Start A Lawn Care Business

Make money with a lawn care and landscaping business.

Ethanol Gasoline in Small Lawn Mower Engines

Nov 3

Posted by Lawn Care Business in lawn equipment, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, maintenance, weedeaters | 2 Comments

Does ethanol damage lawn mower engines?

As lawn care business owners, we strive to provide proper maintenance for our lawn equipment. Equipment engine oil is changed regularly. Air filters are cleaned and/or replaced when they become dirty. Lubrication is performed on schedule as outlined in owners’ manuals.

In addition to routine maintenance, there are many other tips we can follow to help extend lawn equipment life. We cover many tips within the pages of our Lawn Care Business Guidebooks.

One of the simpler actions we can take, on a daily basis, is use of high quality gasoline. High quality does not necessarily mean high octane. High quality, in many people’s opinion, means a lack of impurities.

There is a gas station not far from our business location that charges a few cents per gallon less than competing station. However, the gas station is more than 40 years old and it looks dilapidated. A gas station in such poor condition makes us wonder about the condition of their fuel tanks. If their tanks are corroded and contain residue from years of being underground, could those impurities find their way into our gas tanks?

Though ethanol is not considered an impurity to industry insiders, many small engine mechanics speak up about damage caused by ethanol. According to an MSNBC article on damage to small lawn mower engines caused by ethanol in gasoline ethanol attracts moisture which prevents oil within lawn care equipment from doing its proper job. This moisture reacts with rubber and plastic fittings and hoses. As these parts deteriorate, they may clog openings within the engine and can cause a shellacking on pistons resulting in reduced lubrication. All this is according to small engine experts.

Don’t rely strictly on experts though, read the many comments in this blog from www.TheTruthAboutCars.com dealing with the hazards of using ethanol blended gasoline in many different types of engines.

In the southern states where we live, 10% ethanol has been a fact of life since early 2008. Though we have heard horror stories of damage done by ethanol, we rarely have a choice other than to use an ethanol gasoline blend.

Times are beginning to change, though, and we see signs that gas stations are offering 100% gasoline again. In fact, a brand new gas station with brand new tanks, less than half a mile from the old dilapidated gas station offering 10% ethanol, has just opened. This new gas station does not add ethanol and offers pure gasoline.

noethanol

Ahh…no contamination and no ethanol. Our lawn mowers and two-cycle leaf blowers, weedeaters, and other lawn care equipment will run “clean” once more.

For more information on dealing with commercial lawn mower questions as well as running your own lawn care business, visit our website: www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

Lawn Care Business and the U.S. Economy

Oct 29

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

Lawn Care Business is expected to increase in 2010.

The staff at Start A Lawn Care Business keep very close eyes on the U.S. economy. There is no doubt 2008 and 2009 were tough years to be involved with a lawn care business. However, as the U.S. economy begins to rebound, lawn care business should enjoy great rewards.

According to a Bloomberg, October 2009 report, the U.S. economy expanded at a 3.5 percent rate from July to September 2009. More interesting for lawn care business owners is that residential construction increased 23 percent and household purchases climbed 3.4 percent.

We think 2010 is shaping up to become a boom year for lawn care businesses. Homeowners who have curtailed spending the past two years will have to dump lots of money into their lawns to get them looking good again. This signal expected growth in leaf raking this fall and winter.

Not only are the last months of the year expected to be great for lawn care business owners, in the spring of 2010 homeowners are forcast to have unprecedented need for seeding, aerating, and general spring cleanup services.

If you haven’t started your lawn care business yet or if you didn’t make the money you hoped for in 2009, right now is a perfect time to get started planning for a huge 2010.

To help you start (and expand) a professional lawn care business, we have developed a lawn care business package fill with tools to help you succeed in 2010. RIGH NOW is the time to get started.

The lawn care business package is on sale right now through our website:
www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

Starting a Small Lawn Care Business

Oct 29

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

Is it okay to start a small lawn care business with very little equipment?

It’s funny to think about the different ways people start their businesses. In helping hundreds of people start their own lawn care businesses, I have seen almost every method of business start-up imaginable.

I have seen people start with $100,000 in business loans emailing me for urgent help because they weren’t making enough money to pay back their monthly loan payment. They had beautiful equipment and a brand new truck and trailer but they had no idea how to run a successful lawn care business.

I remember one gentleman emailing me with only $20 in his pocket. I convinced him to buy a rake and start out doing nothing but raking leaves. He bought a rake and some work gloves. That same day, he walked around his neighborhood knocking on doors. He got rejections from the first 10 homeowners but the 11th gave him a $60 raking job. By the end of the day he had done 4 leaf jobs and had enough money to buy a small push lawn mower. He also purchased our Lawn Care Business package to help him learn how to properly estimate lawn mowing jobs.

