Start A Lawn Care Business

Make money with a lawn care and landscaping business.

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.”

Tags: , , ,

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

Tags: , , , ,

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

Tags: , ,

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

    • Tags: , ,

    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

    Tags: , , ,

    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

    Tags: , ,

    Spring’s In Bloom, Start A Lawn Care Business!

    Feb 25

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

    Spring is time to start a lawn care business

    The first daffodil of the mowing season.

    YAY!!! Spring is in bloom over much of the United States. Yes, I know as soon as I get excited about this we will get a foot of snow to squelch my enthusiasm. But still, as I look outside and see the first colors of the season, I can’t help to look forward to another great mowing season.

    As pretty as the daffodils are, they are not the only thing blooming and they are not the only sign of spring. While you probably won’t get many lawn care customers if you advertise that you will neatly mow down their daffodil, there is another form of green growth in springs that many customers will pay you good money to keep cut.

    This time of the year, throughout much of the eastern half of the country, wild garlic sprigs are popping up in lawns everywhere. Wild garlic is commonly called wild onions. Wild onions do grow in lawns but it is a bit early for them to be popping up.

    Wild Garlic and Wild Onions need to be cut. Start a lawn care business.

    Can you guess which? Wild Garlic or Wild Onion.

    The greenery this time of year is (most likely) wild garlic. Actually, it doesn’t matter what you or your customers call it, this greenery needs to be trimmed and this early need to tidy customers’ lawns make for a tremendous opportunity for you to get an early start on your lawn care business.

    Listen, we know you are excited about the possibility of starting your own lawn care business. If you don’t know where to turn or how to get stared, we have developed a comprehensive business guidebook and software package that will GREATLY help you get started. We have been associated with the lawn care industry (started our lawn care business in 1992) for almost 20 years. We cover a tremendous amount of information and help you avoid a tremendous number of obstacles when you are first getting started. Don’t waste your time and money trying to figure it out yourself when we’ve already done that for you.

    Our package also includes support. So, if you have any questions after your purchase, just let us know and we will do our best to give you specific information or share ideas with you.

    Learn more about the guidebooks and estimating software business program on our main website:

    START A LAWN CARE BUSINESS
    http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

    Tags: , , , , ,

    Selling (retiring from) your lawn care business?

    Feb 18

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

    While most of our blog posts (and our lawn care business program) are designed are with the new lawn care business owner in mind, we are often reminded of the fact that many people need advice at the end-stage of their lawn care business careers.

    Growing a business to the point where it can be sold is a very viable exit strategy for even the smallest lawn care company.  If you have spent your time and efforts cultivating a profitable and successful lawn care company, you should not overlook the fact that your company is probably very valuable over and beyond the amount of revenue your company generates on a monthly basis.

    If you have grown your lawn care business and are now thinking about quiting your business either to retire or to follow other pursuits, don’t make the mistake of letting your company fade away without it realizing it’s full profit potential.  Lawn care business owners can often sell their routes, equipment, business name, and company’s goodwill.

    So, if you are thinking about selling your lawn care business after owning it for a number of years, our lawn care business program will be very valuable to you.  There is a section dedicated to helping you value your lawn care business if you are in process of selling the business.

    To learn more about the entire program, please visit our main website:

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

    Housing Authority Lawn Care Contracts

    Feb 18

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

    February is here and lawn mowing contracts are being bid in earnest.

    As developers of the Start A Lawn Care Business training course we subscribe to many bidding lists around the nation.  We do this to keep our finger on the pulse of bidding trends across the nation.  Of course, we don’t intend to bid on all these mowing contracts but they help us keep you informed of increased bidding potentials in your market area.

    A recent bid proposal came across our desks this morning for a housing authority mowing contract.  This particular contract caught our eyes because we have bid on many housing authority contracts over the years.  In fact, our first major mowing contract bid was for a large housing authority grass cutting contract.  This was in our first year of business.  We had little knowledge about how to bid contracts and since no other lawn care company would tell us how to do it, we basically stumbled our way through the bidding process.  We did not know the number of pitfalls associated with such a contract…and, believe me, there are MANY things you need to be wary of when bidding housing authority contracts.

    That very first major bidding experience we had of bidding a housing authority mowing contract  is one of the reasons we developed the lawn care business.  So many lawn care business owners are in the dark about bidding lawn care contracts.  If you are considering bidding a lawn care contract your sources of information are very limited.  Your competitors certainly aren’t going to tell you how to bid a contract.  The contracting agency certainly isn’t going to help you bid a proper amount.  So, who are you going to ask?

    Our lawn care business program contains a special section on bidding both small-scale and large-scale lawn care contracts.  We believe that teaching you how to bid these contracts strengthens our entire industry.

    To learn more about the lawn care business package, please visit our main website:

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

    Tags: , ,