How to Buy Lawn Mowing Accounts

One of the great things about the lawn care business is that there are actually two ways that you can pick up new business. Like most businesses, you can acquire new customers via your marketing. The other way is to purchase lawn care accounts from other business owners. In this article I look into the buying and selling of accounts in the lawn care industry. Find out why people buy and sell lawn mowing accounts, how to reduce the risks involved with such a transaction and more.


Why Lawn Businesses Sell Accounts

Accounts are sold for a variety of reasons. Sometimes people will sell off accounts if they are going out of business or looking to raise some quick cash to pay down debt. Some business owners will sell accounts that don't fit in well with their routes or scheduling. Other times accounts will be sold because the customers is question are known to be difficult and the business owner wants rid of the headaches associated with dealing with them.

Why Lawn Businesses Buy Accounts

Business owners that buy accounts are usually looking to pick up a good deal and expand their business quickly. If they are new to the business and are not particularly proficient at marketing then the purchase of some lawn care accounts can help them to get started easily.

Is This Method of Customer Acquisition Right For You?

Many lawn care business owners will advise against account purchases. They will tell you that you are better off investing your money into building your own client base. However, if your marketing strategies are failing you and you find that the cost of acquiring a new customer are quite high then it may make sense to look at purchasing accounts.

If you have the budget for it I would advice that you pursue both methods. Focus on your own marketing efforts but still keep your eye out for accounts that are for sale. If you don't you may be missing out on some good opportunities to grow your business.

How to Value a Lawn Account

Finding a fair price can be difficult and the value of an account will depend on many factors. A purchased customer will not be as loyal as one that you have acquired yourself and spent time developing into a loyal client.

Accounts are usually valued at around four or five week’s worth of the income that they represent. Prices can go fairly low if the seller is desperate to sell. Prices may go higher if there is an agreement in place that reassures the buyer that the customer will be sticking around for a while. It pays to be realistic and remember that you are buying a job and you will still have to put in the work to service them. You don't want to have to mow a lawn for ages for free just to pick up a customer.

Due Diligence

From a buyer’s point of view, you do have to be careful about trading in accounts like this. Some dodgy lawn business owners have been known to scam others into buying accounts that are either grossly over priced or don't exist at all. You want to be sure that the accounts that you are buying are real and are not just buddies of the seller who are lying to help out a friend. You will know that you have been scammed if you take on new accounts only to find that they all quit your service within a couple of weeks.

Try to find out why the seller wants to offload the accounts in question. Quiz them with a few direct questions and see how they respond. You will want to find out how long they have been servicing the account and if the account in question involves a 'problem customer' or any other unusual difficulties. The seller may just be passing their nightmare on to you and charging you at the same time. Try to get some kind of financial history on the client and find out if they have been paying on time.

It helps if you can go out and meet each customer before you take over the account. This will give you a chance to meet them and make sure that they are aware of the change. If you do this you will find out exactly what the job involves and you can decide if the current price is fair.

Find out if there is any agreement in place and if there is you must be aware of the terms. You then have to either decide if you want to proceed with the present conditions in place or make any changes that are permitted. Taking over a job and raising prices right away would probably not get you off to a good start with a new customer so make sure that the current price is enough to allow you to make a profit.

Have an agreement written up for the transfer. You may include a clause that protects you in cases where customers quit your service after only a short period of time causing you to lose money on the deal. The way would be to pay the seller in installments over a period of six months so that the total payment amount can be reduced if clients start dropping off.

Finding Opportunities to Buy Accounts

If the idea of buying lawn mowing accounts is appealing to you then you will want to stay on the lookout for opportunities as they arise. You will want local jobs so you should look at local classified listings in newspapers. Contact equipment suppliers or other lawn business owners and ask them to let you know if they are aware of anyone selling accounts.

Look online as well. Perform a search on major search engines using keywords like 'lawn care accounts for sale' and keywords relating to the area that you service. There are many websites where sellers can list their accounts.

StartaLawnMowingBusiness.com Sold at Auction

So the site finally sold.

I was pleased to see it go to Ken LaVoie over at http://www.lawnguru.net/

During my time running StartaLawnMowingBusiness.com I read many of the lawn biz guides that are available online. I read Ken's guide a while back and I still remember it as being a really good read with a lot of useful information. He is definitely one of the good guys, offering solid advice to aspiring lawn care entrepreneurs on the Internet.

