Starting Your Own Landscape Maintenance Business

Starting a business


Starting your own landscape maintenance business is really very easy, and start up costs can be very low. I ran a landscape maintenance business for 23 years and when I started the business, all I had, that was mine, was a small pickup truck. I borrowed my Mom's electric string trimmer and a friends' mower for my first job. Bought my own trimmer the next day and my own mower the next week. You can do that too!

There are a few things you need to know before starting a business. Think of a professional name for your business. You will need a business license, available at your City Clerk's office and you must register with the Department of Taxation and Revenue, for a tax identification number. Both of these tasks are easy, so don't let the thought of paperwork scare you into not doing things legally. If you think you might want to hire some help, you will also need a Federal Id Number, also easy to apply for at your local IRS office.

Business equipment and tools

The next piece of equipment you need is a vehicle to carry your tools and the yard debris, a small pickup would be nice, but almost any vehicle will do with a little imagination and you can work up to something more suitable later. If you are using a vehicle that needs to stay really clean, put the leaves and debris in large garbage bags.

Let's say you already own a pickup, you are off to a running start, the next largest piece of equipment will be a lawn mower and then a string trimmer. If you can't afford an outright purchase right now, borrow them from a relative, friend or neighbor for just a day or two. The money you make in one day can buy a trimmer and a few more days an inexpensive or used mower. Used mowers can be found at many yard sales, along with other equipment and tools.

You will also need an extra spool of trimmer line, a broom (move up to a gas powered blower later), two gas cans (one for regular gas and the other for gas-oil mix), a leaf rake, shovel, a large garbage can and bags, pair of hand pruners, lopping shears and hedge shears (move up to a gas powered hedger later), a few hand tools for repairs.

Customer service

Now that you have the necessary equipment, it is time to go find some customers. Drive around town and be on the lookout for yards and businesses that look unkept, maybe they have not been mowed for more than a week, have weeds everywhere and generally need some maintenance work. Also, try calling some realtors and ask if they have any yards that need a good clean-up before they can be listed.

It would be nice if you had some business cards, they aren't very expensive and they make you look so much more professional. You can make your own if necessary.

Don't be shy, go up to the home, ask for the man or woman of the house and ask if they have anyone taking care of their yard. If they do have a lawn care company, point out what you noticed about their yard that didn't look so hot and describe how you could do a better job. But, don't just blurt out that their yard looks awful, they may be trying to do it themselves, in that case, maybe you can help them out. Even if they don't seem too interested in what you can do for them, don't give up, go back every few weeks to check again, keep trying. One of the larger apartment complexes we maintained, took almost a full year to procure. The manager was under contract with a company that wasn't doing a good job, I went back every so often and just chatted with her, asked how things were going and so on, and when their contract was up, she hired our company. That is why I say, "If you want something bad enough, keep trying, don't give up".

Giving estimates

What to charge, that is definitely the hardest part to figure out. If you are giving an estimate to someone who has someone working for them now or has had in the past, just go ahead and ask, "Do you mind if I ask what they are charging you?" That may sound a bit forward, but I can tell you most of the time it works.

Also, it is a good idea to do a bit of research before getting out there pounding the pavement. Ask your neighbors and any other friends or business acquaintances, what they are being charged, then you will have a better idea of what to charge. The worst thing you can do is to undercharge, if you do you will never make enough money to grow your business, you will get disenchanted and probably quit. Also, do not charge a customer by the hour and at the rate your last boss paid you, you have a business now and overhead to think of, charge by the job and be competitive price wise, but better than the rest when it comes to service. You can even be more expensive than the rest, if you are the best in town.

If you are not that experienced, get out there and practice, get familiar with your equipment. The hardest thing for my new workers to perfect was the art of grass trimming, to get a smooth flat surface with a string trimmer, you need to practice holding it level. The best way I could describe to them what the finished area should look like was to "try and make the grass look like the mower did it in that small area, smooth and flat".  One huge piece of advice, be careful with the trimmer around shrubs and trees, if you "girdle" the plant, that is, scrape the outer bark layer off, it will die.  

So you don't know much about plants, grass and trees, do some research, learn as much as you can. The more you know, the more your customer's will respect your opinion and your recommendations. If you live in the Southwest, my suggestion for a good book on plants: The Sunset Western Garden Book, a reliable source of information, growth patterns, diseases and deficiencies and the best shrubs and trees for your climate.

Future posts

There are tricks I have learned over the years that I will share in upcoming posts, subjects include:

• landscaping - how to
• maintenance - how to
• irrigation - installation, repair and maintenance
• contractors irrigation license
• using and repairing your equipment yourself
• equipment brands we found to be the best
• fertilizer - what to use and application techniques
• pruning shrubs and trees
• planting techniques
• choosing plants for certain areas
• weed control
• annuals and perennials
• problems and answers
• employees
• customer relations
• and many many more subjects

Please check back soon for more tips. If you would like to have a certain topic covered, please leave a comment to that effect.

Good work ethic

If you will be persistent in looking for jobs and work hard once you get them, you will have lots of customers and make a nice income. You will be working for yourself, be your own boss and have the freedoms that come with that position. The best advice I can give you is, give your customers great service and treat your employees well and you will go far!

Weedeaters and String Trimmers - Choosing and Repairing