.

• Is there a scope for your idea in the industry?
• Who is your competitor?
• What are the challenges of your business idea and model in the market?

Step 2. Register Your Business

To legally begin your lawn care business, you must register with the local or state governments. Here’s how it works.

• Pick a business structure: You can choose a specific business structure, including.

1. Sole proprietorship if you work alone and have complete control of your business
2. A partnership if you work with two or more partners who will be legally considered in the registration.
3. Limited liability company if you have medium-to high-risk businesses.

• Apply for EIN: If you have employees or partners, you must apply for an EIN (Employer Identification Number), a unique ID used for reporting taxes.
• Register the name: Choose a name that reflects your values and services for your lawn care business. The name registration process varies depending on the regional government.

Step 3. Decide on Your Designated Services.

If you are looking to start a lawn care business with a profitable kick-start, consider providing a list of services you want to offer. You can offer mowing and edging services, while also adding additional services to your business plan.

For instance, you can also sell insecticide and fertilizer directly to clients. In addition to mowing, you can install new lawns, plant native species, and more. Seasonal services like pruning trees and snow removal will also help you add value to your expertise and increase your revenue stream simultaneously.

Step 4. Purchase Essential Equipment.

Beginning a lawn care business is a great way to earn and live your best. However, starting a business demands some budget, considering the start-up cost and additional costs. It includes the cost of purchasing lawn care equipment and other necessary products. At the base level, you might use the following equipment to get started.

• Mower,
• Edger,
• Electric string trimmer,
• Leaf bowler,
• Mowing goggles,
• Safety ear muffs,
• Gardening glove,
• Gas cans,
• Lawn bags.

To transport the equipment from your firm to the client’s space, you might need a reliable truck or trailer. Hence, ensure that you invest in good equipment to carry out your lawn care work as seamlessly as possible.

Step 5. Acquire Appropriate Business Insurance.

Make sure to include the insurance element in your priority list. It is important to protect your business with the appropriate insurance coverage legally if something goes wrong. Check with your local insurance policy provider to understand the specific kind of insurance you need. For instance,

• Get general liability insurance to protect you in the event of property damage by clients or third parties or bodily injury.
• Claim business equipment protection insurance for your reliable equipment and commercial auto coverage for work vehicles. It will help you avoid paying out of pocket during unexpected accidents.

Step 6. Set a Price Budget For Your Services.

You need to fix a fair budget for your lawn care services to attract paying customers while earning profit from every job. To set it in the right way, you should

• Verify the average lawn care rates in your area,
• Calculate the labor costs,
• Add your overhead, equipment, and material costs,
• Decide on your profit margins.

Step 7. Engage with Potential Employees

Eventually, after starting your business, you need to hire potential lawn care technicians to help you invest in one more job. Having a proficient team will also give you more time to focus on marketing, sales, scheduling, or your business. Here are some tips for finding the right talent for your business:

• Write a lawn care job description that focuses on the employee’s responsibilities.
• Create a job posting and share it on reliable websites.
• Prepare relevant questions to ask the employee before you shortlist them.
• Check references and conduct a background check. 
• Prepare to train the employees once they are selected.

Step 8. Come up with a Contemporary Marketing Plan.

Creating a lawn marketing strategy for your customers doesn't have to be time-consuming or expensive. You should focus on recurring customers and building a good relationship with them. Here’s how you can build an effective plan:

• Referrals: Referrals or word-of-mouth are compelling marketing strategies for any business. Once you complete a job, give the client your business cards to encourage them to contact you again, or they can pass them on to their network.
• Social media: You can also advertise your business on social media so that your target audience can see your handiwork, and show you in action or testimonials from satisfied customers. 
• Email marketing: You can also opt for email marketing to keep your customers in the loop with your business. Create a marketing strategy and execute it flawlessly using a reliable platform in the market.

Limitations in Starting A Lawn Business

When you think about how to start lawn care business, it doesn't come without potential challenges; where some of them are:

• Labor shortage: Most people these days do not want to work outside or work hard. As a business owner in the industry, your challenge lies in finding employees with like minds to achieve success.
• Excess competition: Another challenge in the lawn care business is competition. Nowadays, almost a new lawn care company is established every week, which makes it difficult for you to thrive in the market.
• Upfront costs: Depending on the type of lawn care business you choose, you will have to invest in equipment and transportation facilities, which require considerable upfront cash.

Wrapping Up!

When it comes to how to start a lawn care business, the experience can be both exciting and daunting. Nonetheless, the business can provide you with a rewarding and steady form of income throughout the year. 

Homeowners and business owners are starting to rely on reliable lawn care services. Starting your lawn care business has its unique learning curve. However, while you grow and gain customers, you will inevitably achieve consistent growth and continued profit in the long term.

When it comes to marketing, the best way to promote and reach out to potential customers is through one-page website and digital marketing which mainly includes social media and email marketing. 

If you are looking for a platform through which you can host your one-page website and build email campaigns to convert leads into customers, consider Neo. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the objective of a lawn care business?

The primary motive of the lawn care business is to maintain the health, color, and vitality of your existing lawns throughout the years. As per the business niche, the services, from grass cutting to fertilization, can be offered for residential customers, commercial customers, or even both.

2. How to start a lawn care business?

To learn how to start lawn care business, you should understand the following fundamental steps:

• Understand the objective of the business.
• Do extensive market research.
• Focus on your business strategy.
• Develop your marketing strategy.
• Build a budget.
• Create an eye-catching business portfolio.

3. What are the challenges in the landscaping business?

Entrepreneurs may face the following challenges in the real-world scenario.

• Finding the right niche in the current market.
• Marketing the business to the right audience.
• Competing with the established business.

Q4. Is starting a lawn care business a profitable one?

Learning how to start a lawn business can be a profitable idea for aspiring entrepreneurs. Nowadays, more and more people are becoming eco-consumptive, which makes them focus on their gardens/nurseries in their homes. Customers are considering indoor gardens and green zones in apartments to be basic interior décor. As such, we can say that the lawn care business is a market with ever-growing demand.

Q5. What are the types of services provided by the landscaping business?

Different businesses provide a wide variety of services in the market. Some choose their niche services, while some offer general services, catering to every customer's requirement. Some services that fall under lawn care are weed control, pest control, soil testing, fertilization, aeration, seeding, deep root feeding for trees and shrubs, grass lawn cutting, turf maintenance, debris removal, edge trimming, installation/ maintenance of stonework, seasonal flowers, and irrigation.