Lawn Care Guide

Fickett asked:


I do a lot of work here and there for stuff. Im looking for a word or two or whatever that can represent all my services. Right now I do computer repair and lawn/yard maintenance.

for a computer repair business i thought of: CyberTec

I want a word that can represent any business.

Raymond

derrick b asked:


How much does it cost to start a lawn care and landscaping business dealing with: retaining walls, mulch beds, laying out landscape designs, lawn mowing, and constructions of decks and patios. And also what would be the grand total abouts with the insurance and all the equipment i would need? Thanks!

Bertha

Matia Bryson asked:


 

Trying to stay true to the principles of organic and natural living is not as easy as you think it should be. In our culture we have become acclimated to certain conditions that have only been achieved through the use of chemicals. From doing the laundry, to washing cars and tending our yards, we have invented a chemical for nearly every task. If you want to live more green and be in harmony with the environment with your lawn care, you will need to give it some planning and forethought. 

One bit of thinking we may need to change is our perception of what makes a weed. Many of the “pests” that we are being sold chemicals for are actually our native plants and rather beautiful in their own right. An example of this is the dandelion that has a pretty yellow flower during one stage of its growth and wispy and delicate heads during its seed stage. We have all enjoyed blowing the seeds to the wind and watching the “parachutes” gracefully float away. 

Notwithstanding your newfound definition of a weed, you may still want to discourage some types of plant life in your lawn. Here are some ways to do that in as natural a way as possible. First, give the desirable grasses as much support and nutrition as possible. You can find organic fertilizer recipes and get on a schedule of feeding your lawn the nutrients it needs to make it as strong as possible. 

Grass is naturally an aggressive, thriving plant. Do your part to keep it healthy and it will make no room for the weeds. Keep your yard on a regular mowing plan so that the plants are at a good height for the grass only. This way your grass will receive more of the soil, water and sunlight than the weeds. Grass loves to be mowed, whereas weeds are damaged by it. The act of mowing keeps the yard looking good in more ways than one. 

Here is one other method for weed control that has been all but forgotten. We are so inclined these days to gravitate to the solutions that take no time and no effort. This forgotten method I am talking about can become an activity for quality family time together. It can get you out into the fresh air and give you great exercise. This method is simply going out into your yard and pulling the weeds by hand or with digging tools. 

The hand pulling of weeds is very efficacious in weed removal because nothing kills a weed like removing its roots from the soil. The weed can then be removed from your yard and you expend some calories and use your muscles like they should be, too. There is nothing that can be said to be more natural and environmentally “green” than this good old-fashioned method, and it is truly effective, also.

 



Susan

Moses Wright asked:


You probably know what it feels like - pushing your conventional push mower our lawn is larger than .25 acres! For those with larger lawns, they should seriously consider purchasing a reactor-type lawnmower. It is relatively easy to operate and can cover medium to large lawns far quicker than the conventional push lawnmowers.

There are electric models for your lawn mower as well as the standard push mowers that everybody has seen. With powerful batteries, such designs can last for half an acre before it runs out of power and needs to be re-energized. These electric models are really quiet, good for the environment and don’t produce any noxious fumes. They lack the horsepower of the gasoline operated models and might run the hassle of being trapped in bushier places.

If you are a professional lawn care specialist, you might want to look into models that have reel blades that cut out in front. The rotary type is good if there isn’t a golf link to mow. The mowing blades are usually found below the deck below the seat and can give you some vibration. A good seat with plenty of cushion, however, won’t bother you.

You can find smaller riding mowers that will work with your lawn as well. The designs are basically the same as the bigger ones. The capacity and the size of the machine will be the main difference. You will always want more horsepower with your mower, but if you have a well-built machine, it won’t need as much horsepower to do a great job.

You do not really need much horsepower if your yard is flat and even. If you have a very hilly area, however, you will need a lot more. If you have a lot of hills, a lawn tractor will be your better choice.

A lawn tractor will have 10-15 horsepower and can work well. Considering that a car has 150 ‘ 300 horsepower, it seems that it’s a lot less energy, but you don’t need that much. You will pay more for more horsepower, just like with a car. Make sure you really need it first.

Prices will go up if you have a mower that can cut a bigger area. Lawn tractor blades usually cut between 38 ‘ 42 inches and can cut the lawn quicker. But you will probably be only able to cut your lawn 10% more quickly and the mower might be a lot more inaccurate.

