Do you want to start a Lawn Care business plan?
People are giving more attention than ever to the greenery in and around their houses. Well-maintained and booming gardens have finally become an essential aspect of every residential space. Offices, residential areas, and parks are all trying to improve their green spaces. And this is where lawn care and gardening service comes in.
Starting a lawn care business is relatively simple as long as you have good know-how about plants and greenery. This is the perfect business to start for people who are enthusiastic about gardening. You can learn how to build a lawn care business by researching your area and investigating ways to start a business there. You can also consult business plan experts for better and more focused guidance.
However, if you want to do it on your own, you can read through the samples of business plans related to your business that are available on the web. This can include plans of businesses that are preparing to succession for agriculture or gardening centers. We are also providing a sample business plan for lawn care called ‘Green All the Way’ here that you can follow.
Executive Summary
2.1 Our Mission
Green All the Way will be a lawn care and gardening business setup that will aim to provide the best professional business service throughout Phoenix, Arizona. Our team will make sure that all your gardening needs are met in the best way possible. Our customers will be able to leave all their worries about their lawns and gardens up to us and relax as we get everything done.
2.2 Team and Management
Green All the Way will be owned and operated by Tim Harris. His right-hand and second manager for the company will be Janet Giovani. The business will make sure that it provides efficient and good-quality lawn services to its customers. To ensure the best management, a comprehensive management plan for finances and human resources will be prepared beforehand to learn how to run a lawn service.
Note
In this lawn care business plan sample, we are describing all the important aspects you need to consider when starting your business.
2.3 Our Customers
The customers of Green All the Way will belong to all domains and backgrounds as shown by the lawn and garden services business plan. However, the key customers for the business will be:
- Residential Communities
- Offices with Gardens
- Educational Facilities with Open Spaces
- Parks
2.4 Business Target
The main target of the business is to provide a reliable and good-quality lawn care service that our customers can trust. We will make this possible through a well-researched business plan for a landscaping company.
The financial goals for the first three years of our operation are described below:
Company Summary
3.1 Ownership and Company History
Green All the Way will be owned by Tim Harris. Tim completed his bachelor’s in environmental science a year ago after which he immersed himself in research. He researched finding ways to contribute to environmental health through optimized gardens. Doing this, he got the idea to start a business that could help in this regard.
3.2 Mission Statement
Tim noticed that people wanted to improve their impact on the environment but what they were lacking was proper support and instruction. Therefore, he decided to utilize his knowledge and research to solve this problem by starting his lawn and gardening service to show the benefits of business continuity planning.
3.3 How the Lawn Care company will be started
Step1: Write a Business Plan
Before you get started with anything else, you will need a business plan for a garden service company. And the best way to create a useful business plan is through complete and thorough research into your market and competition. Such research will show you how to start up a lawn mowing business that is better than the already established ones.
Step2: Define the Business
The next step is to define your business in a way that is attractive to customers. You can achieve this by creating an image or brand around the business with values that appeal to your customers. For example, brand marketing of an organic farm business plan will revolve around helping people improve their health and the environment.
Step3: Find a Location
Tim decided to rent out a small two-room shop in a market center in Phoenix. He will start the business by finding the right team and getting the right materials for company services.
Step4: Company Name and Registration
An important part of starting a business is deciding on a name that can be used for registration purposes as well as marketing. For his business, Tim decided to use the name Green All the Way and register it by following the licensing requirement mentioned in a lawn care business plan example.
Step5: Online Presence
Tim wanted to make sure that his services were accessible to all. Therefore, he decided to invest in creating a simple website for his business as well as setting up social media accounts on different platforms.
