What to Include when Writing a Winning Business Plan.

Why do you need a business plan?

Here are a few reasons why having a lawn Mowing business plan is a good idea:

• It is a method for you and your team to understand your objectives.
• It keeps you organised and on track with your plans.
• It assists you in preparing for future problems because you have already considered them.
• It provides vital information to banks, investors, and other financial backers.

Creating a business plan should be your first step if you’re starting out in the lawn care industry. It will assist you in making the best use of your time and money during the startup process.

This will help you plan for the future you want to achieve, especially if it is a long-term goal.

The cover page and table of contents

If you’re writing a lawn care business plan to get funding, you’ll need to include the following information:

A cover page includes your company’s logo, address, contact information, and your name and role in the company. It should also clearly state the “business plan”, so the reader knows what they’re looking at.

A table of contents shows readers what’s in the business plan. This allows them to skip ahead if they’re looking for a specific section.

You can skip this step if you’re writing a simple lawn care business plan for yourself that’s only a few pages long.

Executive summary

The executive summary briefly summarises your lawn mowing startup business plan. It quickly introduces your company to readers and tells them what they can expect from your strategy.

Your executive summary may include the following information:

• Background and history of the company
• Statements of vision and mission
• Fundamental principles
• Business objectives
• Your advantage in the marketplace

Keep your executive summary to one page or less, especially if your business plan is already quite brief. If you’re writing a 1-2-page plan, make it even shorter.

Outline Your Services and Pricing Structure

Lawn mowing services list

Next, list the lawn care services you’ll provide and how frequently you’ll provide them. The services you provide may be influenced by factors such as:

• Your assets and equipment, which you own or can rent
• The services and prices offered by your competitors
• The services your customers require and the prices they are willing to pay
• There is a market demand for new or unusual lawn care services.
• Seasonal work leaf cleaning, etc.
• Your Lawn mowing business plan may include the following services:
• Lawn mowing
• Leaf removal and yard cleanup
• Pruning and trimming
• Weed management
• Mulching
• Hedge work

If you’re starting out, it’s a good idea to start with a few basic services and expand from there.

Lawn morning pricing

Now that you’ve determined your services and target market, it’s time to consider how you’ll price your services to achieve a healthy lawn mowing profit margin.

Your lawn care service pricing should consider all aspects of your business.

• To arrive at a price,
• What is your hourly rate? (with and without employee pay)
• Costs of overhead and equipment
• Costs of consumable materials (e.g., fuel, fertilizer)
• Any modifications for special services or materials
• Your gross profit margin
• All applicable taxes and fees

Define Your Target Market.

Market analysis

This section of your lawn mowing business plan will discuss your target market or ideal client. Take down information such as:

• Whether you’re looking for residential or commercial lawn care customers,
• How many ideal clients do you have in your area?
• Client demographics that are ideal (e.g., age, income, family status)
• Client requirements and desires that your company can meet
• What are your clients willing to pay for your services?
• Clients look for certain characteristics in a service provider (e.g., speed, quality, price)
• You must be aware of any industry rules or regulations.

You can also outline any industry trends you can take advantage of in your market analysis. Just ensure they’ll assist you in meeting your ideal client’s needs.

Competitor analysis

When you understand who your competitors are and why they are successful, you can fill any service gaps and make your own company a legitimate contender in your local market.

Determine your top five local competitors. These companies work with your ideal clients and offer similar services to yours. Your competitor analysis should include the following items:

• What services do your competitors provide?
• How much do they charge for services
• The size of their team
• How long have they been in business?
• How reliable and well-known their service business branding is
• Why would ideal clients choose them over you? (and vice versa)

Develop a Marketing and Advertising Strategy

Marketing and sales

When you understand who your competitors are and why they are successful, you can fill any service gaps and make your own company a legitimate contender in your local market.

Determine your top five local competitors. These are companies that work with your ideal clients and offer similar services to yours. Your competitor analysis should include the following items:

• What services do your competitors provide?
• How much do they charge for services
• The size of their team
• How long have they been in business?
• How reliable and well-known their service business branding is
• Why would ideal clients choose them over you? (and vice versa)

Estimate Startup Costs and Financials

Business Overview

A business overview provides readers with a bird’s-eye view of your company. Let’s look at some of the content in this section of your lawn company business plan:

Business Description: Create a summary of your company that includes what you do, where you do it, how you do it, and who you work with (i.e., residential or commercial clients).

Determine whether your company is a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or a limited liability company. Each type of business entity has its own set of rules, regulations, and tax requirements, so make a written record of your ownership structure.

Assets: Include any equipment you own that assists you in running your business. This includes items such as a lawn mower, trailer, garage, phones and computers, as well as any money invested in the business. You can also list any future equipment separately.

Startup costs: If you’re starting out, figure out any startup costs or expenses you’ll need to cover before you launch. This includes the abovementioned assets, office supplies, marketing materials, uniforms, payroll, and lawn care software.

Financial planning

The financial planning section connects the dots between your business goals and how much it’ll cost you to achieve them. This will help you build a profitable lawn care business.

The financial plan for your lawn care business should include the following:

• Lawn care business model overview
• Any existing or required startup funding
• Current loans (purpose, amount, length, interest rate)
• Overhead costs
• Sales forecast
• Balance sheet
• Profit-loss statements
• Cash flow statements
• Employee costs
• Budget for expenses
• Personal financial statement

Project all of your incoming and outgoing costs for the next year. If you want to go a step further, you can decide what that projection should look like in two, five, or even ten years.

Go into lots of detail if you’re applying for a grant or loan. If you have a bookkeeper, accountant, or another financial advisor, get their help with this business plan section.

You may need to include extra documents if you’re applying for a grant or bank funding. Add your resume, permits, credit history, photos of your work, or other documents in an appendix.

Plan for Growth and Expansion

• What is the end goal for your business?
• Do you want to expand and have more vehicles on the road?
• Do you want to build a lifestyle business?
• How many lawns do you want in 12 months
• How much turnover will you be aiming for?
• Have you got the necessary equipment for future growth?