Are you thinking of starting a lawn care business? If this is the case, one of the most important questions you need to ask yourself is will you get a good return on your investment. The simple answer to this question is yes. There is enough money in the lawn care business if you do things right. Like when you start any other business, it is good to consider a wide range of factors you ensure that you thrive in this industry. The lawn care business is lucrative if you apply the right strategies. You also have to note that there are many other similar businesses, so you have to know how to beat the competition to be at the top. This article offers a guide on how to get good money in the lawn care business.
Why lawn care business is a lucrative investment?
Like when you are starting any other business, it is necessary to consider the benefits involved in the lawn care business. It is by considering the benefits of running a lawn care business you will determine if you will earn money in it or not. Here are some of the benefits of running a lawn care business.
- Repeat and stable business: one of the reasons that make the lawn care business a lucrative investment is that you enjoy stable and repeat customers. As long as the grass grows in your clients’ lawns, they will require your services frequently. If you offer high-quality work, you can be sure to get repeat customers and high referral rates, leading to more income for your business.
- Many property owners do not like caring for and maintaining their lawns by themselves. It is why they like hiring professionals to do the work for them. Thus, you are likely going to get business; more income as more property owners hire you to work on their lawns besides, more people like treating their lawns with fertilizers. So, if you sell lawn fertilizers, you will enjoy a lot of sales and increased income for your business.
- There is a myriad of opportunities that exists in the lawn care business. In the business, you can decide to offer various services such as gardening, landscaping, tree trimming, sod installation, and many others. If you diversify and gain skills in all these areas, you attract an extensive customer base and more income for your business.
How do you start and succeed in a lawn care business?
The question of whether you make money or not in the lawn care business is determined by how you plan and start the venture. So, it is always good to take time to ensure that you plan carefully and take the necessary steps. If you are not sure how to go about starting the business, here are some tips to guide you.
Check the level of competition
Most homes have lawns, so you can expect the lawn services to be in high demand. With the high demand for the services, you can expect that the competition is also high. Thus, before you start, it is advisable to check the level of competition in your area. Also, take time to consider the demand for lawn care in your target area. Note that you will be competing with other already established lawn care companies. Thus, you should not just look for customers but consider how you differentiate yourself from the competitors. As you check the competition, look at what they offer and what they do not. You can search online or do local research. Besides checking the services they provide, you should also consider their pricing so that you can set a competitive price for your customers. The most important thing here is to make sure that you have a full understanding of the market where you want to offer the lawn care services.
Improve your lawn care skills
Lawn care is an area that requires you to be skillful to offer unmatched services to your clients. Now that you have a clue on the market, you should look at what you should do to gain a competitive edge over your competitors and the skills you need to add. Note that lawn care is a physically demanding job, so you need to be motivated at all times. Make sure you attain skills that can help the lawn owners solve their problems. You need specialized knowledge to become a trusted expert in the field. You need certifications for all the skills you attain to help gain the confidence of your clients. Besides the professional skills, you should also gain other soft skills that help you handle your customers well. For instance, you will need to be friendly, have good communication skills, and others that will go a long way in helping you develop strong relationships with clients and get a lot of referrals.
Get a license
When customers are looking for the best lawn care business, one of the things they check out is a license. If you do not have a valid license, potential clients will not develop trust and confidence in your services. It is also a legal requirement that you need to be fully licensed to be allowed to offer lawn care services. Check with your local authorities to know all the licenses you need to be allowed to operate.
Invest in the right equipment and tools
To make money in the lawn care business, you should invest in the state of the art tools and equipment. Clients usually will trust that you can offer high-quality work if you have the latest tools and equipment. It is also for your good to have the advanced tools and equipment since they are more efficient and make work easier. Some of the most critical tools you require include an edger and mower, string trimmer, leaf blower, trailer and truck, safety gear, and other tools. The tools to invest in depend on the type of lawns you will be working on, among other factors.
Invest in time tracker
Time is essential in the lawn care business. Customers will judge you depending on how you can manage your time and enhance efficiency. It is why it is good to invest in time management software to allow you to track time on your job. Note that you will be spending ample time moving and driving around your customers’ lawn. The time you spend on the road can take much of your work time. Thus, it is always necessary to track your time. It ensures that you do not waste a lot of precious time, leading to a waste of money, too. With time tracking software, you can accurately manage the project effectively and maximize your earning potential. The software can also help you in case you have other employees working on other properties. Besides, the software assists you to invoice your customers showing time spent on their lawns. It is more important if you charge on an hourly basis.
Manage your money wisely
As a lawn care business owner, you will have to manage your money wisely. You should think about how much it will cost you to start the business and the amount to charge for the lawn services. Make sure you manage even the little money you make from the time you start your lawn care business to make it sustainable. Since you have few competitors, you should make sure you market yourself as the best. Be careful not to market yourself as the cheapest option since most clients may feel that the quality of your work is also low. The best way is to market yourself as offering the best lawn care and maintenance. By presenting yourself as unique from others, you are likely going to attract potential clients. Charge a price that is neither too low nor too high to your clients. Never compromise quality even as you try to attract more clients with a fair price. By doing this, you are likely going to have a competitive edge.
