If you’ve been thinking about starting a landscaping business or mowing company, you’re in the right place. We’ve put together a starter guide to get your business off the ground.
Here’s what we’re going to cover in this guide:
- Creating a landscaping business plan
- Basic equipment required for a landscaping, gardening, or mowing business
- Figuring out the cost of running a landscaping business
- Starting a landscaping business legally, with state registration, and landscaping licensure (if you need it!)
- Getting insurance for your landscaping company
- Hiring employees for your lawn care business
- Marketing your landscaping business in your community
Okay! Let’s dive in.
1. First, create a landscaping business plan.
Figure out your major goals and objectives.
Always start with a plan. When you’re getting your business off the ground, it’s essential to figure out your primary goals and objectives—and how you’ll get there. And, although it might seem daunting to write up a landscaping business plan, in reality, it just means answering a bunch of common-sense questions.
Here are some questions you’ll need to answer first.
Why are you starting a landscaping business?
Before you invest significant money and resources into your new business, you’ll need to take a good look at why you’re starting your own landscaping business in the first place. Getting a business going can be stressful, and if you’re not clear why you’re in the game, it can be easy to quit when the going gets tough.
So, to avoid a premature exit, take a second right now to write down why you want to start a business. The reasons could range from “Because I’ve always wanted to be my own boss” to “Because I want to work outdoors” to pragmatic considerations, such as “I’m starting this business because I need flexibility for my kids.”
If a reason gets you motivated, it counts. (And if you aren’t particularly motivated by any of your reasons, well—it’s better to know that now.)
After you’ve defined the “why,” you’ll need to define practical expectations for your landscaping business. Your answers to the following questions will dictate a lot about how you build and advertise your company:
Is your landscaping business intended to provide supplemental part-time income? Or are you hoping to make a full-time income?
Do you plan to stay a one-person business, or would you like to grow your business to include a team?
When will you work on this business (and what will you give up to make that time available)?
It can be challenging to work through these questions, but now is the time to figure out precisely what kind of business you’re trying to build. Without a vision, you won’t know what steps to take—or even what success looks like when you achieve it. So take the time now to read 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Start a Business and get your big picture in place for the long haul. It’s worth it.
What kind of landscaping services will you provide?
This is an important question. There are many kinds of landscaping services—from mowing and yard maintenance all the way to high-end corporate landscape design—and you’ll need to know exactly what it is that you’ll offer so you can market yourself effectively to prospective customers. To do that, you’ll need to consider three major factors:
1. Your landscaping experience
First, consider what you’re already capable of doing. If you already have a lot of landscaping experience, a landscaping degree, or a landscaping license, you can consider taking on more involved landscaping design jobs.
But if you’re a newcomer to the landscaping industry—and your main skill is cutting a perfect lawn—you definitely don’t want to initially advertise more services than you can handle.
2. The landscaping market in your area
Take a look at your competition by doing a Google search to see who’s already doing landscaping or yard maintenance in your area. What services are they offering? What are their pricing structures? And—most importantly—how could you design your business to fill a gap in the local marketplace?
For example, suppose you’ve got a lot of landscape design experience, but there’s a shortage of mowing services in your area. In that case, you might give your business a head start on cash flow by selling your yard maintenance services first, then branching out into design as your reputation grows.
3. Your target customers
Once you have a sense of what landscaping services you’d like to offer, you should solidify which customers you’re going to target (at least in the beginning).
Will you market your services to suburban homeowners? Or do you hope to pick up multi-property contracts with corporate landlords? (Whichever you choose, now is an excellent time to start putting together a list of potential clients.)
Write down exactly who you’re after—and who you’re not after. It’ll make a big difference.
How much will you charge for landscaping services?
The best way to figure out what you should charge for your services is to do the research—figure out what other landscaping companies are charging for similar services in your area. Then think carefully about your launch pricing. While you may want to offer lower prices to get your business off the ground, you don’t want to underprice yourself either—if your prices are too low, potential customers might be concerned that you don’t do quality work.
