6 Steps to Start a Lawn Care Business A Complete Guide

Starting a lawn care company may be one of this country's best-performing startups right now. The lawn care industry is a booming market in the United States. With over 30 million households that have lawns, there are more opportunities than ever for entrepreneurs to start their own lawn care business. If you're looking to get started with a new career and be your own boss, then this article will provide a complete guide on how to make it happen!

1) Research trends and growth of the lawn care services market in the US
According to Statista.com, the market size of landscaping services in the US is 105.35B$ in 2021, and the average spend per household in gardening activities is 503$.
However, even though there is a lot of opportunity in this market, these are the most common challenges lawn care CEOs face when doing business:

• 35% find difficulties staffing
• 32% see their margins shrinking, due to the cost of the equipment and the increasing cost of acquiring a customer (most of the customers are looking online and these companies see the paid advertising more expensive year after year)
• 25% found managing consumer expectations and concerns about costs very challenging

2) Find out what licenses or permits you need to operate
To operate as a lawn care contractor, you may need special permits or licenses. The type and number of permits you need will depend on where your business operates, so it's a good idea to check with local authorities before starting work.
Every state has different requirements for lawn care contractors operating in the area, but these are some common things that might be required:

• A general liability insurance policy
• A LLC setup with the right state agency
• The right equipment to do the work
• Additional licenses may be required

3) Decide on your strategy - part time vs full time
While starting out full time is the best choice, landscaping can still be done part time. Start building your portfolio.
If you don't have any experience, then find a landscaping company that is willing to let you work with them. The more candidates they can give their clientele for the job, the better chance you will get hired
You could also post on sites like Craigslist or mention it in forums and social media so you get your first jobs.
Once you start gaining traction, then you can leave your 9 to 5 for your growing landscaping business.

4) Determine pricing - competitive rates vs low rates?
Competitive rates are better for business, but low rates can attract more clients.
You want to find a balance between the two pricing models that works best for you and your market.
Figure out what price range will be most profitable in your area and stick with it.
This is how much of an investment each customer needs to make on average for each gardening job:
- $25-$50 for lawnmowing, depending on the size of lot
- $100 to remove weeds and plant shrubs in a garden bed
For every job you will incur various costs: equipment, gas, water usage. Keep these variables in mind when deciding your rates ahead of time so that you can take them into consideration.

5) Design website/advertisement campaign
To grow your lawn mowing business you need to acquire customers, and the best way to do it is through a well-designed marketing campaign.
The best way to get customers is through a well-designed website that markets your services and includes an easy contact form for them.
This also means advertising in local newspapers, on billboards near schools or churches, on radio stations etc.
A budget of at least $500-$1000 per year should be set aside for marketing purposes only.

6) Put in place a referral program to land new jobs
A referral program is a great way to continue landing new jobs.
It can be as simple as rewarding clients who refer their friends with a $50 discount off the first service, or it could offer discounts for referring other companies in your area that do lawn care services. You want each customer you have to feel like they are an integral part of your business.
This is a great way to get new customers and you'll be able to reward your existing customers too!
A referral program can even include a sign-up form for the client, so they can fill in their friends' names, email addresses or phone numbers. You could also give them a code their friends can use to sign up and get the discount.
Mention this in your newsletter or on social media as well, if possible!

These 6 steps should be enough to get going with your lawn care business. Hopefully that helps you to start your own lawn care business!