Start A Lawn Care Business

Make money with a lawn care and landscaping business.

2010-2011 Estimated Tax Payment Due for your Lawn Care Business

Jan 16

Posted by Lawn Care Business in Lawn Care Business Taxes | 1 Comment

If you operate your own Lawn Care Business and you make quarterly tax payments to satisfy your federal income tax withholding requirements, another important tax due date is only a couple days away.

The normal due date for the January payment schedule is January 15.  However, since January 15 falls on a weekend this year and MLK day is January 17, the payment due date is not until Tuesday January 18.  If you are like thousands of other lawn care businesss owners, I am sure you will enjoy the extra couple days to get your receipts in order.

This date may or may not affect your lawn care business.  So, check with your tax professional and read the IRS guidelines on their website: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040es.pdf

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Google Earth’s Continued Relevance to the Lawn Care Industry

Jan 15

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

It’s hard to believe it’s been 3 1/2 years since I was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal for their report on the use of Google Earth by small business owners.  The reporter for the Wall Street Journal had read a brief report I wrote concerning my use of Google Earth in viewing and sizing lawn care jobs.

Though I will be the first to admit that a lawn care company should never solely use an aerial or satellite image to determine a price estimate on a lawn care or landscaping job, services such as Google Earth can give lawn care company owners a graphical overview of areas of land that need to be mowed or landscaped.

Last month, Google announced a new Google Labs product called Google Earth Engine.  Google Earth Engine gives users tools to analyze environmental changes that occur over time.  Understanding our environment helps all of us, as landscapers, become better stewards of the grounds we keep.

If you are interested in the ways technology can make you a more successful lawn care business owner, please subscribe to our blog and check out the Google Earth Engine at: http://earthengine.googlelabs.com/#intro

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Add Snow Removal To Your Lawn Care Business

Jan 14

Posted by Lawn Care Business in snow plowing, start a lawn care business, winter | No Comments

Having live in the southeast United States most of my life I’ve never experienced much snowfall relative to the amounts of snow experienced by our friends in the northern states.  For the last few years, however, I have been spending more of my winter “downtime” far north of the Mason-Dixon line.

In fact, I’ve been closer to the Canadian border than the 40th parallel for much of the past 3 winters.  Being in that part of the country forces a person to think about adding snow plowing to their list of lawn care services.

Many of the readers of this blog have asked why we don’t add more content dedicated to snowplowing as an add-on service to the lawn care industry.  We listen to our readers and we’re definitely going to add more snow plowing content in the coming weeks.

Please tune in often and subscribe to our blog feed.

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Furthering your Lawn Care Education

Jan 14

Posted by Lawn Care Business in lawn care education, lawn care innovation | No Comments

As I spend this cold January evening sitting in a drafty coffee discussing business ideas with a few friends, I am reminded that I need to nail down my business plans for the upcoming year.

Like many lawn care business owners, you are probably enjoying a little down time during the colder month.  Winter is the time to recharge your personal batteries and develop your business strategies for the approaching lawn mowing season.  Yes, it is still only January but warmer weather is just around the corner and before we all know it the midday sun will climb higher on the horizon and the first sprigs of wild garlic will poke through the warming ground.

As you are making your business plans for 2011, I hope you will consider adding continuing education to your agenda.  I’ve been looking over many seminar schedules tonight and I realize that there many opportunities for you to learn more about lawn care strategies and general business concepts.

It really doesn’t matter where you are, either.  In fact, a few minutes ago I received an email from a lawn care provider mentioning a seminar in his home town of Ontario.  This lawn care seminar sounds very interesting and, if I were closer, I would surely attend.

No matter where you are in the United States (or Canada, or Australia, or England, or…) I hope you will add a education component to your “to-do” list this year.

By-the-way, we attempt to distribute a tremendous amount of lawn care business knowledge in our Lawn Care Business guidebook and training course.  Read more on our main webpage: http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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New Link Structure for Start A Lawn Care Business

Jan 13

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

Hi everyone:

New years often bring new changes and this year is no different.