Step6: Market it All
The final step mentioned in any lawn care business plan sample pdf is marketing. Tim decided to create a marketing plan as part of his business plan.
| Start-up Expenses | |
| Legal | $130,900 |
| Consultants | $0 |
| Insurance | $22,200 |
| Rent | $31,900 |
| Research and Development | $10,000 |
| Expensed Equipment | $52,200 |
| Signs | $3,400 |
| TOTAL START-UP EXPENSES | $250,600 |
| Start-up Assets | $212,400 |
| Cash Required | $209,000 |
| Start-up Inventory | $39,000 |
| Other Current Assets | $292,000 |
| Long-term Assets | $287,000 |
| TOTAL ASSETS | $1,039,400 |
| Total Requirements | $1,290,000 |
| START-UP FUNDING | |
| Start-up Expenses to Fund | $250,600 |
| Start-up Assets to Fund | $1,039,400 |
| TOTAL FUNDING REQUIRED | $1,290,000 |
| Assets | |
| Non-cash Assets from Start-up | $1,290,800 |
| Cash Requirements from Start-up | $112,000 |
| Additional Cash Raised | $59,000 |
| Cash Balance on Starting Date | $35,000 |
| TOTAL ASSETS | $1,496,800 |
| Liabilities and Capital | |
| Liabilities | $18,200 |
| Current Borrowing | $0 |
| Long-term Liabilities | $0 |
| Accounts Payable (Outstanding Bills) | $58,000 |
| Other Current Liabilities (interest-free) | $0 |
| TOTAL LIABILITIES | $76,200 |
| Capital | |
| Planned Investment | $1,290,000 |
| Investor 1 | $0 |
| Investor 2 | $0 |
| Other | $0 |
| Additional Investment Requirement | $0 |
| TOTAL PLANNED INVESTMENT | $1,290,000 |
| Loss at Start-up (Start-up Expenses) | $130,600 |
| TOTAL CAPITAL | $1,420,600 |
| TOTAL CAPITAL AND LIABILITIES | $1,496,800 |
| Total Funding | $1,290,000 |
Services
A crucial part of any business plan lawn care service is its services and their details. These details help in writing the lawn care business proposal template that you then present to the investors.
The landscape maintenance business plan written for Green All the Way will be somewhat similar to a fruit farm business plan due to the resemblance in some of the services.
As Tim decided to offer a wide variety of services, this business plan can be used for writing lawn care business plans of any type.
The services that Tim decided to offer through his company include:
- Lawn Mowing Service
Green All the Way will make sure that the lawns and gardens of their customers are well kept and healthy through a regular mowing schedule. This will not only include mowing grass but also making sure that the soil is healthy.
- Fertilization Services
Our company will also provide proper fertilization services for your plants, turf, and trees to ensure that they stay healthy throughout the season.
- Tree Services
The company will also provide services related to tree and flower plantation as well as management. We will make sure that all flowerbeds, trees, and shrubs are well-maintained.
- Pest Control
Through pest removal and control, our company will make sure that no insects on your property can hurt your garden
Marketing Analysis of Lawn Care Company
Starting a lawn maintenance business is just as hard as any other business. You need to do a lot of research to ensure that the business can thrive in the market. One of the best ways to do helpful research is to write up a business plan for gardening services. A lawn care business model helps you understand the market and how to penetrate it.
All good lawn care business plan examples include details about the market, the customers, and the competitors of the business. And all of this is usually a part of market research. Market research in a grass cutting business plan will study the market conditions of the present, past, and future.
In this garden services business plan pdf, we are describing the marketing plan for Green All the Way that was developed to attract customers and attain success.
5.1 Market Trends
According to Statista, the landscaping industry in the US has a market size of $105.35 billion. And according to NALP, the market has been growing at an average rate of 2.5% per year for the past decade and will continue to do so in the future. This ensures that businesses in this industry have the opportunity to thrive in the future as well.
5.2 Marketing Segmentation
The customers of Green All the Way according to this free lawn care business plan template include:
Business Plan for Investors
5.2.1 Residential Community
Our main target customers will be residential communities of Phoenix as they usually have front yards as well as back yards that need maintenance. These communities also often have small parks which make them likely to need our business.
