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Running a Lawn Mowing Business – Ways to Save Money

October 28, 2011
Steve Sutherland asked:




Once you are up and running and have fine tuned your lawn mowing business marketing and customer service the next area that you can target to maximize profit is your companies productivity. Here are some ideas for running an efficient lawn care business and cutting down costs.

Equipment

Some lawn care businesses have started to use electric mowers, edgers and blowers. Not only are these options cheaper due to fuel savings, they are also quieter and don’t produce negative air emissions. The problem with electric equipment though is that it has to be recharged and this can be a challenge for commercial lawn service companies.

Buying used equipment that has been well maintained is another way that you lawn care business can cut expenses.

Logistics

Efficient lawn mowing business operators plan their routes in a way that makes the best possible use of time and resources. Ideally you want to spend less time in your vehicle and more time cutting grass. Planning a cost-effective route can also cut down on gasoline consumption.

Send Two Guys on a Job Instead of One

By sending out your staff in teams of two (or working with a partner) you can run a more efficient operation. As you will only require one vehicle instead of two there are fuel saving to be made and two workers can often be more productive then one when it comes to jobs like lifting heavy objects.

Your workers will be happier overall and derive more job satisfaction from working in a small team. Customers may be happier too as they may perceive that having two workers tending to their property is a more valuable service then having only one worker on site.

Lawn Care Business Software

Look into the various software packages available that are specifically designed for lawn service businesses. Installing a system to manage accounts and scheduling lawn jobs is essential if you want to efficiently manage your lawn care business.

The are two sides to maximizing profit. One side involves working to increase your income and the other involves working on decreasing expenditure by being efficient and productive. Finding ways to save money and to increase productivity in your lawn care business is essential to your success.



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Gardening Business (Inc Lawn Mowing) – Equipment Needed For Successful Start Up Businesses

October 25, 2011
Gerry Faehrmann asked:




If you are starting a new lawn mowing and gardening business, then you need to consider a basic range of equipment that will allow you to provide a decent level of service to your new customers. What you offer customers is limited by the range of gardening equipment you invest in.

A basic lawn mowing business will require the following equipment:

Motor vehicle sedan with a tow behind trailer. Obviously, a utility (or pick up) will be better for this sort of work but only if funds allow. A push mower with catcher – this is your entry level mower. You can (as your cash flow allows) invest in a self propelled lawn mower (these are called walk behind mowers in north America) A whipper snipper / brush cutter (or as the north Americans say, a weed eater) – you are best to invest in a quality machine with a minimum 25cc motor and a straight shaft, however, you can get by with a cheap bent shaft model from your home hardware store One vacuum blower, or the more efficient back-pack blower machine Wool bags, or hessian style bags for lawn clippings Mobile (or cell) phone Pressure Sprayer Bottle and non-selective herbicide, that is, Roundup Basic garden tools, for example, secateurs, bush saw, garden gloves, plastic rubbish bin

If you are wanting to offer your customers more gardening type services then you will need to invest in hedging equipment, chain saws and so on. This can (to an extent) be planned for. Until you are ready, you will just provide a basic lawn mowing and lawn care service.

Generally, many contractors will focus on lawn mowing in the warmer seasons, and in the cooler season expand their service offering to include some gardening and tree services.



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How to Start a Lawn Mowing Business – What You Need

October 21, 2011
Walter Diener asked:




Many people get into the lawn mowing business without having all of the proper equipment. This leads to not being able to complete the mowing jobs efficiently enough to make a profit and will ultimately lead to failure. New Commercial equipment is best because it usually comes with a three year warranty but the down side is you pay top dollar. Used commercial equipment is second best because it is built to last and it holds its value very well. Homeowner equipment is not well suited to your mowing business. These mowers are only made to be used for about 1 hour once per week. They will fail on you. The only cheap equipment I buy are push mowers. I have found that, when used commercially, a $120 push mower will last as long as a $650 push mower. About 2 years.

Here is the Basic Equipment Needed to Start your Lawn Mowing Business.

1. A good reliable pickup truck

Stock your truck with these supplies:

Spare set/sets sharp blades.
Tire repair plug kit.

Small air pump. (with cigarette lighter adapter)
Full set of tools. (Home Depot sells a good set of Husky tools in a case for about $120)
Spool of Trimmer line. (Get the good stuff. Cheap line breaks.)
Envelope for gas receipts and expenses.
Ledger to record expenses. (Most of your expenses are tax deductible.)

2. Landscape trailer.

You will need a trailer that is at least 8′ long. An 8′ trailer can hold all of the
equipment on this list. A 12′ trailer trailer would be better though because it does allow for adding more equipment as you expand. You will need a two trimmer rack and a blower rack for the trailer. In my area I can find used trailers for about $600 and new for anywhere up to $1600 for a 12′ trailer.

Also you can check eBay for used trailer listings.



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Starting a Lawn Care Business – Commercial Mowers, ‘Ride On’ Mowers and Other Equipment

October 17, 2011
Steve Sutherland asked:




To succeed in the lawn care business you need to have the right commercial equipment. Having the right equipment makes you more professional and productive.

While you can start out in lawn care with a basic push mower that you can cart around in a station wagon or with a small trailer, it is the operators with small trucks and commercial mowers that distinguish themselves as the ‘six figure’ operators.

