Start A Lawn Care Business

Make money with a lawn care and landscaping business.

Chemical Application – Additional Regulations

Mar 8

Posted by Lawn Care Business in environment, fertilizer, lawn care training, lawn chemicals | No Comments

After yesterday’s blog posting on new lawn care business owners’ need to carefully consider applicator’s licenses before applying chemicals to their customers’ lawns, we received several emails from large national lawn care companies.  

At first, we thought the emails were going to complain that we were overly cautious in telling new lawn care businesses to be cautious about risking stepping afoul of applicator’s guidelines.  To the contrary, the overwhelming majority applauded the fact that we told new companies of the risks they take when applying chemicals without proper permits.  In fact, a few emailers said we didn’t go far enough in warning of the perils of operating an illegitimate chemical application business.  They wanted us to mention a few additional regulations.  We will mention them below.

Before you think we’re siding with the large lawn care companies, we’re not.  This blog is dedicated to the small-time lawn care operator.  We are all for the guys who are starting small and trying to grow their businesses customer-by-customer.  It’s a tough business but it you do it right you can make a lot of money cutting grass and doing small landscaping job.  We have to give the big guys credit though.  When it comes to chemical application, regulations are designed to protect the environment, your customers, and yourselves from improper use of lawn care chemicals. 

In the process of obtaining your applicator’s license you will learn a tremendous amount about proper mixture, storage, transportation, and application of chemicals.  You will learn to protect yourself and your customers (and their children and pets) from dangerous chemicals.  Not-the-least you will learn proper application techniques.  

Anyone reading this who does not have an applicator’s license should make a goal of speaking to their local county extension office and making plans to start their course work.

Before I end this blog, I wanted to share a couple ancillary items lawn care companies must consider when handling chemicals.  Though I was aware of these items, a couple readers wanted me to point them out specifically.

1)  Many states (Illinois included) have containment regulations.  “These regulations are designed to prevent environmental contamination from pesticides and/or fertilizers.  Illinois law mandates that a containment area must be used for the loading of lawn-care products for distribution to a customer.  The purpose of the containment area is to intercept, retain, recover, and reuse pesticide spills, wash water, and rinse water from application equipment or other items used for the storage, handling, preparation for use, transport, or application of pesticides to turf areas.  Any application or handling of fertilizers only, application to trees and shrubs only, land areas located within a public or private rights-of-way, or land areas utilized for turf research or commercial turf production are exempt from these regulations.”   http://web.extension.illinois.edu/ipr/i4147_829.html

2)  Do you know (quite honestly we were not aware of this) that in many states (Massachusetts included) it is against the law for a homeowner to hire an unlicensed applicator “even if it is a well known over-the-counter product that anyone can purchase?”  In states where this statute exists not only will you get in trouble but the homeowner who hires you will get in trouble too.  That can’t be good for public relations and word-of-mouth advertising.    http://www.malcp.org/faqs.htm

Okay guys; take care of yourselves and make sure you are properly licensed.  We’ve upset a good many people who thought they weren’t doing anything wrong applying Monsanto’s Round-Up to their customers’ lawns. 

This blog has taken a serious turn the last few days.  We’ve got some fun stuff coming up for you later this week so be sure to subscribe and check back with us.

Take care:

Start A Lawn Care Business 

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Do I need a license to spray lawn chemicals.

Mar 8

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

We are commonly asked by lawn care business owners if they need a license to spray chemicals on their customers’ lawns. Unfortunately, this is a complicated question for us to answer specifically since chemical application is governed, at least in part, at the state level. Every state has different laws.

For new and small lawn care business owners, the question of proper licensing often arises as to the use of over-the-counter products such as Monsanto’s Round-Up herbicide. If you are a new or small lawn care business owner, do not be lulled into complacency by the fact that you are using a general purpose store-bought chemical. The regulatory agencies in most states make little distinction between general use chemicals and restricted use chemicals when they are applied by a commercial operation.