5.2.2 Offices with Gardens
Our second potential customer group will be office areas that have gardens to offer a better environment for the mental health of their employees. They are expected to use our company for plantations as well as maintenance.
5.2.3 Educational Facilities with Open Spaces
The third category of customers will be educational institutions that are built with open areas and green spaces for their students to walk in, relax, and play. These spaces require regular maintenance according to seasonal changes, so we expect business from them as well.
5.2.4 Parks
Lastly, we also expect the local parks and gardens to use our service for maintenance and pest control.
| Market Analysis | |||||||
| Potential Customers | Growth | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | CAGR |
| Residential Communities | 28% | 38,900 | 46,680 | 56,016 | 67,219 | 80,663 | 10.00% |
| Offices With Gardens | 20% | 35,100 | 42,120 | 50,544 | 60,653 | 72,783 | 10.00% |
| Educational Facilities | 24% | 33,700 | 40,440 | 48,528 | 58,234 | 69,880 | 10.00% |
| Parks | 28% | 32,100 | 38,520 | 46,224 | 55,469 | 66,563 | 11.00% |
| Total | 100% | 139,800 | 167,760 | 201,312 | 241,574 | 289,889 | 10% |
5.3 Business Target
- Become the best lawn care service in Arizona.
- Provide different regular packages for different customers.
- Earn a profit margin of $20k per month by the end of the third year.
- Maintain customer satisfaction score above 95%.
5.4 Product Pricing
As shown by our lawn care business plan pdf, the prices for our services will be a little higher than the competitors. But in the same price range, we will be offering more maintenance and pest control services.
Marketing Strategy
To develop a good cleaning and gardening services business plan, you need to understand who your competitors are and how you can look better than them. To do this, Tim decided to develop a marketing strategy as a part of his landscaping business plans.
In this example garden service business plan, we have described the marketing strategy for Green All the Way. You can follow this lawn care business plan template free to write the business plan for your company.
6.1 Competitive Analysis
- We provide organic solutions to greenery problems.
- All our services and plans are backed by scientific research.
- Our customers can contact us through our website, social media, or directly through our store.
- We use eco-friendly pest control options as compared to our competitors.
6.2 Sales Strategy
- We provide regular maintenance packages with all our services.
- We will offer discounts to our returning customers.
- We will advertise our services through posters and social media.
6.3 Sales Monthly
6.4 Sales Yearly
6.5 Sales Forecast
| Sales Forecast | |||
| Unit Sales | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
| Lawn Mowing Service | 8,600 | 9,116 | 9,663 |
| Fertilization Services | 4,200 | 4,452 | 4,719 |
| Tree Services | 1,600 | 1,696 | 1,798 |
| Pest Control | 1,000 | 1,060 | 1,124 |
| TOTAL UNIT SALES | 15,400 | 16,324 | 17,303 |
| Unit Prices | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
| Lawn Mowing Service | $80.00 | $92.80 | $107.65 |
| Fertilization Services | $75.00 | $87.00 | $100.92 |
| Tree Services | $140.00 | $162.40 | $188.38 |
| Pest Control | $225.00 | $261.00 | $302.76 |
| Sales | |||
| Lawn Mowing Service | $688,000.00 | $845,964.80 | $1,040,198.32 |
| Fertilization Services | $315,000.00 | $387,324.00 | $476,253.59 |
| Tree Services | $224,000.00 | $275,430.40 | $338,669.22 |
| Pest Control | $225,000.00 | $276,660.00 | $340,181.14 |
| TOTAL SALES | $1,452,000.00 | $1,785,379.20 | $2,195,302.26 |
| Direct Unit Costs | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
| Lawn Mowing Service | $20.00 | $22.00 | $23.10 |
| Fertilization Services | $17.00 | $18.70 | $19.64 |
| Tree Services | $50.00 | $55.00 | $57.75 |
| Pest Control | $40.00 | $44.00 | $46.20 |
| Direct Cost of Sales | |||
| Lawn Mowing Service | $172,000.00 | $200,552.00 | $223,214.38 |
| Fertilization Services | $71,400.00 | $83,252.40 | $92,659.92 |
| Tree Services | $80,000.00 | $93,280.00 | $103,820.64 |
| Pest Control | $40,000.00 | $46,640.00 | $51,910.32 |
| Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales | $363,400.00 | $423,724.40 | $471,605.26 |
Personnel plan
An essential aspect of every business is its employees. This is an important part of every business plan; be it a nursery business plan or a business plan for a lawn care startup. Tim also included the details about his team in his business plan for a lawn care company. You can follow this example or the lawn care business plan templates available on the web to develop the team structure for your company.
