Teen Lawn Care

Surety Bonds: How They Could Legitimize Your Lawn Care Business

2011-01-17T20:33:00.000-05:00

When you're looking to establish a clientele for the first time, you might run into a dilemma. You've probably tried going door to door to attract potential customers, and some were probably less than enthused with the idea of a teen tending to their lawn. Basically, some homeowners are afraid that they'll pay an inexperienced teenager who won't be able to provide high quality, professional services.

So what's a good way to boost the legitimacy of your lawn care business? You need to find a way to assure potential customers that you're a reliable individual with the credentials to perform quality work. Purchasing a surety bond could help give you such a boost by proving that you intend to do a good job, and you'll have the financial guarantee of a surety provider to back you up.

Surety bonds basically function as contracts that guarantee the quality of a business's work. There are three parties involved with each bond:

the principal who gets the bond (this would be you)
the obligee who requires the bond (this would be a government agency)
the surety who sells you the bond (this can be a local insurance company or an online nationwide surety bond producer)

Basically, by selling you a bond the surety provides your potential consumers with a financial guarantee that you will perform your work appropriately. If you're able to purchase a bond, you're giving your consumers an additional level of reassurance in case you go against the bond's language and fail to follow industry regulations in some way.

Getting a surety bond will likely only be an option for your lawn care business if you plan to have it officially licensed as a business in the state in which you work. If you're operating the business on your own without officially registering it and paying taxes it won't be recognized as a "legitimate" business in the eyes of the government.

If you're ready to purchase a bond, you should know that each bond executed has a unique surety bond cost that is calculated by taking a number of variables into account, including:

Industry Regulations: Do you have to purchase a surety bond in a certain amount?
Location: The surety bond will need to be valid for all areas in which you plan to work. Depending on the bond type and its applicable regulations, this could vary by state, county, or even city.
Credit Score: To get licensed in your state, you'll need proof of a reasonably good credit score, which means you'll probably need one of your parents to sign as your partner. Otherwise you probably won't have the necessary credit information to get approved for a bond. With a good credit score you'll get a much cheaper price for a bond, and with a low credit score you'll have to pay a much higher fee.

When it comes to your personal lawn care business, it's probably up to you whether or not you want to take advantage of the benefits a surety bond can offer. When making the decision you'll want to weigh the actual financial costs with the potential benefits of attracting new customers and determine which option is best for your business.

This article was written by Kevin Kaiser of Surety Bonds, a nationwide surety bond producer that operates online. Kevin had also been involved with his own successful lawn business in high school. Feel free to leave any questions in the comments or email him at kevin {at} suretybonds {dot} com.

Is My Child Old Enough to Run a Lawn Mowing Business?

2010-08-29T12:29:00.001-04:00

I recently had an email conversation with Rhonda. She was inquiring whether her son is old enough to run a lawn mowing business. Let's look at what she said:

At what age do you recommend starting a lawn mowing business? I have a 10 year old son that would like to start next year, since it's now August. If he's too young now, do you have other suggestions on what he can do until he reaches a good age?

Awesome question Rhonda. I'd first figure out the answer to these questions:

a) Can my son perform the duties necessary for a lawn mowing business?

Basically, he needs to have the stamina and skills to be able to use a lawn mower. Does he mow your grass at home? If so, then he probably can do other peoples' lawns, too. He also needs to be able to deal with maintaining the equipment, for example, tuning up the lawn mower at the beginning of the season and when the blade gets dull.

b) Would he be comfortable dealing with customers?

Your son will need to be able to set up methods of communication with potential customers. For example, he may need to create an email address that customers can contact him at. Home phone works too.

10 Customer Service Tips

c) Can he be consistent?

Consistency is vital to a lawn business. You have to be out there every single week (especially in the spring) keeping the grass at a reasonable height.

d) Can he be financially savvy when business costs arise?

If he needs to buy a lawn mower, weed eater, or blower, he needs to be able to put the money together to obtain these items. Also, maintaining equipment costs money.

How to Buy a Used Lawn Mower

Basically, I've tried to give you a small idea of the kinds of things a kid has to think about when running a lawn mowing business. If your son is up to the challenge, then by all means, he should go right ahead.

However, if you don't think he's quite ready yet to start a lawn mowing business, you might suggest he have a small leaf raking service in the fall. Leaf raking does not require the tools, the consistency, or costs that a lawn mowing business requires, and a leaf raking service can also be a launching pad for a lawn mowing service in the spring. He could learn a lot about hard work and dealing with customers on a smaller scale. Not only will he learn skills, leaf raking can also establish contacts for clients that he could potentially use when starting up the lawn mowing business in the spring. Also, a leaf raking service does not require a huge amount of time and effort. If he decides he really hates yard work, then he has an easy way out.

So essentially, if you think your son is ready, go for it. If he's not quite ready, he can rake leaves (shoveling snow in the winter is another good option) to build the skills and contacts necessary for a lawn mowing business.

Best of luck to your son!

Time to Put Yourself Out There!

2010-03-05T17:15:00.000-05:00

Alright, a few days ago I noticed the first professional lawn service advertisement at my door. Time to start going out and advertising your lawn business!

Paper the neighborhood! Oh, and don't forget to reconnect with last year's customers. Shoot them an email or call them to reestablish your business.

This post should give you a good idea about papering the neighborhood with your lawn service:

Advertise Your Teen Lawn Service With Flyers

If you are just starting out your lawn business new this season, check out some of these links:

So You Want to Start a Teen Lawn Mowing Business
How to Start a Teen Lawn Service
Questions to Consider When Starting a Teen Lawn Business

Good luck with your lawn businesses this year, and stay tuned for upcoming posts in the next few weeks!

A 6 Step Guide for How to Edge With a Weed Eater

2009-07-25T13:41:00.001-04:00

Learning how to edge with your weed eater is an important skill to master. It will give your customers a far more professional cut.

Important!

Make sure you know how to properly and safely use your weed eater before trying to edge with it. For more information, check out my article on weed eater safety.

How to Edge with a Weed Eater

1. Start the unit.

2. Flip your weed eater over (180 degrees) so the guard is facing up. Make sure the trimmer string is at a 90 degree angle to the edge of the grass.

3. Carefully and methodically run your weed eater along the edge of the grass. Lots of grass and dirt will probably fly up. That's normal, although you have to be sure that your aren't scalping the edge of the grass or making cuts into the side of it-- just make sure it looks pretty. If you are edging on the grass that separates a sidewalk from a road, remember to cut both sides of the grass.

4. Edging can be hard on the trimmer. If the grass is especially unruly, you may have to pull the string out several times before you are finished edging. However, don't let this discourage you-- after edging once, maintaining the edge is simple and doesn't take much effort.

5. I can't emphasize enough that you should be VERY CAREFUL while edging. When you edge, you are setting out to make your customers' lawn look nicer. However, if you screw up and run the weed eater all over, making ugly cuts and scalping grass all over their yard, it makes the lawn look very UN professional.

6. Afterward, there will be lots of dirt and grass lying on the sidewalk. You will need to clean this up. A few methods for cleanup that I would suggest are:

Using a blower is the easiest option. It also creates the most visually appealing effect. However, if you don't need one for the yard or don't want to bring it on the job, there are a couple of other options as well.
Running your lawn mower over the sidewalk works relatively well, and it isn't too hard, either. However, there will be a few scraps left on the sidewalk, so it's not as nice as using a blower.
I have never tried this method, but according to Nick Tart's book about running a teen lawn business, you can use your weed eater as a mini blower. This method apparently works with small debris, so I'm pretty sure you can use it for after-edging cleanup.