If you are reading this blog, you obviously want to grow your lawn care business and make the best money possible from your customers. It is difficult to turn down a customers who want you to spray round up on the weeds in the cracks of their driveways. However, before you touch that spray bottle (or even begin to consider applying any chemical) you owe it to yourself to check your local laws and follow guidelines within the licensing regulations of your state and community.

Seriously, guys; if you think that enforcement agents are too busy to worry about one person lawn care operators or small lawn care companies then you need to think again. There were a bunch of cases in our area last year where lawn care operators were given $5,000 fines for violating applicator’s licensing requirements. A $5,000 fine is enough to put many small lawn care companies out of business. I would hate that to happen to you.

For more information and help starting (and expanding) your lawn care business, check out our main website at: www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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Lawn Grips Work Shoe for the Lawn Care Industry

Mar 6

Posted by Lawn Care Business in equipment, work boots | 2 Comments

http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

If you operate or work for a lawn care company (or if you are just a casual gardener) you owe it to yourself to purchase a professional pair of lawn care work boots or work shoes. I wish people wouldn’t wear old ratty tennis shoes during their lawn care work. Your feet are important and commercial quality footware is worth the added cost to protect your feet.

This is a “first impression” video on the Lawn Grips 6″ Steel-Toe Work shoe. You may have already seen my review on the Lawn Grips Brutus Work Boot. I have been impressed with those boots and I want to give their work shoes a test. The shoes are significantly lighter than the work boot. If your work does not require the added protection of an over-the-ankle work boot, you may like the relative light weight of the work shoe.

I will give these shoes a rigorous field test the next several weeks. After I break them in and give them a workout, I will let you know how I like them as an everyday work shoe for the lawn care industry.

If you’ve ever wanted to start your own lawn care business or if you’re not making enough money with your current lawn care business, take a look at our website. We offer a business package that will help you become more efficient and successful with your own lawn care business. (StartALawnCareBusiness.com)

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How To Properly Name Your Lawn Care Business

Feb 23

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

Within the pages of the Start A Lawn Care Business guidebooks, we spend several pages discussing proper names for lawn care businesses.  More than simply telling you which names are “good” and which names are “bad”, we spend considerable time discussing business theory and customer psychology.  DON’T YAWN!!!  I know these subjects may seem boring to you but when you are naming your business you MUST consider your potential customers’ reactions to your business name.  If they don’t like your name, you may find yourself getting fewer customers than if you choose a better name. 

I recently came across an advertisement for a lawn care company.  I am perplexed by their choice of business name.  I want to show you the advertisement and I want you to let me know what you think about this business name.

how to name your lawn care business

If you’re too young to remember, a lawn dart was a children’s toy many years ago.  Children placed rings in their yards, stepped several feet away, then threw large weighted darts trying to land them in the ring.  It was great fun until the inevitable happened and kids started showing up in emergency rooms with giant weighted darts sticking out of their foreheads or lodged under their eyelids.

Unless you were the one penetrated by a lawn dart, it was a pretty fun game and made for some funny jokes talking about people with darts protruding from various body parts.  A common joke was to stick your index finger to your forehead and scream “LAWNDART.”

Okay, enough of the history. Let’s get back to the company’s name.

I think the name “LawnDart Lawn Care” is funny.  It is memorable and it made me laugh. 

However, from a business standpoint, I have to take exception with the name.  It is not a professional name and it will not instill confidence in its potential clientele.  Though the name might not deter a young homeowner (and maybe that’s who this company is targeting).  Would a homeowner with a large, expensive home really trust its finely manicured grass to someone who might not take it seriously?  Would an owner of a large industrial complex contract with someone who makes light of a serious and potentially dangerous situation where children are at risk?

Let’s not miss the point here.   The owners of this company are probably having a laugh and I fully realize that.  However, here’s a tip; sure, you can take a stab at different business names but if you are looking for long-term professional viability (and the most money possible) for your lawn care business, choose a name that speaks professionalism.