7.1 Company Staff
- 1 Co-Manager to help in overall operations
- 5 Trained Landscape Gardeners
- 1 Driver
- 1 Technician to upkeep the machinery
- 1 Web Developer for developing and handling the website
- 2 Sales Executives to organize and promote sales
- 1 Accountant
- 1 Receptionist
7.2 Average Salary of Employees
| Personnel Plan | |||
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
| Co-Manager | $35,000 | $38,500 | $42,350 |
| Landscape Gardeners | $175,000 | $192,500 | $211,750 |
| Driver | $22,500 | $24,750 | $27,225 |
| Technician | $22,500 | $24,750 | $27,225 |
| Web Developer | $22,500 | $24,750 | $27,225 |
| Sales Executive | $42,500 | $46,750 | $51,425 |
| Accountant | $22,500 | $24,750 | $27,225 |
| Receptionist | $22,500 | $24,750 | $27,225 |
| Total Salaries | $365,000 | $401,500 | $441,650 |
Financial Plan
The success of a business isn’t just determined by its profits. Every aspect of the business needs to be managed to make sure that the success is sustainable. For a sample lawn care business plan , you have to manage the profits in a way that the cost of starting a lawn care business is balanced. This needs to be done no matter what your business is. It is even a part of mushroom farm business plan.
You can manage your finances by conducting a financial analysis of your processes so that you can not only earn enough to balance the lawn care start up cost but also expand the business. For this, Tim included an analysis of the company’s expenses as well as monthly and yearly profits. The detailed financial analysis for Green All the Way can be seen for more information.
8.1 Important Assumptions
| General Assumptions | |||
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
| Plan Month | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Current Interest Rate | 8.12% | 8.20% | 8.26% |
| Long-term Interest Rate | 8.40% | 8.44% | 8.47% |
| Tax Rate | 24.03% | 24.21% | 24.60% |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 |
8.2 Break-even Analysis
| Break-Even Analysis | |
| Monthly Units Break-even | 5340 |
| Monthly Revenue Break-even | $132,500 |
| Assumptions: | |
| Average Per-Unit Revenue | $231.00 |
| Average Per-Unit Variable Cost | $0.62 |
| Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost | $163,800 |
8.3 Projected Profit and Loss
| Pro Forma Profit And Loss | |||
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
| Sales | $1,452,000 | $1,785,379 | $2,195,302 |
| Direct Cost of Sales | $363,400 | $423,724 | $471,605 |
| Other | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| TOTAL COST OF SALES | $363,400 | $423,724 | $471,605 |
| Gross Margin | $1,088,600 | $1,361,655 | $1,723,697 |
| Gross Margin % | 74.97% | 76.27% | 78.52% |
| Expenses | |||
| Payroll | $365,000 | $401,500 | $441,650 |
| Sales and Marketing and Other Expenses | $145,000 | $148,000 | $156,000 |
| Depreciation | $2,300 | $2,350 | $2,500 |
| Leased Equipment | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,900 | $3,000 | $3,100 |
| Insurance | $2,100 | $2,100 | $2,100 |
| Rent | $2,900 | $3,000 | $3,200 |
| Payroll Taxes | $24,000 | $25,000 | $27,000 |
| Other | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total Operating Expenses | $544,200 | $584,950 | $635,550 |
| Profit Before Interest and Taxes | $544,400 | $776,705 | $1,088,147 |
| EBITDA | $544,400 | $776,705 | $1,088,147 |
| Interest Expense | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Taxes Incurred | $108,880 | $155,341 | $217,629 |
| Net Profit | $435,520 | $621,364 | $870,518 |