Once you’ve figured out a menu of services and prices, it’s a good idea to get a second opinion. If you have a friend or family member who currently hires a landscaper and is in the demographic you’re trying to reach, show them your cost structure and ask for feedback.
2. Next, plan your landscaping equipment needs
Landscaping is an industry that requires a lot of specialized equipment, and you’ll want to have a clear idea of what tools you’ll need to make your business launch a success. What equipment will you need to purchase to serve your first client? Make a list of your must-haves (as well as a wish list).
Here are the essential pieces of equipment needed to start a landscaping or lawn care company. (Make sure to budget for quality, too. It’s important.)
1. A truck and a trailer: You’ll need transportation to and from your worksite. If you don’t already have access to a heavy-duty truck, you’ll need to set aside money to purchase one.
2. A riding lawnmower: For maximum efficiency, you’ll want a commercial, zero-turn model.
3. A push mower: A standard push mower makes for a great tool for narrow places where a riding lawn mower cannot reach.
4. A set of good quality landscaping tools: Think hoses, shovels, and other miscellaneous tools you’ll need on the job.
5. A lawn trimmer: Also known as a weed whacker, weed trimmer, string trimmer, or line trimmer, this is a standard landscaping tool you’ll need.
6. Lawn edger: Especially important for commercial clients.
7. A leaf blower: A landscaping business standard, for sure. And not just in autumn, as they come in handy for removing grass clippings in walkways.
8. Lawn spreader: Also called a lawn seeder, this wheelbarrow-like item spreads seeds and fertilizer throughout a lawn.
9. Lawn sprayer: A much-needed tool to provide fertilizer and other liquid landscape-care additives.
10. Safety equipment: Equipment like noise-cancelling headphones, gloves, steel-toed boots, and safety goggles.
After adjusting this list to fit your needs, be sure to look up price ranges for every piece of equipment you included. You can start your research at national equipment vendors Online, but don’t forget to call your local landscaping supply stores. You’ll want to know them anyway, and it’s not too early to start forming a relationship.
3. Get your finances in order.
Now, let’s crunch the numbers. It’s time to talk about what it will cost to get your landscaping business off the ground.
How much does it cost to start a landscaping business?
Anywhere from a few hundred rupees to 40,000 or more, depending on what resources you already have. But the real question here is actually what it will cost you to start your landscaping business. And the answer depends a lot on where you are, what your experience level is, and—again—what equipment you already have at your disposal.
To figure out your startup costs, you’ll need the list of equipment—as well as your best estimate of what it will cost to purchase all of it.
Then, you’ll need to add in the following costs:
1. Business insurance
You’re going to need general liability coverage as well as a few other common business policies. (We’ll discuss this in-depth later, but in the meantime, you can get a quick quote on what you might pay for landscaping business insurance.)
2. Incorporation & licensure fees
If you’re starting a brand-new business, you’ll likely need to pay a few fees to make things official with the state. (Also, check to see if your state requires a license to operate a landscaping business. If it does, you’ll need to budget for those costs, too.)
3. Technology, website, and software costs
If you don’t have a computer to use for your business, you’ll need to get one. You’ll also need to plan on the costs of a website and any software you’ll use to manage your business |.
4. Any other costs you can think of
Be as thorough as possible in imagining what you might spend to start your business. Do you plan to get custom-made t-shirts? Do you want to set aside 5000 to advertise online? Make sure all of those costs make it into your budget.
Now that you have a projected cost, it’s time to get serious about securing funds. Some people start businesses with their own money (or with a loan from friends or family), but you can also consider getting a small business loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration .
Whatever you decide, make sure your business plan accounts for the time it will take to get your funds in order and make any necessary purchases. (It’s pretty hard to mow lawns without a lawnmower.)
