What To Do When Your Kid Wants To Start a Lawn Business

There are grasses in almost everybody’s lawn and a lot of people do not usually have time to mow their lawns. This is why there is always going to be a demand for those who offer the services. Lawn mowing is hard work and it takes a lot of care and diligence when doing it. Your kid will learn a lot apart from making money from the lawn business.

There is no shortcut in mowing, your kid will know what it means to give customer satisfaction and will reap the rewards of his labour. Lawn mowing business will help your kid to harness their entrepreneurship skills and other capabilities. So, if your kid wants to start a lawn business, don’t discourage them; you should rather help them to start one. You might not know what they will get from it in the long run.

Did you know that it is a great business and that it serves as a part-time business for some cops, firemen, and so on? Since your kids business will be within the community or neigbourhood, your kid does not need to worry about commuting to long distances. Also, it incurs a small start-up cost that will not require you to put in too much money. Another good thing is that grass keeps on growing so you do not have to worry about any recession because they always need to be cut.

According to statistics, there are 1.25 million people employed as ground maintenance workers. And as time proceeds, this amount is estimated to increase. So there is a demand market for lawn business and this is how you can help your kid start one.

Just follow the steps below:

1. Plan

Yes, this is the very backbone of every business. Planning with your kid will give you both the chance to set out your detailed approach to the business. It will answer the pertinent questions as to how, who, when and where? This will include the type of equipment you will need, the size of the lawn you will be working on, your dedication, time schedule as to when you will work, neigbourhood size etc.

2. Identify your goals and create a mission statement

The first step is to identify your long-term goal. What does your kid want to achieve from the business? This will help him arrange the business in such a way that it would come out just the way he plans it to. This will determine the effort or commitment he gives to the business, as to whether he will work full time or part-time. Whether he plans on getting a team if he plans to run the business for a longer period of time. By defining this, he will begin to think outside the box and create a mission statement that will guide him and remind him of who he is and why is doing what he does.

Your mission statement should be designed to help give purpose to your work and will always remind your kid why he started the business in the first place. So do not underestimate the power of the mission statement because kids at times easily lose sight due to distractions, the mission statement can be what pulls them back on track.

3. Check out for laws

Because your kids below 18, it is necessary to check with your local government for any laws concerning children working. It is best to get him a license or permit if your law requires it so that the business is not put to a stop after an operation. That will just be heartbreaking; to avoid it, make all inquiries and fulfill the requirements needed.

4. Identify your target market

Knowing the type of people your kid will be working for is very important to ensure that you get customers. Since your kid’s business will be within the neighbourhood, then make sure to map out the area and people that will most need your help so that your kid can tailor his services to their needs.

5. Investment

Getting the right types of equipment for lawn mowing can be quite expensive depending on the type of machine you want to get for your kid. For a start, you can get something reasonable but good. You could ask your kid to put in some of his piggy bank money or allowances as a part investment or you can take up the expenses alone based on a loan. You can collect your capital when the business begins to make profits.

6. Choosing the equipment

The tools you will need will have to depend on your goals and type of service he wishes to give. Hence, get equipment that will help you get your work done faster, professionally (for better results) and one that will require little maintenance. Do not go for very cheap ones, as in the long run, they will require lots of maintenance and break down easily. So, when deciding on the kind of equipment to use, take advice from your peers in the business already, talk to dealers and do some research online too. You can get good offers at times from dealers in the market. Just make use of every avenue for your kid.

7. Work on your rates

To determine how much your kid will charge per lawn, you both need to do a little research around your neigbourhood. Check the offers of your competitions and use it to decide how much you will charge too.

8. Time

Deciding on when you want to mow lawns should be based on the time available. Since your kid is going to school and perhaps depending doing any other activity, it is important to fix when he will be out mowing. It could be every weekend, while the neighbours are on vacations etc.

9. Advertisement

You need to get everyone’s attention and bring to their knowledge that your kid started a lawn mowing business. You can do this the old fashioned way which is still effective, by word of mouth. You could tell family and friends who in turn will tell those that they know of the business. You could send text messages or messages through other social media platforms.  Or you can be a little bit tech savvy with your kid and have fun along the way. You could create flyers which are not so hard to do these days, given the many apps that already have templates that you can work on.

So, get creative with your kid and create beautiful posters you can send on social media and also print to distribute and paste. Another means is to create a website where people can easily contact your kid and follow his activities as he does his business. There is also the possibility of creating a blog if your kid is into writing, he or she could blog about topics relating to his type of business. Another means is Facebook, which could help you reach a lot of people at the same time. Sometimes, it is worth spending money because it gives him an upper edge and gives a positive impression of your kid.

10. Creating a bank account

If your kid never had any savings, it is now time to create one especially at the start of the business. This saving account can be a joint account and all money gotten from the business will be deposited into this account. It will help your kid to know the importance of saving and develop the attitude of being able to save money and invest it properly.

11. Build a team

As the business grows, your kid will, at some point, need to get a team. This will require him putting people together who will help run the business. This is however optional but if your kid works really hard and is committed, there is a likely chance that the business will need more hands because of the demand from customers.

When you think back to the long, lazy summers of your youth, chances are some time was spent trudging along behind a lawn mower, pushing with all your might and sweating profusely, just so you could make a few bucks to buy some baseball cards or a really cool bike. You may have occasionally mowed down a few pansies or zebra-striped a lawn, but you sure were proud when the homeowner came to the door, surveyed your handiwork, and forked over the agreed-upon fee.

Finally, you must remember to pay any tax that might be required of you. Your kid should learn to leverage his customers. This could be getting feedback face to face from his clients or testimonials that can be shared on Twitter or Facebook. Having a lawn care business is rough work but it will help your kid to develop himself, to be hardworking.