If you are thinking of starting slow with a niche in a specific market,
you can start the business using only the basic equipment. Here is a list of
some basic equipment you will need during your startup phase:
- Blower
- Line Trimmer
- Hedge Trimmer
- Commercial mower
- Hand Tools
- Truck or some type of transportation such as pick-up truck
- Trailer
- Edgers
- Handtools (rakes, shovels, broom, etc.)
- Chainsaws
- Safety equipment include googles and gloves
However, as your business grows, you can begin to offer more services,
and more services often means more equipment. Additional equipment you will
need:
- Riding mowers
- Skid steer loaders
- Bed edging materials
- Water features
- All types of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides,
fertilizer/pesticide combinations
- Snow and ice removal tools
One common mistake of lawn care and landscaping business is to buy (or
rent) too much equipment. Too often businesses get equipment on impulse
without looking at their financial or operational plan (if any). Experts
recommend that your equipment should be busy and billable 30-50 percent of
the time.
The question you’ll be faced with regards to equipment is when to buy and
when to rent. Consider buying the equipment when your company will use it 50
percent of the year or more. Some businesses decide by looking at the number
of jobs they need to have in order to pay for the tool – and then make the
decision if they can pay for it in a year. Prepare a financial plan, and
calculate how much revenue a tool represent and only buy those tools and
equipment that can bring the payback in a short time.
Renting equipment on the other hand allows you more control and
flexibility in your inventory. Renting is also a smart first step in
deciding whether you need to buy the equipment as it allows you the
flexibility to try out different makes of equipment to decide the brand and
model you would like to purchase. For a start-up business or when
introducing a new service, renting your equipment (at least for the first
season) makes a lot of sense as it allows you to test the business without
the huge investment required for a brand new equipment.
Tools in the business also include software and equipment you can use to
improve the efficiency and productivity of your operations. Examples
include:
- GPS truck routing and tracking to reduce fuel costs, increase
productivity and see where your trucks have been and at what time
- Contact management system to keep track of your customers and their
information
- Scheduling and routing programs to help you find the most efficient
routes in order to save time and money and cut fuel costs. It also helps
you manage your appointments and to set appointment times and dates