4. Next, get your paperwork in order
Now that you’ve made some high-level decisions and have a plan in place, it’s time to finalize your business name, file your paperwork, and make things official. Let’s go through that process step by step.
Pick a name for your landscaping business
You might have been considering various names for your business all along, but now’s the time to look closely at your choices and make a strategic decision about what you’ll call your new landscaping company. Here are a few guidelines to consider:
Pick a business name that’s clear about what you offer
If you run a mowing company, make sure that’s clear in the name you choose. You might even consider including the name of the service you provide, so there’s no doubt about what you do.
Putting the name of the service into your business name also has another benefit: When potential customers search online for landscaping services, they’ll have a better chance of finding your business.
Pick a name that appeals to your target market
Think about what kind of customer you’re trying to attract and name your business accordingly.
Pick a name that’s available
To make sure your business name is available, ask yourself these three questions:
1. Is it available in your area?
2. Is it available online?
3. Is it officially available?
Register your landscaping business with your state
Now that you’ve picked a name, you’re ready to make things official by registering your business name with your state and local governments. The process for registration varies by state, so you’ll need to look at your Secretary of State’s website to see what you’ll need to do for your landscaping business.
Do you need a gardening license or landscape license?
In some states, you’ll need a landscaping license (sometimes called a gardening license) to operate your business legally . Each state’s licensure process is a little different, but here’s a quick overview of how to get a license in a few example states:
5. Landscaping insurance (Yes, your business needs to be insured!)
Even if your landscaping venture is starting small, you still need to protect yourself and your business with the right business insurance. Without the right policy, you could be one accident away from an expensive liability lawsuit .
Here’s the landscaping insurance you need for your business
General Liability Insurance
Business Property
Business Owner’s Policy
Workers’ Compensation Coverage
Equipment Breakdown Coverage
6. Get your hiring documents together
Now we need to talk about hiring. First off, know that you might be able to start your company with just one employee—you. But if you think you’ll need a team right away, you’ll need to take some time to prepare for the landscaping business hiring process. To get you started, here’s a quick checklist of to-dos:
7. Make a marketing plan for your landscaping business
It’s time to get some customers. Finally! To do that efficiently, you need to consider who you’re trying to attract (remember your business plan?) and then figure out the best way to reach them. This is one of the most crucial steps in starting a landscaping company (and then staying in business!). Here are some possibilities.
How to market your landscaping business
Personal connections
This is one of the best ways to get started. When you’re ready to start taking work, put the word out in your personal network. (Be sure to ask for testimonials after those initial jobs are done, too.)
Social media
If you’re willing to do the research (and you definitely should do the research), social media ads can be a good way to reach potential customers. Don’t limit yourself to Facebook, either—niche social media sites like NextDoor and Houzz can provide high-quality leads.
Website
You need a website. (Seriously, you do.) Luckily, you don’t need to know anything about web development to make one—try Wix, Weebly, or Squarespace for super easy, drag-and-drop website building.
Online search
If Google can’t find your landscaping business, your customers can’t either. So sign up with Google My Business and take the time to set up your search profile—it’ll pay big dividends. It’s best practice to set up a LinkedIn profile, too, if you don’t have one already.
Business cards, brochures, and door hangers
It’s a bit old school, but putting your services on paper can be an effective part of a launch strategy.
Word-of-mouth marketing
This strategy takes a while to get going, but when it starts working, it really works. Once you have a handful of happy customers, ask them candidly to recommend you to their friends, family, and online communities. Link to Yelp and Facebook on your website. You can even offer your best customers a referral discount for any new customer they send your way. (Good customers tend to know other good customers.)
Any other tips for running a successful landscaping business?
Yep. If you want to run a profitable landscaping business, you’ll need to pay attention to what’s happening in the world of landscaping and stay up to date on industry conversations. So if you haven’t already, now is a great time to dive into landscaping periodicals and online message boards.
Autumn 