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.