Ken is an all-round entrepreneur with other businesses in addition to his lawn care business. His writing backs this up and he comes across as one of the more genuine writers with real, practical advice to share.

I know that he has big plans for his site in the future so keep checking back into www.lawnguru.net for the latest updates.

Top 'Starting a Lawn Care Business' Website for Sale

I'd just like to announce that one of the top 'start a lawn care business' websites is currently up for auction. If you have been following the lawn care business niche for a while then you should be familiar with StartaLawnMowingBusiness.com. It is one of the larger sites covering the lawn care industry with over 50 pages of articles.

Check out the details for the auction on Flippa here -

https://flippa.com/2758345-lawn-care-business-opportunities-established-adsense-affiliate-earner

Here are some of the details from the auction page. Visit the link for more detailed stats and Analytics reports.

Description

Every month thousands of people look for information on how to start a lawn care business or improve their existing operation. They buy information products, logo designs, business plans, software, website designs, business cards, flyers, SEO services, lawn mowers, other equipment and much more.


This site targets this group of business opportunity seekers by providing them with free information and by advertising and promoting the products and services that they need.

Established in 2008 StartaLawnMowingBusiness.com has grown to become one of the larger sites in the niche with over 50 pages of well written content.

The site can basically be run on autopilot and represents a great opportunity for someone with products targeted at this niche or any webmaster in general.

How much does the site make?

Adsense - With the current Adsense setup this site is currently earning between $25 and $30 a month with Adsense ($27 in the past month). This could be improved with better positioning.

Affiliate Programs - There are a lot of offers on clickbank for information products related to the lawn care industry. StartaLawnMowingBusiness.com promotes one product with a review page and affiliate links and has made an average of three sales a month so far this year. Commission is $21.24 per sale and I have an agreement with the product owner for an extra 10% via paypal taking it up to $25.94 a sale.

This brings the basic site income up to an average of $100 a month.

Additional Advertising - I have run direct advertising on the site too. You will see a banner on the left hand-side that is set up to run an ad campaign for a lawn care software provider at a monthly rate. The campaign has been cancelled due to this sale but the opportunity to resume this could be open to the new owner.

What is included?

The buyer gets everything that can be seen on the site. This includes the logo, all of the written content, the site design, the advertising banner and all of the images (rights purchased from Istockphoto.com).

Why am I selling?

Simply to raise some funds. I have new business ventures in mind that will require funding.

Traffic Details

I have included an Analytics attachment showing 931 unique visitors in the past month.

I have also included an Analytics report showing traffic sources in the past month. Traffic comes from a wide variety of sources. At the moment Google traffic represents less than 25% of the traffic.

You will see that Google sent 200 visitors in the past month. The site used to receive between 1000 and 2000 visitors a month from Google and there is potential to regain this. The site lost some Google traffic during the Panda update and I was able to regain this by increasing the time that the average user stays on the site (over 4 minutes). However, some of the pages on the site were hit by the penguin update. The site is in need of a 'penguin fix' if it is to fully realize its potential.

Luckily the site has numerous other traffic sources. You will see that it is still stong in Bing, Yahoo and other search engines. It also has links from other quality sites in the niche as well as links from Web 2.0 properties. Any links that I control are guaranteed to remain in place after the sale.

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Check it out here if you are interested in bidding or learning more -

https://flippa.com/2758345-lawn-care-business-opportunities-established-adsense-affiliate-earner

Information on How to Start a Lawn Care Business

If you are looking for information online about how to start a lawn care business you will know that it is hard to track down solid well written content. Well, I may have the answer for you.

StartaLawnMowingBusiness.com was recently updated and lots of fresh content has been added. What's even better is that the site has an improved navigation system so readers can easily find what they are looking for. Visit the site now and you'll find that the articles have been divided into areas of interest that are popular among lawn business owners and industry newcomers. You can find sections dedicated to business plans, flyers, marketing, business names, pricing and more.

There is some decent content on the site and many of the articles and resource pages also link you up with other quality information that is out there on the web.

You can also find reviews of the top lawn care business startup guides. Check them out here - Lawn Care Startup Guide Reviews.

Ten Ways to Use Flyers to Promote a Lawn Care Business

Many people will tell you that advertising flyers are no longer an effective medium to generate leads for a business. However, numerous lawn care business owners are still having a great deal of success with this method. You really don't want to write off any low-cost marketing opportunity until you have tested it for yourself.


