What Equipment to Get When Starting a Lawn and Garden Business
If you love nothing more than tending to your yard, mowing your lawns, and putting in a lot of work for the best-presented property on your street, then have you thought about starting your own lawn care business?
By now, you likely have all the lawn care equipment and expertise you need, and it’s merely a case of going bigger and better and turning your passion into profit. But how do you know where to begin? How easy is starting a lawn care or landscaping business? And what equipment do you need to begin in lawn care anyway?
Whether you’re tired of working for the man, or word of mouth has shown you that lawn mowing businesses are an excellent career choice, read on. You’ll be on your way to offering high-quality lawn services in no time.
Lawn mowers
It goes without saying that lawnmowers are one of the most critical pieces of lawn care equipment for anyone new to the industry. Both ride-on and push mowers can form the foundation of any lawn care expert’s arsenal, and they are going to get put to good use.
However, not any old lawnmower will do. You need one that can handle use in a commercial capacity, and that will be both easy to service, maintain, and repair over its lifetime. Working in lawn care can be a lot of work, so purchase mowers that will allow you to spend more time mowing and less time repairing.
Eric and Nina from Manawatu and their utility trailer
Utility trailers
Whether you’ve decided to open a landscaping business or focus on lawn mowing, you will find that you can’t do your job to the best of your ability without a utility trailer. It needs to house all those accessories and tools of the trade, such as hedge trimmers, rose pruners, digging and cutting tools, and more.
Without a utility trailer, you can find yourself lifting, pushing, and pulling equipment from high truck beds that may eventually end in accidents or injuries. The simple addition of a single-axle trailer can make a world of difference.
Grass cutting accessories
Riding mowers and push mowers are the bread and butter of any lawn care business equipment package, but they are not all you need when it comes to grass cutting. Think about all those times you had to haul additional equipment out of storage to tend to your own lawns.
Grass that grows around mailboxes or trees is nearly impossible to cut with a standard push mower, but it’s effortless with trimmers and edgers. You can also offer hedge trimming services and seasonal care with the help of blowers and hedge trimmers too.
Put together a business plan that outlines all possible services you may need to offer to benefit your future clientele; then you’ll know what you need to buy.
Service vehicle
Your hatchback may be all you need to zip in and out of traffic and parallel park without stress, but it’s not going to suit your needs once you think about starting a lawn care business. You need something that stands out for all the right reasons – and not because you’ve got a lawnmower strapped to your roof.
Vans and trucks are the most preferred methods of transport for business owners involved in lawn mowing. They are presentable, look great with business signwriting, and are convenient for storage and transportation of all your lawn care business equipment. A vehicle that has plenty of space can also mean that everything has its place and is effortless to access at a moment’s notice.
Safety equipment
Every industry in New Zealand has to abide by strict (and legal) health and safety requirements. Landscaping businesses and those in lawn care are no different. It might be worth a chat to WorkSafe to find out your legal requirements, but also take matters into your own hands too.
Invest in earmuffs, eye protection, steel-capped work boots, and gloves that offer a firm grip and hand protection at the same time. If your lawn care business involves chainsaw work, then ensuring you wear chaps and other recommended chainsaw safety equipment is essential too. Don’t skimp on safety, for your clients rely on you to provide a safe and reliable lawn service.
A smile
It can seem a bit cheesy, but some of the best equipment to get when starting a lawn and garden business is a smile. When you’re starting out, you need to portray yourself as the epitome of professionalism.
You can then enjoy receiving a large volume of clients through word of mouth, purely because you presented yourself as a friendly, reliable, and honest worker who does an excellent job. Repeat business comes not only from a job well done, but how relaxed and at ease you made your customer feel.
Is it time to start looking for small lawn care business equipment?
If mowing your lawns is a pleasure rather than a pain, then a lawn care business might be right up your alley. Fortunately, there are plenty of professional franchises out there that are ready and waiting for passionate people to join their ranks. There’s no harm in looking for what lawn care business equipment you might need before you take the plunge.