This year, we are continuing our efforts to continuously offer free and fresh content to our StartALawnCareBusiness.com blog.  We are not the best writers or the best producers of content.  However, we are sincere in our goal of making this a great website for lawn care business owners to come and learn ideas and strategies to make their lawn care companies more successful in the coming year.

To continuously make the Start A Lawn Care Business website more accessible to our readers, we have instituted a new link structure to our blog posts.  We understand this is going to cause some confusion for a few weeks.  Links from other websites will be broken and you will probably not be able to find your favorite articles.

Over time, link will be updated and everything will sort itself out.  In the meantime, if you are looking for a particular article, please use the “SEARCH” box to the right.  It will help you find your article.

We hope that everyone has had a wonderful first week of 2011.  If you have any questions for us, please do not hesitate to ask for help.  We are always open to share ideas with you.

Also, if you have not yet purchased the lawn care business guidebook and software package, please consider purchasing it for your company in 2011.  It is a HUGE business resource to help you run a successful lawn care business this year.

Thank you and Happy New Year to all:

www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com
Start A Lawn Care Business

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Lawn Care for 2011

Jan 12

Posted by Lawn Care Business in advertising, lawn business strategies, Lawn Care Advertising | 2 Comments

Hi Everyone: Although we are currently under a blanket of snow in the southeast, I want to take a minute to jump on the website and write a quick post about the upcoming lawn care season in 2011.

Yes, it is cold and windy and snowy and nasty right now. However, spring weather is less than 2 months away. Before long, your lawn care customers will be looking for lawn care and landscaping professionals to perform spring clean up lawn care jobs. Grass will need to be cut, leftover leaves will need to be raked, limbs and twigs will need to be picked up and other lawn care jobs will need to be done.

Though you are probably not thinking about your lawn care business right now, you should already be planning your lawn care marketing. If you wait until March to start marketing your lawn care company you will miss many customers who want to make an early start getting their lawn and landscaping into shape.

If you are just beginning to think about starting a lawn care business or if you already own a lawn care business and want to have a much better season than last year, now is the time to start.

We have developed a professionally produced lawn care business package that will teach you what you need to be doing right now BEFORE spring arrives to get great customers and assure that your business will be kicked into high gear once spring arrives.

To learn more about the lawn care business program, visit our main webpage at: http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com
Start A Lawn Care Business

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Winter's Solstice & Lunar Eclipse – December 21, 2010

Dec 20

Posted by Lawn Care Business in winter | No Comments

I believe most landscapers are more akin to the natural world than the average citizen.  We feel the earth in our hands on a daily basis and understand the yearly dance amongst the earth, sun, and moon.  The cycles of each year are predictable far in advance and we know that the care we put into our lawns and landscapes right now will have far reaching affects once the growing season is upon us.

Similar to next years growing season cycle, the cycles of the earth, sun, and moon are predictable far in advance.  Tonight, a couple of the earth – moon – sun cycles reach a pinnacle.  December 21, 2010 marks the northern hemisphere’s Winter Solstice.   Tonight also features a full moon which is accentuated by a lunar eclipse.

As you’re preparing for your holiday celebration with your family and friends, I hope you can take a few minutes to nip outside in the early morning hours and view the eclipse near totality.

For more information on tonight and tomorrow morning’s astronomical events, visit the NASA website at:

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/17dec_solsticeeclipse/

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Happy Thanksgiving from Start A Lawn Care Business

Nov 25

Posted by Lawn Care Business in lawn care business, start a lawn care business | 2 Comments

Hi Everyone:

I just want to take a minute to post on here and wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

I hope everyone is taking a few days off of this busy time of year to relax and spend time with family and friends.  There is still much work to be done on your lawn care customer’s lawns.  Leaves still need to be raked and lawn winterizing needs to be performed before harsh winter weather sets it.

