Category: Side Hustle

  • Creating Family Itineraries: A Side Business for Stay-at-Home Parents

    Creating Family Itineraries: A Side Business for Stay-at-Home Parents

    Stay-at-home moms have a unique opportunity to transform their local knowledge into income by creating and selling detailed PDF itineraries for families visiting their city. These guides fill a crucial gap in the travel market – providing families with realistic, tested plans that go beyond generic tourist listings.

    Why It Works

    Most travel blogs and city guides simply list attractions without practical details that parents need. They’ll mention the children’s museum or the zoo, but rarely tell you if it’s worth dedicating a full day or just a morning. They don’t specify which park has the best playground equipment for toddlers versus school-aged children, or which ice cream shop nearby has dairy-free options for allergic kids.

    The real value comes from leveraging local knowledge that only residents possess. A local parent knows that while the science center is amazing, Tuesdays are less crowded. They know that after visiting the downtown aquarium, families should walk two blocks to the hidden playground with splash pads rather than the overcrowded one that appears first in Google searches.

    Creating Saleable Itineraries

    Sarah, a stay-at-home mom in Denver, created a series of family itineraries that have become popular with visitors. Her “Three Perfect Days in Denver with Kids” PDF includes:

    • Day-by-day schedules that realistically account for nap times and children’s attention spans
    • Restaurant recommendations with notes about which ones truly welcome children versus those that merely tolerate them
    • Backup indoor activities for unexpected weather changes
    • Tips for navigating public transportation with strollers
    • Lesser-known attractions that locals love but tourists often miss

    Sarah includes practical details like: “The Denver Zoo takes about 4 hours to enjoy properly. Visit in the morning when the animals are most active, then head to City Park’s playground for lunch. The nearby Denver Museum of Nature & Science is perfect for the afternoon when kids need air conditioning in summer months.”

    Getting Started

    To create marketable itineraries:

    • Start with your hometown or current city where your knowledge is deepest
    • Create themed itineraries: “Rainy Day Adventures,” “Outdoor Explorer Weekend,” or age-specific guides
    • Test the itineraries with your own family to ensure accuracy
    • Take your own photos to include in the guides
    • Include practical details about parking, restroom locations, and where to eat
    • Price points typically range from $7-15 depending on depth and length

    Many successful creators sell their guides through Etsy, their own websites, or local tourism partnerships. The beauty of this business is that once created, these digital products can generate passive income indefinitely, with occasional updates to keep information current.

    The most successful itineraries aren’t just lists of places—they’re carefully crafted experiences that help families navigate your city like a local would.

  • Paws & Profits: How to Build a Successful Dog Walking Business

    Paws & Profits: How to Build a Successful Dog Walking Business

    A dog walking side hustle offers an excellent opportunity for animal lovers to earn extra income while enjoying time outdoors with furry companions. This guide covers everything needed to launch a successful dog walking business. The beauty of dog walking lies in its low startup costs and flexible scheduling options, making it an ideal venture for students, remote workers, or anyone seeking supplemental income.

    Is Dog Walking Right for You?

    The ideal dog walker possesses:

    • Genuine love for dogs and understanding of canine behavior
    • Physical fitness to handle multiple walks daily
    • Reliability and time management skills
    • Basic knowledge of pet first aid and safety
    • Patience and adaptability with different dog personalities
    • Availability during peak walking hours (typically midday)

    Dog walking requires emotional intelligence as well as physical stamina. You’ll need to build trust with both animals and their owners, understanding that you’re caring for beloved family members, not just pets. The ability to remain calm under pressure—such as when handling an anxious dog or navigating unexpected situations—will serve you well in this role.

    Getting Started

    Essential First Steps

    1. Research local regulations – Check if your area requires:
      • Business licenses
      • Pet care certifications
      • Insurance coverage
    2. Set up your business structure:
      • Choose a catchy, memorable name
      • Determine pricing structure (per walk, package deals)
      • Create service offerings (individual walks, group walks, etc.)
      • Establish policies for cancellations, emergencies, and inclement weather
    3. Obtain necessary supplies:
    4. Develop systems:
      • Scheduling tool or app
      • Client information forms
      • Walking route plans
      • Payment processing solution

    Consider creating customized service agreements that clearly outline your responsibilities and limitations. Having clients sign these documents provides protection for both parties and demonstrates your professionalism. Remember that your reputation will be built on reliability and transparency, so investing time in proper documentation and systems at the outset will pay dividends as your business grows.

