Lawn mowing business?

[Macho]

Ok so im 16 and i've always had the passion of owning a business/businesses but not sure where to start. Im thinking maybe this summer of trying
to start up a lawn mowing business starting with just me in the beginning.
I am guaranteed atleast 5-10 clients right now (mainly family/friends) but ofcourse
i want to expand then gather a couple employees when i get serious about it.
But the only thing is where do i start? Do i make business cards? Fliers? Advertise?
Is there any legal stuff i have to do especially when i hire people? And big thing is how much would i charge?
I may sound like a newbie but i want to start young and progress into the business world.
Maybe itll turn into a landscaping business way down the road.

[Milkerz]

What country are you based in? I may be able to help with the legal side of things, costing etc. I'm only 19 so I know exactly what you're going through.

[Macho]

I live in the US.

[Milkerz]

I'll PM you some information.

[moneymaker013]

Macho,

A friend and I did this when we where in highschool also, it is actually what set me on the path to becoming an entrepreneur. As long as it is just you then there is not much legally to do. You do need to keep an organized log for tax purposes (Depending on the state, your age, and how much you bring in; you may not have to pay taxes). There is no need to create an LLC or anything just yet. Flyers, cards and referrals are how we did all of our advertising. If you are doing a good job then people will have no problem giving you names of potential customers. Now, when you start hiring people it is a whole different ball game. You will have to have everything in order just like any other company. My advise is to start small and if it grows then tackle it from that angle. Also I would advise you to open a checking and savings account (this should be free at your age as long as your parents sign for you). If you have any questions you want answered in detail just shoot me a PM.

[mgxsolutions]

Start small, but plan big and see where it leads you. I have a few friends that started this way (albeit a little older than you so congrats to you on that) and they grew the businesses into successful landscaping companies. Every business needs to start somewhere.

[Macho]

Start small, but plan big and see where it leads you. I have a few friends that started this way (albeit a little older than you so congrats to you on that) and they grew the businesses into successful landscaping companies. Every business needs to start somewhere.

Thats almost exactly what I want to do is to escalate into a successful landscaping business.

But I just want to know what I need to exactly do with any legal stuff (if there is any) or tax stuff (if there is any) before I actually get on someones lawn and start mowing... I'm planning on starting locally and maybe expand throughout my city.

[RockwellCorp]

Very Simple. Word of Mouth will be your best friend in this type of business. Do great work and do things that's not necessarily required of your. Let your work do the taking. If you hit a neighborhood then neighbor will see you and if your work is good then they will start flooding in! Good luck. Where are you located?

~Christopher Rockwell

[charactereducation]

Thanks for the information given in this thread. Actually I want to start my business quicky is there any business which i start in few days?

[pcbres16]

PM me, I work on the business side of the landscaping/lawn mowing industry.

[Macho]

Very Simple. Word of Mouth will be your best friend in this type of business. Do great work and do things that's not necessarily required of your. Let your work do the taking. If you hit a neighborhood then neighbor will see you and if your work is good then they will start flooding in! Good luck. Where are you located?

~Christopher Rockwell

I live in iowa

[Macho]

I asked my mom about this and she told me what would make my customers so happy that they would have me back the next week? I'm kind of stumped on how to deal with this. What if I cut once but they dont want me back? I don't have any good ideas on to keep them satisfyed and keep me coming back. Any ideas?

[Milkerz]

Why not offer a discount if they pay in 5 or 10 week installments?

[pcbres16]

Offer an additional service for free, like free weed wacking with a lawn cut. Or a free coffee mug with the first job, something like that. People love free things and feeling like they got a deal.

[Macho]

Why not offer a discount if they pay in 5 or 10 week installments?

Like have them pay for all 5-10 weeks before I mow? That probably wouldn't be appealing atleast not to me if I was a customer paying however much beforehand.
How much of a discount? Im looking at charging $30 an hour