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Launching a business doesn’t always require a massive bank loan with prohibitively high interest rates. Starting a lawn care business, for instance, can be done on a shoestring budget. If you’re looking to gain financial independence by striking out on your own and becoming self-employed, a landscaping or lawn care enterprise might be just the ticket. All in all, the benefits of running a lawn care business far outweigh the downsides in the long run. As you’ll see, lawn care work is one of the most attractive entrepreneurial options for motivated self-starters looking to get ahead these days.
A Quick and Dirty Job Description
Running a lawn care business typically entails a lot of grunt work and manual labor in addition to after-hours number-crunching at the office. Obvious tasks include cutting the grass, trimming hedges and generally making lawns look as spectacular as possible. To ensure the health of your clients’ greenery, you’ll need to be knowledgeable when it comes to weeding and fertilizing many different grass types. Lastly, general lawn maintenance includes planting seed and keeping any given lawn space looking gorgeous and lush regardless of environmental challenges. Those are just a few of the duties you can look forward to in the capacity of a lawn caregiver.
Running a lawn care business typically entails a lot of grunt work and manual labor in addition to after-hours number-crunching at the office. Obvious tasks include cutting the grass, trimming hedges and generally making lawns look as spectacular as possible. To ensure the health of your clients’ greenery, you’ll need to be knowledgeable when it comes to weeding and fertilizing many different grass types. Lastly, general lawn maintenance includes planting seed and keeping any given lawn space looking gorgeous and lush regardless of environmental challenges. Those are just a few of the duties you can look forward to in the capacity of a lawn caregiver.
Required Skills, Equipment & Operating Costs
Fortunately, the skill set required of an aspiring landscaper or lawn care specialist isn’t that extensive. Mowing and weeding a lawn isn’t a particularly technical project. You will need to be in decent shape and have an eye for detail. As for hardware, you’ll need a mower, a weed trimmer, an edger and a truck or van with a trailer to haul your equipment at a minimum. Your budget will have to take into account the cost of maintaining and replacing equipment, fuel bills and wages for any employees you decide to hire.
Fortunately, the skill set required of an aspiring landscaper or lawn care specialist isn’t that extensive. Mowing and weeding a lawn isn’t a particularly technical project. You will need to be in decent shape and have an eye for detail. As for hardware, you’ll need a mower, a weed trimmer, an edger and a truck or van with a trailer to haul your equipment at a minimum. Your budget will have to take into account the cost of maintaining and replacing equipment, fuel bills and wages for any employees you decide to hire.
Pros, Cons & Compensation
The best thing about starting a lawn care business is the fact that it’s so easy to break into the game. You get the satisfaction being your own boss, have fairly limitless profit potential and can set your own hours. However, you’ll still have to pay businesses taxes and spend a lot of time managing the ins and outs of your operation. As a $40 billion a year industry, lawn care can be a potentially lucrative arena for the truly motivated. The median compensation for a landscaper in the United States is $63,240, though that figure can be significantly higher for a business owner.
How to Get Started
First off, you’ll need to carefully consider your equipment needs as well as your required startup capital. Funding can be had via a small business loan, or you can finance your operation through personal savings and credit card debt. Be sure to assess whether to form an LLC or other corporate entity for your business to protect against unforeseen liabilities and minimize taxes. A business license will also be required. The toughest part of the equation is marketing, so invest some resources in flyers and local online promotion to gain clients. In spite of a few initial obstacles, it’s quite possible to create a thriving lawn care business for a minimal upfront investment.
