Starting this Late in the season-Almost July

[mjlcare2]

Buying a push mower will severely limit your capabilities.. can't mow anything significant(which are the ones that pay more) with your push mower.. one it will take a lot longer, and you will look incredibly stupid. No pro's use push mowers on a regular basis!! Before you spend a ton on advertising make sure you have the legalities covered, licensed, insured, etc. Start by getting your neighbors on the program to get some cash coming in.

[Andy31]

1.I agree with Patriot, get yourself a used walk behind mower and if you need a 21" for really small lawns then get a decent new one like a honda from HD. You must have a decent mower,trimmer, edger and blower before you even think of mowing someones yard for payment.
2. buy the biggest trailer you can afford and can store
3.I started with a 21" push, soon after I bought a 48" walk behind, then a 34" ztr for small gates, then a 60" ztr for large properties. Point is get the best and biggest mower that will work for your lawns you are getting. BTW: people are not buying mowers because they are "sexy" they buy them for increased productivity and increased quality of cut.

5.How big are these properties you are going after? Point is if I showed up to cut one of my 10 acres residentials with some busted little mower, that just wouldn't fly.

6.Just my opinion but when you say you want to only want to "grow organically" means you don't want to spend hardly any money and you only want to only grow a tiny bit. That was just based on how you phrased it, and your goal of grossing 30k.
7. Get out there with a good work ethic, GOOD equipment and a willingness to learn the trade and land some nice accounts! If you can gross 30k in your first year you may need to reevaluate your game plan.

[Andy31]

I meant if you can not gross 30k...
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[Eric's Lawnservice]

I started this time last year. In my opinion it is a perfect time to start. Especially if it is something you haven't done as a business before. It will give you the rest of this summer to get used to your equipment, and you can establish a routine for mowing a yard. Then in the spring you won't have to worry about getting the bugs out of your operation. By then it should be as smooth as a well oiled machine. Also you will be starting in the hottest time of the year. Which will let you know pretty quickly if this is something you want to do year in year out. Alot of guys get to the heat and loose ambition. In my opinion its like trial by fire, if you can take the heat then the cool months will be a cake walk.
As far as advertising goes use as many options that are available. Post cards are great, but don't shrug off things like door hangers, fliers, or Craigslist. The more people who see or hear of your services the more likely you will get a phone call for your services. Its all about numbers. Simply flooding a targeted area with post cards won't establish your name as a professional. The work you do and the manner in which you conduct yourself and your business will establish your name as either a pro or a hack.
The mower... Everybody needs a 21 at some point. You don't need to go into debt to get one alot of times you can get a good mower off Craigslist or a yard sale for next to nothing. But you will need a bigger mower to make money on larger properties. A 21 would just be undersized for anything over 1/4 acre. You simply can't charge enough to make it worth your while and still get the job. If you spend all your time mowing you can't do the value added services that will also establish your brand, and gain your referred customers who don't ask questions because they have seen or heard about the result of your work ethic.
Like I said I started last June I have a fulltime job that I work 1st shift for 40 hrs. A week I have yet to make a "profit" I am re-investing every cent back into my co. although I billed over 2k this past month doing it in the evenings and weekends. However most of it goes to the regular bills of running a legit co. The left over goes to equipment and advertising along with everyday maintenance and and supplies to keep it running.
In my opinion anyone with drive, a good work ethic, and an eye for detail can establish themselves in this industry at any time of the year.
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[lawnman24949]

I would have to say now is not the most ideal time to start a landscaping company but you will still end up with some clients. Just this week i picked up two nice accounts from people who got the new guy to cut this year. I guess the heat and lack of rain has gotten to them lately so they decided to stop showing up. I would also suggest to gain business this year is to get into aeration. This will let you work at many homes and if your reasonably priced with aeration you may be able to get them as a full time customer.

[GreyFlames]

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