Writen by Steve Mirabile
Landscaping, Lawn Care, Plant and Shrub maintenance are all in high demand today. Home owners and property owners are busier than ever at their daily activities and they just don't have the time to properly maintain a lawn and garden.
You can solve this problem for them by offering your services. But if you're new to the Lawn business or have little experience, there are a few things you should think about before you set out.
I have had much success with my lawn business, but it didn't come without its set backs, disappointments and readjustments. My first thoughts were - I'll do it by myself for a while and then I'll hire a bunch of guys to do it for me while I vacation in Mexico. Sounds like a plan right?
Unfortunately, that's how a lot of us started out until reality set in. The Lawn business can be very rewarding but don't expect employees lining up to fulfill your dreams. From my experience, most of the good employees want a really big paycheck because they know they could go buy a lawn mower and make as much as you. On the other hand, there are those who don't want all the hassles of running a business, but they still want a big pay check.
Which brings us to the question - should you be a one man operation or should you go for it all. , I have earned $60,000 a year by myself! Whichever path you choose, you should consider a few things. You will need a very high stamina level and be able to handle the long hours out doors. I'm assuming that most of you do not have the huge amount of startup money that it takes to start out with a crew of workers. If you do, then you're able to avoid some of the hard labor, but you won't get passed the stress that most Lawn business owners go through. I don't want to discourage you but it does take a certain type of person to be in this industry. Just stand out on the street and you will see a dozen Lawn services driving by. But as many as you see, there are just as many going out of business because they didn't think it would be so demanding.
My first lawn service I started with a 20" lawn mower, a hand-held blower, used weed eater and other used power equipment. I put it all in the back of my little pick up and I was in business. Now in the back of my mind I was gonna have a crew pretty soon so I set my eyes on the big accounts of course. I was able to convince a bunch of property owners to let me have their big accounts and I would just buy a bigger mower after a few times of cutting them. I hired a helper who showed up "sometimes" and everything seemed to be ok. After a while my mower started to break down a lot because I was doing larger lawns. The repair shop wanted their money, my helper wanted his money, I had to have gas and blades and other supplies, and to boot, not all my customers would pay on time. It wasn't too long before my business was running me instead of me running it.
To make a long story short, it wasn't until my third attempt at my own business that I had success. I learned not to bite off more than I could chew and to grow slowly. I have been a one man operation and I have had a crew of five or more at times. At the end of the day my bottom line was the same whether I was by myself or with five guys. It seems the small one man's operation can net the same as a mid size company. It's not until you reach the larger size company levels that you will realize a substantial earning increase. So it pays to either stay small with one to three guys and if your plan is to get to the top, than make sure you do it slow and steady and plan to have a lot of stress and set backs and discouragement until you break thru to the top. You can do it if you plan it right. For me I'm sticking with my small business.
Steve Mirabile is a green industry professional in the business fo 20 years. He runs a lawn and landscape service in Georgia with most experience in south florida. For help with all aspects of running your Lawn Care business, go to http://www.landscapersconnection.com
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