Small Business Idea: Start a Lawn Care Service
A Home Business Article Contributed by Donna M. Brown
This Small Business Idea Isn't Just for Kids
Maybe you had the brilliant small business idea when you were a child to mow lawns for a living. Perhaps you have pulled weeds for 50 cents an hour or raked leaves all day for even less.
Take heart, the lawn care business is booming and you don't have to make a childs' wages when you invest yourself, and a few dollars, into this small business idea. Lawn and garden care are tough jobs that some homeowners just plain don't have the time -- or the energy -- to do.
If you are enthusiastic, strong and willing to work hard, you can start this small business with very few initial investment dollars.
You Can Put This Small Business Idea into Action with Nothing but Elbow Grease
If you don't have a lot of money to invest in a small business idea like this one, start by simply working on your reputation as a great gardener and lawn care specialist.
Create some flyers that will let people know you are interested in mowing, trimming and grooming their yards for a certain amount of money. You will need a vehicle to be able to get from yard to yard and it's best if you have a pick-up truck. Many people have their own yard equipment and in the beginning you might have to count on their collections of tools to make their yards look good.
Set a percentage of the money you make aside each week to invest in one new yard tool of your own. Start with smaller tools such as rakes, shovels and hoes. As you get more business and make more money, you can purchase lawn mowers, leaf blowers and other heavier equipment. You will eventually need a trailer to pull behind your car or truck in order to have your own tools handy. The more tools you take with you, the more you can charge customers for your full service lawn and garden care service.
As your business grows, you can hire employees to help you meet the demands of all of your customers on a regular basis.
Advertise This Small Business Idea Carefully
Word of your small business idea will spread quickly in the neighborhoods where you work. As customers give you referrals, you will gain more and more clients.
Advertise your business door-to-door in neighborhoods you know. Place professional-looking flyers in grocery stores, at beauty salons and in nearby office buildings. Use your computer to print up business cards and coupons. Consider offering potential customers a coupon for one free mow and trim so they can see what a great job you do.
Give current customers extra business cards to share with their friends and offer them a 20 percent discount off of their next service for each referral that calls you.
Keep a cell phone handy so clients can easily reach you. Also, begin building a database of clients' email addresses (with their permission, of course) so that you can send them reminders of when their next lawn manicure is due and offer them monthly specials.