    Marketing Your Dog Walking Business

    Building Your Client Base

    1. Create a professional online presence:
      • Simple website highlighting services and rates
      • Social media accounts showcasing your love for dogs
      • Business profiles on platforms like Google Business and Yelp
    2. Network within the community:
      • Introduce yourself to local veterinarians and pet stores
      • Leave business cards at dog parks and pet-friendly establishments
      • Attend community events where pet owners gather
    3. Leverage specialized platforms:
      • Register on pet service apps like Rover or Wag
      • Join neighborhood apps like Nextdoor to reach local clients
    4. Offer introductory specials:
      • First walk free or discounted
      • Referral incentives for existing clients

    Don’t underestimate the power of consistent, authentic content on your social platforms. Sharing photos (with owner permission) and stories about your daily adventures with dogs creates emotional connections with potential clients. Personal testimonials from satisfied customers carry significant weight in this trust-based business, so don’t hesitate to request reviews from happy clients.

    Standing Out From Competition

    • Take professional photos with client dogs (with permission)
    • Provide “report cards” after each walk noting behavior, bathroom breaks, etc.
    • Offer additional services like basic training reinforcement or home check-ins
    • Consider specializing in certain breeds or walking styles

    The most successful dog walkers find ways to add unique value beyond the basic service. This might include sending personalized updates with photos during each walk, offering flexible scheduling for clients with unpredictable work hours, or developing expertise with challenging dogs that other walkers avoid. Finding your unique selling proposition will help you command premium rates and build a loyal client base that’s less price-sensitive.

    Scaling Your Business

    As demand grows:

    • Walk multiple dogs from the same area at once to increase your revenue per hour
    • Consider whether to remain solo or hire additional walkers
    • Explore expanded services like overnight pet sitting
    • Implement a client management system
    • Look into liability insurance and more formal business structures

    The transition from side hustle to sustainable business happens gradually for most dog walkers. Pay attention to metrics like your hourly earnings after expenses, client retention rates, and seasonal fluctuations to make informed decisions about growth. Building relationships with complementary service providers—such as trainers, groomers, and pet sitters—can create mutually beneficial referral networks that support your long-term success.

    Remember that satisfied dogs mean happy owners who provide both repeat business and valuable word-of-mouth referrals. Quality service, reliability, and genuine care for your canine clients will be the foundation of your success. Your enthusiasm for dogs will be evident to both the animals and their owners, creating the trust necessary for a thriving business built on compassion and dependability.

  • Extra Income for Stay-at-Home Parents: Creating Birthday Party Itineraries

    Extra Income for Stay-at-Home Parents: Creating Birthday Party Itineraries

    Remember the last birthday party you threw for your little one? All those hours scrolling Pinterest, the late nights cutting out decorations, and the frantic day-of preparations? What if I told you that expertise could actually bring in some extra cash?

    Your Party Planning Superpower

    As parents, we’ve all been there – juggling crying toddlers while trying to stuff goodie bags the night before a party. The truth is, you’ve already mastered skills that other parents desperately need! Your experience navigating the chaos of children’s birthday parties is incredibly valuable.

    Think about it – you know which games actually keep kids engaged (and which ones lead to meltdowns). You’ve figured out which snacks get eaten and which end up squished into the carpet. These hard-earned insights can become your ticket to earning extra income from home.

    Selling Sanity: Birthday Party Itineraries

    Start by creating detailed party plans that save other parents from reinventing the wheel. Include:

    • A realistic timeline that accounts for kid attention spans
    • Games that don’t require a PhD to explain
    • Food that won’t result in sugar-crash tantrums
    • Decoration ideas that won’t break the bank

    Your itineraries should feel like getting advice from a friend who’s been there, done that, and knows all the shortcuts. Parents will pay for your wisdom because you’re not just selling a schedule – you’re selling peace of mind.

    From Digital to Physical: Crafts and Goodies

    Remember the last-minute panic of “Wait, what are we sending home with the kids?!” This is where you can really expand your business.

    Create craft kits that:

    • Keep little hands busy during that awkward party lull
    • Result in something parents won’t immediately throw away
    • Actually match the skill level of the age group

    Then add gift bags that:

    • Contain things kids will genuinely enjoy
    • Won’t have parents secretly cursing you for the noise-making toys
    • Feel special without costing a fortune

    Getting This Party Started

    1. Start by documenting your own child’s next party – take notes on timing, what worked, what flopped
    2. Create one amazing themed itinerary and test it on friends
    3. Take cute photos of the results for social media
    4. Join local parent groups and casually mention your service when someone asks for party ideas
    5. Partner with other parents who might want to contribute (that friend who makes amazing cupcakes, anyone?)

