Start A Lawn Care Business

Make money with a lawn care and landscaping business.

Archive for March, 2011

No-Mow Zones Create Bird Habitats

Mar 31

Posted by Lawn Care Business in natural lawn care | No Comments

During March and April much of the country is in the middle of bird mating season.  After birds lay their eggs, they go through an incubation period of several weeks after which parents need several weeks to feed and raise their fledglings.  Mid-March through August is prime bird mating (and fledgling raising) months.

Setting aside “no-mow” areas in your customers’ lawns encourages native birds to thrive in your area.  No-Mow areas do not have to be large and they needent detract from the aesthetic value of the lawns you mow.  The size of a no-mow zone will depend on the size of the lawn and the extent to which your customer is willing to dedicated as a natural area. 

Within a typical subdivision style residential lawn, a simple strip 5 feet to 10 feet wide at the back of a customer’s property allows a minimal amount of space for Killdeer and other ground nesting birds to prepare their nests and raise their young.  Bigger lawns allow for larger no-mow zones. 

Though no-mow zones require a minimal amount of care, they are not necessarily completely unkempt.  These area can be naturally landscaped with items such as birdbaths and bird feeders.

For more information on the addition of natural “no-mow” zones to your lawn care customers yards, see the document:

Helping Birds At Home
Backyard Habitat for Birds

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Stolen Lawn Care Equipment Trailer

Mar 25

Posted by Lawn Care Business in enclosed trailer, lawn care safety, lawn equipment, start a lawn care business | No Comments

Stolen Lawn Care Equipment Trailer

Lawn Care Trailer Wheel Locks

There was an article this morning of a lawn care business owner whose equipment trailer was stolen from his property. The thieves hack-sawed a lock away from the hitch, attached the trailer to their own vehicle, and drove away in the middle of the night. Luckily, this lawn care business owner had unloaded his equipment earlier in the evening. He lost his trailer but his lawn mowers and weedeaters are safe.

Unfortunately, thieves target lawn care business owners during the spring time.

In addition to hitch locks (like the guy mentioned above had) other deterent-locks can be used on your trailer.  The picture shows you two forms of wheel locks that can deter people trying to steal your trailer and your lawn care equipment when it is stored overnight or during a lengthy lawn care or landscaping job. 

Be cautious out there and be ever vigilant in securing your trailer and lawn care equipment.

Fence Clearing and your Lawn Care Business Services. Welcome to the Jungle, baby.

Mar 23

Posted by Lawn Care Business in bidding lawn care, lawn care customers, lawn care estimating | No Comments

Make money with fence clearing. Lawn Care Business.
500′ of overgrown fence line. Good money for a lawn care business owner.

Can you make money clearing fences for your lawn care business customers?  Yes.
Is it fun? No.

Fence clearing is one of those jobs that no one likes.  It’s laborious, slow moving, and hard on weedeaters & other lawn care equipment (not to mention your back).  Fence rows become overgrown quickly and since nobody truly likes clearing fence rows those jobs can generate good money for your lawn care business.  Especially if you have customers in rural areas where fence rows are common, you should consider adding fence row clearing to your list of lawn care services.
What’s so bad about clearing fence rows and is it worth the money?
Despite heavy brush that chokes your weedeaters, broken barbed wire fence sections that can penetrate your skin, briars & thorns that get tangled in your clothing, snakes, bees, wasps and poison ivy, a properly cleared fence row greatly improves the apprearance of a piece of property and makes the owner very happy (and willing to spend good money on your lawn care services).
There is good money in fence clearing if you know how to price your jobs correctly.  You can use the estimating software located in our (Start A Lawn Care Business) program to help you calculate prices on your lawn care jobs.  It is a HUGE help especially if you are just starting out or if you are looking to expand your lawn care business this year with new customers and new services.
Whenever we’re tackling an overgrown fence row like the one pictured above, I always have Guns’n’Roses playing in my head.
“Welcome to the Jungle, baby.”

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Make more money offering environmentally correct lawn care techniques.

Mar 19

Posted by Lawn Care Business in customers, environment, lawn care business, lawn care customers, lawn care pollution | No Comments

A healthy lawn and green grass

Proper mowing leads to a healthier lawn.

Mow it low and go.

Arghhh…how many customers do you have that want you to show up to their property every two weeks, mow their grass as low as your blades will allow, and go away for another two weeks until the grass is, once again, two feet high? 

While the money is often good with these types of basic lawn care customers, there is something unfulfilling about performing the lowest form of lawn care services demanded by some customers…mow it low, and go.

It is springtime right now and many of you who are just getting started with your lawn care companies are looking for any customers you can find.  I understand that you probably don’t care if you have 100 “mow it low and go” customers…you just want to be mowing grass and making money.

