How to Start a Lawn and Garden Services Company
If you love the outdoors, starting a lawn and garden service company may be the best way for you to go into business for yourself. Unlike some other businesses, it does not require a huge amount of startup money. All you need are a few basic items, a strong back and a game plan. Before you spend a lot of money getting started, learn the proper steps to take.
You can practically start a lawn and garden service on a shoestring budget. All you need are some tools to get you through your first few jobs, and then a little self-promotion.
1. Gather the lawn and garden tools needed for your business. The basic equipment you need include a decent, used lawn mower, edger, hand clippers, hedge clippers, broom, rake, shovel and wheel barrel. Chances are you or a friend already has these tools. All you need from that point is an old truck or a used car with a good-sized trunk to haul the tools around.
2. The next step is to get a few customers. Go up and down your neighborhood streets for starters and then expand from there. Work hard on getting referrals, even if you have to offer discounts to get them. It will be worth it.
3. Promote your business. After you get a few jobs lined up and start bringing in some money, take out some ads in local publications. The Penny Saver and other similar monthly or weekly publications are the best at first. Later, you can go into the newspaper and phone book, or even an online directory.
4. Add to your tools. As your business grows, you will need to add more and better equipment. Always keep backups so you do not have to go to the shop for repairs in the middle of a job.
- New commercial mowers, at least two
- Gas-powered commercial weed eater
- Gas-powered commercial edger
- Gas-powered hedge clippers
- Gas-powered sidewalk blower
- Good, dependable truck
- Trailer for hauling clippings
5. Increase your advertising. Along with these new tools, you need to pump up your advertising. Spread out into more publications. If you are already advertising in all of your local periodicals, do some advertising on the radio. In many local markets, advertising on AM radio is not very expensive.
Tip: Build in a hurry. Most lawn and garden work is seasonal, so you want to get as many customers as you can while the season is busy. That will ensure you have enough customers to get you through the winter when things are slow.
Each year, work on growing your business by adding more customers and some personnel. When you first start, you will focus on one property at a time; however, if you keep adding new clients, you can have crews working several properties at a time.