Start a Landscape Maintenance Business
Part I

By Steve Fleming

When I was finishing up high school and getting ready for college my Dad was facing a late-in-life career decision. His trade was a dying technology in the printing business. He was the last person practicing his craft in San Diego, CA, but the shop he worked for was closing up. The only other positions left in this trade on the West Coast were in Los Angeles. He really didn't want to move.

His hobby had always been gardening. It occurred to him that perhaps he could stay in San Diego and work as a gardener in his own business. So, he bought a landscape maintenance route and became self-employed. His new business flourished and soon he needed help. This is the part of the story where I came in. I needed a part-time job, as most teenagers do.

Soon I was learning about landscape maintenance. At first I just pushed the mower and edger. When I started we didn't have line trimmers so that work was done with hand clippers (I LOVE the guy who invented the line trimmer). Then I learned the other basics of trimming and plant care.

Part-time jobs come and go and this one was no different. My Dad sold the business after a few years and ended up moving to LA after all. I continued on with college.

Years later, I found myself at a crossroad. I was doing well in a management career, but was unhappy in the field I was working. What to do? I felt a bit trapped. Once you have experience in one field it's difficult to convince employers how that will translate into another field.

My position then was mostly night shifts, starting in the late afternoon and working until after midnight. I thought about that and realized that I could start a landscape maintenance business in my daytime hours and build it up until I was making enough to quit my job. I had the idea, now I just needed to execute it.

You don't need to have had a Father in the field to start your own landscape maintenance business. You also don't need to work nights, but it might help. How you get started depends a lot on your own unique situation.

First you need to make a plan on how you are going to survive the startup period financially. I worked two jobs, my regular job at night and my business during the day. You may not need as much income, you may have capital to carry you over, you may have a very good, working spouse to help you get started. There are many alternatives, but plan it out. Figure your finances out before you start.

Your next choice is whether to buy or build. Buying a route has the advantage of a built-in income to start. However, that advantage comes with the price of the purchase. You may be working for three to eight months before you even start to break even. You also need to be concerned with the accounts and their loyalty. You are not the same service person as their previous gardener. They may decide they don't like your work on a whim. You will probably lose at least 10% of the purchased accounts this way.

If you do decide to buy be careful of the price. I see many landscape maintenance routes being offered for sale for much more than they are worth. Usual pricing on a landscape maintenance route is three to four times the monthly gross plus value of equipment and inventory. Look for a company that uses written maintenance contracts. This way you know exactly what was promised to your customers. Examine the accounting books (if there are none, either lower your offer or run the other way).

Things to look for in the books: Are any customers behind in payments? Were there any advance payments collected (first month in advance, etc.)? Are they charging enough per account for the time and labor? And, of course, are they making a profit?

I would recommend that you build up your own business. It will take a little longer to get to your income goal, but it will very likely cost you much less. The customers will be YOUR customers and loyal to you. Everyone will be customers on your terms with your contracts and at your rates. I'll talk more, later, on how to build your own landscape maintenance route.

Lastly, DO NOT consider a franchise. I've said quite a bit on franchises in another article, Franchising - Is it Really Worth it? Click on the link and read it.

After you have planned how you are going to work out the time and money to start and whether you are going to buy or build, now you need to make some plans about the guts of your business.

Have you ever done gardening before? What do you really know? What do you really need to know?

Landscape maintenance, gardening, is like most other endeavors, there are the basics, the common knowledge, and then from there you can devote whole careers delving into the finer points of horticulture. As a maintenance gardener you need to know the basics, some of the common knowledge, and, most importantly, how to find out anything else.

Step one is to buy a good book on the basics and essential knowledge. I recommend Sunset's Western Gardening Guide (or the edition for your part of the country). This book was my bible. I carried it everywhere. Not only did the beginning of the book cover the basics of maintenance (i.e. pruning roses, trimming hedges, planting trees and shrubs, etc.), but the rest of the book is an encyclopedia of plants and their care. It also covers fertilizing, pest control and many other areas. Whatever book or books you get, be sure they are comprehensive.

You could also take a landscaping and horticulture course at your local community college. If you have the time, this is excellent. I didn't have the time an opted for a quick self-education.