You will find a great deal of information online about what a well designed flyer should look like and how you can go about having them printed. This article focuses on distribution. Once you have that big stack of freshly printed flyers in your office, how are you going to get them in front of the eyeballs of prospective lawn care customers? Here are ten ideas.

1) Your Existing Clients

If you do already have some lawn care accounts, start by giving a few flyers to each of your customers. Just tell them that you are currently doing a promotion to drum up some new business. Ask them politely if they would be able to pass on a couple of flyers to their friends or neighbors.

2) Hand Them Out

Walk the streets in your target area and look for people who are out in their yards or walking down the street. Hand them a flyer and politely ask them if they would be interested in receiving a free estimate to do their lawn. This approach gives you a chance of making a personal connection and possibly an appointment. Your flyer will stand a better chance of being read as well.

3) Door to Door Delivery

Select houses in your area with decent sized lawns and drop off a flyer to them. In some countries like the US it is illegal to put unsolicited mail into mail boxes so you must check with your local post office first so that you know what is permitted. You may be better off having door hangers printed as these can easily be slipped over a door handle. You can always do it officially and purchase stamps and a mailing list from your local post office.

4) Insertion into Local Publications

Many local newspapers and magazines will insert your flyer into their publication for a small fee. This will usually give you better exposure than purchasing ad space.

5) Waiting Rooms

Think of some businesses that people go to and spend time waiting around. If you can get a flyer onto the wall or notice board at a fast food restaurant, laundromat, dental surgery or hair salon then you may benefit from some free or low cost exposure. Your flyer will have a better chance of being read if people in the room are sitting around with nothing to do.

6) Parking Lots

One common approach to flyer distribution over the years has been to put them under the wind screen wipers on car windscreens. Be careful with this approach though as it does bother some people. If your flyers end up blowing all over the place in the wind then your reputation may suffer as a result.

7) Community Notice Boards

Many buildings in your community will have notice boards. Churches, schools and other organizations may let you post a copy of your flyer if you are polite and seek permission first.

8) Busy Events

Look for busy events in your local area like fairs, carnivals, garden shows or even garage sales. If you have permission to attend and hand out flyers you may meet some local prospects.

9) Direct Mail

Purchase a mailing list of targeted prospects in your area and mail them a copy of your flyer with an accompanying letter and business card. Some printing companies will handle this for you. They will take your flyer hot of the press and mail them out to a targeted address list.

10) PO Box Drops

Some post offices will arrange to have a copy of your flyer inserted into each one of their PO Boxes. A small fee is charged for each flyer. Many box holders will be business owners so this approach may be effective for securing commercial lawn care accounts.

It is ideal if you can have flyers made up with different coupon codes on them. Or you can put separate stickers onto them. Then you will know which of the above methods is more effective for you and you can focus more on that method. If a method is not effective in generating leads for your lawn care business then you can drop it all together.

Running a Lawn Care Business - Focus on Marketing and Productivity

The lawn care industry offers so many opportunities for entrepreneurs during both good and bad economic times. But not all lawn business owners are successful at making a decent income. Some don't even survive past their first year.

Your success in the lawn care business, like any other industry is almost certainly going to be measured by how much money you are making. To make a good income you have to be generating healthy profits.

Success comes down to not only the need for lots of lawn mowing jobs but also the need to complete jobs efficiently. Marketing and productivity are the two areas that you need to focus on.

A lawn business owner who is a master of marketing but slow at mowing lawns (or currently employing staff who are slow at mowing lawns) will simply not make money. Likewise, you can be the fastest lawn mower in the world but fail in business due to the fact that you were unable to generate any customers.

Let’s look a little more at these two important buzz words; marketing and productivity. It is important to focus on both and not to become a master of one while neglecting the other.

All the other details about starting a lawn business such as getting licensed and insured are trivial really. If you can get these two things right your success will almost certainly be assured.

Marketing - Maximize Opportunities to Make Money

Firstly, you have to have a constant stream of income coming into your lawn business at all times. For lawn care business operators this means having healthy routes with a slowly increasing number of accounts. While some lawn business owners buy accounts, most depend on marketing to bring in the clients that they need.

Your marketing system will have to generate leads, convert these enquiries into new accounts and then encourage loyalty and referrals over the long term. Customer retention is just as important as customer acquisition so a high standard of customer service is required.

