So it's a Friday afternoon and you've just finished mowing your last lawn of the day. Job done: time to put the feet up with a beer, right? Not necessarily.
First, let's get one thing straight - starting a lawn mowing business will absolutely change your life. And almost certainly for the better. Thinking about joining those who have boldly and successfully taken the plunge? You won't regret it. But that doesn't mean it's not an awful lot of hard work - or that the lawn mowing business isn't something that very much needs to match your personality. And that's because it's not just pushing a mower backwards and forwards on the green stuff.
It's going to take a lot of commitment, grit, sacrifices, an open mind and long hours to make it. Yes, buying a lawn mowing franchise is a great and simple way to go into business. But there is no such thing as guaranteed success, especially if you don't prioritise good business administration, the ideals of informed decision making, and tried-and-tested principles such as time management and customer service.
You may be thinking: "Sheesh! Sounds like there's an awful lot to do other than mowing the green stuff!" And you'd be right. But don't panic. It will one day all seem as simple as mowing in a straight line. And you'll be just as good at it, too.
Finished mowing for the day? Here are the other things you might find yourself doing when you run a successful lawn mowing business:
1. Securing finance
You're in luck: buying a lawn mowing franchise is one of the most affordable ways to go into business. And you're in luck again: you'll find it much easier to get that finance to buy a franchise compared to trying your luck with a stand-alone business.
2. Scheduling jobs
When you start that mower engine, it means you're about to tick off another job in the diary. But that job didn't just put itself there - you had to take the order. Not just that, you had to arrange your diary so that there are no clashing commitments. Scheduling management is a key task and skill for any business, but particularly one that relies on an ongoing turnover of clients and jobs.
3. Marketing
One of the great advantages of a franchise business is the support you'll get. And one of the key supports is in brand marketing and advertising. Nonetheless, you'll still want to get your name out there locally, and that may involve using social media, placing ads, making calls, handing out flyers - and more.'
4. Stocking up
Cranking up that mower engine is a key moment, but it relies on so much earlier preparation. You had to research the best equipment to buy. It has to be in tip-top shape. You'll want other gear in the trailer, including safety equipment, tools, and a reliable vehicle to get it all from client to client.
5. Doing maintenance
After a long day at work, you need a good sit down and a beer. But so does your equally hard-working equipment! Most successful lawn mowing franchise owners will do maintenance each and every day, and that means cleaning, repairing, replacing, ordering and checking. Because when you're ready for another long day, the last thing you want to discover is a tired tool at 9am!
6. Staying organised
A successful business is an organised business - it's just that simple. So your office, laptop, printer and business management tools and software are all just as crucial to your lawn mowing franchise as that mower is. You'll probably have separate organisational strands for new, repeat and potential clients, as well as all your marketing, new ideas, research, expenses, income, records, and so on.
7. Handling your logistics
Once you're getting those orders, you'll start to get really good at logistics. For instance, if you find yourself with three orders within two streets of one another, it won't make sense to keep dashing off to the other side of town between those local jobs. A paper monthly planner can help you do this, but there will also be electronic versions on the market that do the job even better.
8. Pleasing your customers
Especially when your franchise is the new kid on the block, taking incredible care of your customer base is the bread and butter of your lawn mowing business. This doesn't just mean perfecting your uniform, presentation and manners, but going above and beyond by doing special promotions and thinking about little gifts, for instance for Christmas.
9. Doing general administration
We said you'd spend time in that office - and we weren't kidding. There will always be phones to answer and calls to return. There will always be invoices to write, payments to process, and tax affairs to manage. You'll be constantly dealing with client complaints, rescheduling due to bad weather, chasing up money, coughing up to suppliers - and regularly reviewing, tweaking and improving in all of these tasks and more.
10. Keep on learning
A particularly awful day of weather is the perfect excuse to catch up on all of those little jobs, like changing the mower spark plugs and washing the business vehicle and trailer. But there's always going to be so much more to do as well. When was the last time you compared your prices to your nearest competitor? When was the last time you looked through the latest equipment catalogues? You may find a great deal on a brilliant new mower that ups your productivity by 10% - and that converts directly into business bucks!
Phew! There's always so much to do! But guess what? There will always be the unexpected to deal with on top of all that! Running a lawn mowing business may not sound like it's all beer and skittles, but it's a super-rewarding way to step free of that restrictive day job and take control of your destiny amid the fresh smell of freshly-cut grass.
Crewcut makes it all seem easy with training, mentoring, branding, marketing and guaranteed income all part of its lawn mowing franchise package, so join the adventure now by calling 0800 800 286. Happy mowing!
