Lawn care is more than cutting tall grass. Here are common business missteps and how to get a strong start.
Are you thinking of starting a mowing business? For most, lawn care can be a relatively low-capital business and even a side hustle. It’s a typical first job for teens who begin by mowing for neighbors, some of them growing their home-based enterprises into bona fide businesses.
If you want to start your lawn care business right, it takes quite a bit more planning. From financing and marketing to customer service, a lawn care business requires the same functions as other service operations. You need to sell the work, schedule it, complete it, bill for it, and manage the backend bookkeeping.
Lawn care is a rewarding career for those who enjoy time outdoors and take pride in work that produces tangible results. Mowing also can be a profitable business if you manage it wisely.
Here are the most common mistakes lawn care businesses make and how to avoid them so you can set yourself up for success.
If you have one customer on a particular street, you want to mow their neighbors’ lawns. Less drive time means better profitability because you aren’t earning money on the road.
Andy Wilson, the president of Professional Lawn Maintenance in New Castle, Indiana, previously made this mistake.
“If a property is too far away and you have no other lawns in that area, learn to say no,” Wilson says. “I figured by the time I was gassing up the truck and my equipment, my trip there and back––I really wasn’t making any money to mow that yard.”
Early on, Wilson’s business focused primarily on lawn care only. Then, someone asked if he could build a retaining wall, and he agreed.
“I didn’t have the equipment to do that job,” he relates. So, he called a buddy to help him. “He showed me how, and I had to rent the equipment, and I spent four times as long to complete it as it would take me now.”
This was a learning experience for many reasons. You can always rent equipment—but it’s not free and not always available.
Wilson doesn’t regret doing the job. But he probably would have made more money filling that time with mowing clients and sticking to his core business.
“Don’t get too big too quick,” Wilson advises. “That’s when you can start cutting corners, and you can end up losing customers.”
It’s easy in this tough labor market to be in this situation. Just ask Isaac Lawson, the president of Lawson Lawn Services in Mansfield, Missouri.
“I have more work than I can do but not quite enough help,” he says. His business previously included a total of nine employees. Recently, he’s tapered back to three main crew members, which he finds more manageable.
As for revenue, Lawson’s business is more profitable with less overhead and higher-paying clients. “I weeded through my accounts and tried to make it more streamlined, and that worked for me,” he says. “We are running more efficiently.”
More than any other type of marketing, word of mouth is how most lawn care businesses grow (especially in the beginning). Ask for a referral if a customer thanks you for a job well done.
“Do what you say you are going to do,” Wilson says. “Then, word of mouth will probably do more for you than anything.” In addition, you can find him wearing his company T-shirt to advertise his business around town.
Lawson mentions his social media presence on Instagram and Facebook, and his Google My Business profile helps bring awareness to potential customers searching online for lawn care.
Equipment designed to maintain yard work once a week just won’t cut it. With cheap lawn care equipment running almost daily, you’ll risk spending more on repairs and replacements (plus an additional cost of downtime).
When purchasing a mower, consider efficiency and productivity, maintenance requirements, the types of properties you will be mowing, value for the investment, and dealer support.
Lawson previously operated most major lawn maintenance brands. His fleet now has seven Grasshoppers. “By having all the same brand, many of the parts are interchangeable,” he adds.
Wilson benefits from the customer service of his local Grasshopper dealer. “You want someone you can call upon if a mower goes down,” Wilson says. “If I ever have an issue, my Grasshopper dealer says, ‘Bring it in. We’ll get you taken care of.’ And I leave with a loaner in the meantime so I can continue the mowing schedule.”
Consider your overhead and operating expenses, and factor those into your price.
“I’ve seen a lot of people go in and out of business,” Lawson says. “They mow for a year or two, and when it’s time to replace equipment, they don’t have any money. You have to budget for equipment, fuel, insurance—everything that comes with running a business.”
When starting a business, saying yes to every potential customer who needs their lawn cut is tempting. But before you do, consider the property’s condition and location.
“I am more selective on the work I take now,” Lawson says. “I look for good properties that won’t be a headache—typically, better properties mean better customers.”
If one property is farther from others you mow, you’ll lose money on windshield time. However, the job might be worth it if you can build up more clientele in the neighborhood.
Also, steer clear of price shoppers. They’ll always pass you up for the next lowest offer. “If they can’t afford your services, they’ll try to get you to do it for less than what you are worth,” Lawson says.
Beyond commercial-grade equipment for professional lawn care operators, Grasshopper offers the business support and resources you need to grow a successful company, regardless of your goals.
Interested in more mowing tips from the pros at Grasshopper? Check out our library of how-to videos, or sign up for our newsletter. Thinking about a new mower? Our team can help you choose the best model for your needs.