The starting point for marketing should be research so that you can understand who your customers are, what they want and what kind of promotions they are likely to respond to. You need to meet market needs by coming up with a brand that is appealing and services that are in demand.

Then you can test advertising strategies, offers and sales approaches until you hit on winning combinations that produce results. You also have to become good at doing business in a way that allows you to stand out from the competition.

Marketing can be a complex beast to work out. Just break it down into parts though and work on getting every step right. If you keep making changes and experimenting you will come across a system that works.

Productivity - Minimize Money and Resources Going Out While Still Providing a Quality Service

Secondly, you need to focus on daily operations and productivity. You need to be able to get tasks done efficiently in order to make money. You have to know how to make the most of the work that is available to you.

This is done in the office, out on the road and in the yards of your clients and will involve systems to manage and track the performance of every aspect of your business.

You need a reliable computer system and dedicated software that can handle accounting, scheduling, estimating and other important functions.

You will need to understand how to plan routes that are efficient and save on time and gasoline. Equipment like a mobile phone, GPS and route planning software can really help you to be more organized and keep control.

You will also need to ensure that your productivity out on the job is maximized. You need to have the right gear and you need to know how to maintain it and how to use it correctly. If you have employees then you will need to have systems in place to monitor their productivity.

The Right Balance - Slow Growth Is Best to Keep Things In Balance

Success in the lawn mowing business is all about becoming good at marketing and managing an efficient operation. You need to maximize cash flows coming into your business and you have to give your clients a high standard of service while minimizing the time and costs that are incurred in the process.

Your marketing and operating systems have to develop slowly together. If one gets ahead of the other then problems can occur. A sudden burts in new accounts can be a disaster if you can't handle them properly. Slow growth usually allows your operational activities to keep pace with your growing number of clients.

Some people tend to overcomplicate business and make everything seem more complicated than it has to be. Just remember two words; marketing and productivity and you'll be fine. If you focus on these two things you will be able to keep a clear head and remember what the fundamentals of your lawn care business are all about.

Lawn Company Secrets Review

Lawn care is a great industry to be in. However while it may look uncomplicated at first glance, there's way more to it then you would expect. Good potential is there but you must do your homework to ensure that you are fully educated before you decide to blindly venture out there and start passing business cards around.

During the past few weeks I have been reading through many guides that educate you on how to set up a lawn service company and I thought I'd write out a short writeup on the one which I found to be the most useful.

Wayne Mullins struggled to get business when he first started out in lawn care and he just about didn't survive the first year of his business. During his moment of need he was extremely lucky to meet another businessman who was extremely successful in the business who would turn out to be his friend and advisor. With the right direction as well as some adjustments to his business plan, he was able to create a substantial lawn care business in a few years. Recently he has released an online study course in which he unveils exactly how he reached the level of success that he did.

-Detailed Product Report-

There are specific details about the lawn mowing business that new players can only get from those who have experience with it. Your neighborhood competition are not going to let you know how this business works so you need a program such as Lawn Company Secrets and the assistance of an expert such as Wayne Mullins. Within this training course he guides you on how to proceed and what you should avoid if you are to succeed in your local market.

The 'Lawn Company Secrets' guide is definitely a complete training course in that it lets you know every little thing that you need to understand to get started right and run operate your business successfully.

Mullins firmly feels that business people ought to be working 'on their business and not in it'. He has created what he calls a 'central nervous system' which will allow you to delegate various aspects of your lawn mowing business to trustworthy staff so that you can be working on the things that really make a difference.

Free gifts that are included with this program are substantial and consist of marketing letters, advertising templates and examples of lawn care agreements.

This guide presently comes with a 2 month money back guarantee so you're able to give it a shot absolutely risk free and find out if the lawn business is what you want to do.

Do something that will change your life in the next five minutes. Go from the dreaming stage into the researching stage by getting this informative guide and get started with your lawn service business right now.

Click HERE to Vist the Official Site

Lawn Business Advertising

Service businesses like lawn companies typically count on their customers and other business contacts to spread the word about the services that they offer. Whilst you can benefit from these kinds of referrals you'll probably have to bolster this with some form of advertising.

The way you go about advertising your lawn business is going to help a lot towards determining whether your new business venture is profitable or a failure. Please read on and learn about a few of the solutions that you may consider.

Vehicle signage is a good tool for making people aware about your business. You'll undoubtedly be out traveling for large parts of the day or parked in front of properties that you are working on. This type of promotion will have an initial cost but once you have it done you will be gaining many years of free advertising.