    The best part? This business grows with you. Start small with digital downloads while your kids are younger, then scale up to physical products as you have more time. You’ve already done the hard work learning these skills – now let them work for you!

  • Book of the Month Club: A Smart Side Hustle for Parents

    Book of the Month Club: A Smart Side Hustle for Parents

    Parents looking for extra income might find a children’s book of the month club as an ideal venture. This side hustle combines passion with practicality while addressing a common parenting pain point, finding good bed time stories to read their kids.

    Many children’s books can indeed become monotonous for parents who read the same stories repeatedly. A curated book club that delivers fresh, high-quality children’s literature monthly solves this problem while creating a viable income stream.

    The concept is straightforward: parents pay a subscription fee to receive carefully selected children’s books matched to their child’s age and interests. As the curator, you earn the difference between wholesale book costs and subscription fees, while providing a valuable service.

    This business offers several advantages

    First, there is realatively little start up costs. To begin, leverage an email list, affiliate links and social media to grow a following.

    Second, this business can scale as your subscribers also grow. Birthday party plans, tutoring materials, craft kits can all be added in the future.

    Third, you can add significant value through curation. By personally reviewing books and creating thoughtful selections, you save other parents valuable time and introduce children to diverse, engaging stories they might not otherwise discover.

    To enhance the service, consider including:

    • Age-appropriate reading guides
    • Discussion questions for parents
    • Related activity suggestions
    • Author spotlights
    • Occasional special items like bookmarks or stickers

    The key to success is understanding your target audience. Survey parents about their frustrations with current children’s books and what they’re looking for in new selections. This research will help you curate books that truly resonate.

    Marketing can leverage parenting networks, local schools, social media groups, and word-of-mouth. Partnerships with local bookstores, libraries, or parenting organizations can further expand your reach.

    While not a path to immediate wealth, a well-executed children’s book subscription service can provide a meaningful supplementary income while connecting families with literature that sparks imagination and creates cherished reading moments.

    How to start

    Begin with an email newsletter featuring curated children’s book recommendations paired with affiliate links. This approach requires almost no startup capital while still generating income.

    The process is straightforward: create a mailing list where you share monthly book recommendations that solve the “monotonous reading” problem many parents face. Each recommendation includes your personal insights about why the book stands out, along with affiliate links to purchase through Amazon or other online retailers.

    Every time subscribers purchase through your links, you earn commission—typically between 4-10% depending on the platform. While individual commissions are modest, they can accumulate meaningfully as your subscriber base grows.

    This email-first approach offers several advantages:

    First, it’s virtually risk-free with no inventory to manage or shipping logistics to coordinate. You’re simply sharing recommendations and earning from purchases others make.

    Second, it allows you to build an audience and establish credibility before investing in a more complex business model.

    Third, you gain valuable data about which books resonate most with your audience, information that will prove invaluable when you eventually transition to a subscription service.

    As your subscriber list grows, you can introduce premium tiers or transition toward the subscription box model, having already built an engaged audience and brand trust.

    Marketing remains focused on parenting networks, social media groups, and local connections—the key difference being your call-to-action is subscribing to a free newsletter rather than purchasing a subscription.

    How to grow with a subscription model

    Children’s Book Subscription Service: Building on Success

    Once your newsletter and affiliate model has established a solid audience, transitioning to a subscription-based service creates a more predictable income stream with higher profit margins. Here’s how to evolve your children’s book club:

    The subscription model delivers physical books directly to families monthly, providing even greater convenience for busy parents tired of reading the same stories repeatedly. While this approach requires more upfront investment and logistics management, it significantly increases your earning potential.

    Start by offering a basic monthly package: one age-appropriate, carefully selected book delivered to subscribers’ homes. As your operation grows, introduce tiered options allowing families to receive multiple books or additional educational materials.

    The subscription model offers several financial advantages:

    First, bulk purchasing directly from publishers or distributors provides wholesale discounts far exceeding standard affiliate commission rates. What might earn you $1-2 in affiliate revenue could generate $5-10 profit margins when selling directly.

