So, you quit your regular job and you’ve started a lawn mowing business. You’ve got yourself some regular clients and you’re feeling pretty good about your prospects.
But you wish you could bounce some questions off someone else who’s already in the industry?
Well, today’s your lucky day. We’ve put together 7 lawn mowing business FAQ (frequently asked questions) that might help answer those lingering questions you have as you move forward on your business journey.
1. How can I get more lawnmowing customers?
You might mow like a king, but you’ll never live in a king’s castle if you can’t get enough customers for your mowing business. To help kickstart your thinking about how to attract more customers, here are twenty ideas…
2. How can I get customers to pay on time?
Unfortunately, the lawn mowing industry, like many home service industries, is rife with customers that don’t pay for their service on time. Even the franchise guys are not immune to payment issues. One ex- Jim’s Mowing guy told us once that he was always running $3,000 behind with unpaid invoices and that that was not uncommon amongst his Jim’s Mowing franchise colleagues.
To try and reduce the number of payments outstanding, maybe ask for payment upfront, or secure (and authorise) a credit card for every mow like we do at GreenSocks?
At the very least, reconsider mowing lawns for customers who have several payments behind (crazy, but it happens more than you might think!) unless they pay up, pronto.
3. If I have a huge mowing job on a hot Summer’s day, can I start mowing before Council-approved hours?
Not unless you’re willing to risk a $1000* on-the-spot fine from your local Council. *The $1000 example is from Gympie Regional Council in Queensland.
Yes, the earlier you can start mowing on a hot day, the better. But is it worth a possible Council fine? Are you making that much money from the job that you can afford to part with $1000 or more.
4. Do I have to register for GST for my lawnmowing business?
At the time of writing, the Australian Taxation Office website says:
Be careful about the GST turnover of $75,000. We were told (by an accountant, but not someone at the ATO) that this is revenue across two financial years, not just one, so if you’re close to this figure across two financial years, it’s best to check with the ATO as soon as possible.
5. What can I do when dogs interfere with lawn mowing jobs?
Whilst there is no magic solution for keeping dogs at bay while you’re doing the lawn mowing – and most times you really might need a customer to lock their dog up while you’re mowing – Dr Harry from Channel 7’s lifestyle show Better Homes and Gardens did offer a really good tip when he met with Bruce the Bulldog….
6. How often should I take my mower in for repairs?
To answer this question, we talked to Peter Townsend, who ran his own mowing business for 18 years before he transitioned into mobile mower repairs…
7. When is the best time of day to mow the lawn?
This is a great, simple infographic that puts some reasoning behind the question about lawn mowing times. Most mowing professionals have their own opinion about the best mowing times, but if you’re someone who has asked this question and is curious what others think, click on the link below…
Want more lawn mowing business FAQ?
Here’s part two of our lawn mowing business FAQ.
Do you have any more lawn mowing business FAQ to share?
Awesome tips. Thank you for sharing. If Grass goes yellow quickly, would you say its a soil quality or soil quantity issue?
Cheers.
It could be many things and depends on the shade of yellow / brown. Could be too much heat, drought, lawn grubs or too much fertiliser. nIt’s best to try to eliminate or experiment with different solutions to work out what it could be.