We all know lawn mowing services are an important part of modern civilizations. Most homes and businesses have grass on their property. Therefore, it’s necessary to ensure it’s properly taken care of to maintain a fresh and healthy appearance. Some people mow their lawns, and others pay to get it done. However, life is getting very fast-paced, and the world has become busy, so people don’t have the time to mow their lawns anymore. This allows you to start your lawn mowing service to earn some extra money.
Mowing Yards for Money, how much can I earn? And how can I start?
In general, mowing yards for money is an easy and successful way to start your own business. If you have your lawn care equipment, you don’t need to invest much to start. As an extra, all you will need to add is a trailer to your vehicle to carry your equipment. The average price for mowing a lawn is between $40 to $50, meaning if you mow 5 to 6 lawns per day, you can earn up to $1000 per week. Initially, this is a good income as a side business, but with time and reinvesting, your profit wisely. You can shift your solo business to a whole new level and start your own lawn care company.
This article will learn how to start your own lawn care business and create a profit with a minimal initial investment. You will also learn some tips on how to increase your customer base and how to create a profitable and successful business.
Contents
Lawn Mowing as a Business
As mentioned previously, starting a profitable lawn care business doesn’t require a lot of investment. If you have a yard, then you are likely to have most of the necessary equipment. The essential equipment needed includes a lawn mowing machine, Weed Wacker to remove tall weeds, a gas can, extra mower blades if the older blades can not be sharpened anymore. Hand clippers, hand tools for emergency repairs, oil, gloves, and safety glasses.
● Examples of a successful start-up
Mowing yards for money is a viable and profitable business to start on your own. The profit, in the beginning, may not be that much, but it should be more than sufficient as a starter. The following link demonstrates a man who owns his own lawn mowing business. It shows his entire workday mowing yards as his only source of income.
In this video, the total time spent mowing yards in one day is 4 hours and 36 minutes, earning him $208. While this may not be the kind of income you are anticipating, this is expected when you build your customer base and use only basic equipment. Therefore, this is a substantial amount of money for a starter.
With time, your clientele will increase, growing your business, which will increase the profit margin. At this time, you may need to expand your business to continue to provide an efficient service to your customers.
If you are concerned about the monthly payment of mowing yards, it’s important to know that the amount varies depending upon the season and the effort you are putting into your lawn mowing business. For one lawn, the average price is up to $50, almost 30 to 35 minutes of work. Like in the above video, the man was mowing up to 6 lawns per day. Applying this same scenario, you can earn between $900 to $1000 per week. So, as you can see, this is a significant profit considering the work and hours put in. Your profit depends upon your initial investment and the geographical location. Of course, the season is also important, in the winter there is less work to do than in the other seasons.
Another example of a lawn mowing business is the two high school kids RJ Duarte and Owen Johnson, in Golden, Colorado, who started their business in 2014 called Green Worx. The two kids had no business capital and no initial investment. Initially, RJ was doing lawn mowing on his own, but with time the work increased, and RJ asked Owen to join him. Eventually, they could bring their company to such height that they had to hire a full-time employee and part-time team comprised of their school classmates to carry out their day-to-day work.
● How to Start a Lawn Mowing Business
When thinking of starting your own business, you must consider the services you can provide. So consider how you can maintain your customer’s lawn, the size of the yard you will be able to mow, and learn how to repair the patches where the grass is damaged.
For mowing grass, a gas-powered lawn mowing machine is better than an electric-powered machine because an electric machine requires an electric cord, and you may run into the problem of there being no available power outlets at the location. A gas lawn mowing machine eliminates power outlets’ need as it runs on the gas tank installed. You may need to buy yourself a tractor-style mower to accommodate for larger acres of land with time.
You will also need a larger vehicle, like a truck, to transport your equipment to the desired site. If you don’t have money to invest in a truck, then a small trailer attached behind your vehicle is suitable. This is a crucial part of setting up your business because if you cannot transport the necessary equipment to the location, it will be problematic.
After starting your business, it’s important to promote your business as much as possible to increase the number of customers. There are several ways to do this. You can use social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, create your website or blog or advertise through your local newspapers. You can also contact your local real estate office and ask them to promote your business through their property management division.
When setting the prices for your services, you need to check with similar businesses in your area and set your hourly rate accordingly. Initially, it’s important to advertise your service at a discounted price to the first customers to gain their interest. Once they see your work at a reasonable price, it will encourage them to become regular customers. Customers are attracted to discounts and free samples of your services.
Before starting your business, it is also recommended to buy business insurance because there are accident risks when mowing yards. What if you unintentionally cut a $ 1,000 bush while cutting the grass in a luxurious environment? What if you accidentally hit your mowing machine into their car? Accidents can happen, which is why you should invest in insurance to protect you and your business.
Tips for a Successful Business
According to David Serville, the founder of Crewcut Lawn and Garden, there are certain tips you need to follow for a successful business.
- Punctuality: If your business is in a metropolitan area, then having an early start is important to avoid traffic jams. The “early bird catches the worm,” as they say, so get there earlier rather than later to avoid rushing your work and potentially finishing early.
- Profitable Mowing: Efficient equipment is important to create a profitable business. The best lawn mower is a mulching mower because it’s the fastest and easiest to mow any lawn. It’s eco-friendly because there is no need to dispose of the grass clippings. Raking and mowing with hand tools is a very slow and inefficient method. Even if you charge more, you will not earn enough profit because it takes a lot of time and effort. So, you should avoid using these kinds of methods unless your client explicitly requests to do so. While they may request inefficient tools, you can encourage your client to use mulching because it’s environmentally friendly and keeps the grass healthier and fresh.
- Rain Check: Rain plays an important role in lawn mowing, so make a habit of doing a weather check the night before you are mowing. If the lawn is not too soft to walk on, you can mow it in the rain. Customers will continue to work with companies who put their best efforts into taking care of their lawns, despite the weather.
- Payment Policy: You should have a strict payment policy for your business and commit your clients to pay regularly, either monthly or after a set number of times mowing their lawn. Having a good cash flow for your business is important to meet your expenses and to run things smoothly.
- Seasonal Mowing: During the growing season of the grass, change your schedule from fortnightly to weekly. This shows your customers your plan is based on their grass growth, another way to make them feel valued. It will increase your business’s profit, but it will also help you gain customers’ loyalty.
- Maintaining Equipment: To run a successful business, it is essential to maintain your equipment. Make a budget for the new equipment and get rid of old and worn equipment because older equipment won’t be able to mow effectively.
- Be ready for the Next Day: Always be ready and prepare your equipment for the next day beforehand. This may seem simple, but it’s an important practice. Usually, when you first wake up, it can take a while to put your brain into gear. By preparing yourself for the next day, all you have to do is jump in your car, drive to the first location and get to work. Simple ways to set up your equipment include cleaning your gear and filling the mower with gasoline.
Final Words
Through this article, you have learned about mowing yards for money. In the beginning, all you need is some basic equipment to mow lawns effectively. The average lawn can take up to 35 minutes to mow, and you can do it alone without any help. You will need a vehicle with a trailer attached to transfer your equipment.
Ultimately, we can see that the lawn mowing business is very profitable, and if you put your best efforts in, you can create a business that will flourish. Just make sure you follow the experts’ simple tips, as discussed, to run things smoothly.