One of the easiest businesses to start is a lawn mowing business. However, because it’s easy to get started, there is more competition making it harder to get clients. If you can set yourself apart from the crowd, you can start a lawn care business that is successful.

Getting Started: Tools and Equipment

Before you can start anything, you have to have the right equipment to cut the grass. You may already have a lawn mower, but there are a few other things you’ll need, in addition, to clean up the yard after mowing and to take care of other foliage.

• Vehicle for transportation (truck is best)
• Blower
• Trimmers
• Mower
• Hand tools including rakes, shovels, etc.
• Edgers
•  Safety equipment such as gloves

Map Out a Plan

Unless you only plan on mowing a couple of your neighbors yards every now and then for a few extra bucks, make a business plan. A plan will help to ensure your business is as efficient as possible.

• Who will you market to? – How far are you willing to drive?
• What services will you offer? – Cutting grass, landscaping, clean-up, etc.
• When will you complete your services?
• How will you schedule your jobs to be most efficient?

Get Clients

You won’t get any work or money if you don’t find clients. The best way to stay in business is to build a strong client base that stays with you for years. It’s easier to keep a client than to get new ones.

However, if you don’t get clients to start, you’ll have no clients to keep. Start by spreading the word about your new business. Tell friends, family, and neighbors, put an ad in the paper, send out flyers, make a Facebook page and tell all your friends, etc.

The best way to start is with word-of-mouth. If you can get a couple neighbors or friends to hire you and you do a good job, they’ll tell all their friends and so on. The more they like your work, the more work you’ll get.

How will you Charge Clients?

There are several things to consider when it comes to charging for your services including:

• The location
• How many other clients are in the area
• The clients expected quality
• The size of the yard
• The number and types of obstacles in the yard

Get a base price to start by asking other contractors. Be sure to charge more for added services such as trimming, debris pick-up, etc. Be willing to work on the price with each client instead of being too strong with a price, especially in the beginning when work is work even if it pays a little less.

As your business grows, you’ll have the experience and testimonials for bigger jobs and possibly be able to talk clients into adding services.

Stand Out from the Crowd

Since the lawn care industry is so competitive, it is important to stand out from the crowd. This can be done in several ways, and by doing these things, your clients will prefer your services and tell all their friends why you’re better. You might even get new customers who were unhappy with their old mower. Use these lawn mowing business tips to gain an edge.

Offer other services such as fall clean-up, bagging cut grass, trimming, tree removal, weeding, pest control, etc.

Be flexible. If a client only wants you to mow every other week, give them that option, but since it’s harder to cut taller grass, you can charge a little more. If they are planning a party for the day you normally mow, be willing to come the day before so that it looks ready and your not bothering their party.

Always get the job done when you said you would do it. Reliability is important, especially with cutting grass. Coming 3 days late could leave their lawn looking unkempt, something they were trying to avoid in the first place by hiring you.

Go the extra mile. If you see an old tree trunk or other debris, ask them if they would like that removed too and quote a low price. If it’s a small job that needs to be done and will only take a little extra effort and time, do it for them as a bonus. Of course, this is only for small, obvious problems. Some clients might be upset if you choose to cut down a blueberry bush or something else important.

Lawn Care Business Size

A lawn mowing business can be as small as mowing 3 lawns every weekend or as large as having a truck, trailer, several employees, and constant, full time work. I recommend starting small, and if the business takes off, expand. However, there is nothing wrong with staying small either.

As long as you keep an eye on your business and always treat it like a business by being professional, you should succeed and enjoy what you’re doing.

For more detailed information about running a lawn mowing business, get Lawn Care Business Guide: The Definitive Guide To Starting and Running Your Own Successful Lawn Care Business and How To Make Big Money Mowing Small Lawns. You can buy these books here from Amazon.com:

The first will give you more detailed information on running a successful lawn care business, and the second will help you specialize in smaller lawns. Both will give you valuable information on starting your own lawn business.