What I wish I had known before starting my own mowing business.
I started a mowing as a side hustle about 6 years ago to make some extra money as a side hustle. There were a lot of different things I could dod, but I didn’t have enough time to do them. I didn’t have a lot, but I had a mower and weed eater. I figured if a 14 year old could do it, surely I could as well. Little did I know how lucrative this business would be. Here are some things I learned while getting this money maker going.
1. I don’t have a lot of money. How can I start mowing as a side hustle?
There is a tendency to look around and see these companies with awesome trucks, trailers, and zero turn mowers and think “I can’t do this”. I don’t have that kind of money! How am I supposed to do this? I am just mowing as a side hustle!
The wonderful thing is you don’t have to have a lot of money or the best tools to succeed at starting a mowing business. Use what you have and just get out there and start doing it. You can upgrade as you go. It takes a lot of the pressure off and you aren’t in the hole trying to get out.
2. How do I get clients?
How do I get clients for mowing as a side hustle? This is the biggest question I get from people. I have gone door to door passing out flyers and anything else could think of. There are a number of ways that I have tried getting customers, but by far the best one that I have found is none other than Craigslist. For 5$ craigslist puts an ad up that will pop up on google searches which is what just about everyone does when they are looking for services. I have done a lot to get my name out but since using craigslist I haven’t had to do anything but sit back and take the calls.
3. I don’t have a truck. How can I start a lawn mowing business?
So, do you need a truck? NO!!! I started out with a Chevy Trailblazer and even used a Honda Fit for a little bit. It was a tight fit in the Honda but I made it work. It carried my mower, weed eater, and blower just fine. A truck is great but it is no reason not to go ahead and start.
4. Won’t it look bad if I don’t show up with professional equipment and work truck?
To the people that say “well you have to have the appearance of a working company so you NEED a truck” I say they are wrong. It might help in some ways, but if you show up on time, communicate with your customers regularly, and do the work right the first time people are going to keep calling you and referring you to other people. Screw appearances. We are mowing as a side hustle not 300 lawns a week.
5. Again! I don’t have a ton of money. Do I need a zero turn mower?
So what mower should I get when mowing as a side hustle? As I said, starting off you probably don’t have the $5500 to buy a brand new zero turn mower. What I have found is that the 21″ inch $200 mower at Lowes or Home Depot has been perfect and will get you out and mowing fast without breaking the bank. I typically mow all year with the same one. Now I am only doing 3-5 lawns a week so you might want to think about spending a bit more if you have a lot lawns. As you go you can always upgrade and get better equipment. There are also some really good mowers for $800-$1200 that are more powerful and have better features like self propulsion.
6. To trailer or not to trailer?
Do I need a trailer? Well, I have never used one. I make sure that all of my equipment will fit into the vehicle that I have. This is another reason to get the mower that I suggested. It is light so I can lift it into my truck or any other vehicle. A trailer opens up some work that you can do but isn’t necessary at the start. Get one when you start having need of one, not at the beginning.
7. Money!!!!
How much do I charge? This is an important question and is very tricky. Each area is different so my price might be different than Phoenix Arizona’s. When I first started I charged $25 a lawn. If you are into the business and doing 50 lawns in a week this might be ok, but I always charge $40 or more if the lawn is very high and are going to take longer. The tendency is to not charge much to get the job, but please do not do this or don’t do it for long. You will find yourself mad while you are doing these jobs. Charge for your time. And to me my hour is worth $40.
People will start trying to haggle with you about price. Figure out how low you are willing to go and don’t do any lawns that require you to do it for less. It won’t be worth it and you’ll be kicking yourself. If someone tries to get you to do it cheaper just tell them good luck and be on your way.
8. What other tools do I need to get started?
- Mower
- Weed Eater
- Blower
- Gas tank (both for mower and weed eater as they take separate kinds of gas usually)
- Extra line for weedeater
The great thing about the startup costs is that it isn’t super expensive. We talked about the mower earlier but that’s typically the most expensive thing. The next is getting a good straight shaft weed eater. It is around $199-$300. I have the $199 one and it has been great for me the last three years and is still going strong. I have a handheld blower that was $150 and I have had it for 5 years and never has had a hiccup.
Get gas! I bought a battery powered blower because it was cheaper but would maybe last one lawn. This is not great if you are trying to knock out a few in one day.
The great thing about this set up is you’ve only spent $550-$600 to start a business. If you already have any of this equipment you may already be ready to go. There aren’t many business that cost this little to get going.
9. How do I really get the most money out of this?
Add ons.
There are some little things that will make a lot of extra money. Trimming hedges is a great way to do this. A gas powered one works, but I used what I had. I had a little black and decker that I would plug into the house with an extension cord and go to town. It added a lot of extra money in my pocket by doing this easy job.
Also, carry around a thing of round-up to spray flower beds and cracks in concrete. Always ask your customers if they want these things. It’s just extra money in your pocket.
10. Don’t quit your day job!
Invest back into your business and don’t quit your day job right away. Things aren’t just going to take off immediately. The wonderful thing about mowing is that it’s an hour here and an hour there. You don’t need to have a completely open schedule to do this. So, this may be something for extra cash, like I do. It also may be something you are trying to do full time. Continue making money doing what you’ve been doing and take the pressure off. This business will grow but it may need some time to do so. And trust me it will grow, no pun intended. Everyone needs their lawns mowed.
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