Edging your customers' lawns gives a more professional feel to their yards, as well as making them just plain look nicer, overall.

Feel free to charge extra for edging. It is another service that you can add to your portfolio. Your customers' lawns could really benefit from edging.

To conclude, you don't need an expensive "edger" to give your customers' lawns a clean look. Your weed eater will work just fine.

Want a Battery-Powered Riding Mower? Check Out the Environmentally Friendly Recharge Mower

2009-07-20T08:00:00.002-04:00

Today I received an email from someone with Driven By Solar Inc. about the Recharge Mower. They asked if I would like to post a press release for their product, and I agreed.

The Recharge Mower is a battery-powered lawn mower that looks a bit like a yellow Mars rover. Sexy, anyone?

Anyhow, enough of my ramblings. Let's see what Recharge Mower has to say about their product:

A greener lawn. A greener planet. That’s what the revolutionary new riding Recharge Mower™ is all about. With up to 3 hours of continuous operating power between charges, you can beautify your property while doing your part to protect the environment.

Unlike a majority of push and riding mowers, the Recharge Mower™ uses NO GAS- NO OIL – NO SPARK PLUGS – NO TUNE UPS and operates Extremely Quietly. That means you can care for your lawn without adding to Air or Noise Pollution.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a traditional gas powered lawn mower produces as much air pollution as 43 new cars each being driven 12,000 miles. The EPA states that 17 million gallons of fuel, mostly gasoline, are spilled each year while refueling lawn equipment. That's more than all the oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez. In addition to groundwater contamination, spilled fuel that evaporates into the air and the volatile organic compounds spit out by small engines, make smog-forming ozone when cooked by heat and sunlight. Also, according to the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse (NPC), the 85 to 90 decibels of noise produced by a typical gas-powered mower can be heard a quarter mile away or more. In other words, mowing a quarter-acre lot with a gas-powered mower pollutes 100 acres of the surrounding neighborhood with noise.

Over 3 years of engineering, design, and development combine in the release of the Recharge Mower™. The unit features a proprietary electronically controlled 36v38Ah power system. This system can be fully reenergized overnight by simply plugging in the included Smart Charger into a standard wall outlet. For an average cost of only 55 cents, the Recharge Mower™ will be fully repowered and ready to provide dependable service.

The Recharge Mower™ features a 27-inch wide cutting deck and has 5 selectable cutting heights for precision lawn care. Unlike other riding mowers, the Recharge Mower™ has been specifically designed to pass through standard fence gates for convenient access to front and rear yards. Even the included rear mounted grass catcher is easily emptied and installed without tools or special skills. This ideal width combines with smooth, nimble handling to make maneuvering around trees and shrubs effortless.

The resilient moulded body is fitted over a coated and welded metal frame providing long dependable life. The three sealed batteries are positioned both low and center, improving balance and weight distribution. The Twin long life and powerful 900 watt cutting blades are housed within the metal shrouded deck. Additionally, the powerful rear wheel drive electric motor provides abundant forward and reverse momentum. The entire system is operated through uncomplicated hand controls which are easily accessible from the driver’s seat. Ultimately, this makes the Recharge Mower™ perfect for both physically fit and mobility challenged adults.

Having undergone exhaustive testing, the Recharge Mower™ meets or exceeds UL1447 and ANSI B71.1 safety standards. Safe operation of any machine is paramount and the Recharge Mower™ includes many safety features including a Operator presence switch, blade activation safety control, an audible reverse warning indicator and many more.

The Recharge Mower™ is covered by a 2 Year Limited Residential Use Warranty.

For more details, a collection of custom accessories and to watch the full length video,
to go the website:
www.RechargeMower.com
or contact Dealer/Media Relations at:
1.647.884.3300

Pretty cool stuff. Here's a 20 point list of the features of the Recharge Mower to summarize the press release:

1. Up to three hours of continuous operating power between charges

2. Uses no gas, no oil, no spark plugs, and needs no tune-ups

3. Operates extremely quietly

4. Zero air/noise pollution

5. The unit features a proprietary electronically controlled 36v38Ah power system

6. The electricity used to power the Recharge Mower costs an average of 55 cents a charge

7. Has a 27-inch wide cutting deck

8. 5 selectable cutting heights

9. Has been specifically designed to pass through standard fence gates

10. The rear mounted grass catcher is easily emptied and installed without tools or special skills

11. Easy handling

12. Resilient moulded body, fitted over a coated and welded metal frame

13. The three sealed batteries are positioned both low and center, which is good for balance and weight distribution

14. The 900 watt cutting blades are housed within the metal shrouded deck

15. Rear-wheel drive

16. Has good forward and reverse momentum

17. Operated through uncomplicated hand controls, which are easily accessible from the driver's seat.

18. Meets or exceeds UL1447 and ANSI B71.1 safety standards

19. Safety features include an Operator presence switch, a blade activation safety control, an audible reverse warning indicator, among others

20. This product is covered by a 2 Year Limited Residential Use Warranty.

I haven't ever actually used the product. I don't know a whole lot about riding lawn mowers, either. So I'm not even going to TRY recommending it to you.

However, I still think this mower could be an interesting option if you want to buy a battery-powered riding lawn mower.

If you are interested in this kind of equipment, just make sure you do your homework and check out all the options available.

Keep the Recharge Mower in mind, though.

Save Money for the Future of Your Lawn Business

2009-07-15T08:00:00.002-04:00

Photo by: Tracy O

Saving money for the future of your lawn business is important if you ever want to expand your company and bring it to the next level. Putting money away will give you more security, as well as increasing the opportunities for your business in the future.

Steps to Take When Saving

When saving money for the future of your lawn business, there are a few steps you must take:

1. Make goals for how much money you want to save

First off, you'll want to make some goals regarding the money you want to save. What are you saving money for? Here are a few examples of things you could be saving money for:

Buying new equipment (commercial lawn mower, edgers, weed eaters, backpack blowers, etc.)
A truck or a trailer
Future expenses regarding equipment repairs, gas, etc.

Once you have decided what you plan on spending the money you save on, the next part is to figure out how much money you will need to save to get there. First, figure out a rough estimate of how much money you think you will make in the coming season. Then, do some research and find out how much your expenses are, and how much the equipment you plan to buy will cost. Now, let's say your goals are to buy a leaf blower in the fall as well as have some extra money on hand for future expenses, like gas. Your total comes out to $300. Next, you figure out how much you will most likely earn during the coming season, which comes out to be $1,000. So, you'll need to save 30% of your business's income this season in order to reach your goal. You'll need to take out that percentage of money every time you receive payment from a customer-- trust me, if you don't take the money out immediately, you'll forget.

In conclusion, you'll need to make some concrete goals, then figure out how much money you'll need to save to accomplish them.