If you can get your hands on a database of pre-qualified customers then direct advertising could end up being practical. Flyers or other promotional material sent out to homes and business owners often generate in sufficient leads to justify the price tag and are still a common way of advertising a local business.


Although it may appear to be a waste of time to put up flyers on community notice boards you don't know until you test it out. It doesn't take long to do so and it probably won't cost you a dime. Start out by talking to clubs that have public notice boards that see lots of people going by.


Local newspapers, magazines, newsletters and business directories are all possible places for you to get a little exposure for your lawn business. Some of these publishers are always on the lookout for new advertisers and you will often get a great deal if you negotiate with them or get on their mailing list and wait for their offers.


Always carry a pile of business cards that you can give away to people. Whenever you meet new people and start up a conversation with them it is inevitable that they will ask what you do for a job. This is a great chance for you to tell them about your lawn company in greater detail, to hand them a business card and to tell them that you offer a discount to friends if they know of anybody in need of your service.


Customers will talk about your services. If you do a great job then you'll certainly benefit from positive word of mouth and pick up customers through referrals. You can also motivate your clients to talk about you by providing much more in the form of service then they expected or by offering them a financial incentive to refer people to you.


You must be methodical about your ad campaigns so that you know what is working well and what is not. Acquire a practice of asking all of your customers exactly how they found out about you. You can then further develop these methods and drop the methods that have not proven to be cost effective.


The successful advertising of your lawn business will come down to a variety of factors. You should test different things, be prepared to change campaigns and designs and also be meticulous with keeping track of the performance of each campaign. Only then will you be making the most of all the opportunities that advertising offers you.

Start a Lawn Care Business of your Own

Anyone, regardless of age or sex, can start a lawn care business. This is a simple way even a teenager can make money on a regular basis.

First you will need some basic lawn care tools. Among these you will need a lawn mower, rake, weed eater, pruning shears, and gardening gloves. There are times when you may need a shovel or gardening hoe. You should have a basic knowledge of these tools and know how to properly operate them all. You will also need to know how you will get them to the site where you will be working.

After you have the tools and know how to operate them all you will need some practice. If you have a lawn of your own then this is a good place to begin. You will need to know how to mow around trees and flowers and along fence lines. You will also need to know how to trim hedges and maybe even a few low branches.

Once you have practiced some you may need to do a few jobs at a lower rate so you can build up some references. In your own neighborhood, where everyone knows you, is usually a good place to start. Always keep in mind that these are customers and they will want their yards done a specific way. Don't hesitate to ask questions if you are unsure of their instructions.

Next you will want to start building a customer base. Anyone with a large lawn is a potential client. Elderly who can no longer do the work themselves often hire people and so do people who work and simply don't have the time to care for their yards properly. If you do a good job at a fair price then you can often get repeat business.

Summer time is the best time of year for yard work. Some people may need a few things done through the fall and winter months but during the summer everyone needs their lawn cared for. If they hire you in the summer and like your work then you may get some business during the off months from them as well. Remember not to take on more work than you can handle.


You should check you local laws but most of the time you won't even need a permit or business license. If you make over a certain amount per year then you will need to include the income on your taxes. You will also want to check laws concerning having others working for you in your business.

Start a Lawn Care Business

You will find that it is a somewhat simple task to start a lawn care business. You must determine what sort of lawn care services you will offer to your customers. There are a number of services that a lawn care company can offer. This is your decision to make. Remember that when you are first starting out you might want to limit your new business to basic services only until you get a better understanding of your new occupation.What should one do in the beginning?

Start by coming up with your company's name. You will want to stand out from your competitors so take a look at what names are commonly used and avoid using those. You don't want to be confused with another local market player especially if they have a terrible name.

Should I employ a crew? If you are new to the industry it might be helpful for somebody to teach you the ropes and get you familiar with the industry. You could always employ a part time worker at first. Don't forget that you need to know how to service a lawn properly and give high-quality service or you company will be long forgotten.

How do you find clients? This can be tricky at first. You will be new to the industry and going up against businesses in your neighborhood that have been established for years. You can start off by offering services to relatives and associates and ask if they would be willing to refer you to other people. Place an advertisement in your local newspaper as this can get word out to many potential customers.

