Did you finally decide to start your own business? Congratulations!
You’re in for a lot of work and a lot of fun.
A lawn care service is an excellent choice for a business. People have less time than ever to work on their yards, so the lawn care sector has been growing. The industry grew to a value of $99 billion in 2019.
But you have a lot of competition, so you need to start things right. You need need to prepare as much as you can, and we’ve made this post to help.
Let’s start with 10 things you can do to get your business off on the right foot.
1. Pick Your Target Market
Are you trying to get business from companies or individuals?
The market you chose dictates how many customers you need to make a profit.
A business will pay more to have work done, so you don’t need to get as many customers to keep your business running.
But there aren’t as many businesses as there are homes. You may not be able to charge individuals as much, but more people will potentially buy from you.
Find a focus and keep it there. The more you niche yourself down, the more you can brand yourself as an expert in that area.
2. Pick the Right Tools
Lawn control isn’t hard, but you do need the right tools before you get started.
Take an inventory of what you have and what you need to get. A mower is all you need to get started, but you can add on to give a better service.
Two is the ideal number of mowers to start with. Getting both a catcher and mulcher is ideal. Two mowers will give you options when you are working on yards.
Switching mowers also helps keep them in good shape. If you use one too much, it can wear on the gears and cause problems.
By switching, you are extending the lifespan of your mowers and reducing the number of repairs you need to handle.
3. Get Good at Scheduling
Your customers expect you to be there on time. If you are starting to get a lot of appointments, it’s easier to fall behind and start letting your clients down.
Make sure you give yourself enough time between appointments to account for unforeseen events.
It’s also a good idea to organize your schedule daily. If you have other things that you need to handle during the day, try to make sure you don’t deal with them at random times.
Organize things, so you waste the least amount of time.
Once you bring on a team you will need to manage their time as well. Learning to do it while solo is better than struggling when you are managing others.
4. Get Your Website Ready
It’s hard to run a business without a website these days. Everyone heads to the internet to do research when they want to buy something.
They can find plenty of services through local directories and can see reviews from other companies. This information helps make their decision easier.
Build your website as a marketing tool for your business. Spending some money to get one built can generate cash for you for years down the line.
5. Find a Mentor
It’s hard to do everything yourself. It helps to have someone to turn to that has been through the process before.
Find local networking groups in your area to connect with other business owners. When you become friends with like-minded people, you can help each other succeed.
Use your time with them to learn how to market, serve customers, and organize your business better.
Don’t only take though. Make sure you give as much as you get.
6. Learn to Communicate Regularly
Once you get a client, don’t go silent and only do the work.
Keep the communication lines open with all your clients. Let your clients know you care about their business and be proactive about keeping them happy.
It’s also good to check in to see if all their needs are being met. Use this time to see if there are any other lawn services you can offer them.
7. Track Everything
It’s hard for you to improve your processes if you don’t know what your numbers are. Keep track of everything you do so you can find trends and things that might need improvement.
Here are a few stats you can keep track of:
- Average price per lawn
- Regions with the most customers
- Travel times
- Average time to get work done
- Collection rates
Each of these can be used to make business decisions. Collect this information and any other information you think will help.
8. Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
You might want to jump in there and get as much business as you can. But if you get more business than you can handle, you will end up with work not getting done and disappointed customers.
Take things slow and work up to higher levels. You can learn your limits and how to handle higher workloads this way.
9. Decide If You Want a Team
When you first get started, you can manage your clients on your own. But as you grow, you won’t be able to do everything.
Decide early on if you want to run everything yourself or build a larger organization. Knowing this will help your decision-making process.
If you decide to build a team, you will need to plan on expanding your equipment inventory. More people means you will need to reinvest more back into the business and not take as much out for yourself.
Start a Lawn Care Service Today
You don’t need to overcomplicate starting a lawn care service, but don’t rush into it either. If you go into it without a proper plan, you will significantly reduce the chances of you managing your business successfully.
But when you do things right, you will find customers that want to pay you and will keep your business running in the future.
Do you need help with a business plan? Head over to our blog to read our business articles. They can help you come up with a plan.