I dare say $100,000 worth of equipment is no more a guarantee of success than a $20 rake is a guarantee of failure. In fact, I bet the guy with the $20 rake ran a more successful operation than the company with all the stresses of $100,000 in loans to repay.

Start small, estimate properly, and grow where you can.

Good luck:

Keith
[URL=”http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com”]Lawn Care Business[/URL]

Tags: , ,

Raynaud's Syndrome and Lawn Care Workers

Oct 29

Posted by Lawn Care Business in lawn care business, lawn care training, lawn care work gloves, leaf blowers, weedeaters | No Comments

As the year draws on and weather gets colder, I want to take a moment to mention a condition that can affect lawn care workers who use weedeaters, edgers, leaf blowers, and other vibration-heavy tools during cool and cold weather months.

I first became aware of the existence of Raynaud’s Syndrome and its risks to lawn care business workers my first year in the lawn care business while reading the instruction manual of a new professional weed eater I had just purchased. I have operated weedeaters for many years and I know proper operating technique. However, as a matter of course, I read the instruction manual and learned of a health risk I had never perceived.

The manual’s caution mentioned that workers enduring several hours of vibration each day (especially during cold weather) from power equipment were at greater risk of effects from Raynaud’s Syndrome.

According to Wikipedia, Raynaud’s syndrome is a hyperactivation of the sympathetic system causing extreme vasoconstriction of the peripheral blood vessels, leading to tissue hypoxia.

I am not a doctor and I don’t exactly know what the above paragraph means. However, I do know, after reading my instruction manual, to be aware of excess vibration from weedeaters, edgers, and blowers during cold weather.

In the “StartALawnCareBusiness.com” lawn care business training materials, we make note that you should keep a close check on your health and you should get regular health checkups from your health care professional. A checkup is also advised before you start your business work simply to understand your general health and diagnose any underlying health concerns.

Of great importance (and the general gist of this blog post) is to always read and follow the instruction manuals for all of your lawn care equipment. You many think instruction manuals are only filled with common sense and you already know how to operate each piece of lawn care equipment. However, there is valuable information within those manuals and it is wise to read them completely so you fully understand proper usage and cautions (known and unknown) of your lawn care equipment. Though I am very familiar with most types of lawn care equipment, I always read the instruction manual thoroughly before operating any new piece of equipment. I advise you to do the same.

You never know what you don’t yet know.

Disclaimer: This blog does not provide medical or professional advice of any sort. You should seek advice from your health care provider for answers to all questions you may have.

Tags: , , , ,

Chain saw time is here.

Oct 23

Posted by Lawn Care Business in lawn business strategies, lawn care work gloves, lawn equipment, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

If you have run a lawn care business for a number of years, you know that early winter is a great time to tune-up the chain saw, sharpen your chains, don your protective gear, cut damaged limbs, and clear fallen trees.

This can be a very profitable time for lawn care business owners with chain saw skills.  Cutting wood is not for everyone.  However, woodcutting knowledge and chain saw competence can lead to lots of additional cash.

Firewood

IMGP4441

Your customers will gladly pay you to chop fallen or unwanted trees.  If the wood is good, you can spilt and season this wood.  Once cold weather is in the forcast, people with fireplaces or wood burning stoves will pay you for the wood.  We’ve even heard stories of Lawn Care Businesses who sell wood to the same customers who paid them to haul off the same tree.  Making double money on the same customer is SWEET BUSINESS!

Chain Sharpening

Time is money and sharp chains mean even more money.  If you do lots of chain sawing, consider purchasing a professional chain sharpener.

You don’t have to spend $300 for a professional chain sharpener if you only need to sharpen the occasional chain. This sharpener is only $35. It does a decent job and can be used in the field from your truck’s battery.

Safety is ALWAYS a strong consideration when you do chain saw work. Here are a few safety items. This list is incomplete but it is a good start to being in full compliance when you are providing tree cutting services for your customers.

Chain Saw Chaps

Chain Saw Safety Helmet

Chain Saw Boots

Chain Saw Gloves

Chain saw work can be a good add-on for your lawn care business. If you want to learn more about starting and running a successful lawn care business, check out our training information at:

Start A Lawn Care Business.com

Tags: , ,

Are you operating an illegal home-based Lawn Care Business?

Oct 22

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

All around the country, there are probably thousands of people running illegal lawn care businesses…and they don’t even know they are in violation.

There are many intracacies in running any business.  But, when that business is run out of a home residence, a business owner faces compliance of a slew of zoning laws.

Zoning laws can be tricky.  For instance, a Madison, Wisconsin, a gentleman who built a backyard workshop for his business later discovered that running a business from an accessory building violates local zoning laws.