Be wary of Internet ads on how to start your landscape maintenance business. Some make wild promises of how much money you will make. Some charge up to $80 or even over $100 for information that is widely available either for free or for much less. A good book will cost you less than $30. Some of the websites that sell their books (usually an ebook) will sell for under $30. If they contain good information, that's okay, but steer clear of the ones with hype and that are expensive. Later I'll review some of the Internet offers (I've bought them so you don't need to, unless they are worth it).

As long as I'm discussing your green education, here is a little story from my own experience. I was doing a sales call for a maintenance job. I had just finished walking the yard with the client and discussing her landscape's needs when she stopped and pointed to a shrub by her front door. She asked me what type of shrub it was and complained that it had never done well, but some of her neighbor's shrubs were beautiful.

I looked at the shrub and realized that I didn't have a clue. I had never seen one before. I told her I wasn't sure, but that I'd find out. With her permission I'd take a clipping to the nurseryman and find out not only what it was, but what we needed to do to make it flourish.

She smiled. She then proceeded to tell me that it was a Camellia. She went on and said that out of four gardeners who had stopped by to give her a bid I was the only one who didn't know what it was. I started to feel a bit small. Then she added that of the other three only one had identified the plant correctly. The other two had not only identified it incorrectly, but had made elaborate stories of what it was and how to care for it. The one who had identified it correctly, had proceeded to tell her, incorrectly, how to care for it. You see, the client knew very well what it was and how to care for it. It was a test.

I felt that I had also failed the test, but then she said that I was the only salesman who had been honest. Even though I didn't know what it was, she was confident that I would find the answers for her. So, guess who got the job? You don't need to know everything to start. You just need to know how to find the answers you need. Those answers are usually as close as your nearest garden nursery or landscape supply shop.

Let's see, you have a plan, buy or build, you've bought your books and charted your education. What's next? You won't get very far without a truck and equipment. I was lucky and already owned a truck (I've always had a truck, still have a truck, and I can't see how anyone lives without a truck, but that's just me). It was an older truck with an old camper on it that we had used on many camping trips. The camper came off and the truck was ready.

A truck can be expensive. Some people start with a trailer behind their car. If you must, to get started, but get a truck as soon as you can. Even a used truck, well maintained, looks more professional than a car and trailer. Of course a car and trailer is far superior to a car trunk... and I've seen that too!

I had the truck, I bought a used mower for $50 and scrounged together all my own gardening tools. I didn't have a blower, just a broom, but I did buy a line trimmer. Believe me, you can't live without a line trimmer. As soon as I could I bought a blower, an edger, hedge trimmers, chain saw, etc. Power tools make your work much easier.

A note on edgers. Buy one and use it. Too many gardeners try to edge with line trimmers along sidewalks. Unless you are a Ninja with a line trimmer your lawn will look terrible. Your customer will soon be asking why there is a trench along the sidewalk edge. I've got more on line trimmer usage later, but for now, remember, get an edger.

You will also need some basic inventory:

- Round up is indispensable. Don't buy it at Home Depot. Buy your chemicals at a professional landscape supplier. You will get professional grade products, not watered down homeowner products.

- All purpose fertilizer for both lawns and beds.

- Ironite

- Systemic Rose Food (it's good for more than roses)

- Treflan is also indispensable. Treflan is the chemical name (active ingredient) and may come under several different brand names. It is a pre-emergent herbicide. You put this in flower beds and weeds simply don't grow. It only affects seed germination so it is safe for the established plants. This product will save you time and make your accounts look great and weed-free.

- Basic assortment of sprinkler parts for repairs and replacement.

You can start without some of this and add it as you start to make money, but you definitely need the Round-up and Treflan. Trust me. You'll be glad you did.

Note on chemicals: Read the labels and follow all safety precautions. This stuff is great when used properly, but it can be nasty to your body if you get it on you or in you. Along those lines, you also need protective gear like gloves, goggles, face masks, dust filters, etc. Safety gear is a pain to use, but it's well worth the time.

Okay, let's recap. You have the plan, buy or build, education, truck, equipment and inventory. You're almost ready to start work, but first you need to get some work.

Now you are about to learn that the secret to starting and running your own landscape maintenance business is that you are not a gardener, nurseryman, or landscape technician. You are a salesman and manager. If you want to be successful, you need to be a salesman and manager.

In Part Two I'll continue to take you step by step on starting your own landscape maintenance business.

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