Caring for Lawns
Our Side Hustles Breakdown
We highly recommend lawncare or caring for lawns as a side hustle. It is excellent to earn extra income while working outdoors and staying active. Lawn care involves maintaining lawns by mowing, trimming, fertilizing, and other tasks to keep them healthy and attractive. It involves physical labor and some initial investment in equipment.
Cons
- Physical Demands: Lawn care can be physically demanding, requiring lifting, bending, and working outdoors.
- Equipment Costs: Starting a lawn care side hustle may require an initial investment in tools and equipment.
- Seasonal Work: Demand for lawn care services can vary by season, which may result in inconsistent income.
Pros
- Consistent Demand: Lawn care services are always needed, providing consistent earning opportunities.
- Outdoor Work: Lawn care allows you to work outdoors and stay active.
- Repeat Business: Satisfied customers often require regular maintenance, leading to repeat business.
Do you enjoy caring for lawns?
If so, don’t waste that talent. Believe it or not, you can make a living out of it. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to make money caring for lawns.
This guide will show you how to turn this passion into a side hustle and start earning money through it.
An Overview of Caring for Lawns: A Primer
Caring for lawns is a fun way to make some extra cash while working outdoors. It entails plenty of manual labor.
Lawn care services include:
- Grass clipping
- Pruning trees
- Mowing the lawn
- Trimming hedges
- Extended Weed control
- Lawn fertilization
- Applying lawn treatments
- Ensuring grass growth
- Aeration for mosquito control
- Disease control
- Insect control
Lawn care is about ensuring the lawn’s health. Clients will hire you to give them a beautiful and enjoyable lawn. That requires you to have enough knowledge about grass types and their requirements.
You should also be able to help the warm-season lawn and other greenery survive the weather challenges in your area.
How Much Can Caring for Lawns Earn You?
Caring for lawns can make you money if you have what it takes. The more you know about the types of grass and how to maintain a lush and healthy lawn, the more projects you’ll take. That translates into more money.
The average hourly wage for lawnmowers ranges between $19 and $25. That means you can earn between $30,000 and $100,000 a year.
Your earnings depend on the services you provide, your skills, and your relations. That allows you to take on larger projects and turn this side hustle into a business.
How Much Does it Cost to Start a Side Hustle Caring for Lawns?
Starting a lawncare business doesn’t require a fortune. You only need to consider some aspects, such as:
Licenses
Whether you need a license to start a lawn care business depends on the services you offer. Generally speaking, you don’t need any special license for lawn care per se.
You only need a license if you provide pest control, apply chemical treatments, or use special equipment and machinery.
Equipment
That’s the most important aspect to consider when setting your budget. The equipment you need depends on the lawn care services you offer.
When you offer a large variety of services, you can take on huge projects. That requires more sophisticated supplies and equipment.
The basic tools are a lawnmower, a trimmer, and a leaf blower. A standard lawnmower with a walk-behind design can cost $3000 on average. Meanwhile, a trimmer will cost you around $100–$400, and a leaf blower around $400.
Insurance
You should consider insurance that covers any damage or injuries. Caring for lawns isn’t a dangerous job, but that doesn’t mean that damage or injuries won’t occur. Choose a basic insurance plan that covers accidents.
Maintenance
Include equipment maintenance in your budget. Even the most simple equipment needs routine maintenance.
How often you perform maintenance depends on your workload. In all cases, don’t overlook this aspect when setting your budget.
Where Can You Find Caring for Lawns Gigs?
You can get lawncare gigs individually through your acquaintances and friends. You can also reach a wider clientele via gig economy companies
Where to Independently Find Caring for Lawns Work
You can get lawncare jobs individually through various venues, such as:
Local ads
You usually find local ads in bookstores, supermarkets, or even bus stops. That can be a good place to start.
Not only can you post your services in one of those ads, but you can also find ads for people looking to hire someone to care for their lawns.
Word of Mouth
Word of mouth can be one of the most effective marketing tools. If all your friends and relatives know about your side gig, they can get you jobs.
Do every job you take with passion, and the results will certainly attract more clients.
Social Media
Use your personal space to market your business. Treat your small side gig as a business on its own. You can even name it to show people how serious you are about it.
We know that naming a lawncare business may be challenging, but surfing enough articles should get you plenty of ideas.
Gig Economy Companies That Offer Caring for Lawns Work
You can expand your circle by creating professional accounts on gig economy platforms. Here are some websites to check out:
Lawn Love
Create an account on Lawnlove and browse lawncare job listings on its website or mobile app. It targets independent lawn pros and handles the entire process. It even scans applicants to check if they have the necessary skills and equipment.
Lawnlove connects lawn care experts with clients and even manages the payment. You get a match, agree, do the job, and receive your money within 72 hours.
ZipRecruiter
Find lawncare gigs on ZipRecruiter with the hourly wage, task, and location specified. It’s a user-friendly platform that allows you to browse listings for the job that suits you.
All you need to do is type the job you want in the search bar and choose the city. The website shows you all the matching jobs in your area.
Why You Should Consider Caring for Lawns As a Side Hustle
Caring for lawns can be a great side hustle. Here are some of the advantages:
- High Flexibility: You can set your schedule, pace, and location. You can choose the job you wish to do and the client you like to work with.
- Excellent Profit: You can make excellent profit from this job. Making more money depends on your knowledge, skills, and work capacity.
- No Degree Required: You don’t have to be a lawn care expert to make money. It’s a relatively simple job. You don’t need a special degree for it.
Problems With Caring for Lawns
Here are some of the cons of caring for lawns as a side hustle:
- Inconsistent Demand: The demand for lawncare differs by season. That doesn’t guarantee you a steady income throughout the year.
- High upfront costs: Getting the best equipment can be expensive. If you don’t plan it right, you can find yourself requiring a loan.
- Fierce Competition: You’re not the only independent lawncare pro. It’s a common job that doesn’t demand much experience and knowledge, so there’s plenty of competition to consider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out our frequently asked questions for more answers:
Is Caring for Lawns a Good Side Hustle?
Yes, caring for lawns is a good side hustle that can make you an excellent profit. It’s also very flexible and doesn’t require you to have much knowledge or experience. You’ll have to invest in some cutting-edge equipment, but it’s all worth it.
Is Lawncare in High Demand?
Yes, lawncare is in high demand nationwide, although this demand varies according to the location and the season. Many house owners demand different lawn services consistently to get their dull lawns greener.
