5 Skills You Need to Run a Lawn Care Business

Managing a Lawn Care Company Requires More than Just a Mower

The prospect of starting a lawn care company offers a lot of appeal for a variety of people. Whether you’ve mowed a few local lawns and want to build something bigger; or you’ve worked on a landscaping team and want to branch out on your own; or even if you have discovered a love of lawn maintenance and want to go pro, setting up your own lawn care business seems like a great way to earn a steady income while maintaining your freedom.

So you’ve got your lawn mower, your string trimmer, and a can-do attitude. You’re ready to start your business, right?

Well…maybe. Establishing a lawn care company may seem simple on the surface, but keeping your business active and profitable takes more work and skill than you may expect. If the thought of putting in some serious effort hasn’t scared you away, read on.

The Perks of Owning a Lawn Care Business

If the thought of starting up a lawn care business has piqued your curiosity, the perks that come with the job are sure to deepen your interest. People who run lawn care companies know that:

• Repeat business is almost guaranteed. If people only had to mow their lawns once a year, it would be a different story; however, here in Central Florida, people need their lawns mowed once a week. If you do a good job and treat your customers with professionalism and respect, they’re sure to continue hiring you for weeks to come.

• Startup costs are reasonable. When you’re first starting out, you won’t need much more than a mower, a string trimmer, and a way to transport them. Of course, you’ll need to purchase more equipment when you expand your menu of services, but you should be able to afford your initial set of equipment without much financial stress. What’s more, if you establish a relationship with a mower parts and maintenance facility, you’ll be able to keep your machinery running for years to come.

• It’s easy to scale up with landscaping. As you earn more customers, you’re bound to have at least a few who ask you for additional services. Maybe one customer wants you to trim a few branches off a tree or shape up a few hedges. Once you get the right equipment, you can offer the service to all of your customers, securing you more income per appointment. It can also help you find new customers who are looking for specific services.

• It’s in demand year-round in Florida. Here in Longwood and the surrounding areas, we don’t experience much of a winter, and we certainly don’t see much snow. Your clients will need their yards serviced from January through December each year. Late fall through winter are great times to offer additional services if your mowing schedule slows down.

Crucial Skills for Lawn Care Professionals

Are you eager to start your lawn care company after learning about all those perks? Before you go ahead and establish an LLC, make sure you are competent and comfortable in the following areas.

Lawn mowing, trimming, and edging

This is the very bare minimum you need to start a lawn care business (obviously). Before you leave your own backyard to start working on your neighbors’, you should be able to neatly and evenly mow a lawn without scalping it or damaging the yard. You should also be able to neatly edge a yard plot and trim around garden beds and trees and near fences. If you pay enough attention, it’s easy to spot the differences between a professionally cut lawn and a DIY job–it’s all in the details.

Maintenance of trees and shrubs

Your next tier of services after mowing will probably involve tree and garden bed maintenance. You and your team members should be able to neatly prune hedges and trees, pull weeds from garden beds, and offer the right kind of mulch for your clients’ plants. You should be able to determine if their plants are healthy or if they need a little rescuing.

Basic knowledge of botany

Speaking of trees and plants, as a lawn care professional, you should have general knowledge of the trees and plants that you commonly find in the area. As many homeowners are turning to native plants to help conserve water, learning more about beneficial native plants can be a big boon for your business. You should be able to identify dead or damaged tree branches and calculate the proper amount of water for each plant or plant zone.

People skills

Here’s where we take a detour from the skills you need in the field. Professionalism and great people skills can help you impress your clientele and keep them coming back week after week. Think about it: your customers are not likely to recommend your company if you are rude or don’t communicate well. Hone your customer service expertise and strive to give your customers the best experience possible.

Organization

When you get to the point that you’re managing a team of lawn care professionals, you need to be organized to keep your employees happy and your business running smoothly. You’ll need to learn how to create efficient schedules, communicate expectations, and manage payroll. You’ll also need to organize your documentation if you’re establishing an LLC. Being able to manage people and information alike is a huge help for business owners in any industry.

A Mower Parts and Maintenance Company Can Boost Your Business

When you’re assessing whether you’re ready to establish your lawn care business, it’s important to understand that these skills aren’t necessarily innate. With the help of experts and associates, you can learn a great deal about organization, native plant species, and so on. Another great way to ensure your success is by partnering with a mower maintenance company you can trust. Gator Mower Parts in Longwood is here to keep your professional lawn equipment running so you don’t miss out on business. To learn more, call us at 407-260-1292 today.