Once again, business theory and customer psychology are not the most exciting topics but if you want to learn how to choose a name that will increase your profits this year, take a look at our lawn care business guidebooks. The section on naming your business is great and you will learn how to properly name your business.   I promise, you won’t be bored. 

You can learn more about the lawn care business guidebooks and software package at our website:

http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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Asynchronous Risk vs. Reward Ratio

Feb 21

Posted by Lawn Care Business in equipment, how much to charge, lawn business strategies, start a lawn care business | No Comments

I had a great conversation with a business associate today concerning the concept of risk management.  In particular, we were discussing risks that far outweigh their rewards.

Risk management is a common subject in business and since this is a lawn care business blog, you may think we were discussing concepts such as giving 100% guarantees to customers who purchase landscape plantings.  Or, we may have been analyzing the spreading of landscape mulch and charging for maintenance without first properly treating the ground or placing weedblock as an underlayment.  Or we may have been discussing the purchase of a commercial 34 horsepower, propane fueled, 72″, zero-turn, front deck, lawn mower before even acquiring a single lawn care customer.

Climbing and a discussion of asychronous risk management.

While these are all great ideas to discuss, we were not talking business.  Instead, we were talking about free climbing a rock face without the use of proper safety equipment.

In your lawn care business, us proper risk management procedures.

Whether you are bouldering a rocky outcropping or starting your own lawn care business, it makes perfect sense to think strongly about risk management procedures. 

If you want to learn how to rock climb, seek professional rock climbing instruction (and use a rope!!!) 

However, if you want to learn proper risk management procedures for your lawn care business, purchase our lawn care business guidebook and estimating software package through our website:  www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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60 degrees in February.

Feb 20

Posted by Lawn Care Business in bidding lawn care, customers, lawn care business, start a lawn care business | 3 Comments

2010 has been one of the coldest winters in recent memory in the Southeast.  We have experienced about 4 snowfalls and temperatures deep into the teens.  Our friends in the northern states probably don’t think that’s too bad a winter but, for us, it’s harsher than normal.

snow and the lawn care business

Though it’s far from over, winter’s grip is loosening this weekend.  With the temperature above 50 for three days straight and brilliant sunshine beating down today, I’ve observed wild garlic (commonly mistaken for wild onion) sprouts springing up in lawns all over our area.  Lowes and Home Depot are selling out of mulch bags and homeowners, working out in their lawns, are experiencing spring fever in unprecedented numbers.

If you are a new lawn care business owner you must feel compelled to pound the pavement and drive the roads in your area this season.  Right now is one of the very best times of the year to get new lawn care customer contracts for the upcoming mowing season.

I have a goal for you this week.  Do remember my 100 Door Knocks challenge I posed for your lawn care business as an advertising campaign last year?  How would you feel about revisiting that challenge this week by attempting to make contact with no less than 49 new customers. 

If you start tomorrow by making contact with a minimum of 7 new potential customers each day, you will deepen your reach by 49 new contacts by this time next week.

7 per day?  You should be able to speak with seven new people in just a couple hours each day.  A couple hours per day in February will reap HUGE rewards once the mowing season actually gets started.

Take advantage of winter’s break by getting out while the sun is shining.  Though colder weather is forecast again soon, it will make you feel warm that you have already increased this year’s customer list.

Once you get those customers, what do you do with them??? If you’re having trouble making the most of your existing customers and you want to know how to raise prices and make more money in 2010 than you made in 2009, pick up our Lawn Care Business package.  It is jam-packed with information to turn your lawn care business into a success.

To learn more, check out our website:  www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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Lawn Care In California

Feb 17

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

I was very blessed in January to escape the deep freeze that gripped the American Southeast by traveling to Los Angeles, California to meet with a manufacturer of Propane Powered lawn care equipment.