| Net Profit/Sales | 29.99% | 34.80% | 39.65% |
8.3.1 Profit Monthly
8.3.2 Profit Yearly
8.3.3 Gross Margin Monthly
8.3.4 Gross Margin Yearly
8.4 Projected Cash Flow
| Pro Forma Cash Flow | |||
| Cash Received | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
| Cash from Operations | |||
| Cash Sales | $51,000 | $55,080 | $59,486 |
| Cash from Receivables | $22,000 | $23,760 | $25,661 |
| SUBTOTAL CASH FROM OPERATIONS | $73,000 | $79,570 | $85,936 |
| Additional Cash Received | |||
| Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Received | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| New Current Borrowing | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| New Other Liabilities (interest-free) | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| New Long-term Liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Sales of Other Current Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Sales of Long-term Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| New Investment Received | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| SUBTOTAL CASH RECEIVED | $74,000 | $79,000 | $85,000 |
| Expenditures | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
| Expenditures from Operations | |||
| Cash Spending | $42,000 | $42,000 | $45,000 |
| Bill Payments | $27,000 | $28,000 | $31,000 |
| SUBTOTAL SPENT ON OPERATIONS | $69,000 | $70,000 | $76,000 |
| Additional Cash Spent | |||
| Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Paid Out | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Principal Repayment of Current Borrowing | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other Liabilities Principal Repayment | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Long-term Liabilities Principal Repayment | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Purchase Other Current Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Purchase Long-term Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Dividends | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| SUBTOTAL CASH SPENT | $69,000 | $74,520 | $80,482 |
| Net Cash Flow | $21,000 | $23,000 | $25,000 |
| Cash Balance | $27,000 | $30,000 | $33,000 |
8.5 Projected Balance Sheet
| Pro Forma Balance Sheet | |||
| Assets | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
| Current Assets | |||
| Cash | $275,000 | $308,000 | $338,800 |
| Accounts Receivable | $24,000 | $26,880 | $30,213 |
| Inventory | $4,300 | $4,816 | $4,900 |
| Other Current Assets | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS | $282,000 | $315,840 | $355,004 |
| Long-term Assets | |||
| Long-term Assets | $10,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Accumulated Depreciation | $19,400 | $21,728 | $24,444 |
| TOTAL LONG-TERM ASSETS | $24,400 | $27,328 | $30,744 |
| TOTAL ASSETS | $294,000 | $329,280 | $370,440 |
| Liabilities and Capital | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 |
| Current Liabilities | |||
| Accounts Payable | $18,700 | $20,944 | $23,541 |
| Current Borrowing | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other Current Liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| SUBTOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES | $19,000 | $21,280 | $23,919 |
| Long-term Liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| TOTAL LIABILITIES | $15,000 | $16,800 | $18,883 |
| Paid-in Capital | $30,000 | $30,000 | $31,000 |
| Retained Earnings | $53,000 | $57,770 | $63,547 |
| Earnings | $193,400 | $210,806 | $231,887 |
| TOTAL CAPITAL | $285,000 | $310,650 | $341,715 |
