Lawn maintenance is a popular business for many entrepreneurs because it is relatively easy to start and does not require much background or education to be successful. If you have the drive to succeed and are willing to provide excellent service, you can create a lawn maintenance business that is profitable, successful and rewarding. The most profitable lawn maintenance businesses are able to maintain high volumes of repeat businesses and look for off-season work to maintain year-round cash flow.

Research your community and look for areas that are under-served for lawn maintenance services, but have a high need for services. You will also need to decide if you want to focus on residential clients, business clients or government contracts. Each segment requires different equipment and has different methods of marketing and obtaining new clients.

Lawn maintenance is a fairly safe occupation, but whenever you work with equipment or on other people’s property there is a chance for accidents. You can protect your personal finances and limit your legal liability by setting up a formal structure for your business.

Look at setting up the following items for your new lawn maintenance business:

1. An S-corporation
2. Insurance: Personal, Liability, Equipment, Health, and Workers Compensation
3. Accounting System: Consider QuickBooks or similar accounting software that helps you maintain your business finances and easily keep track of your success

Purchase all the equipment you will need for your lawn maintenance business, including a vehicle for transportation to client locations. If you plan to focus on business or government contracts, you can usually aim for larger lawn mowers and riding equipment for larger cutting areas. For residential work, look for smaller equipment that can maneuver easily around trees and flowerbeds.

Here is a list of commonly used lawn maintenance business equipment:

1. Industrial Riding Lawn Mower
2. Industrial Push Mower
3. Industrial Weed Eater and Edger
4. Fertilizing Equipment
5. Edging Sheers
6. Small Limb cutters
7. Safety Equipment including Eye Goggles and Gloves
8. Shovel
9. Hoe

Market your new lawn maintenance business. If you are looking for business or government work, apply for contracts and send proposals for large business contracts. Consider focusing on malls and large office parks for businesses.

For residential clients, distribute creative flyers in mailboxes and even go door-to-door offering your services. Try to concentrate your efforts in a localized area. The more customers you have the in same area, the less traveling you will have between jobs, which translates into more jobs you can perform in a day. Give outstanding service and people will notice. You will get new customers from word of mouth advertising. Consider giving a discount to customers who allow you to place a small advertisement of your services in their lawn for a few days.

The more services you offer your clients, the higher your potential revenue and profits and can keep your cash flow high during the off season for lawn maintenance businesses.

Consider offering the following services:

1. Preparing lawn for Winter/Spring
2. Fertilizing/Lawn Pest Control
3. Ground Coverings
4. Holiday Decoration Assistance
5. Roof/Gutter Cleaning
6. Snow Shoveling