During my journey, I took opportunity to learn more about the culture of the Lawn Care industry in California. Turbulent weather in Los Angeles treated me to an area of lawn care maintenance we don’t experience much in Tennessee.

Lawn Care Maintenance Workers Gather Palm Fronds after a California Storm

The storms were unprecedented and unanticipated as I arrived at LAX in Los Angeles. Torrential downpours did not affect the arrival of my flight other than to make it more bumpy than a traditional west coast landing. The bus ride into Santa Monica, on the other hand, was detoured countless times as the driver navigated around flooded streets and skirted intersections where traffic lights malfunctioned due to heavy winds and falling palm fronds. During the storm, I was able to observe flooded irrigation canals channeling water into the pacific ocean.

When we have a storm back east, leaves blow and branches tumble. Our storms create great opportunity for lawn care companies. After-storm cleanup is a great service to offer your customers for additional money.

In California, these palm fronds were everywhere. As I watched cleanup crews pick each 8′ to 10′ section of palm frond by hand, I could only think about the amounts of money a dedicated lawn care company could make with on-the-spot after-storm clean up contracts.

It doesn’t matter if you are in California, Tennessee, or any of the other 50 states. There is a ton of money to be made in the lawn care industry this year. It’s been a tough winter but spring is on its way. The high winds that spring often induces will, sure enough, bring lots of opportunity for after-storm cleanup jobs.

If you want to learn how to get customers and correctly price your after-storm cleanup contracts, take a look at our main website. You will learn how to acquire great customers and price your services effectively so you can make the best money possible in 2010.

We have a sale price on our lawn care business package right now. Order soon because this price won’t last long.

Our website address is: www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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An update to our Lawn Grips work boots review.

Feb 12

Posted by Lawn Care Business in work boots | 2 Comments

I have worn my Lawn Grips work boots for well over a year now and I want to update you to the durability and comfort of the boots and their applications to the lawn care industry.

lawn grips work boots

If you noted my original Lawn Grips review, you know that my major complaint was targeted at the initial comfort of the boot. It seemed to take forever for the boot to break in and not hurt my upper ankle and lower shin. Thankfully, after two to three weeks of heavy wear, the leather finally broke in and formed to my feet and ankles. After 15 months of constant wear, these Lawn Grips are still very comfortable. I love wearing these boots. They are a constant joy to put on in the morning and I often find myself forgetting to take them off after a long day’s work.

Two Minor Complaints

During the second month of wear, I noticed a stitch came loose on the leather upper between the rubberized outsole and the leather upper. A quick flick of a Bic lighter singed the stitch thread leaving no visible trace. I was concerned that the loose stitch would compromise the water resistance of the boot. Happily, I can report there is no reduction in “waterproofness” and no other stitches have come loose.

The shoelaces shipped with the boots were not highly durable. After just a few weeks use, the outer lining of the shoelace split allowing the inner cord to poke through eventually becoming unthreaded and very difficult to tie. When you buy your Lawn Grips workboots, purchase a second pair of high quality laces.

All-in-all these two complaints are very minor and they do not significantly detract from the overall quality of the boots.

Positive Points

After over 1 year of almost constant use, my lawn grips look nearly new. The attractive “Lawn Grips” logo is still bright and distinguishable. Yesterday, a gentleman came up to me to ask about the boots saying that they “look like professional work boots.” This type of comment happens often and it gives me ample opportunity to tell people about the boots and segue into a conversation about the lawn care business. This is a great marketing feature of these boots.

The leather, though understandably slightly scuffed, retains the sheen of a new leather boot. I’ve been purposefully hard on these boots but they have suffered no cuts or harsh abrasions. The waterproof, rubberized soul remains water proof. During the early snowstorms of 2010, I have slushed my way through up to 6 inches of melting snow and my feet have remained warm and dry.