2. Find a good place to keep your funds

The next step in saving money for the future of your lawn business is putting your money in a good location. Here's a list of places you DO NOT want to keep your the money:

In your wallet where you keep your spending money
Out in the open where your crack-smoking brother can steal it for drug money
Someplace you'll lose it
Someplace you'll mix it up with something else

Here's a list of places YOU SHOULD keep your money:

In a safe
In a jar within your desk-drawer
Someplace where you don't keep any other money
Someplace it won't get stolen or lost
Somewhere hidden
Someplace safe

Once you have found a good place to keep your saved money, containerize it and put a small piece of paper on it. Label the piece of paper "Lawn Business Money" or something similar so you won't mix it up with anything else, and write down the current amount of money on that label.

3. Track you savings

Once you have made all the plans for saving your money and started actually putting some away, you'll need to begin tracking the amount you have saved. Using a spreadsheet on Microsoft Excel is a great way to accomplish this.

Why this is Important

Tracking your progress is important for a couple of reasons.

First of all, it keeps you on track. If you are organized and making sure you are saving exactly what you planned to, none of your funds will slip away.

Second, it will allow you to make adjustments. Previously, I talked about making rough estimates when deciding how much money you need to save. If you are keeping track of how much money is ACTUALLY being put away, you can change the amount you are saving based on hard data. Making these adjustments will increase the likelihood of saving exactly the amount you need to for the goals you have created. Tracking your savings will help you make sure you get to where you need to be.

Make sure to follow these steps

If you follow these steps and don't slip up too badly, your business will be able to expand. You will have money for new equipment, and you will be able to pay for expenses that arise when running your lawn business.

My Business

A few weeks ago, my buddy and I decided to start saving 30% of our earnings for the future of our yard care service. To tell you the truth, we haven't made any concrete goals yet (we ought to), but we have some tentative plans for perhaps buying a more powerful backpack blower if we decide to do fall cleanups. This will depend on our schedules and whether or not we can get some helpers to rake leaves with us, but I suppose we do technically have a goal. So far, we have saved $105. We are getting there for being in the price range for some used equipment.

Conclusion

Saving money for the future of your business is important if you ever want your lawn care enterprise to get anywhere. My advice to you? Start saving now-- I guarantee that you and your business will reap rewards later.

Lawn Estimation Calculator - Figure Out How Much Money to Charge Lawn Customers

2009-07-09T08:00:00.020-04:00

Screenshot

Several months ago, I wrote a post explaining how much money you should charge per job. Recently, I found a calculator that goes into detail about how much you should charge for several different kinds of jobs. The jobs that can be calculated are lawn mowing, lawn care, lawn care marketing return on investment, mulching and top soil placement, how much concrete you will need for fence post holes, and snow plowing.

The calculators are very detailed, and cover basically all the information you would need in order to estimate a job.

If you are having trouble deciding how much to charge for a job, I would definitely advise you to head over to the lawn calculator and plug in some numbers. You just plug all your information in, and out pops a reasonable cost for a job.

Here's the cute picture they want you to brand your site with:

Good luck making smart decisions when charging your customers.

Get Helpers for When You're Gone | Part 4 - Making your Relationship More Permanent

2009-07-07T08:00:00.005-04:00

Welcome to Teen Lawn Care's very first series post! I wrote a post about "Getting Helpers for When You're Gone", and it turned out to be too long for one writing. So, here's the last in a four part series about getting helpers when you're gone. View Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here. Enjoy!

Making your Relationship More Permanent

For now, your helpers are only there for when you are out of town or can't do a lawn. However, you could extend this relationship between you and your employee by making it more permanent.

For example, one day, you may hope to have more lawns than you can do on your own. Since you don't have time to mow all of them yourself, your call-up employees could help you manage them. You get a cut of what the customer pays for the lawn to be mowed, and you pay your helpers the standard wage you have always paid them.

Eventually, your company role could morph into one that coordinates, markets, and keeps track of financial information than that of manual labor-- other people are actually mowing the lawn, and you are taking a cut of that.

It doesn't have to just be for mowing, either. For example, I don't have enough time in the fall to run a profitable leaf raking venture. However, if I get some helpers who have more time than I do on their hands, I could make a lot of money just finding jobs for my employees.

The possibilities for expansion could become endless. ;)

My Business

This method works, I've done it myself. My buddy and I have two people who can potentially mow when either of us goes out of town. They are both very happy about how much they get paid, and my buddy and I are very happy about the cut we get from the payment the customer gives us.

As an interesting scenario, if my buddy and I had our two helpers mow all our lawns (which would kind of ruin our reputation with our customers, but that's a different post ;] ), we would make $14.50 a week, each. (And that's with taking out 30% for the future of our business, a post that will come later.) If I owned the company myself, I would get $29 a week. No manual labor.

It's an interesting side note, and a potential for your business, too.

Conclusion

Having helpers is a good idea for your business. It allows you to go on vacation and not have to worry too much about the length of your customers' grass. As long as you execute your plan to get your friends working for you, having helpers can be a real asset to your business.

This is the last in a four part series. View the previous posts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Get Helpers for When You're Gone | Part 3 - Before and After Your Helpers Mow

2009-07-03T08:00:00.007-04:00

Welcome to Teen Lawn Care's very first series post! I wrote a post about "Getting Helpers for When You're Gone", and it turned out to be too long for one writing. So, here's the third in a four part series about getting helpers when you're gone. See Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

Setting up for When you Leave Town

By now, you have all the preparatory work set up with you and your helpers. When the actual time comes when you are going out of town and you need your workers to take care of your customers' lawns, there are a few steps you should take:

First, you'll want to see what times are best for each of your helpers. Figure out when each of your lawns need mowing, then give your helpers the times they will need to be mowing. Drill it into their heads, they can't forget.
Next, you'll want to email your customers. Tell them you will be out of town for [a certain amount of time] and [your helper] will be mowing [at this time]. You might want to tell them that your helper knows their way around a lawn and that you expect that they will do a good job.
Leave town and don't stress. If you can, remind your friend via text message or something that they need to mow. Don't be annoying about it-- just remind them a little while before they will have to perform the job.

This set of steps should work fine for you and your helpers. Just be methodical and don't forget anything when coordinating jobs.

Monitoring the Work of your Helpers

Since you aren't actually performing the work, you can't be absolutely sure how well your helpers will do their job. So, after they mow/weed eat, you should go to the lawn(s) they worked on and make sure they are done well. If the lawns are in good shape, then give your helper a pat on the back, because all is well. However, if not, there are a couple things you need to do.

First of all, you need to fix it. If you can, get the buddy who worked on the yard out with you so you can show them what they did wrong. Making a mistake isn't necessarily grounds for releasing them from service-- however, you do need to fix your customer's lawn and reteach your employee. You should also have another, more extensive training session to help fix whatever issues your helper has with mowing/weed eating lawns.

If you have to do this a lot, and it turns out your helper just plain sucks, don't call them to mow your customers' lawns anymore. Find a new employee, and move on. It's not worth it to you or to your business.

This is the third in a four part series. View the rest of the series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4

Get Helpers for When You're Gone | Part 2 - Preparing and Paying Helpers

2009-06-29T08:00:00.007-04:00

Welcome to Teen Lawn Care's very first series post! I wrote a post about "Getting Helpers for When You're Gone", and it turned out to be too long for one writing. So, here's the second in a four part series about getting helpers when you're gone. View Part 1 here. Enjoy!

Preparing your Helpers

Once you have found some good people to help you with your yard service, you have to prepare them for the work they are going to be performing. To begin, have a training session on your lawn to show them all the techniques you have acquired while mowing peoples' yards. Teach them the ins and outs of working both the lawn mower as well as the weed eater. They don't have to become lawn artists, but you should have them using the mower and weed eater proficiently by the time you are done.