How much can you quote for general lawn service? There is no set pricing method to follow when it comes to lawn services as each lawn is unique. However, you could look at what your competitors are charging for ideas on how much you can get away with. You will most likely want to stay around the same price that they are charging for their services. If you are too highly priced it could be hard for you to maintain steady customers.

What kind of equipment will I require? At first get your basics; lawn mower, weed eater, trimmers, and a blower. This is just the basic lawn care equipment that you should strongly consider buying. This gear is a necessity for your company and the only way you can offer high-quality service to clients is if you own the proper tools. You don't need to get the best of the best at first, but you don't want to buy the cheapest equipment available either. Cheap equipment will not be durable enough to handle servicing lawn after lawn so start off with decent equipment and it will bring you benefits in the long term.

How should I invoice my clients? There are numerous methods that you can take when it comes to invoicing. Billing software can help keep track of your billing cycles, accounts due, and receivable. Quality software can help track all of your cash flows and allow you to quickly take action when invoices become overdue.

If you are going to start a lawn care business take some time to think about your approach. It doesn't hurt to wait a day or two and do some research on lawn care businesses and how you can succeed at setting up your own lawn care business.

Click here for more guidance

Lawn Care Startup - Business Forms, Templates and Other Useful Documents

When it comes to managing a grass mowing business, like any other business you will have to do a lot of paperwork. Instead of having to create a new document for every situation that you come across in the day-to-day running of your company it is useful if you have prepared business forms, customer agreements and standard letter templates in advance that you can have stored on your PC to quickly adapt when they are needed.

It is no longer necessary to write up this paperwork by yourself however as there are now many ways to get samples of lawn business documents online that you can use and add your business branding to.

This article examines some of the standard letters, forms and templates that you will need in the lawn care industry and towards the end lets you know how to go about finding them.

1) Financial - When putting together, invoices, receipts, bills of sale and other important financial related documents it is really helpful if you have some real industry examples that you are able to adapt and customize for your business. Keeping track of your day to day cash flows can be challenging while out on the road so having appropriate forms for keeping daily income and expense information is important in this business. Letters to follow up on overdue accounts are also needed.

2) Dealing with Customers - Communication with customers is crucial to the success of your business so you should have standard letters that are professionally written for greeting new customers, politely dropping customers if necessary, job estimation, sending end of season messages, solving customer problems or informing customers of any news or changes relating to your services. You don't want to convey the wrong message to customers, so having 'tried and tested' standard letters prepared by professionals that you can reuse with slight changes to suit each situation is a great way to go.

3) A Service Agreement - You should also have a well thought out service agreement that can be signed by yourself and each one of your clients. Having access to a basic agreement that you can use as a template can save you time.

4) Marketing and Other Documents - Having some templates of promotional flyers that have shown good results for other lawn care operators also can save you time and expenses related to testing. With permission you can just change a few details on the flyers that they provide you with on your computer in order to create your own company promotion. Other documents of use to a lawn business will also include mileage forms for company vehicles, maintenance logs for tools and equipment and forms for organizing employees.

By having access to a good set of business forms, standard letter templates and a standard lawn care agreement you will be making sure that ensure that you maximize your efficiency and project a professional image so that you can get your lawn mowing business off to a winning start.

How can one get access to lawn mowing business forms and other documents? Fortunately there are many experienced lawn business professionals who have put together startup guides designed to lead beginners into the industry. These ebooks can be bought online and downloaded. They often include business forms, standard letters and a variety of other resources that aspiring lawn care entrepreneurs would find helpful.

Lawn Care Business Marketing

The process of starting your lawn care business should include the development of a brand that will help push sales and profit. Know where and when to sell your company’s services. A solid marketing plan is important in the grass cutting industry as it is in any other.

Creating your company’s brand is the key to establishing your image which empowers your name and services. Having a unique brand name is a start. Remember how Coke is associated with its ubiquitous logo? Your design must be recognized immediately by current and potential customers, as they see it printed on your pickup trucks passing by their neighborhoods or on the shirt pockets of your crew uniforms.

Mowing lawns is one chore that has been around for ages. Your lawn care business is taking part in that great old American tradition that never dies! Fostering a 'values' approach to your marketing strategy also helps the business. Market your company as the congenial 10-year old boy who knocks at doors during summer asking politely if their yard needs to be cleaned. Dependable and hard working are the words that you would want your customers to use when describing your lawn business. Render these values to your products and services as in all aspects of your lawn-care business and you’ll never go wrong in gaining a loyal customer base.