You can get a garden tractor with 20 horsepower and up to 60″ mowing blades for a powerful, efficient machine. If you need to haul dirt or tree parts with an attached trailer, you can use this more efficiently.

You will want to look at the turning radius of the mower you are about to buy too. If you have a very low or even zero degree turning radius, it will cost a lot more. If you don’t have a lawn that is difficult to negotiate, you probably won’t need it.



Anna

Seth asked:


Is lawn care business seasonal? If so what months of the year does this business do well? Also, is this a good business to get into. Aren’t there a lot of lawn care companied out there already?

Johnny

Chanaka Dunuwila asked:


Home owners with large yards probably find normal lawn care equipment to be inadequate to meet their needs. Large yards are one of the primary reasons why people upgraded from push mowers to riding lawn mowers, as they could cut the same area of yard in a much shorter timespan. If you’re a lawn care professional or simply like to take care of your yard, then commercial lawn care products are perfect for getting the job done quickly. Professionals will find this equipment absolutely necessary for their job, although home owners may wish to save some money on the products they buy.

Durability is the Key

Commercial lawn care products are generally much larger and more durable than their consumer counterparts. They are designed for professionals who need to do a lot of work in a reasonable amount of time, and they need to last so businesses don’t spend too much time or money repairing them. Also, you can find more targeted approaches to taking care of problems. Consumer products generally tend to have broad focuses, like generic “pest control” products. Professional lawn care products have entire lines of tools dedicated to pest control, and they generally target specific types of pests, like termites, Japanese beetles, or grubs. Commercial lawn care products are marketed on quality and not the brand producing them.

If you’ve ever wondered how golf courses always seem to have absolutely perfect grass, now you know. Commercial lawn care products are instrumental in achieving that perfect grass which is always a lush shade of green, completely devoid of weeds. When you use consumer herbicides which “only target” weeds, you’ll soon find your grass to be collateral. Fortunately, liquid herbicides and pesticides allow for specific targeting of areas, but there is still bound to be more damage than you intended.

Don’t purchase commercial lawn care products if you only have an acre or so of land. Only when you have several acres or more of lawn should you consider purchasing professional grade equipment. Consumer models are more than sufficient for taking care of small yards, and you should just save the money if you have a small yard. Also, you can always check into renting professional equipment if you have a particularly tough job to undertake – it’s still no reason to go out and buy that equipment when you can just rent it for a few days and save thousands of dollars. For big yards and lawn care businesses, commercial lawn care products are a necessity.



Neil

Michael Gregory asked:


Before you begin your lawn care business, especially if you are looking for financing, you will need a business plan. Your options include writing one from scratch (according to the SBA it takes an average of 80 hours), have someone write one for you (expect $1,000 and up for a quality one) or use business plan software.

Lawn care business plan software has greatly improved over the last few years, making it as easy as putting in your specific information and the software will do a majority of the time-consuming work to take your "great idea" from concept to reality. Good lawn care business plan software will also aid you in ensuring that you’ve "thought through" the "ins and outs" of the business - everything from marketing and sales to the cost of staples and give you a understanding of how much you need to sell to make your idea profitable. By showing the bank you have a thorough understanding of the inner working of your financials, lenders are more willing to loan money for your lawn care.

Here are a few items to look at when evaluating various lawn care business plan software programs.

Reputation - Make sure to do online research to get feedback from other people to see how their experience was with the software. If you see a lot of negative comments, no matter how good the price, you may want to look at other software.

If you have been or know people in the lawn care business already, you could contact them for information on whether they used software for their lawn care business.

Support - Look to see what type of support is provided with your business plan software. This is especiall important if you are working on your business plan late at night and need something answered. Many vendors offer 24/7 online and toll-free support.

Ease of Use - This is especially important if you are looking at specialized software from a very small company or individual and you are computer challenged. Many times you can get a trial offer to see if it will work with your comfort level.

Cost - After you have researched the lawn care business plan software and still unsure, it is time to consider costs. Don’t always assume that paying more will give you a better product nor buy a version that has more bells and whistles than you need. Make certain to factor in shipping & handling costs and delivery time of your lawn care business plan software when comparing prices.

Once you’ve chosen and installed your lawn care business plan software, it’s time to get to work. If you have any trouble, be sure to get in touch with the vendor’s support as soon as possible, especially if there is a limit on on long they will offer support .



Cathy

Michael Clark asked:


Have you ever wondered why organic lawn care is talked about so much at garden centers and lawn care product stores? Or have you wondered why you would want to use organic fertilizer instead of the standard man-made fertilizer?