    Second, subscribers represent reliable monthly revenue rather than occasional purchases, creating financial stability and predictable cash flow.

    Third, physical products create opportunities for brand building through custom packaging, personalized notes, and occasional surprise additions that delight customers.

    To manage startup costs effectively:

    • Begin with a pre-order campaign where early adopters pay upfront, funding your initial inventory
    • Start with a limited subscriber capacity and create a waitlist as demand grows
    • Partner with independent publishers or authors for special deals or exclusive editions
    • Consider dropshipping initially to minimize inventory management

    Price points typically range from $15-30 monthly depending on your package offerings and the quality/type of books provided. This pricing allows for healthy margins while remaining attractive to parents seeking quality children’s literature.

    The subscription model also enables deeper customer relationships through personalization options like age customization, reading preference profiles, and special occasion selections.

    By building on the audience and insights gathered during your newsletter phase, you’ll launch your subscription service with a clear understanding of what parents want and a ready group of potential subscribers, significantly reducing the risk associated with this more ambitious business model..

  • How to Start a Profitable Birthday Party Treat Bag Business from Home

    How to Start a Profitable Birthday Party Treat Bag Business from Home

    Why Parents Need Professional Party Favor Services

    Parents often scramble to assemble party favors the night before their child’s birthday celebration, turning what should be a fun detail into a last-minute stressor. This common oversight creates the perfect opportunity for your side hustle: creating custom, thoughtfully designed gift bags that save parents time while delighting young party guests.

    Starting a gift bag service requires minimal upfront investment. Begin by researching popular themes and characters, then source affordable bulk items like small toys, stickers, candy, and craft supplies from dollar stores or online wholesalers. The real value you provide comes from thoughtful curation and presentation—matching items to specific themes, age-appropriateness, and creating an eye-catching presentation that makes parents look good.

    Marketing your service is straightforward: create sample bags to photograph for social media, partner with local party venues or bakeries, and offer early-bird discounts to encourage advance booking. Consider tiered pricing options, from basic bags to premium collections with personalized items. Parents will gladly pay $5-15 per bag to cross one more task off their party planning list, especially when you deliver ready-to-distribute favors that make their child’s special day even more memorable.


    Example: Dinosaur Treat Bags

    Let’s look at some specific examples of party favor bags at different price points to help you visualize the possibilities and profit margins.

    Dinosaur Party Bag – $10 per bag

    Total Cost – $4.25 per bag

    Total Profit per bag – $5.75

    For a party of 15 children, you’d make $86.25 in profit for approximately 1-2 hours of shopping and assembly time.


    How to Start Your Birthday Party Treat Bag Business

    Getting started with a party favor business is simpler than you might think. Follow these steps to turn this opportunity into a profitable side hustle:

    1. Research Your Local Market

    Before investing in supplies, spend time researching what parents in your area want. Check local Facebook parenting groups, birthday party venues, and even ask friends with children about their pain points when it comes to party favors.

    2. Define Your Offerings

    Start with 3-5 popular themes that have broad appeal (superheroes, princesses, dinosaurs, unicorns, sports). For each theme, create:

    • Basic package ($5-8 per bag)
    • Standard package ($8-12 per bag)
    • Premium package ($12-20 per bag with personalization)

    3. Source Your Supplies

    Build relationships with suppliers for consistent quality and pricing:

    • Dollar stores for basic items
    • Amazon or Alibaba for bulk purchases
    • Craft stores for packaging materials
    • Local print shops for personalized items

    4. Create Sample Bags

    Invest in creating 1-2 sample bags for each theme and price point. These will serve as your portfolio and help set expectations with clients.

    5. Set Up Simple Systems

    Even small businesses need organization:

    • Create a basic order form for clients to fill out
    • Develop a pricing calculator spreadsheet
    • Establish a timeline (require orders 7-10 days in advance)
    • Set up a simple booking calendar

    6. Market Your Service

    Focus on where parents of young children spend their time:

    • Join local parenting Facebook groups
    • Partner with party venues and bakeries (offer commission)
    • Create an Instagram account showcasing your creations
    • Offer referral discounts to existing customers

    7. Deliver A Special Experience

    The key to growth is exceeding expectations:

    • Include a thank you note with every order
    • Add small surprise upgrades occasionally
    • Request testimonials and photos from satisfied customers
    • Follow up after parties for feedback
  • A Side Hustle Creating Hanging Flower Baskets

    A Side Hustle Creating Hanging Flower Baskets

    Hanging baskets offer a perfect blend of beauty and practicality, transforming any space with cascading flowers and lush greenery while requiring minimal floor space.

