Advice on starting a lawn mowing company?

i am 22 years old and i have decided i am sick of working in the food industry and i would like to start a small business , just doing lawn mowing and maybe planting etc. i have almost ten thousand dollars saved up and my plan is to buy a truck in the spring and invest in the equipment i need to get this business started. im trying to keep it as simple as i can to start. im not planning on making a killing at this, i just want to make enough to survive atleast and be working by myself. does anyone have any advice for me? thanks!Advice on starting a lawn mowing company?
If you keep it on a small scale, you can actually do pretty good in the lawn care business. You'll need general liability insurance and an occupational license. Don't skimp on the equipment. The 21'; Murray push mower at Home Depot ain't gonna cut it. (pun intended) You will want a good commercial mower and weed eater. Starting out I would aim for a 36'; walk- behind mower. That will allow you to get in the back yards of residential customers and its still big enough to include some smaller commercial accounts too. Also, starting out, skip the trailer routine, there's no need. Buy a couple of 2 x 8's, take your tailgate off, put the 2 x 8's on the bumper, and run the mower into the bed of your truck. From there, I assure you, there is as much work out there as you will ever want.Advice on starting a lawn mowing company?
lawn moving, just like open a restaurant, always have demand but can not make lots of money also very tired. if you really want try it, go ahead, it is not gonna kill u,but not that easy only by yourself. it is better to look for another opportunity. good luck. gavin_wjq@yahoo.com
Before spending any money on truck and equipment, I would start by looking carefully around where you live:


- how many companies are there already offering the same service?


- how much work is available (i.e. call the competition with a fictitious job and see when they can do it - if they are available straight away, it's a bad sign!)?


- how much will it cost you to set up and run (i.e. cost of your equipment, insurance, petrol...)


- how much can you charge per job / hour of work, and is it enough to cover your costs and give you a wee profit?





Then, list everything down very clearly, add up the cost / potential earnings, and give all that to someone else to review for you (pick someone who seriously cares about helping you and who will tell you the truth even if it's bad). Use that feedback to change whatever part of your job needs tweaking, and get more feedback...





If you come up with a potentially viable company, then go for it.


Although in the current economic climate, I would start small and simple, and maybe keep a normal job at the side (like going part time at your current job) while you build your customer base, so you still have money coming in to pay you bills - boring, I know, but safer.





Best of luck, and I hope it all works out for you.