The Staff of Entrepreneur Media - Lawn Care or Landscaping Business: Step-By-Step Startup Guide

Entrepreneur Press, Publisher

Cover Design: The Staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc.

Production and Composition: Eliot House Productions

2016 by Entrepreneur Media, Inc.

All rights reserved.

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Lawn Care and Landscaping Business: Entrepreneurs Step-by-Step Startup Guide, 4th Edition, ISBN: 978-1-61308-346-8

Previously published as

Start Your Own Lawn Care and Landscaping Business, 4th Edition, ISBN: 978-1-59918-592-7, 2016 by Entrepreneur Media, Inc., All rights reserved.

Start Your Own Business, 6th Edition, ISBN: 978-1-59918-556-9, 2015 Entrepreneur Media, Inc., All rights reserved.

Contents

Additional titles in Entrepreneurs Startup Series

Start Your Own

Arts and Crafts Business

Automobile Detailing Business

Bar and Club

Bed and Breakfast

Blogging Business

Business on eBay

Car Wash

Child-Care Service

Cleaning Service

Clothing Store and More

Coaching Business

Coin-Operated Laundry

College Planning Consultant Business

Construction and Contracting Business

Consulting Business

Day Spa and More

eBusiness

eLearning or Training Business

Event Planning Business

Executive Recruiting Business

Fashion Accessories Business

Florist Shop and Other Floral Businesses

Food Truck Business

Freelance Writing Business and More

Freight Brokerage Business

Gift Basket Business and More

Grant-Writing Business

Graphic Design Business

Green Business

Hair Salon and Day Spa

Home Inspection Service

Import/Export Business

Information Marketing Business

Kid-Focused Business

Lawn Care or Landscaping Business

Mail Order Business

Medical Claims Billing Service

Microbrewery, Distillery, or Cidery

Net Services Business

Nonprofit Organization

Online Coupon or Daily Deal Business

Online Education Business

Personal Concierge Service

Personal Training Business

Pet Business and More

Pet-Sitting Business and More

Photography Business

Public Relations Business

Restaurant and More

Retail Business and More

Self-Publishing Business

Seminar Production Business

Senior Services Business

Specialty Food Businesses

Staffing Service

Transportation Service

Travel Business and More

Tutoring and Test Prep Business

Vending Business

Wedding Consultant Business

Wholesale Distribution Business

Table of Contents

F rom 2000-2011, the number of non-farm proprietors grew by 10.7 millionfar exceeding government or private employment, the latter of which actually declined by 1.26 million during that same period (www.newgeography.com). Self-employment and business ownership clearly continues to be a preferred means of wage earning.

Whether youre ready for a career change, are tired of working for someone else, or just interested in making a few extra bucks every month, a lawn care service business is a viable way to achieve your goal. Theres plenty of work for even a new business owner in most parts of the country. The initial investment in equipment and the monthly overhead is fairly low. Plus the pay is greatand you get lots of fresh air and exercise while you earn it.

While this book contains all the advice and tips you need to be successful in the green game, you wont get instructions here on how to mow lawns, sculpt magnificent topiaries, or winterize your weed whacker. Those are basic skills you need to develop on your owneither by practicing on unsuspecting clients lawns or by studying turf grass basics at your local community college. What you will get, however, is a solid background in what it takes to run a successful business. Although you may not realize it now, you need to be a pretty shrewd businessperson in addition to a mowing maven to make this whole gig work.

For instance, you have to know how and where to find new clients because clients = work = taxable income (which will of course be of particular interest to Uncle Sam). You have to know how to balance your books and develop sideline businesses to keep yourself busy when the snow gets too deep to trim the rose bushes. And you have to know enough about turf and weather conditions in your part of the country to become a true Grass Master.

Heres a sampling of the major topics covered in this book:

Estimating lawn size and setting your price

Deciding which lawn care services to offer

Determining who and where your best customers are and how to market to them

Setting up a viable business structure and naming your fledgling business

Writing a business plan (and you thought all you needed was a riding mower and good weather!)

Finding the right business professionals to advise you