Startup Questions

[Jungle]

Hi Guys! I'm planning to start a lawn business and would appreciate any advice you can share. I want to get things started with a few fall cleanups in my neighborhood that I hope will turn into full time mowing customers. My goal is 30-50 residential accounts in the next couple of years so I can quit my full time job. Does this seem like a realistic goal? Below are a few other questions I have.

Have any of you used USPS Every Door Direct Mail? I know every neighborhood is different, but what was your success rate? I can mail to 659 addresses for $115.00. If any of you are new to the business, how did you get started?

I'm debating whether or not to get licensed to fertilize. Will I struggle to get new accounts if I do not offer a fertilization program?
The services I planned on offering are Mowing, edging, hedge trimming, aerating, fall & spring cleanups.

I plan to buy an eXmark Commercial 30 next spring. Once I have enough large lawns to justify, I'll add a 48" stand on. I'm looking at the eXmark Vantage, Scag V-Ride, or Toro GrandStand. I know brand preference is subjective and have read a lot of past posts on the subject. I'll demo all three when the time comes and go from there. Please share your thoughts.

I know I'll have many more questions as time goes on.

Thanks for your replies!!

 

[Ric]

Hi Guys! I'm planning to start a lawn business and would appreciate any advice you can share. I want to get things started with a few fall cleanups in my neighborhood that I hope will turn into full time mowing customers. My goal is 30-50 residential accounts in the next couple of years so I can quit my full time job. Does this seem like a realistic goal? Below are a few other questions I have.

Have any of you used USPS Every Door Direct Mail? I know every neighborhood is different, but what was your success rate? I can mail to 659 addresses for $115.00. If any of you are new to the business, how did you get started?

I'm debating whether or not to get licensed to fertilize. Will I struggle to get new accounts if I do not offer a fertilization program?
The services I planned on offering are Mowing, edging, hedge trimming, aerating, fall & spring cleanups.

I plan to buy an eXmark Commercial 30 next spring. Once I have enough large lawns to justify, I'll add a 48" stand on. I'm looking at the eXmark Vantage, Scag V-Ride, or Toro GrandStand. I know brand preference is subjective and have read a lot of past posts on the subject. I'll demo all three when the time comes and go from there. Please share your thoughts.

I know I'll have many more questions as time goes on.

Thanks for your replies!!

The advice I can give you is to remember in Lawn-Care Time is money so spend them both wisely. If your looking to quit your day job you wont be able to do it with 30 to 50 clients. I wouldn't worry about a fertilization program it's not going to help you one way or another, I'd concentrate on Trimming, Edging, Mowing and blowing things off and you'll have more work per client than you want.
Your choice and brand in mowers is fine, there's nothing wrong with the Exmark and remember the Exmark is made by Toro so the Vantage and Grandstand will basically be the same mower except for there paint job and deck which Exmark uses there own deck instead of the Turbo Force. Now with that said I wouldn't waste my money on the commercial 30 first I'd go with the 48" Vantage to start with and later add the 30 if you want because like I said in Lawn-Care Time is money and you can't make the time you need to make with a 4 mph self propelled push mower.

 

[Skydragon750]

Always walk the yard before start cutting cause there might be some tree stumps, toys or metal in the yard. Don't want to break your mower.

 

[X-man]

Always walk the yard before start cutting cause there might be some tree stumps, toys or metal in the yard. Don't want to break your mower.

I learned that the hard way last year. Ran one of my push mowers over a gardening tool (oops). Jammed the blade and stopped the engine in a heartbeat. Luckily the only thing it did was bend my blade.

 

[exotion]

Should walk the yard anyways, especially for bidding even if you think you know for sure there always might be something you didn't see at first

 

[Fish]

Hi Guys! I'm planning to start a lawn business and would appreciate any advice you can share. I want to get things started with a few fall cleanups in my neighborhood that I hope will turn into full time mowing customers. My goal is 30-50 residential accounts in the next couple of years so I can quit my full time job. Does this seem like a realistic goal? Below are a few other questions I have.

Have any of you used USPS Every Door Direct Mail? I know every neighborhood is different, but what was your success rate? I can mail to 659 addresses for $115.00. If any of you are new to the business, how did you get started?