I wondered that for many years as well, until I started researching the benefits of organic lawn care. Now that I have done my own researched and talked to many different people in the lawn care industry, I will always use organic products on my lawn. And I will do so not only because it is better for the environment, but because in the long-run it is much better for my lawn and will make it so I actually

don’t have to do as much yard work.

Many people think that if they pay someone $400 a year to spread fertilizer and weed killer on their yard that their yard should look great. However, if they do not pay attention to the quality of their soil then they will never have the yard they dream about, and the grass will literally be greener on the other side (i.e. the neighbors yard you always envy).

The soil is the base of your lawn and developing good soil could very well be the most import aspect of a good lawn care system. This is because the roots, or the most important part of your grass, live there. If you do not have healthy roots, then you will not have healthy grass; and, if you do not have healthy soil, then you will not have healthy roots.

Cultivating and developing healthy soil can be a difficult process, but it can be accomplished if you work at it over time. Even though you will have to work hard to develop healthy soil, you won’t have to work as hard after you get there. Good watering habits, good mowing techniques, and good organic lawn care products will help you greatly in both developing your soil and then maintaining your soil afterwards.

Good watering habits and good mowing techniques are what I call obvious factors in a good lawn care program, everyone understands that you need to water and mow your lawn properly in order to have a healthy lawn. However, many people do not understand why using organic products on your lawn is much better than using man made fertilizers and other man made lawn care products.

To explain, remember that while your lawn needs the ingredients found in all fertilizers, that is not all your lawn needs to be healthy. Your lawn also needs microbial macrobial life. Worm and other critters are great for your lawn in producing much needs nutrients for your soil. However, man-made chemical fertilizers usually will deter them, while the organic fertilizer will attract them (no you will not have tons of bugs crawling over your lawn, they will be in your soil where you can’t see them).

Man made fertilizers usually contain a lot of salt, which microbial life does not like at all. While these unnatural fertilizers will make the blades of grass turn green quickly, it will do nothing to cultivate your soil and will actually hurt your soil over time. An organic lawn care program will do the exact opposite for the soil. It will help you cultivate and develop the soil, while also feeding the grass.

In the long-run, using organic products on your lawn will give you the lawn you want and you won’t have to pay the $400 a year for someone to come out and take care of it for you.



Arlene

Darrell F asked:


There are many advantages to acquiring a franchised business. To begin with, the system has already been researched and developed into a viable business model that removes the dangers of trial and error experience. With a franchise from a well known company, your business can take advantage of the national advertising and good reputation of the company to jump start your own local branch. Since it is in the franchise company’s best interest for you to succeed, there are support and information systems in place to make sure you are able to provide quality service. With a franchised business, you will have an exclusive area to work in that will help keep competition down. The cost of purchasing a franchise business opportunity is much less than what you would have to obtain to start a new business from the ground up.

With the purchase of a franchise operation you will be provided with all the necessary training to be able to perform the job well. Advice on specific problems you may require can be had as the franchise distributor will want to make sure all the franchised affiliates meet the standards that the overall brand name is known for.

One of the fastest growing franchise opportunities on the island is the Green Thumb Lawn Care franchise. Increasingly home owners and renters alike are seeking to beautify their dwellings with well manicured and maintained lawns but do not always have the time or the knowledge to make sure it is done correctly. Once you become a Green Thumb Lawn Care professional you will receive all the training and knowledge necessary to provide this lucrative service to the people in your region.

Green Thumb Lawn Care developed lawn care as service concept and maintains a 90% share of the total lawn care franchise business. With the average Green Thumb franchiser servicing about 7% of the homes in their region on a year-round basis the profitability of making Green Thumb a successful business venture is virtually assured.

With national advertising and word of mouth recommendations, there are many areas of the country that are eagerly awaiting a franchise branch to open in their region. Years of experience have given Green Thumb the reputation of high quality professional lawn care so building your customer base is easier with the pre-existing brand recognition of this fast growing business franchise opportunity.

Unlike some lawn care franchise opportunities, Green Thumb has no hidden costs to make startup of your franchise business harder. The initial fee is all-inclusive and includes a media campaign to help get you established in your designated postal area. Yearly marketing and franchise subscriptions are extremely low so that you can begin profiting from your new franchise business opportunity from the beginning.



Glen

Jeff S asked:


Im looking for tips on how to start a lawn care business, prices, and how often i should cut there lawns

Ernest