This article looks at some of the basic equipment that you will need to be successful cutting grass for a living.

Your largest purchase when it comes to equipment will be your vehicle. Look at the dimensions and weight of some of the commercial mowers that you are interested in and make sure that you have a truck or van and trailer that can take the load securely as well as making packing and unpacking convenient. Once you have decided what equipment you will purchase you should consider having racks installed into the vehicle for safely storing and locking the equipment.

In terms of lawn mowers, the basic ‘walk behind’ lawn mower is an industry standard and comes in many varieties ranging from the typical consumer lawn mowers up to some quite advanced commercial types. These mowers are practical, maneuverable and good for most residential jobs. Some commercial ‘walk behind’ mowers are able to tow a small platform called a Velke which allows the operator to stand on a small platform and be slowly pulled along by the mower, thus saving on energy.

For more serious lawn care business operators ‘Ride on’ mowers are the next logical step up. While not quite as flexible as ‘walk behind’ mowers in that they are not suited to hilly terrain and smaller areas these mowers generally make the operator much more productive on an average lawn surface. ZTR (Zero Turn Radius) mowers are the best when it comes to ‘ride on’ mowers due to their power, features and maneuverability (they can turn on a dime).

For a one man operator, owning a combination of a ‘walk behind’ mower and a ‘ride on’ mower is best for maximizing productivity on all lawn shapes and contours.

Other required lawn care equipment includes trimmers and edgers, necessary for cutting grass in places that the lawn mower cannot reach such as along concrete driveway edges and around letterboxes. Blowers are also useful for removing grass clippings and leaves from paths, driveways and pavements to leave a customers property looking neat and tidy.

Lastly, you should make sure that you have the appropriate safety equipment including safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves and work boots with a steel cap in the toes.

While not all of this is essential for a new operator starting out in the grass cutting business you should aim to have a commercial lawn mower or ‘ride on’ mower sometime within your first year of business so that you are productive and distinguish yourself as a professional, giving you the best chance of making ‘six figures’ in the lawn care business.



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Commercial Lawn Mowing Service Equipment For Lawn Care Business Professionals

October 16, 2011
Steve Sutherland asked:




Lawn mowing companies typically offer a wide range of services. You need to decide exactly what services your company will offer and ensure that you have the skills and equipment to perform those services.

To be successful in this industry you also have to maximize the productivity of yourself and your crews. Having commercial lawn mowing equipment can help to make your business more productive and more profitable. The right gear can not only help you to get the job done faster but can also help you to preserve your energy.

In this article we look at some of the equipment that you will need if you decide to start a lawn care business.

The Right Vehicle

It is possible to start out by hauling a push mower around in an SUV. However, in order to carry the volume of gear that is needed to run a professional and productive mowing operation you really need to invest in a trailer or small truck as soon as possible.

One good idea is to decide on your major equipment purchases before you choose a vehicle. You can then check the dimensions of the trailer or truck before you buy to ensure that all your equipment will fit.

Once you have made a purchase consider having some racks installed so that all of your gear can be stored securely and in an organized way. As you will be carrying around a lot of expensive equipment you should also give some thought to security and have an alarm installed.

Lawn Mowers

There are a huge range of lawn mowers available to lawn care professionals. As different kinds of mowers are suited to different lawns some professionals end up buying more than one so that they always have the best lawn mower for the job.

Firstly you have ‘walk behind’ mowers. These include the basic variety that many people have for doing their own lawns but they also come in larger commercial versions. ‘Walk behind’ mowers are easy to maneuver and are suitable for most residential lawns. You can purchase a small platform on wheels called a ‘velke’ that is able to be attached to some commercial ‘walk behind’ mowers. A velke enables the operator to be pulled along by the mower rather than having to push it.

For larger lawns and commercial contracts you really need a larger ride-on mower to get the job done efficiently. These mowers are best for maximizing productivity on large lawns with relatively flat terrain but are not suited to hills and smaller yards with lots of obstacles. The best ‘ride on’ mowers are the ZTR (Zero Turn Radius) mowers as they are incredibly easy to maneuver.

Safety Equipment

Depending on your work for the day you may need safety glasses, ear protection, sun block and a pair of steel-toed work boots to protect your feet. Gloves can also help you to get a better grip on equipment handles, particularly when you have sweaty hands.

Other Lawn Mowing Business Equipment

Other lawn mowing business equipment can include a mulching bag (for collecting mown grass and avoiding mess), an edger for neatly finishing off the lawn edges, a good wheelbarrow, a blower (for leaves and grass clippings) and a measuring wheel.

Lawn service companies also have a great opportunity to offer additional home and yard services to customers such as fertilizing, removing leaves, pruning trees and hedges, pressure washing, pest control and simple landscaping jobs. Some of these service can require sophisticated machinery but can also be much more profitable.

Uniforms

To make yourself and your employees look tidy and professional consider having some uniforms made up. A polo shirt and a cap with your business branding on will make a good impression on your clients.

Home Office

Lastly you need to think about setting up some kind of base for your lawn mowing business to operate out of. This will most probably be your home and you will need storage space for equipment as well as a home office set up.

Office Equipment that you will have to consider purchasing will include furniture, a PC and printer, a telephone and answering machine, a photocopier, a fax machine and stationery.



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