| Not all that
long ago, a lawn care business plan consisted of knocking on
neighbors' doors and offering to mow the lawn for five bucks.
Well, OK, it was a while ago. Wow, have times ever changed. Lawn
care is now huge business, and, depending on where you live, it
is year round employment.
KEY CONSIDERATION
There is an assumption in many
quarters that services like lawn care flourish on the backs of
illegal immigrants. True or not, it is hard to shake that
belief. And whether or not your business will employ illegal
immigrants, your business plan must assume they are all
qualified workers with all employee taxes in place.
STRONGEST ADVANTAGE
... and the grass keeps
growing. This is one business that will not be replaced by a
computer. There is nothing like a seasoned eye to put just the
right swerve into the mowers.
Another very strong advantage
is that the heaviest equipment, the big mowers, can be leased,
or purchased used. This cuts down on the startup costs
tremendously. Combine that with reasonable employee costs, and
this is a great business with strong potential.
STRONGEST DISADVANTAGE
While the costs are low, the
income is often challenging as well. Large contracts, like for
residential developments, golf courses or large commercial
parks, are competitively bid. Unless there really is enough
business to go around for everyone, low competitive bids can
drive businesses to ruin.
OVERCOMING THE DISADVANTAGES
WITH YOUR LAWN CARE BUSINESS PLAN
Your industry experience is
important.
You can't just "know" stuff.
That knowledge came from somewhere, and it must be kept up to
date in a reasonable manner. This is particularly true for the
bidding process, and in managing people. These are the two
strong components of your business, and you need to have them
mastered.
Be sure your business plan
outlines your specific background in these areas. Don't try to
"tell" your banker. Put it in writing.
Use your lawn care business plan to outline your marketing
background.
Running the lawn mover is not
the tough part of this business. Getting clients is. How will
you market this company to distinguish it from all the others?
Are there any key people who can vouch for the fact that they
know you and will hire you? How about providing sample ads or
promotional pieces?
Demonstrate the fact that you
know your way around the industry, and you will be way far ahead
of the game.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FOR YOUR LAWN CARE BUSINESS PLAN AND A LAWN CARE MARKETING PLAN
There are two types of
statistical information that you will need for your lawn care
business plan: one set detailing the growth of the lawn care
industry, and one set detailing the client base in your area.
Both can come from one source.
For statistical information
for a marketing plan for a lawn care business, you should go to
BizMiner.
At the home page, look for the
"Search Tools" box. In the blank box, enter the term "lawn". You
will get a list of a number of different types of lawn care
companies, such as
- Lawn and garden services
- Lawn services
- Fertilizing services, lawn
- Lawn care services
- Mowing services, lawn
- Mulching services, lawn
- Seeding services, lawn
- Spraying services, lawn
- Sprigging services, lawn
- Highway lawn and garden
maintenance
Choose the option that best
describes your business.
You will both Financial
Analysis and Marketing Research reports for each of the
industries.
This is the information that
your lender will review to determine if your business is in the
acceptable range of financing, income, etc. This is the
information that you should use in developing your own
projections.
For demographic information
for your area, be sure to check in the left hand navigation bar
of BizMiner for "VIEW ALL REPORTS", then "AREA DEMOGRAPHICS".
This will likely provide the statistics you need to prove that
your market is there.
Depending on what your client
base comprises, you may want to search out statistics from your
local Planning Department or Chamber of Commerce. The main
library for your city or county is usually a treasure trove of
information.
YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE
Few businesses can start today
without a web presence. Make yours short, sweet and effective.
Let prospective clients find out everything that you want them
to know about you and your business. The most powerful
client-generating system we know is the one at
my website host.
And if you need help setting up your website, do contact the
SBI Coach.
YOUR LIKELY LENDER/INVESTOR
The
SBA
is a strong lender in the service field. Also, if you have an
established relationship with a local bank, use it to your best
advantage.
YOUR LAWN CARE BUSINESS PLAN
This is certainly a business
where you can start small and grow very, very big. Give good
service, and your company will be in demand for many years to
come.
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