The patented sole is impressive too. It is designed to release mud and grass debris in order to retain a high level of sole-to-turf contact giving the utmost grip on wet grass and inclines. I’m impressed. The carpet in my house likes it too since lack of mud on my soles means I track less muck into my house when I forget to remove my boots before entering the house.

As far as workboots go, I am used to eyelets and hooks lasting less than one year. I am happy to say that the fastening devices all remain intact and show no signs of coming loose from the boot.

Lawn Grips are slightly more expensive than many work boots. If you can get over the initial increased cost, I think you will find these boots lasting much longer than other work boots you have owned.

Highly Recommended

After 15 months constant use, I can honestly say that I still wear my Lawn Grips almost every day. They show no signs of breaking down or giving in and I will probably still be wearing them a year from now.

If you are interested in purchasing a pair of Lawn Grips work boots, I click on the link below to be taken to Amazon.com where you can find some of the best prices on Lawn Grips Work Boots.

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Lawn Care Flyers On Car Windshields

Feb 9

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

When it comes to advertising a lawn care business, I’m a fan of pounding the streets and knocking on doors. I believe the way to build strong client lists is through face-to-face contact. As such, I tend to shy away from flyers on telephone poles and advertisements on doorknob hangers. These advertisements, along with business cards taped to the outside of mailboxes seem to be an intrusion into your potential customer’s private space.

lawn care business flyer under windshield wiper

I saw this flyer under a windshield wiper recently. I could only think of negative connotations about this flyer.

1) It always ticks me off when people put flyers on my vehicle.

2) I never look at flyers that have been left on my vehicle. I tear them up and throw them away immediately.

3) There are probably rules against placing solicitations on vehicles in this parking lot.

4) If a windshield wiper gets damaged, will the lawn care company have to pay the repair bill?

5) If a strong wind blows the flyer away or the car’s owner tosses the flyer to oneside, can the lawn company be charged with littering?

While I am not 100% AGAINST flyers on cars and private property, I do believe LCOs should be very restrictive in their placement of such flyers.

There are too many legitimate outlets for advertising to risk the downfalls of improperly placed flyers.

If you want to learn correct forms of advertising and advertising that REALLY WORKS, look at our business program located at our main website: StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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Tenacity of a Small Business Owner. AKA: Too Stupid To Quit

Jan 31

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

As Winston Churchill said:

“Never give in–never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

How many people do you know that are immediately successful in what they do?

I bet you can name a few people who seem to be successful at everything they do. However, if you were to truly speak with those people you would find a different story come to light. You will hear tales of failure after failure until one day, out of nowhere, their businesses began to see the light of day. And slowly, ever slowly, they began to make progress.

A never-ending, relentless striving is what you will find behind almost any seemingly “over-night” success story.

In addition to the smart and shrewd businessmen you know, I bet you also know a few dim-witted, bull-headed people who have made a success in spite of themselves. Do you? Yeah, I do too. Years ago, when I first started my lawn care business, I knew a man who was very successful in business. He ran a contracting business (not lawn care) but he was definitely not the brightest light bulb in the box. He was a nice guy but education and intellect just wasn’t his thing. But, MAN!, was he successful and happy. He would even joke about this sometimes and I asked him once about his success. He told me that he was just too stupid to quit and too dumb to take “no” for an answer.

Now, in reality, this man wasn’t dumb at all. But, his words (and Churchill’s) illustrate a great point in business. Tenacity wins (almost) every time. We all face obstacles. Everyday there are speed humps on the journey to our business goals. If we let speed humps arrest our progress, we fail. Pure and simple…Tenacity Wins.

We help people Start and Expand their own Lawn Care Businesses. This is what we do and we know the obstacles faced everyday by Lawn Care Business Owners.

If you’re tired of being impeded in your goals of operating a successful lawn care business, take a look at our Lawn Care Business package. There’s no need to face the speed humps alone. We can help.

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

Never give in–never, never, never, never…

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