    The problem most people encounter when buying hanging flower baskets from big garden centers is that they are all the same and boring. It’s hard to add dimension to a patio or front porch when every hanging basket you see has either Marigolds or Lobelias in them.

    They also tend to be fairly expensive to buy, with some baskets pushing $50.

    If you have a green thumb, creating your own hanging flower baskets could be an enjoyable way to earn a few extra dollars.

    Your advantage

    If you want to venture down this side hustle, use creativity and uniqueness to your advantage. When putting together a flower basket, cater the flowers (as best you can) to the location where they are going.

    What flowers would get best with the patio furniture?

    This patio only gets partial sun, why flowers would got best here?

    How could an hanging basket accent this path?

    By creating something special, you can make a name for yourself and set yourself a part from the big garden centers.

    Create the baskets on demand

    To avoid unnecessary expenses and the added work of watering and maintaining flower baskets you wish to sell, create the basket once you get an order.

    It does mean that you’ll need to make a trip to the garden center to buy some flowers each time, so there is a little extra overhead in that regard.

    You may want to have a small inventory of hanging baskets on hand. Most garden centers get a limited supply during the summer months, and once they are gone, they are gone. Having some on hand means you’ll just need to get dirt and flowers for your finished product.

    Pricing

    A few things to keep in mind when you think about how much to charge.

    1. Consider the costs of the physical hanging pot, flowers and dirt as well as your time to create the product.
    2. You could add a discount if multiple pots are ordered to split travel time between each item.
    3. If you are delivering the final product, make sure you also add that time into your final price.

    Two Side Hustles?

    Once you have a customer base, you could also offer to water their flowers while they are out of town for a summer vacation. If they have invested in their garden, they won’t want it to dry out in the summer heat.

  • Start a Ikea Furniture Assembly Side Hustle

    Start a Ikea Furniture Assembly Side Hustle

    People love their Ikea furniture. They don’t always love putting it together. Especially if you decide to furnish an entire apartment is one shot.

    Assembling Ikea is also a low cost side hustle to start, as most of the time you just need a multi-head screw driver, although getting a drill with the proper bits will make you far more effcient. The biggest challenge will be transportation, as you’ll be assembling furniture in people’s homes or offices.

    Still skeptical? There’s a company called TaskRabbit that is the official construction partner for Ikea.

    Getting Started on your Own

    If you want to start out on your own it make take a while to get a little traction until you get your name out there. Start with posting a flyer at your local community centre, church, coffee shop, or anywhere that has a bulletin board for local businesses.

    Even putting together a classified ad in the local newspaper or go digital and post something on Craiglist or Facebook.

    When someone reaches out, ask what pieces from Ikea they need help with, and you can research how much to quote them for assembly.

    Ikea posts all their instruction manuals online, so that’ll give you an idea of how big the project will be. TaskRabbit also gives assembly quotes online based on location. That tool can also give you a rough guide for how much to charge.

    When providing a cost estimate, also factor in transportation time and cost. If it’s going to take you 30 minutes to get there and back, make sure to factor in that hour of time into your estimate.

    Starting out with TaskRabbit

    TaskRabbit is the Uber for handymen or handywomen. A homeowner needs a task done, it connects them with someone with the skills to get it done.

    With TaskRabbit you get the benefit of a larger platform bringing potential clients to you. But TaskRabbit also has a service fee on top of your costs, making things more expensive for the client.

    They do have a $25 signup fee, and require background checks as part of the process to get on their platforms.

    For what it’s worth, we are not affiliated with TaskRabbit. As they are the assembly partner for Ikea, it is important to note it as an option.

    No harm in doing both

    If you want to make a little extra money assembling Ikea furniture, there is no harm advertising directly for clients and doing TaskRabbit.

    Tools

    Bare minimum, make sure you have a multi-head screwdriver with a ratcheting head. It’ll make things quicker for you.

    Consider investing in a drill with screwdriver bits. Your wrists and forearms will thank you. It’ll also make you significantly faster.

  • Watering Gardens as a side hustle

    Watering Gardens as a side hustle

    Consider yourself lucky if you have a green thumb. Many people try, but just can’t seem to make things click when it comes to their gardens. Take advantage of this skill and earn a little extra money on the side.