Next, take your helpers to each of your customers' yards, and show them the ins and outs of mowing them. If you want, you can also introduce your new employees to your customers. However, this isn't completely necessary.

How to Pay your Helpers

When figuring out how much you will pay your helpers, there are a few things you have to keep in mind:

Your employees could be making steady income flipping burgers. To prevent them from having negative thoughts about sweating in the sun, give them a competitive wage. I try to pay my helpers about $15 for what amounts to an hour of work. I know that sounds like a lot, but it keeps them interested, and I still get to take a healthy cut of it for myself.
When using the paying by the hour method, first figure out how long it takes you to finish a job. Then, do the necessary calculations to figure out how much that would be to make $15 for an hour of work, keeping in mind the fact that it's either less or more than an hour. Round the number you get to the nearest dollar. However, if the number goes below $7 or $8, you are going to have to round up to one of those numbers. I doubt your employees will be willing to take the effort to go out and mow if you plan on giving them less than that.
Before ever having your helpers mow one of your customers' lawns, tell them how much they will be paid. You don't have to be too detailed. A simple, "You'll be making $8-$15 a mow, is that good with you?" is fine. Make sure they are alright with the rate. You don't want to have messy arguments after they have performed a job. You could lose not only an employee, but also a friend.
Deciding actually when to pay your helpers is also important. If they are actually mowing/weed eating with you, then I would pay them on the job. However, if you aren't going to actually be there, you should talk to your employee about what would be best for you and for them. It really depends on the situation, so you should just come to an agreement together.

In short, pay your helper a competitive wage that makes sense for both of you. You should be able to make a bit of money for yourself (without doing any manual labor, NICE!), so the arrangement is mutually beneficial.

This is the second in a four part series. View the rest of the series: Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4

Get Helpers for When You're Gone | Part 1 - Finding Helpers

2009-06-25T08:00:00.007-04:00

Welcome to Teen Lawn Care's very first series post! I wrote a post about "Getting Helpers for When You're Gone", and it turned out to be too long for one writing. So, here's the first in a four part series about getting helpers when you're gone. Enjoy!

The key to running a successful lawn business is consistency. You have to be able to mow your client's lawn once a week, every week, for several months. You can't miss a week, or else their grass will grow too tall.

Mowing every week would be easy if you didn't go anywhere during the summer. If you don't, then fine. Life is easier for you. However, chances are you will be leaving your house for a week or more during the summer. How are you going to keep your customers' grass short? Hiring your friends to help you out.

Finding Helpers

The people who will most likely be helping you with your lawns are going to be friends who live close by. I would suggest you try to find at least two people to help you-- those that you choose might go out of town the same time you do. Below are a few questions to ask yourself about each candidate who you might want to offer a job to:

Are they reliable?

You need someone who will mow the lawn when you ask them to. They need to be on time, and do as good a job as they say they will.

Are they suited for the job?

If your candidate can't push a mower, then you shouldn't try to get them to work for you. Plain and simple.

Do they want to work for you?

You can't hire them if they don't want to work for you. Also, a person might say they want to work for you, but in reality they don't really care to do the work. Or they think they are partners in the business. Which is one thing I have to make clear: Your helpers are employees, not business partners. Treat your business relationship as such. Trust me, having them as employees makes a lot more business sense for you.

To continue, you obviously will have to actually ask the candidate if he or she wants to work for you yourself, but take note if you think they really wouldn't want to do the work.

Are you comfortable with them representing your business?

The people you choose to help you over the summer don't have to be perfect goody-two-shoes, but you don't want them swearing at your customers either.

So...

The helpers you search for don't have to be as meticulously chosen as a business partner, but you should still put some thought into who you want representing your yard care company.

This is the first in a four part series. View the rest of the series: Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Questions to Consider When Starting a Teen Lawn Business

2009-06-20T10:48:00.004-04:00

The other day I received an email from a teen named Sasha who wanted to start a lawn service, but wasn't sure about a few things. The email went as follows:

Hey Ben, Thanks for writing this blog. I learned a lot from it. After reading, I had a few questions about starting a lawn business, because I am thinking about doing that this summer. First of all, do you think it is possible to succeed if I do not own a lawn mower? I was thinking of maybe putting that the clients should have mowers on the flyers. And the second question is how big do you think the flyers should be, because I need to store a lot of info on there and do not want to print billions of pages. Last, how do I come up with the charges if I do not own a mower? Is it a good idea to do a flat rate for every job?

Sasha has some great questions. All these questions are important ones to ask when starting a lawn business. Now, let's go question by question.

Do I need to actually own a lawn mower to start a lawn business?

Yes, you do need to actually own a mower to run a lawn business. However, don't let that burst your bubble. Although a really nice new push mower costs about 150-200 dollars, which I assume is more than your budget, you can get a used one for A LOT less. For example, my dad loves yard sales. One day he was at a yard sale, and he found a serviceable bagging push mower for me-- only 25 bucks. My dad also got me a pretty good, but used, reel mower, and I think he got it for something like $5. I would suggest going to yard sales in your area. You can also find them on Craigslist for good prices. I saw one for $40 in my area. If you think $40 dollars is too much, trust me, it isn't. You'll pay back $40 in just one or two mows. If you are having a hard time getting the money for it, just ask four of your friends to spot you 10 bucks (or eight of your friends to spot you 5 bucks, some kind of combination). I bet your parents might even be willing to help.

How big should the flyers be? I have A LOT of information.

For your flyers question, I would just put the key information (services, contact info, etc.) on the flyer using Microsoft Word and print it on (11x8, right?) computer paper. Here's an example of what your flyer should look like:

A simple website could hold the extra information you have about your lawn service. If you haven't already, check out my post Advertise Your Teen Lawn Service With Flyers.

How much should I charge customers? Should I use a flat rate?

You can check out my post on the issue of how much to charge customers. You should not consider using a flat rate. All yards are different. You wouldn't want to be making the same amount for a yard that takes you two hours and a yard that takes you thirty minutes, right? Basically, you multiply the time it will take you by how much money you think you reasonably want to make per hour. Then, you add costs for the mow, like gasoline. Make sure your price is reasonable and a round number (count by fives).

More advice

If you are starting your business after the first few spring mows, I'm not going to guarantee that you will get a lot of customers. By then, most people will have already made plans for who will cut their grass. However, don't let that stop you. You might get some customers, and even one or two customers can make you a good amount of cash. People will also keep your flyers that you put out now and call you next year. I got several calls this spring from people who had gotten the flyer last year and wanted me to mow their lawn this year.

And even if you aren't able to get any customers this summer, there's always the fall. Fall cleanups is a very lucrative business, and the fall is actually the season where I first started my lawn service.

Conclusion

I'm really glad you have decided to go out and run a mowing service-- in my opinion, they are one of the biggest money-makers for teens.

I would encourage anyone reading this to ask any questions they have about running/maintaining their lawn business in the contact form at the bottom of the page.

Good luck Sasha!

Offer to Plant Trees in Your Customer's Yard

2009-06-14T14:11:00.001-04:00

The other day, my dad, mom and I were sitting at our dining room table eating breakfast. My dad was telling my mom about how there were a lot of new maple saplings sprouting up in our yard, and that he was going to have to take them out.