However, as you are acquiring customers this spring, I want to challenge each of you to attract as many customers as you can who want to care for their lawns in a proper, environmentally responsible fashion.  We’re not talking about customers who want to apply lots of fertilizers and pesticides and expect a perfectly manicured lawn each week.  We are talking about customers who will let you raise your blade to a proper height, practice integrated pest management, install water gardens & natural areas, and build good soil by leaving well-mulched clippings on the lawn.

Attracting a few customers who are keenly interested in having healthy lawns will teach you a tremendous amount about proper lawn care and they will give you tons of ideas and healthy lawn care management practices that you can spread to your other lawn care customers.

The benefits of building beautiful lawns with environmentally correct lawn care techniques are far reaching.  Yes, you will be proud of the lawns and landscaping (and make great money from those customers) but also, great lawns generate amazing referrals.  And if you acquire the right customers and bid your jobs correctly, you should be able to build a list of top-notch customers who are willing to pay you handsomely to maintain their lawns and landscapes.

Do you want to learn how to operate a successful lawn care and landscaping business? Visit our main webpage to learn more about our “Start A Lawn Care Business” guidebook and software business package.  This is a HUGE business toolkit which is perfect for anyone just starting in the business or anyone who is looking to expand a lawn care business.

Make More Money With Your Lawn Care Business
http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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Lawn Care Companies, Secure Your Equipment.

Mar 17

Posted by Lawn Care Business in enclosed trailer, lawn care safety, lawn equipment | No Comments

Secure your Lawn Care Equipment

A tie-down rope dangles dangerously from a pickup truck.

Granted, this picture is not of a lawn care company truck or a lawn care equipment trailer.  However, I saw this truck today at a stop light and I took a quick picture to help remind us all of the importance of properly securing our lawn care equipment while in transit.

This guy was hauling a refrigerator.  Though it looked like the driver had attempted to secure the refrigerator with a thin rope, he did not secure the end of the rope.  Airflow over the truck bed blew the rope out and left it dangling behind him as he drove along in traffic.

This is a potentially dangerous situation.  If the vehicle behind him drove over the rope, that vehicle’s tire could be damaged.  Additionally, the refrigerator could be yanked out of the truck bed.  I tried to get his attention at the stop light but he seemed preoccupied as he drove off.

We are all in a hurry from time to time.  Occasionally, we load our lawn care equipment in our trucks or on our trailers without paying attention to small details that cause serious consequences as we drive to our next lawn care or landscaping job. 

Try to remind yourself that it only takes a minute or two to properly load and secure your equipment.  Before you drive away to your next jobsite, spend an extra 30 seconds walking around your vehicle to make sure everything is properly secured.

Be safe out there!!!

For more tips on operating your own successful lawn care business:

Hauling Lawn Care Equipment Trailers
http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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Mowing Grass for Foreclosure Homes

Mar 10

Posted by Lawn Care Business in bidding lawn care, lawn care business, lawn care customers, Uncategorized | No Comments

Make money mowing grass on foreclosures.

Learn how to make money mowing grass on foreclosures. This sign is advertising a free foreclosure list at a local real-estate office.

Can your Lawn Care Company make money mowing foreclosure lawns?

Lawn care business owners have faced a tough business climate since the housing bubble burst. We (StartALawnCareBusiness.com) have been guiding many business owners on methods of making money during this economic downturn. We get to speak with lots of Lawn Care Business owners and we have seen increased opportunities for the past several months.

Now that we’re coming out of the winter season, spring cleanup jobs are in abundance. Our financial winter is also coming to an end and the housing market is beginning to see new signs of life. Just this morning, I was reading a report that states foreclosure filings dropped 27% from February of last year.

Since the foreclosure market has been so big in recent years, we have become experts in tracking down foreclosures and making money upkeeping their lawns. The fact that foreclosure filings are dropping means that real-estate is moving again and real estate agents are becoming even more willing to spend big money fixing up lawns of foreclosed homes and businesses.

We believe the opportunity to make lots of money providing lawn care and landscaping services on foreclosure properties will remain strong all this year and into next year.

If you are just starting your lawn care business or if you are looking to expand an existing lawn care business, our guidebook will help you understand how to bid these properties and how to make great money doing foreclosure cleanup.

For more information on the business program, visit our main website:

Make Money Mowing Foreclosure Lawns
http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

Lawn Care Business and the Price of Gasoline

Mar 7

Posted by Lawn Care Business in lawn business strategies, lawn care business | No Comments

Lawn Care and the Price of Gasoline

Gas prices and your Lawn Care Business

Once again, the lawn care season is starting out during a period of rising gas prices. If you are new to the lawn care industry then you probably don’t remember a time when you could fill your van, the crew truck, all the lawn mowers, and the extra gas canisters for under $100. Filling all those tanks today costs over $200. Yikes.

Are you looking for ways to reduce the cost of gasoline for your lawn care business?  We have written many articles dealing with high gas prices and we would like to share a few gas saving techniques with you.