I'm debating whether or not to get licensed to fertilize. Will I struggle to get new accounts if I do not offer a fertilization program?
The services I planned on offering are Mowing, edging, hedge trimming, aerating, fall & spring cleanups.

I plan to buy an eXmark Commercial 30 next spring. Once I have enough large lawns to justify, I'll add a 48" stand on. I'm looking at the eXmark Vantage, Scag V-Ride, or Toro GrandStand. I know brand preference is subjective and have read a lot of past posts on the subject. I'll demo all three when the time comes and go from there. Please share your thoughts.

I know I'll have many more questions as time goes on.

Thanks for your replies!!

I hate to say it, but I would only focus on the "rich" neighborhoods, send your mailers there. Just start with mowing only, that will be your income base, do not forget
that. Advertise only in the "rich" areas, seriously..... Doctors that want to go jogging, while a crew mows his lawn. Turn away the landscape stuff for now. Build a
profitable mowing business first, do not worry about anything else. If you do take on any work, explain that it will only happen during a dry period, as you are only
concerned with the mowing business, they will understand. If you build up any extra jobs landscaping/wise, that should be a different crew.

 

[Ric]

I hate to say it, but I would only focus on the "rich" neighborhoods, send your mailers there. Just start with mowing only, that will be your income base, do not forget
that. Advertise only in the "rich" areas, seriously..... Doctors that want to go jogging, while a crew mows his lawn. Turn away the landscape stuff for now. Build a
profitable mowing business first, do not worry about anything else. If you do take on any work, explain that it will only happen during a dry period, as you are only
concerned with the mowing business, they will understand. If you build up any extra jobs landscaping/wise, that should be a different crew.

Not saying your thought is wrong be if I'm starting a business I'll take what I can get for clients no matter where they are. When you first start you don't have the option to be picky about your clients income. That can come at a later time after you acquire a good client base.

 

[exotion]

Not saying your thought is wrong be if I'm starting a business I'll take what I can get for clients no matter where they are. When you first start you don't have the option to be picky about your clients income. That can come at a later time after you acquire a good client base.

This is where I am at in my business started out getting whatever I can get. Last year I weeded out a neighborhood that was not making me as much money as I could by getting a tighter route. And I am targetting neighborhoods that get me a tighter route, while I cannot get one sub division and stick with it I can at least make my route efficent I start at the farthest house from me sometimes that's about 30 mins away but I always get there at 7:30 so I just change the time I leave my house. I now average 2-3 mins between each job which by my book is great and I always finish within 5-10 mins from my house.

When you start out you need to take what you can get. It takes money to make money.

When you start out don't offer to many services each service you offer will take special equipment, time, and special scheduling. The starting and sticking with mowing is great advice you can add services and buy equipment as you go and as the demand increases.

 

[TaskForceLawnCare]

focus your first couple years on marketing, and obviously doing a knock out job with the customers you pick up. if potential customers never see your name they can't hire you. Facebook website newspaper direct mailers door to door post cards, flyers on every bulletin board I think you get my drift.

keep your truck, yourself and your equipment clean. build your reputation around your work and appearance.

I would tell you definitely get an applicators license. you'll treat twice as many yards as you cut. its a long process depending on the state, but will add to your bottom line.

prepare yourself mentally to live for your business. you'll be the labor, marketing, book keeper, billing official ect. never forget that no body will care as much about your business as you will.

 

[Ric]

The biggest thing you can do if you want to start a business is to not start your business in the hole. Don't spend money you haven't made. Marketing is great for someone who already has an established business and the equipment to back it up. Using Facebook, websites, newspapers, direct mailers, things like that only cost you money that you haven't made yet, it just puts you deeper in the hole and it's a losing proposition because chances are good your clients will end up 20 and 30 miles apart and you'll spend more time riding the roads than mowing lawns.
If you want to advertise go to Vista print and buy 250 business cards, it will cost like $10 and it's a minimal investment. Find yourself a sub-division with a 1000 to 1500 homes and pick a section that looks good and hit it with your business cards door to door. Keep your client list together and close and don't leave that sub-division. Let your work be your advertisement and save your money to invest in or for equipment not gas.