subject: Start A Lawn Care Business In This Economy? [print this page] Is lawn care profitable in this economy? The short answer, yes. The long answer would depend on the individual and the daily operation decisions needed for such matters regarding: equipment, fuel, payroll, etc. I suppose most get into a business like this for the quick money, but few are fortunate to truly love their niche and wouldn't trade it for anything. Here are some keys to make your lawn care company profitable while providing great customer service.
Customer Service
Customer service experience prior to starting your own lawn care business will not only benefit you, but your customers for years to come
Jumping head first into a business just because you have a great deal of knowledge of your niche will not serve you or your customer well
Listen to what your customer really wants from your service
Many lawn care services neglect these basic skills and opportunities resulting in loss of accounts, merely because they did not pay attention.
Example: Mrs. Johnson said she was not going to be home next week when you come to mow the lawn, but mentions that "can you please blow out my garden of any grass clippings"? To your surprise when you show up the very next week she is already at the curb waiting for you. She wants to show you something, the dead grass in the garden you forgot to blow out. She let's it go this time. Now let's say this account was worth $35 per week to mow, that's $140, multiplied by at least five months you could have lost.
Landscape equipment needed to perform services can run you into the thousands of dollars. As you can see there are many other items that must be included when giving an estimate.
Over-head
Vehicle maintenance: oil changes, brakes, tires, few things required annually
Competing for customers will require extensive drive or commitment. You will need to drive your company truck to a potential clients home or business, first impressions are everything. Yes this will need to be included in your over-head scheme(fuel). Accept that your competitors will win accounts by a mere five dollars, but stick to your guns and don't forget about your over-head, never take a job just to get a job. Honestly there is plenty of work for everyone, even in this economy.
Example: Billy loses his job, and has a lawn mower, takes on a couple of accounts hoping to make some quick cash, understandable. Then one day he gets the call to go back to that job, eventually leaving those lawn mowing jobs behind. Now guess who is calling the professional? You guessed it and they're looking for the estimate their "non-professional lawn care person" gave them. The problem with this is, it throws the landscape industry prices way off, and this happens with all industries, not just lawn care and landscaping.
Advertising and marketing
Fliers can be the first impression a potential customer sees of you
A business website will be a constant face of your company and not as expensive as some make it
Volunteering in your community creates word of mouth and you do something good at the same time
This is my view of what it takes to make a lawn care company profitable and hopefully this will give you a better understanding of this industry.
