How do I start a grass cutting service??

[whodat2626]

I'm thinking of starting my own grass cutting business. If anyone has any experience with this, any advice or tips would be appreciated. I already have a couple of yards from friends/co-workers and would like to expand? Legally do I need a license or insurance to do this.

 

[MaxLibido]

Dont take this the wrong way but... do you speak Spanish?

 

[TPS]

I would start by purchasing a capable lawn mower.

TPS

 

[Severum]

http://www.lawnsite.com/ is the place to start.

 

[hammernnails]

Advertising .... kinkos 1000 flyers cheap then spend a day or 2 in some nice neighborhoods in your area distributing them... low cost very effective.. especially when you can personally hand them to potiential customers....

 

[HouDat]

Buy jorts.

 

[THAJCODE]

Lmao.

 

[Hey Beerman]

Advertising .... kinkos 1000 flyers cheap then spend a day or 2 in some nice neighborhoods in your area distributing them... low cost very effective.. especially when you can personally hand them to potiential customers....

1,000 is alot of flyers. Maybe think about printing a few hundred flyers and getting business cards. Flyers get thrown away and get mixed up in junk more than a business card would. Maybe make your flyer 1/2 of an 8.5 x 11 page so that you get 2 for the price of one sheet, saves costs and makes it a different size from every other piece of paper.

 

[whodat2626]

1,000 is alot of flyers. Maybe think about printing a few hundred flyers and getting business cards. Flyers get thrown away and get mixed up in junk more than a business card would. Maybe make your flyer 1/2 of an 8.5 x 11 page so that you get 2 for the price of one sheet, saves costs and makes it a different size from every other piece of paper.

Thats a great idea about cutting it in half. Thanks!! I will do that. I will make some cards later if I get enough yards. I'm only doing this part time-just evenings and weekends.

Anyone know the specifics of Licenses and insurance??

 

[Saintlady]

Don't know about the licenses and insurance issue, but elderly people are ALWAYS looking for someone to mow their yard.

 

[derick76]

License I think you need to have, insurrance you can go without it, but you likely won't get many commercial jobs without insurrance.

 

[inetnawlins]

Where are you located? If in New Orleans then list your services on Craigslist, NOLA forums by neighborhood and if the areas you are targeting have community web sites list there. You'll get more bang for no buck or less buck that way. Also, signs on telephone poles work better than flyers. They stay up longer and more people see them. Other places to post info include local coffee shops and/or grocery stores. You have to think about what kind of person is likely to or able to pay for someone else to do the lawn. Obviously, the more affluent the neighborhood, the better you are likely to do. Good Luck. Oh yeah, you are also going to need a trailer of some kind to transport your equipment. Most lawn companies use enough equipment to be able to get and out with a crew in a hurry. The more lawns, the more money.

 

[bclemms]

Do not go without insurance. You will bust out glass and some can cost thousands. Even if you decided to pay for it out of your pocket at least get general liability insurance. It is very cheap to carry and you never know what might happen. You could sling a rock and hit some kid in the eye or hop off your mower and take a break at your truck when some kid hops on and gets injured.

As far as the liscense goes, as long as you do not plant any flowers, lay any mulch, use any chemicals (weed killer, fertilizer, etc.) or even trimming the hedges because you have to be a landscape architect or landscape contractors liscense to do any of these and you will get turned in by your competition in a heart beat.

Once you start cutting grass you will have customers ask you to do a lot of different things. The money will be tempting but as long as you stick to cutting grass, weed eating, edging and blowing you will not have a problem.

Do get a business liscense (very easy) and open a commercial checking account.

If you do these things you can do both residential and commercial, it will not cost you much and you will not get any fines. This will also allow keep your commercial and personal finances from getting mixed up.

If you are planning on doing this full time and try to make a living do not skim on equipment costs. Go ahead and get a business loan if you have to because you will struggle to make money with cheap equipment. Non commercial equipment will constantly need repairs, will slow you down, limit your ability to expand your business and most importantly eat away at your profits. A zero turning radius mower, either walk behind or traditional riding, is a must. When you go to buy your mower do not go so big that you can't get it through customers gates on their fences. You can't beat a Shindaiwa weed eater and a strong back pack blower.

The most important thing to do for any seasonal business is SAVE, SAVE, SAVE during your busy season. You will lose a tremendous amount of business in the winter. You might want to consider offering a yearly contract to your customer with a "first cut is free" and special price to keep customers on a yearly schedule. Most will not go for it but some will and every little bit helps come January.

Answer your phone. There are a hundreds of grass cutting places in any given town. Each is only a phone call away and most customers will not leave messages. For every 1000 flyers you put out expect to get about 5-10 calls. They are not very effective at getting people but they are cost effective. Do not stick them in or on mailboxes because the first mailman that sees them will report you and it is a federal offense with a hefty fine. Try concentrating them in new developements since these people are the most likely to be looking for a new lawn service. The really nice neighborhoods is not the place to hit. These people either have 10k worth of lawn equipment in their garage, have a high dollar lawn and garden contract or can not be pleased. I would stick to houses between $150-300k (depending where you live).

Television and Radio can be cheap if you know what you are doing. I do quite a bit of both and if you do decide to go in business shoot me a PM and I will give you some tips.

A catchy name is where to start. Don't do "John's lawn care" like every other Tom, Dick and Harry.

Hope all this helps.

 

[Sloppy Dice]

Yellow Pages

 

[St. Roux]

I was a small engine mechanic for many many years. I did all the major repairs for the MS state park system for many of those years. Here's my advice:

Start with the best equipment you can afford. My advice for mowers would be:
#1: Skag
#2: Exmark

Weed eaters and blowers:
#1: Echo
#2: Stihl

Preventive maintenance is of utmost importance, should be performed DAILY.