Direct mail marketing, newspapers and advertising on radio are other forms in which lawn care businesses develop their brand image.

Once your lawn care business gains some initial success you need to keep tabs on your marketing and advertising efforts. The strong foundation set by a good image needs to be sustained over time. Ideally, your reputation can be spread through word of mouth, which for most clients is a more trustworthy than reading sales blitzes in printed matters left in doorsteps. Top notch customer service is one way that you can get your clients to promote your business to their friends and associates for free.

You can also employ another effective marketing strategy to push your lawn care business into the spotlight. Build a sales savvy website to reach out to more people. With valuable information to address their lawn care needs customers will be inspired to contact you. In your website, they should be able to book appointments and find solutions to common problems.

Marketing is often set aside, especially during hard times when budgets fall short. Your lawn care business however doesn’t need to cut back, if from the first day, you’ve ensured a sturdy marketing plan. Be consistent in marketing your lawn care business to maintain your sales growth. If you have a strong marketing plan and carry it out consistently then you will ensure your lawn care business a certain level of success and may find yourself in 'greener pastures' compared to your competitors.

How to Price a Lawn

Pricing a lawn care job correctly is so important as if you price too high you risk losing a customer and if you price too low you are leaving money on the table. Here are some ideas on how to price a lawn mowing job.

Start by walking around the property to get a clear impression of its size. Take note of the distance between the customer's lawns and where you will park your truck. Also look at the lawn's shape and note any obstacles that will be difficult to get around.

Now try to estimate the total time in minutes that it would take one worker to complete the lawn.

The next step is to multiply the number of minutes that you have calculated by one dollar. This rate is seen by lawn care businesses in the US as leading to a healthy hourly rate of $60, however you will need to adjust this rate to suit the market in your area. You should also have a minimum price for lawns that will take less than 20 minutes to allow for driving and loading time.

Don't let your clients know that you are pricing their lawn by the hour. If you say it will take an hour and they catch you leaving after only 40 minutes then it gives them a good case to complain about your service and price.

You should also not make the mistake of pricing too low to compete. Low pricing at rates that are barely profitable is bad for the industry overall. If you start pricing low it will be hard to raise prices in the future and when you do raise prices you would not like it if some newcomer to the industry undercuts you. Competing on quality service instead of price is the best approach.

Also bear in mind that the kind of customers who are attracted to the lowest price offer are often the worst kind. They won't appreciate the other positive aspects of your service and they won't hesitate to move on to the next low priced lawn care operator that comes along.

Being able to call a price that is higher than the market rate takes experience and confidence. If you have a strong brand and you can demonstrate your knowledge of lawn care to them then by all means go ahead and try.

Pricing a lawn job correctly and profitably requires skill and technique and the ability to set a price, and close the deal at that price can set an exceptional lawn care professional apart from the rest.

Advertising a Lawn Care Business

Advertising is a big way of promoting your lawn care business. Apart from good customer service which results in positive word of mouth and referrals, one needs to look at other avenues of advertising their lawn mowing business. With some methods being free and others being costly, you will need to decide on a budget and know what amount you are prepared to spend on advertising your new lawn maintenance business.

Here are some advertising avenues to consider:

The Web

Having a company website does not only give a professional outlook to your existing customers but also offers a means of advertising your service to thousands of people browsing the web. There are many sites to post classified advertising such as Craigslist and relevant local directories where you can list your service free or for a small charge. You can also exchange links with other websites of similar interest i.e. home services or cleaning companies who target businesses and residential houses.

Newspapers and magazines

It is definitely worth advertising in your local newspaper. This will reach readers in your local area, bringing in new business and enhancing your profile among your existing customers. Magazines although costly, can also be a good advertising option in the sense that one can choose a trade magazine to advertise in to reach their target market (a local gardening magazine for example).

Business Directories

Business directories such as the Yellow Pages are often the first place that people look when searching for a local service provider. These customers are ready to buy and they typically only call between one and three businesses before making a decision on which ones they want to meet with for further discussion. It is essential that you do everything to make your advertisement stand out from the others so that you get the calls.

Flyer's and Pamphlets

Another good marketing approach would be to print some professional designed flyer's or pamphlets and stick them under car window screens outside hardware shops and plant nurseries or your local grocery store. Giving them directly to customers is the best way if possible as it gives you a chance to chat to them and try to form a relationship.