While listening to this conversation, I saw an opportunity: offer to plant those trees in my customer's yards.

I talked to my dad about it, and he said it would be fine if I did that. I already knew how to replant a tree, seeing as we had replanted a few last year. (More on how to replant a tree later in the post.)

I wrote an email pitching the offer to my clients. It looked like the following:

Hi, this is Ben. I have a few maple trees that have sprouted up in my yard, and was wondering if you would like J and I to plant one of them in your yard.

These are just young saplings, and might not survive. If they don't live, we would give you a full refund.

Just wondering if you wanted another tree or two in your yard. (:

- Ben

I sent it individually, and personalized each message. Notice how I offered a full refund if the saplings did not survive. It is important to give your customers security if they are paying you to do a job.

Out of the four clients my buddy and I mow, I sent the offer to two. Of the two I didn't pitch the offer to, one doesn't communicate by email, and the other is temporarily renting their house.

Both my offers were rejected-- neither of the two customers needed more trees in their yard.

Although my plan didn't work out as hoped, I have learned a couple of things from it:

Don't be afraid to offer

Just because your customer rejects the offer you make doesn't mean that you will lose their business or the customer-service provider relationship you have developed with them.

Be on the lookout for opportunities to further your business

Just learning a small tidbit, like the fact that you have extra saplings in your yard, could help you to provide another service to your customers and to help your business make more money. Always be looking for new ways to help your customers with their lawns: this will turn into cash for your business.

Nick Tart told me recently that Emil Motycka has 40 lawns this summer. (Stay tuned! Emil has agreed to answer a set of interview questions from me, so there should be a post about this coming up in the near future.) Now, if I had 40 lawns, I bet I would have gotten a much better return on my offer than 0%. But you know what? This experience just motivates me to want to grow my business even more. Maybe one day, the same offer will boost my earnings quite a bit.

The post isn't over yet. Although I have told you my own story about offering to plant trees in my customer's yard, I haven't actually told you how to do it. Well, here we are:

How to Replant a Sapling

Important tools:

Shovel
Wheel barrow

Steps

1. Dig a wide hole around the roots of the sapling. Do not break or cut the roots.

2. Place the sapling with the dirt in the roots into a wheelbarrow. Put dirt around the roots in the wheelbarrow.

3. Slog your way to the place where you will plant the tree with your wheel barrow and the shovel.

4. Dig a hole half again or two times larger than the roots.

5. Place the tree in the hole. Make sure you fill in the area around the roots with nutrient-rich topsoil, because then the tree will have a greater likelihood of surviving.

6. The tree has been planted. Congratulate yourself on a job well done. Advise your customer to water the sapling often.

Conclusion

If you have a few extra saplings sprouting up in your yard, it can't hurt to offer to plant them in the yards of your customers. Offering won't hurt your relationship, and it presents a chance of furthering your business.

How to Buy a Used Lawn Mower

2009-06-11T17:33:00.001-04:00

Guest article written by Steve from Lawn Mower Guide

If you are starting a lawn care business and need to do it "on the cheap" then you definitely should look at getting a used lawn mower. Mowers nowadays are built with quality in mind, so with proper maintenance you can use your used mower for many years to come.

Don't Be Too Picky

At the onset of your mower search you may have a certain brand in mind. Don't fall into the trap that you are looking for a specific brand and never end up buying anything because you couldn't find the perfect deal.

There are more lawn mower manufacturers out there than you may realize, but many use the same engine. Briggs and Stratton as well as Honda engines are considered to be the best in the field. Personally, I own an MTD mower with a Honda engine and have never had a problem starting it.

You will find that the used lawn mower market is a first come first serve because in truth, many people do not sell their mowers. The market in my city is very lean, but perhaps in a more major market you may find that you will have better luck.

Check Auctions

I have been to a couple police auctions and you wouldn't believe what the police are selling for a fraction of their retail price! Contact your local police agency and see if they are holding an auction in your area. Police like to do spring cleaning so in April/May you will have a better shot of attending one.

Police auctions are not the only auctions in your area. Use Google Maps or even your yellow pages and search for auctions in your area. I guarantee there will be more than you expected. Not all auctions contain lawn mowers so call ahead of time and find out.

Online Sources

The two places I would recommend searching for a lawn mower online would be Kijiji and Craigslist. I say this because both of these classified ad sites are locals selling to locals. The problems that can arise from buying off of a site such as Ebay is that someone from across the country could turn what looks to be an amazing deal into a horrible one by charging horrendous shipping and handling. Stick with Kijiji and Craigslist and you can drive to the person's house and pick up your mower in a matter of hours.

Classifieds

Last but not least check the classifieds in your local paper. Some people still don't use the internet or haven't learned of free online classifieds. The benefit here is that most people have forgotten about paper classified ads and stick to searching online only. If you are lucky you could find a great deal and you will have barely any competition.

Steve's website, Lawn Mower Guide does lawn mower reviews. If you find a mower you would like to buy. Check out Steve's site for a review of the product!

Essential Tools for Lawn Care

2009-06-08T20:09:00.005-04:00

Lawn Care Tools

Photo by Dan4th

Photo by dvs

Photo by *sean

Photo by Vasto

Photo by fotogail

There are many tools associated with running a lawn care business. These include mowers and weed eaters, as well as rakes and leaf blowers. In this post I will outline all the tools needed to take care of a lawn year round.

Mower

A mower is necessary for cutting grass in the spring and summer. There are three kinds of mowers: gas, electric, and reel. Most people use gas mowers, and it is what is generally expected. However, you could offer electric or reel mowing as a special service.

Gas and electric mowers can have extra features, such as bagging or mulching. Bagging is when the blade shoots the grass into a bag attached to the back of the mower. Mulching is when the blade chops up the grass into the smaller pieces than regular cutting would. Mulching is helpful for mowers that spray the grass out to the side, because it reduces clumping and allows the nutrients in the cut grass to return to the ground.

Mowers also come in different sizes, which I discuss in this post.

Weed Eater

A weed eater is needed for almost all lawns to cut the grass in places the mower can't get to. A weed eater can also be used to edge the grass, although edgers, which I will discuss later, give a cleaner cut. There are two types of weed eaters: gas and electric. Electric weed eaters need to be plugged in, so if you use an electric one, make sure your customers have outdoor electrical outlets. Learn more about gas and electric weed eaters here.

Edger

I do not have much experience with edgers, seeing as my buddy just edges with his weed eater. However, Kelly Burke does. According to her website:

A power edger is like a string trimmer except with metal blades and a vertical cutting head, while a hand edger uses a stepping motion and a sharp half circle cutting edge. Edgers create dramatic cut lines where the lawn meets walkways and beds. Not an essential piece of equipment but some warm-season grasses tend to creep into adjacent areas if not frequently edged.

If you have the level of business and the money to invest, an edger could really improve the look of your customers' lawns. However, until then, I would stick with the weed eater.

Lawn Aerator

A lawn aerator is necessary for keeping grass healthy. It is basically a long metal tube that has a hole-making device at the end. This device is pushed into the lawn all over, making holes in the ground. The holes aerate the yard. My dad used to do this to our yard, but then it became too much of a pain and he stopped doing it. Our grass is still fine. However, I'm sure you could make some extra cash by offering it as a service to your customers.