Focus on building a strong customer base
With a strong customer base, you can make a lot of money in your lawn care business. Like other businesses, it may take time before you create a strong base, but it will be easy with high-quality work and high-level efficiency. Strive to create new avenues to build the customer base. There are different ways you can use to create a strong base. You can create a referral program for your existing clients or use paid social media ads to reach more potential clients.
Services that can allow you to earn more money in your lawn care business
To increase income for your lawn care business, it is advisable to offer as many services as you can do effectively. It is necessary because lawn owners do not like hiring different lawn care professionals to work on their properties. They prefer entrusting a single reputable business that can offer all the required services. Thus the more services you have in your lawn care business, the more income you are likely to earn. The most important thing is to make sure that you do high-quality work. Here are some of the services that will help you earn more money in your lawn care business.
Garden bed cleaning
Most property owners like their garden beds to be cleaned regularly. Most of them are busy, so they do not have time to maintain their flower beds. By providing garden maintenance services, you can earn more revenue. Depending on the services that you offer in your lawn care business, you can customize the garden bed cleaning services to meet your customers’ needs. You can also set up this as a recurring service to your clients, for instance, fortnightly, monthly, etc., to increase the opportunities for earning more revenue.
Leaf removal services
It is another easy lawn care service to offer to your clients and more revenue in your business. During lawn care maintenance, you can opt to offer leaf removal services to your clients. Most clients will be willing to pay for this service since they do not want to do it themselves or lack the skills. All you need to do is to ensure you invest in the right equipment for the job, including heavy rakes, leaf blowers, mulchers, and others that your client may not have. Create a schedule with your clients on when to offer the leaf removal services to them.
Tree and shrub trimming
Tree and shrub trimming is one of the most sought out lawn care services. The work involves keeping shrubs and trees tidy and well maintained. If you can manage to offer high-quality trimming services, you can expect to make good money in your business. Keeping the trees and shrubs maintained helps in improving curb appeal and increasing the value of a property. It is also one of the most highly paid services, so you can expect to make a fortune if you offer high-quality shrub and tree trimming to your clients.
Pest application
During the summers, most lawns are infested with pests. The pest can cause havoc by damaging flowers and other plants. Thus, offering pest application services will go a long way in helping increase your revenue. Since most people like spending their time outdoors during the summer, you can make a lot of money because they will hire you to treat the pests on their lawn. All you will need to do is to make sure that you get certified. The amount of money you make in the process is worth the investment you make undertaking a course in pest management. It is also a lucrative service to offer because nobody likes pests, so you can be sure that more and more properties will hire you to get rid of the pests from their lawns.
Weed control services
Lawns are susceptible to weeds mostly because of the regular application of fertilizers. They affect the good look of the lawn, so they need to be removed. Incorporating weed control services in your lawn care business increases the chances of making more money. You will get a lot of business as property owners hire your services to get rid of weeds and apply the right treatment to ensure that the lawns are not affected by the weeds in the future. In addition to weed control, you can add a maintenance plan that may include chemical treatments.
Fertilization
Lawns require fertilization for them to thrive. It is the process that maintains the healthy growth of the lawn and should do during the summer. Fertilization is a lawn service you should not overlook in your property. It should be at the top list of the services that you offer in your lawn care business. All you need to do is gain the right skills and knowledge to apply the fertilizer in the right way. The other most important thing is to make sure you do not under-fertilize, over-fertilize, and apply the right fertilizers at all times. If you do the job right the first time for your clients, you can expect repeat businesses.
Aeration services
It is another service to offer that will give your lawn care business quick money. It is a process that ensures that the health of the lawn is managed. You can add this service as an additional incentive to make your clients feel special. It will help you to make easy, quick, and consistent money in your business.
How much should you pay yourself?
When you start a lawn business, you will be the boss. One of the things to note is that you will have limitless income as the manager of the business. However, you have to be careful about how you manage your money and the amount you pay yourself. One of the great mistakes you might commit in your lawn care business is shortchanging and struggling with operating costs. The less money you will have in the lawn care business, the less you will also have for maintaining your equipment, upgrading tool, and marketing your business. The income from your business can dictate the fair amount you earn. If you reduce the business overheads, you can end up paying yourself more.
Conclusion
As mentioned above, there is money in the lawn care business. The most important thing to do is to make sure that you do everything right in order to gain the trust and confidence of your target clients. Like in any other business, you will need to be attentive at all times to move with the trends in the lawn care industry. Showcase your business as being always at the top by offering high-quality lawn care services and using the latest tools and techniques in the industry. Provide high-quality services to existing clients, who will then refer your business to other property owners leading to increased business and revenue.