| TOTAL LIABILITIES AND CAPITAL | $300,000 | $329,280 | $370,440 |
| Net Worth | $293,400 | $319,806 | $351,787 |
8.6 Business Ratios
| Ratio Analysis | ||||
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | INDUSTRY PROFILE | |
| Sales Growth | 7.25% | 8.03% | 8.90% | 3.00% |
| Percent of Total Assets | ||||
| Accounts Receivable | 9.21% | 10.20% | 11.31% | 9.80% |
| Inventory | 5.39% | 5.97% | 6.62% | 9.90% |
| Other Current Assets | 2.11% | 2.34% | 2.59% | 2.40% |
| Total Current Assets | 149.80% | 151.00% | 152.00% | 158.00% |
| Long-term Assets | 11.55% | 11.60% | 11.64% | 12.00% |
| TOTAL ASSETS | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
| Current Liabilities | 4.90% | 4.94% | 4.98% | 4.34% |
| Long-term Liabilities | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Total Liabilities | 7.59% | 7.65% | 7.72% | 7.38% |
| NET WORTH | 100.45% | 101.25% | 102.19% | 110.00% |
| Percent of Sales | ||||
| Sales | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
| Gross Margin | 94.60% | 97.15% | 99.87% | 99.00% |
| Selling, General & Administrative Expenses | 93.56% | 96.09% | 98.78% | 97.80% |
| Advertising Expenses | 1.52% | 1.56% | 1.60% | 1.40% |
| Profit Before Interest and Taxes | 41.50% | 42.62% | 43.81% | 33.90% |
| Main Ratios | ||||
| Current | 34 | 35 | 36 | 32 |
| Quick | 33 | 33.8 | 34.645 | 33 |
| Total Debt to Total Assets | 0.18% | 0.18% | 0.17% | 0.40% |
| Pre-tax Return on Net Worth | 74.08% | 74.89% | 75.00% | 75.00% |
| Pre-tax Return on Assets | 96.30% | 101.12% | 106.17% | 111.30% |
| Additional Ratios | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
| Net Profit Margin | 33.56% | 34.60% | 35.67% | N.A. |
| Return on Equity | 55.80% | 57.53% | 59.31% | N.A. |
| Activity Ratios | ||||
| Accounts Receivable Turnover | 7.7 | 7.8 | 7.8 | N.A. |
| Collection Days | 100 | 100 | 100 | N.A. |
| Inventory Turnover | 32.4 | 34.02 | 35 | N.A. |
| Accounts Payable Turnover | 15.6 | 16 | 16.3 | N.A. |
| Payment Days | 27 | 27 | 27 | N.A. |
| Total Asset Turnover | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.6 | N.A. |
| Debt Ratios | ||||
| Debt to Net Worth | -0.04 | -0.03 | -0.04 | N.A. |
| Current Liab. to Liab. | 1 | 1 | 1 | N.A. |
| Liquidity Ratios | ||||
| Net Working Capital | $244,000 | $257,664 | $272,093 | N.A. |
| Interest Coverage | 0 | 0 | 0 | N.A. |
| Additional Ratios | ||||
| Assets to Sales | 0.85 | 0.87 | 0.89 | N.A. |
| Current Debt/Total Assets | 1% | 0% | 0% | N.A. |
| Acid Test | 29 | 29.12 | 29.16 | N.A. |
| Sales/Net Worth | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.2 | N.A. |
| Dividend Payout | 0 | 0 | 0 | N.A. |
FAQ
- How do I write a lawn care business plan?
You can write a business plan for your lawn care business by following the lawn care business plan template detailed above.
- Is lawn care a good investment?
Yes. However, the success of a lawn care business depends on the cost to start a lawn care business in your location, the competition in the market, and your service quality.
- How much do most lawn care companies make?
Many lawn care companies can earn up to $50,000-$250,000 a year depending on the scope of their services. You can estimate these details by developing a lawn care company business plan like the one above.
Hello!
Am Raphael from Uganda, Africa. A recent Graduate from Makerere University. This business plan content is perfect for the business I want to start here in my home country. Though I need to customize it a bit to fit in Uganda. Great thanks to you