Push-Type Spreader

Push-type spreaders are used to spread things like grass seeds and fertilizers on a lawn. Grass should be planted every other year or so, depending on the lawn. I've never tried doing this for my customers, but again, you could probably get some money for it.

Leaf Rake

Leaf rakes are useful tools for leaf removal from yards in the fall. I have found that a large plastic rake can be more efficient than a small electric blower. However, leaf rakes aren't just limited to leaves, but can be used to sweep up almost any other type of debris.

There are different types of rakes for different types of jobs. I prefer a large, plastic one for sweeping leaves off of a lawn. However, smaller, metal leaf rakes can be used effectively for getting leaves off the top of and from underneath bushes.

Blower

Blowers are useful for moving things like leaves and grass clippings. Small, electric weed eaters are usually more trouble than they're worth, but if you have an opportunity to obtain a gas backpack blower, get it. Although I've never used one myself, from what I've seen they make the job a good deal easier. When it comes to getting grass clippings off the sidewalk, I've found that running your lawn mower over the sidewalk to blow the clippings into the yard works pretty well.

Learn more about lawn care during the fall season here.

Wheel Barrow

When mulching a person's yard, a wheel barrow is a necessity. First, fill it with mulch using a shovel or a pitchfork. Then, push it to the place you want to cover with mulch. After that, lean the barrow over until all of the mulch is out. Then, it's time for the bow rake.

Bow Rake

A bow rake is the other necessary tool for mulching a customer's lawn. After you have placed the mulch in the place you want to spread it, push the mulch back and forth with the bow rake in the areas you want to be covered.

Conclusion

When performing lawn care, make sure you are prepared with the tools for the job. Be it mulching, mowing, or leaf raking, always know what you will need to accomplish your task.

Learn Important English or Spanish Terms When Interacting With Employees With iDigo

2009-06-01T16:25:00.001-04:00

Screenshots of iDigo

This is NOT a paid review. Everything I write in this post is my own opinion.

I just received an email from Larry Upton, creator of iDigo, which is an iPhone App designed to facilitate better communication between English and Spanish speakers and their staff, employees, or employers. Here's the email:

Dear Ben,

Good morning! I'm not very blog-savvy, so pardon any unintended breach of protocol. My name is Larry Upton. I founded a small technology company, edioma, here in Austin, TX a number of years ago. We develop and publish language assistance tools for mobile phone users, in particular English speakers who wish to communicate better in Spanish and vice-versa. Our first iPhone based product, iDigo, shipped last week and is designed to facilitate better communication between English-speaking homeowners and Spanish-speaking staff (e.g., housecleaners, lawn care professionals, handymen, etc.). Would this be of interest to you?

Thanks in advance and kind regards,
Larry Upton Founder & CEO edioma, Inc.

I asked Larry for an overview of his product, and he shot me a great summary:

edioma™, a provider of mobile device learning products, today announced that it began shipping iDigo Home, an iPhone-based language assistance application designed to help English-speaking homeowners communicate with Spanish-speaking staff (e.g., housekeepers, lawncare workers, handymen). iDigo is now available for download from the iTunes App Store for $1.99, with free upgrades posted on a monthly basis.

iDigo Home is the first in a line of iPhone applications that edioma plans to introduce in Q3 and Q4 of 2009. Future versions of iDigo will focus on facilitating communication between management and staff in specific industry verticals, such as Hospitality (restaurant/hotel), Jobsite (construction), and Travel (business travelers).

This application looks helpful and easy to use. However, one thing made me uneasy: How would a person who doesn't speak Spanish or English know the pronunciation of the words they were reading? So, of course, I sent Larry yet another email, and came back with this:

Morning!

Yes, iDigo provides an audible pronunciation for the English phrase into Spanish, so that not only can one learn to speak the phrase, but in a tight spot, could simply hold the phone up for the other party to hear.

Best,

LU

Larry has been very patient with all my questions about his product, but I wanted to know if this application is something that would be useful to lawn business owners.

My Verdict

I would recommend this product if you use an iPhone or iPod Touch and own a lawn business in which you have to interact with employees who speak little or no English. The cost is only $1.99, so why not? It could help you do a better job on lawn care tasks. Also, this product could benefit communication between you and your employees. iDigo has the potential to definitely help your lawn business.

What to Bring to a Mowing Job

2009-05-24T10:31:00.001-04:00

When going out to mow a customer's lawn, you must be sure to bring several things, which I will outline in this post.

Water

Photo by Kevin N. Murphy

Water is a very important commodity when mowing your customer's lawn. Drinking it will prevent you from getting dehydrated or having heatstroke when exposed to the hot sun. Also, a gulp of water can really help your stamina when mowing. When I mow, I wear a CamelBak, represented in the picture. All I have to do is grab the tube with my mouth and relieve my thirst. Plus, I don't need to carry around a water bottle, which could get tedious. I suggest getting a CamelBak. If not, however, a normal water bottle should work fine.

Your tools

Your mower is a nobrainer. However, you should make sure it is tuned up and running well. Also, be sure you have more than enough gas to finish the job.

Most lawns need weed eating. Make sure your weed eater is in good condition and working well. Also, bring some extra weed eating string in case you run out.

What to wear

Safety is key when mowing a lawn. (See my posts on mowing and weed eater safety.) Eye protection can be good for mowing, and is crucial for weed eating. Ear protection is preferred. When weed eating, make sure to wear long pants. If you wear shorts, I can almost guarantee your legs will get cut up. A baseball hat is really nice. If you have long hair, it will keep your sweaty hair out of your eyes. Regardless of hair length, the sun will not glare in your eyes so much. Lastly, sunblock will help prevent sunburn. If you are out mowing all day, sunblock is very useful.

Conclusion

Be prepared and use common sense when going to mow a lawn. Bring water and make sure your tools are working well. Also, make sure your body is protected. If you do these things, you should be fine. Go mow the lawn!

4 Ways to Get People to Talk About Your Lawn Service With Something Unique

2009-05-16T14:06:00.001-04:00

While looking around Small Business Brief, I found an article on Andy Sernovitz's blog about how to Make it Goofy, Make it Outrageous, and Make it Last. This article talks about how to do something ridiculous with your product or service and get people to notice/talk about it. Some of the examples of this phenomenon listed in the article are Trader Joe's 10 pound candy bar, the Pirate language for Google Search, and a 300 year warranty (as opposed to lifetime) on the furniture of a Swedish company called Brikolor.

The whole idea is to do something crazy and noticeable so that people will be more likely to use your product or service. I'm sure these ideas can be used to market your teen lawn business as well.

1) Wear something noticeable

A great way to advertise your lawn service is to be seen by neighbors while you mow a customer's lawn. To increase visibility, wear a bright t-shirt or an eye-catching hat while you mow. If you wear something with a dull shade, like brown or black, you will blend in with the scenery. However, a bright red shirt or a funny-looking hat will cause your customer's neighbors to walk over and start negotiating prices with you. Nick recommends it, and I do, too.

2) Liven up your mower

Paint your mower an outrageously bright color, or make some kind of cool design like flames. The effects of decorating your lawn mower can be two-fold: The first effect is basically the same as the first "outrageous" idea: get the neighbors to notice you. However, if your mower looks downright sexy, people will start to talk about you. Not only will George who lives next door know about your service, but also his friend who lives a couple blocks away. Using this idea could very well jump start word of mouth (WOM) for your business.