1) Maintain proper inflation in all your tires. Check tire pressure daily in the tires on your vehicles, equipment trailers, and equipment. Proper inflation will increase your miles per gallon.

2) Properly maintain your equipment. Oil changes, filter changes, tune-ups, and sharp lawn mower blades will greatly increase the amount of grass you can cut per gallon of gasoline.

3) Plan your routes carefully. Using careful routing strategies not only saves you gasoline but also save you time on the roads.

4) Store your gasoline canisters properly with lids closed to avoid spillage.

5) Close gasoline valves on your equipment during transport and storage.

These are just a few tips on how you can save gasoline in your lawn care business. Our lawn care business program contains much more advice such as how to properly develop grass cutting patterns on your customer’s lawns to reduce time and reduce costs.

To learn more, visit our main website:

  • Reduce Gasoline in your Lawn Care Business
    http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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    Lawn Care Business and the Recent Unemployment Numbers.

    Mar 4

    Posted by Lawn Care Business in lawn care business, lawn care estimating, money, start a lawn care business, Uncategorized | No Comments

    by:
    Start A Lawn Care Business
    http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

    Economists are so funny.  First, they make up forecasts based on their best guess estimates.  Then, when the numbers don’t come in as expected, they claim the unemployment numbers are disappointing.  Everyone gnashes their teeth and the stock market plummets as the television news stations make us common folk feel like the world is coming to {yet another} end.

    Maybe the numbers themselves aren’t “disappointing.”  Maybe it was the economic unemployment forecast that was “disappointing” to begin with.

    My formal education is in finance and economics.  I earned my degree long before I broke free of the cubicle and started my own lawn care business.  I will alway remember one professor who told me, as I was trying to analyze an economic report, “the numbers can be good or bad, it all depends on what kind of spin you put on them.”

    Yuck.

    Anyway, what do you guys think about the latest unemployment numbers?  Do you think that they are good or bad for the economy.  How do you think they will affect your lawn care business.  I will tell you what I think.  I think a lowering of the unemployment rate to under 9% is a huge step in the right direction.  As more people are put back to work, more people will have less time at home.  And they will have more money in their pockets to hire out their lawn care services.

    One other benefit of more people going back to work is that many guys who were cutting grass as extra income while they were out of work will stop mowing grass.  Less competition in the lawn care industry is good for the guys  who are still doing it and for the guys who are starting their lawn care businesses this year.

    So, if these talking heads on TV are getting you down and making you feel there is no hope for your life, turn off the TV and take your destiny into your own hands.  Someone is always going to have a bleak story to tell.  However, we (www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com) speak with LOTS of lawn care industry insiders and we feel we have a pretty good idea of what is going on within the industry.  Lawn care is going to be strong again and we think this year is going to be one of the best years in recent memory for anyone with a lawn care company.

    So, wether you are wanting to grow an existing lawn care business or you are wanting to start a brand new lawn care business of your very own, we hope you will stop dreaming and start doing.  Right now is a great time to get started.

    We would also like to tell you that if you don’t know where to start and you don’t know how to acquire customers and price your jobs, we have developed an EXCELLENT series of guidebooks and ESTIMATING SOFTWARE to help you start your own successful Lawn Care Business. Maybe by using our Lawn Care Business Estimating Software, you will be able to give better estimates than the economists. 🙂

    For more information, read more about the business program on our main website.  Click the link below:

    How To Start A Lawn Care Business
    http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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    Storm Damage and your Lawn Care Business

    Mar 1

    Posted by Lawn Care Business in lawn business strategies, lawn care customers, spring time lawn care | No Comments

    Hi Everyone:

    Storm Tree Damage and lawn care business cleanup services.

    One of Thousands of Trees Damaged by Monday's Storm.

    I want to send a personal note to everyone who emailed us with concern after yesterday’s storms in our area.  The “suspected tornado” passed right over our area and destroyed many trees and buildings.  Thankfully, other than 7 or 8 large trees in our wooded area, we suffered very little damage.

    As everyone who has ever witnessed a weather event like this knows, the cleanup efforts will take weeks.  Opportunities are immense for lawn care companies to make a tremendous amount of money cutting trees and removing debris.  If you have the skills and equipment to quickly remove damaged trees and haul off broken branches, your lawn business can make a huge amount of money but you can also pick-up a very quick customer list.  Do a good job for these “one-time” customers and you will likely be able to mow their grass all summer.

    Out of disaster comes opportunity.  If you are in a weather prone area and have ever thought about starting your own lawn care business, right now is a perfect time to get started and be prepared for many customer requests of storm damage clean up work this spring.

    Again, thank you for your concern.

    If you want to learn more about our lawn care business package including the lawn care estimating software, please visit our main page:

    Lawn Care and Landscaping Business
    http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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