Have a nice long weekend.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

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Lawn Care Question of the Day – What Is It?

Nov 18

Posted by Lawn Care Business in lawn business strategies, lawn care business | 1 Comment

Lawn Care QuestionsIf you live in the Southeast part of the country, you have probably seen this “fruit” from a tree.  They fall this time of year and will make a mess in your customers’ lawns if you mistakenly hit them with a lawn mower.  They are about 5″ to 6″ inches in diameter and weigh about 1/2 a pound.

Today’s contest winners will earn the pure satisfaction of knowing what this is when most people don’t.

If you have a guess, leave a comment below.  Also, if you have a guess and you are a lawn care business owner with a website, feel free to add a link to your lawn care business website.

Good luck and check back for more Lawn Care Questions of the Day.

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DON'T HIRE THIS LAWN CARE SERVICE!!!

Nov 16

Posted by Lawn Care Business in advertising, competition, lawn care business, lawn care estimating | 2 Comments

http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

don't hire this lawn care serviceHave you ever been at a party; laughing, talking with people you don’t know, and trying to impress cute girls only to find that people don’t want to talk to you or if they do talk to you they just stare then walk away laughing?  After that party, did you leave wondering if something was wrong with you (or “what was wrong with all those idiots”)?  Then, as you’re driving away, you look in your rearview mirror to see that there is a big piece of stupid broccoli or lettuce between your teeth?

“WHY DIDN’T SOMEONE TELL ME I HAD BROCCOLI BETWEEN MY TEETH???”

The other guys at the party are your competition and they’re certainly not going to tell you about your problem.  And the girls?  Well, they’re just going to laugh at you and leave with some other guy who doesn’t have broccoli in his teeth.

Running a lawn care business is similar to being at a party.  If you have a problem with your advertising or your lawn care pricing, your competition certainly won’t give you any hints and your customers will just pass you over and hire a different lawn care company.  One of the reasons we developed the “Start a Lawn Care Business” guidebooks and training course is to help you develop your lawn care business to such a professional level that your customers will not pass you by. 

Why are lawn mowing customers passing you by when they choose a lawn care provider?  Are you charging too much money and forcing your customers to hire your competition?  Are you charging too little money and suffering from a perceived lack of quality?  Are your marketing efforts catering to people who never hire lawn care people?  Does your mowing equipment look (and cut grass) like pieces of junk?  Does your own personal attitude need refining to effectively deal with and retain your lawn care customers?  Do your lawns look like they were cut by a non-professional after you are finished with your work?

The “Start a Lawn Care Business” course will tell you what you need to know to operate a professional lawn care company that customers will flock to.  We have been in this business for almost 20 years and we’ve been on the consulting side of the business for almost 10 years.  The advice in our lawn care package pulls no punches.   We’re here to give you honest, hardcore, real-world advice about how to run a SUCCESSFUL lawn care business. 

If you didn’t make the money you know you should have made in 2010 then there is something about your business that is screaming:  “DON’T HIRE THIS LAWN CARE SERVICE!!!”

Where is the red flag?  What is telling potential customers to pass you by?  Is it your advertising, your pricing, your equipment, your service, your attitude?  Whatever it is, I am sure you want to know so you can fix the problem.

Pssst!!!  Hey buddy, you have broccoli in your teeth.

More than likely your lawn care company just has a piece of broccoli in its teeth.  Our business program will not only tell you about the broccoli but we’ll show you the best way to pick it out.  Okay, that’s disgusting.  But seriously, out of the hundreds of Lawn Care Business owners we have consulted the last several years, most of them simply have one or two small problems that need to be fixed. 

If you feel there is something holding you back from making great money with your lawn care business, our program will likely be able to put you on a great path to success in 2011.

To learn more about the Start a Lawn Care Business training course and Estimating Software, visit our main website at:

www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com
How To Start a Lawn Care Business

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