3) Liven up your flyers

Make people actually notice your flyers by adding a clever picture or slogan.

"Hey Fred!"

"Yes, Sherry?"

"Look at the picture on the flyer those kids put on our doorstep!"

"Haha. You know, the grass IS getting kind of long..."

Check out these two sites for lawn business slogan ideas:
Slogans/Catch phrases
Good Slogans For A Lawn Mowing Business

4) Offer a Ridiculous Service

Offer as a service something far-fetched like cutting a customer's grass with a machete, advertised on your flyers.

"Fred?"

"Yes, Sherry?"

"Want to get the grass cut with a machete?"

Just get people to notice your flyers.

I'm sure there are many more ideas out there, these are just a basic few I thought of. Now, go out there, and do something crazy with your lawn business!

Official JunorBiz Lawn Mowing Guide Update

2009-05-09T10:03:00.002-04:00

As promised, Nick of JuniorBiz sent me a paperback copy of the Official JuniorBiz Lawn Mowing Guide (affiliate link). If you haven't read it yet, take a look at my review of the guide. The book looks extremely professional. On the inside cover, he wrote the following:

Hey Ben,
Thanks so much for all your help! I hope you enjoy the guide + find it useful. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know.

Thanks again,

Nick
P.S. I found Emil through an article on your site.

(Find my article relating to Emil Motycka (co-author of the guide) here.)

You would definitely suggest checking out his site to learn more about young entrepreneurship. I am really happy to be able to help Nick publicize such a well-written and valuable book.

Official JunorBiz Lawn Mowing Guide - eBook Review

2009-05-07T09:41:00.005-04:00

I really enjoyed reading Nick Tart and Emil Motycka's 80 page "Official JuniorBiz Lawn Mowing Guide". It was, as promised, extremely thorough and I must say was chock-full of fabulous and necessary information for you teen lawn business. I definitely recommend buying it for $11.95 here (affiliate link).

The Review

The eBook is divided into two parts: a "How-to" section and a "Tips" section. On Nick's selling page, he very accurately describes each section.

The 'HOW-TO' section takes a simple stage-by-stage, step-by-step, easy to follow approach to inform you how to start, run and manage your very own lawn service. The 'TIPS' section is chock-full of pointers and tidbits of information to improve your lawn mowing service once it is up and running.

Exactly. Now I will move into telling you what kind of information you will be finding in this eBook.

The "How-to" Section

At the very beginning of this section, some good, tough questions are asked about whether or not you are prepared to take on a lawn mowing business. Just after this, there are some good tips for setting goals for your teen lawn service.

Next, the eBook talks about equipment. It explains thoroughly how to perform and everything needed for its stated essential services: lawn mowing, trimming, edging, lawn aeration, leaf removal, and re-mulching. It also tells how to use and maintain all the equipment needed for these tasks.

I loved all the helpful little hints and information. One example has to do with mulching.

For your information, the industry average for installing mulch is 1.2 hours per cubic yard. Feel free to charge up to $40 per cubic yard (about $33 per hour) for this service.

I will be making sure to keep this in mind next time I do a mulching job.

Later on, the book gets into marketing. It has lots of very interesting advertising methods that I hadn't thought of before. There are also some great ideas for what to put on your flyers/other advertising.

In its next stage, the eBook outlines how you should price your services. The ideas presented in the book have a bit more on analyzing the competition than mine and less on pricing based on the work you do, but I think you can link the two ideas and come up with a really good idea on how to charge customers. There are also some great tips and ideas on collecting payments from customers.

One very important part of your lawn service is communicating well with customers. This eBook has some very straightforward but important ideas on how to talk to and make good impressions on customers.

Next, there is an essential section on how to mow and weed eat professionally. I certainly learned a good bit from this part, and I think you can, too.

Later, there are good tips on retaining customers every year as well as how to extend your business through to the rest of the year. Not only can you grow your business by lengthening its time of operation, but also by hiring friends, purchasing new, better equipment, and pursuing commercial jobs, all of which are covered in this eBook.

The "Tips" Section

The beginning of this section consists of all different kinds of safety tips. These range from mowing safety to gasoline safety to the kind of clothes you should wear while on the job.

Next, there are some great tips that can help you become more efficient at mowing and weed eating. Also, some advice is given on how not to kill the lawn. Very useful stuff.

Nearing to the end of the book, you can learn how to keep your customers happy and just general business to help you make your teen lawn mowing business the best it can be.

The second to last item was a list of some "outstanding" internet sources. (Teen Lawn Care was among them, of course. :p) One of the sources, www.themowboy.com, was a dead link, however. I have visited most of these websites in my time on the internet, and can attest to their helpfulness.

To wrap up the eBook, there is a great glossary of business terms, which I found very useful. They seemed relevant and all-around good-to-know.

Conclusion

The Official JuniorBiz Lawn Mowing Guide could definitely help you bring your business to the next level. The tips, advice, and ideas imparted in this book are extremely useful, and I have certainly changed parts of my lawn mowing business philosophy because of reading this book. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in starting a teen lawn business or someone who wants to bring their business to the next level. I enjoyed it, I know you will, too.

Buy the Official JuniorBiz Lawn Mowing Guide (affiliate link)

Consider Offering a Reel Mowing Service

2009-05-04T08:45:00.002-04:00

In August 2008, I wrote a post about the pros and cons of using a reel mower. However, in that post I did not delve very deeply into offering reel mowing as a service to your customers.

Offering a reel mowing service is a great idea for you to expand your business for several reasons, including increasing your client base as well as making more money. This will overall help your business to take steps towards being the best it can be.

This year, a woman called my friend and I about mowing her lawn with a reel mower. We took her on, and now we make $40 pop, which is really only an hour of (kind of strenuous) work. ($40 an hour! Good, huh?) So, with a reel mower, you can get more cash for the work you put in.

Also, a reel mower service may attract more customers to your client base. These kinds of customers include those who may be more environmentally-conscious-- gas mowers are very polluting. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, gas mowers account for 5% of U.S. air pollution (source). Also, you may attract customers who don't like the sound of a loud gas mower. The hum of a reel mower cutting the grass is far more pleasing to the ear than the roar of a gasoline-propelled engine.

Offering a reel mowing service could put you ahead of local commercial lawn care services. I doubt most of them offer reel mowing, so the before-mentioned customers will either have to perform the job themselves, or hire you.

Lastly, reel mowers can be just plain easier to deal with. There is little maintenance involved compared to a gas one. Also, you can mow in the morning, which could increase your productivity.

If you do a reel mowing service, I can guarantee that you will be rewarded handsomely for your effort. It can increase your productivity, make you more money, and lengthen your customer list. These are exactly the kinds of things we are looking for in our teen lawn mowing businesses, right? Good luck filling the full potential of your teen lawn business.

Three More Internet Forums to Help You Along the Way

2009-05-01T17:05:00.002-04:00

Back in August 2008, I wrote a post called Two Internet Forums to Help you Along the Way. However, during my travels on the Web, I have encountered three more. I hope you find them helpful while running your teen lawn business.

Lawn Cafe

According to the site, Lawn Cafe is "the Green Industry's best resource for lawn care and landscape professionals ... Come join thousands of other lawn care and landscape pros to learn the green industry trade."

Lawn Cafe's 36,847 members will almost definitely be able to help you out if you have a question or problem. Also, its 464,171 posts and 43,671 threads may contain a question already answered for you. Great, huh?