The article notes that outbuildings used to house lawn equipment (lawn mowers, weedeaters, edgers, and miscellaneous equipment)  used in a lawn care business may also violate local zoning laws.  There are various technicalities in local zoning laws and each community has slightly different codes. 

In many cases, lawn care business owners can legally operate their lawn care and landscaping businesses from their places of residence.  However, if you are operating your lawn care business from your home, it will pay you, in the long term, to know your local zoning laws.  Before you take steps to operate your business from your home (or any building or location on your property) take time to visit your local zoning office to learn how you can comply with their guidelines.

If you want to know how more about operating a successful landscaping business check our our lawn care business material located at:

Start A Lawn Care Business

Tags: , ,

Lawn Care and Halloween Promotions

Oct 18

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

Hi Everyone:

I just want to let you know that you have 10 days before Halloween.

Many communities around the country are offering Halloween block parties.  This is where an entire block of houses or an entire neighborhood decorate their homes in a Halloween theme and invite each other to view their decorations.  Communities, as a whole, are often invited to join the festivities in a combination of Halloween/Fall Festival.  Bands play for entertainment, cotton candy is served, and bobbing for apples is a game everyone can play.

As a lawn care business owner, these activities present special opportunities.   Offer decoration services to your customers.  You are in a special position to deliver bales of hay or straw and arrange them as a holiday decoration.  If you have an open trailer, you can fill it with straw and offer hay rides.  After the parties are over, use your leaf blowers and rakes to clean the mess.  Offer these services to individual home owners within the block parties or hire out your services to block party organizers.

There are lots of unique jobs you can offer with your lawn care business.

If you are interested in learning how to price jobs more effectively and run your lawn care business through the winter months, check out our lawn care business guidebook available at:  Start A Lawn Care Business

Tags: , ,

Leaf Build-Up Around Air Conditioner Units

Oct 16

Posted by Lawn Care Business in leaf raking | No Comments

As lawn care business owners, you should always search for methods of servicing your customers better than your competition.

Often, on lawn care and leaf raking jobs, my company pays special attention to one area of a customer’s lawn overlooked by other companies. 

Autumn is a time of year when leaves build up around flower beds and corners of your customers lawns.  Lawn care companies are hired to remove leaves from the lawn and from flowerbeds.  However, they often don’t take the extra step to remove leaf build-up from around their customers’ air conditioning and hearing units. 

Leaf build up can cause air flow restrictions which can eventually damage these units.

On your next leaf raking job, pay special attention to your lawn care customer’s air conditioning unit.  Remove leaves from the cooling fins and air outflow.  Though it will only take you a couple extra minutes for this job, your customers will appreaciate your extra work.   It’s the small things, like attention to detail, that keep your customers using your lawn care business year after year.

Blow leaves off air conditioners

If you are not making the money you know you should be making with your lawn care business, take a look at our comprehensive lawn care business training course now available through “Start A Lawn Care Business.”

Simplify your leaf-raking jobs.

Oct 15

Posted by Lawn Care Business in composting, leaf raking | No Comments

Autumn is here and lawn care business owners know this is a great time of year to make tons of extra money raking leaves.

Early in my lawn care business, I found that two of the most time and effort consuming parts of my leaf jobs were bagging them and transporting them to a dump site.  If you don’t bag leaves you must either have an enclosed collection trailer or cover them tightly with a tarp to avoid having them blow out of your truck during transport.

During my second year in business, I devloped an idea of building compost patches in many of my customer’s yards.  Most of my leaf raking customers readily accepted the idea as long at I could build the compost site in an out-of-the-way area of their property. 

On-site leaf composting greatly reduces your leaf raking efforts.  Your bagging and transportation costs are greatly reduced and, come springtime of the second year, will have high quality leaf mulch to use as ground cover and soil conditioner in many areas of their lawn.

If you are exhausted by the bagging and transport aspects of leaf raking lawn care jobs, consider offering your customers on-site leaf composting.

Do you want to make tons of money this leaf raking season?  Check out our Lawn Care Business program.  You will learn how to start and operate a successful lawn care business.  You will also learn how to price and estimate leaf raking jobs so you can make the best profit possible.

Tags: , ,

October 15, 2009 Tax Day

Oct 14

Posted by Lawn Care Business in taxes | No Comments

Hi Everyone:

I just want to give you a quick heads up.

If you filed a tax extension for you lawn care business in April, you may need to think about getting your taxes completed VERY soon.

October 15 is the stated deadline for those extensions.

Check with your tax pro to make sure your business taxes are filed on time.

Good Luck!!!

Keith
www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

PS:  Take advantage of this cooler weather by getting your 2009 taxes up-to-date.  You’ll be ahead of the curve once January rolls around.