Branding and Labeling

Be seen when you are out and about on your daily business. Get personalized magnets designed with your company logo and contact number for your vehicles. Ensure that your machinery and uniforms are labeled with your company branding.

The Media

Radio and television advertising can be very costly but could be worth every penny spent. Hundreds of people will hear your advertisement and associate you with your trade. Try and participate in radio talk shows that concern your business type and use competitions and specials to encourage people to contact you.

Competitions and Specials

Why not hold a competition for every person who signs a new contract. Prizes can include free services or other gifts. Competition stands can be put up at your local grocery store or garage.

Cold Calling

Another way to make a good impression is to call on houses or businesses in your area. Try and make an appointment to introduce yourself but if that is not possible, ensure that you are well presented and explain that you would like to leave your business card with them should they require your lawn mowing services in the future. Do not come across as being pushy or unprofessional.

Referral Rewards

Offer your existing clients a reward for every new customer that signs up as a result of their recommendation and referral. It could be cash or a discount on their service or whatever you feel would encourage your client to make the effort.

Fellow Business Contacts

Attempt to establish good relationship with other service businesses in your area such as pool maintenance business, pest removers, house cleaning services and window cleaners. Discuss a referral system with them whereby each of you can pass on the other’s business card to their existing clients.

There are many ways to advertise a lawn care business and you won't have the budget to try every method right from the start. Start off by looking at what your competitors are doing as they have probably tested all the options over their years in business. Copy their methods but don't copy the style of their campaigns so you stand the best chance of standing out in the marketplace.

If you try all of the various advertising methods for your lawn care business and test them to see which methods work well, then you will be well on the way to providing your company with a steady stream of enquiries that can allow your business to grow.

Independant Lawn Care Start-Up VS Buying an Existing Business

When entrepreneurs first decide to enter the lawn care business one of the first decisions that they have to make is whether to buy an existing business or go with their own independent start-up right from scratch. There are advantages and disadvantages to buying an existing lawn care business as opposed to starting your own. One needs to consider the following pros and cons:

Advantages of Buying an Existing Lawn Business:

1) There is naturally a lower risk in buying an existing successful business than starting a business of your own which has no reputation.

2) With an existing business the staff usually stays with the company and therefore you would not need to do any employment selection and training. This offers peace of mind in that the employees know their responsibilities and the day to day running of the business and the new owner can slowly fit in with the way that things are done and decide if changes need to be made.

3) The suppliers of the business are also in usually in place and therefore one does not need to be too concerned at the start about who would be the best companies to contact when it comes to buying lawn maintenance equipment.

4) If the existing business is well known and established, it can usually continue to generate a profit fairly soon after the take over of ownership without any hindrances or set backs usually experienced by new businesses that are less established.

5) The equipment is in place and apart from a few services or upgrades, business can continue without much delay from the hand over.

6) Contracts and paperwork are usually in place and apart from a few changes you would not need to have this documentation drawn up from scratch.

7) The business’s tax paperwork and documentation should be registered and up to date.

8) Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, with an existing lawn mowing business you will usually inherit a solid base of customers who should stick with you if you make sure that you continue to service them at the same level or improve on the previous owners service level.

Disadvantages of Buying an Existing Lawn Business:

1) If the existing business has not got a very good reputation or the owner did not have a professional mannerism, it could make the marketing and advertising of the new ownership difficult to breakthrough the mindsets of the customers.

2) The current employees may have bad habits and not work well as a team which you would only realize in time after the take over has been completed. This would mean implementing new procedures or replacing some staff members, which could be a lengthy and costly exercise for the business.

3) Old equipment could be a strain on the business cash flow. Repairs and replacement of equipment could hinder work performance and turn around time.

4) If the buyer does not have experience in this industry, he could pay too much for the business which would result in lower profit and higher expenses than expected. It is important to acquire a new lawn care business for the right price, otherwise you may as well use the money that you have to invest in your own independent business.

5) Should you wish to change the company logo or slogan it could be a very costly affair as new documentation would need to be printed, business cards, equipment branding and labeling etc.

6) There may be outstanding debt or tax due from the business that you were not aware of at time of hand over. Make sure that the seller is being transparent on all aspects of the business and that you are fully informed of what you are getting into.

As discussed above there are advantages and disadvantages to everything. It is very important to ensure you have done your research and know what risks are involved either in starting up your own lawn mowing business or purchasing an existing one. Professional advice and solid independent research is always highly recommended either way.