Teen Business Forum

The Teen Business Forum really out to be renamed the Teen Online Business Forum. If I were you I would check it out-- you might find some good help here. However, like I said, it is geared more towards "Make Money Online" teens.

Young Entrepreneur Forums

According to the site, the Young Entrepreneur Forums are a "resource for business owners and entrepreneurial enthusiasts". Well, you certainly fit into that category. If you have a question or problem, I definitely recommend this forum.

Forums are great place for you to ask questions and resolve problems for your business. I highly suggest using them. Good luck with your teen lawn mowing business!

Why People Hire You to Mow Their Lawn

2009-04-29T08:13:00.002-04:00

While running your teen lawn mowing business, it is good to be clear on exactly WHY people hire you to cut their grass. This can be important so you know who to market your services to, as well as understanding what people want from you.

I was feeling contemplative as I walked home from a sweatier-than-usual job the other day, and I came up with the following, I suppose relativly obivous, but important idea:

Your customers have a surplus of money, but not enough time/energy to mow their lawn.

You, on the other hand, have a monetary deficiency and an excess of time/energy.

I find this loaded with meaning.

First of all, according to the two above statements, the amount of money changing hands should equal the amount of time/energy expended. Therefore, the amount of work you put into the job should result in a just reward.

Formula Example:

$$$ - time/energy = time/energy - $$$

2 x $$$ = 2 x time/energy

$$$ = time/energy

More on How Much to Charge Per Job if you follow the link.

There is more to this. Usually, the only reason someone will hire you is if they have enough money to expend and/or do not have enough time or energy. This produces a certain demographic you should be marketing to. The people who you are advertising to have to have enough money to pay you. Some people just like to see teens out working hard. However, most of the people you serve probably either don't feel like toiling in the sun or simply do not have time.

Although it isn't completely necessary to have the above information, it is good to know when you are marketing and figuring out how to charge clients.

Good luck in your teen lawn business.

How to Perform a Lawn Mower Tune-Up

2009-04-25T09:35:00.005-04:00

It is necessary to perform a lawn mower tune-up every season. This lengthens the life of your mower and makes it run better. Your mower will be getting a good deal of wear and tear because hopefully, it will be well-used every season.

Before you start

Before beginning a lawn mower tune-up, you should let the engine run a bit. After this task is complete, detach the spark plug wire to prevent the engine from starting unintentionally. After you have done these two things, you are ready to begin your tune-up.

Change the oil

The first task is to change the oil. The first step is to make sure the oil you are going to replace the old oil with is the correct type for your unit. Then, wipe off the dirt on the upper section of the oil tank. An old toothbrush works well for this job. Next, you will need to raise up your mower with two blocks. After your mower is raised so that you can work underneath it, find the plug on the bottom of the oil tank. Then, place a container to catch the old oil underneath and unscrew the plug. After the oil is drained, screw the plug back on. Check if your mower has an oil filter. If it does, replace it and clean the gasket, which is what the filter is touching. After this, put your mower back on the ground and pour the new oil in the tank. Next, run your mower and check for leaks, and this task is done.

Sharpen the blade

(update 5/6/09)

Sharpening the blade on your mower is an important part of your tune up. Doing this will keep your mower running as efficiently as possible, and is also better for the grass. First, remove the blade and bring it to your work bench. I like eHow's description on how to sharpen your blade:

Sharpen the blade by moving the file toward the cutting edge with smooth, even strokes. Follow the original bevel of the blade as closely as you can. Make the same number of strokes on each edge. If you take more metal off one side than the other, the blade will be out of balance. An out-of-balance blade cuts unevenly; it also makes the mower vibrate, which can cause serious damage to the engine.

The last thing you should do is to make sure the blade is balanced. You can do this by placing the blade on the end of the screw driver. If one side sticks up, you will need to sharpen that side a bit more. When you blade is all sharpened, refasten it to your mower, and this task is completed.

Spark plug and air filter

The first thing you want to do is to clean the housing around the spark plug. Then, make sure the gap for the spark plug is the right size using a feeler gauge. You are done with the spark plug. (Make sure not to put it back on yet!) If your mower has a paper air filter, replace it. If it has a foam air filter, wash it thoroughly. You are done with the air filter. Now, all you have to do is reconnect the spark plug, and you are finished tuning up your lawn mower.

Tuning up your lawn mower is an essential task every season. It will save you a lot of mower trouble in the future. Good luck cutting grass for cash!

Further Reading:
http://landscaping.about.com/od/toppicks/a/mower_tuneup.htm

26 Tips for Weed Eater Safety

2009-04-05T08:53:00.002-04:00

Weed eater safety is a serious problem. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated that in 1989, about 4,600 injuries were treated by emergency departments as a result of weed eater use. One third of these injuries were eye injuries.

Hopefully you won't get hurt as a result of running your teen lawn service. However, the following 26 tips can help you to keep your body intact.

Weed Eating Safety Tips

1. Wear thick boots while weed eating to protect your feet.

2. Wear eye and ear protection. (Remember those ONE THIRD being eye injuries?)

3. Read the operating manual for your weed eater.

4. Wear long pants to protect your legs.

5. Before beginning to cut vegetation, clear the trimming area stones, sticks, wire, and other debris prior to weed eating.

6. Use a fire-safe muffler in dry conditions.

7. Wear relatively tight-fitting clothing and tie back your long hair-- loose clothing and long hair can get caught in the moving parts of a weed eater.

8. Cut the engine and disconnect the spark plug wire when making repairs and modifications to the weed eater.

9. Wear shoes with good traction so you don't slip and lose control of your weed eater.

10. Wear work gloves while using/working on the weed eater to protect your hands.

11. Make sure to use the correct fuel mixture if the weed eater is gas powered.

12. Wait until the engine is cooled down before putting gas in the weed eater.

13. Stop the weed eater abruptly if someone comes within 30 to 60 feet of you because weed eaters can fling debris violently, up to 30 feet.

14. Be sure your weed eater does not have loose belts or ineffective guards.

15. Periodically check your weed eater for damage or wear.

16. Permit the weed eater's engine to return to idle speed when you are not actually trimming.

17. Keep the weed eater's cutting part beneath waist height.

18. Only allow the blade to rotate as fast as it needs to in order to cut your objective vegetation.

19. Start the engine on firm ground in an open place, holding the weed eater with two hands while having good balance and footing.

20. After use, secure the weed eater in order to avoid gas spillage and or damage when moving the unit.

21. Don't allow grass and other debris to pile up on the weed eater because this accumulation is a fire hazard.

22. After use, make sure the trimmer tool is shielded with the carrying guard.

23. Also after use, allow the engine to idle down for a few minutes so it can cool off.

24. Stop the engine prior to setting the weed eater down.

25. Don't wear headphones if you are weed eating near a road.

26. Don't try to do any mechanical work on the weed eater when it is running.

Like I said in my lawn mowing safety post, just use common sense. Don't do anything dangerous that could hurt you or anybody else. Well then, good luck on running a safe and successful teen lawn care!

Further Reading:
http://www.hoosieruplands.org/NurseArticles/LAWNSAFE.pdf
http://www.securityworld.com/ia-418-weed-trimmers-can-throw-objects-and-injure-eyes.aspx
http://tiny.cc/diusl