    Planting a garden in the summer is a lot of work. The summer is also when most people leave on vacation for extended periods of time, putting those beautiful flowers of drying up under the hot summer sun.

    This creates a perfect opportunity to water garden beds and planters while people are out of town.

    Getting Started

    To get started with your garden watering side hustle, it’s just a matter of getting your name out there. Start out with your local communities. Post a flyer on the bulletin board at your community center, church, the local coffee shop or any other place that has a community bulletin.

    Once you start, and do a good job, chances are word of mouth will be your best marketing tool.

    Gear

    Watering gardens when people are out of town is a great way to earn some extra money because it requires very little investment to get going.

    Chances are you can use the watering can where every you are going. If you are worried about the weight of some of the bigger watering cans or reaching up to the hanging planters, you could always bring your own watering wand with you.

    Things to think about

    Consider the area you want to cover. Even though you have a green thumb, do you want to be driving 15 minutes each way to water for 10 – 15 minutes. If you do, make sure you can price accordingly for your time. If you are in your local community, you can walk between houses giving you a little extra exercise each day.

    Pay attention to water restrictions: if it’s been a dry summer, pay attention to any water restrictions in place. Some municipalities only allow watering during certain days based on house number or during certain hours of the day. Make sure you ask first so you won’t be breaking any rules.

  • Starting a lawn services side hustle

    Starting a lawn services side hustle

    Typical suburban homes have a lawn. Lawns need to be mowed to stay in-line with city bylaws, Home Owner Association rules, and to just be a good neighbor.

    The challenge some people have is that during the summer, they are away for weeks at a time and need someone to take care of their yard. Or they are just too busy as it is and would rather pay someone to do it for them on a weekly basis.

    While the cost to have your lawn mowed varies based on location and size, the price range could be anywhere from $30 to over $100.

    Could this be the right side hustle for you?

    If you already have a lawn mower a trimmer you have everything you need to start. With just those two items, you could focus on your neighborhood and walk to the houses you are looking after.

    If you have a vehicle to help you out, you can expand the ares you can work in, but you’ll also want to factor in travel time and fuel costs if you are going more than a few minutes down the road.

    What about a blower? A blower definitely makes clean up easier and quicker, but it isn’t required to start. A simple broom is all you need to sweep of sidewalks at the start. Once you have established some clients and money is flowing in, then you can invest in a blower.

    Starting Out

    When you are first starting out, see if there are some low cost or free ways to get your name out there. You could post a flyer on a bulletin board at the local community center, church or even some grocery stores have local advertising. You could also drop off flyers to peoples mail boxes in your community to start to get your name out there.

    From a scheduling standpoint, plan your first few clients around your current commitments. If you have a 9-5 plan for nights or weekends.

    Think about safety gear

    If you are going to be operating lawn equipment for extended periods of time, it would be worth with to invest in some eye and ear protection.

    Lawn mowers, trimmers and blowers all produce a lot of nice, and extended exposure can result in hearing loss. Consider buying some ear protection, like these safety ear muffs from Dewalt. For under $25 it’s an investment worth making.

    Plenty of debris can be produced when mowing a lawn. Always make sure you have eye protection as well. These 3M safety glasses are a small investment to protect your vision

    Other things to think about

    Disposal: When mowing a lawn, setting your mower to mulch is the simplest as you won’t need to worry about disposing of grass clippings. If you do bag grass clippings you’ll need to get rid of them in a proper fashion. Some cities and towns have green bins, and if you are upfront about it, using your client’s bin might be an option. If not you’ll need to see how to properly dispose of them

    Insurance: As you’ll be working on other peoples property, you might want to look into having insurance for incidental accidents. Things like if your mower accidentally clips an underground sprinkler head. Having some insurance on your side in case something big happens might remove some stress from your shoulders

    Maintenance: Since you’ll be using your equipment more than you normally would, it’ll wear down quicker. Look into how often and how much it’ll cost service your lawn mower, then add a portion of that to your prices.

    Gas vs. Electric: If you are doing multiple homes in a row, a gas powered mower is likely your best option. If you go battery powered, it’s probably best that you have a back up battery or two available so you don’t end up without power and have an unfinished job to do.

    Noise By-Laws: Be aware of local noise by-laws. Some municipalities have noise by-laws in place that prevent mowing lawns after certain times of the day. While others have effectively banned gas powered blowers based on noise levels. Don’t get in trouble with the city or an Home owners association because of noise.