So, you want to start a lawn mowing business in New Zealand. How do you do it?

Why, then, might you be drawn towards launching a business that provides grass cutting and/or other aspects of lawn maintenance? 

Here are some of the aspects that make this type of business so distinctive: 

• You don’t need any specific licences or qualifications to go into lawn mowing as a business. You will, though, need to comply with all relevant New Zealand laws. 
• It’s ideal for “outdoorsy” types. If, like John, you feel “at one” with the great outdoors, the wind blowing through your hair, facing whatever the weather is throwing at you, this role could be your calling. 
• As far as job security goes, it’s right up there. There is no shortage of lawns in and around Auckland for John to potentially get mowing – the recurring demand is there. That means a lawn mowing business can be a source of stable and predictable income. 
• It can be a great route to becoming your own boss. As a self-employed lawn mower, you’ll largely get to choose your own hours. Yes, self-motivation and discipline will be essential for success. But if you’re feeling constrained in your present role, running your own lawn care business can unlock a lot of freedom. 
• The start-up costs aren’t too daunting. You only really need a shoestring budget to begin cutting grass for a living. Sure, you’ll need the lawn mower, and some advertising to start spreading the word about your services. But in a world in which it might seem like every business idea has scary start-up costs, launching a lawn mowing business has a relatively shallow entry point. 

There are, of course, some potential drawbacks to going into business as a lawn care provider. Those include: 

• The seasonal nature of lawn mowing. Demand for lawn mowing services tends to be greatest during the spring and summer, and drops off during the winter. Of course, wintry conditions might restrict the times you can mow your clients’ lawns anyway. So, you should consider how you might supplement your income during the colder months, such as by offering wider garden maintenance services. 
• Mowing lawns is tough, physical work. It might not seem this way when you’re giving the grass a quick trim at home, but doing lawn mowing as a business can be physically punishing. You could find yourself doing a lot of it during hot summer and chilly winter days, possibly including heavy lifting. To underline what we said above – this is definitely a line of work for “outdoorsy” types who can deal with being sweaty and cold. 
• You need to be responsible in your use of chemicals. Lawn care often involves the use of various chemicals, such as fertilisers, herbicides, and insecticides. So, if you will be using products like the weedkiller Roundup, you will need to know how to use them safely, to protect yourself and your clients.

Let’s turn to our eager grass-cutting dad, John. He decides to take the following steps to make his dream of owning a lawn-mowing business a reality. 

Step 1: Putting together a business plan

The business plan that you write for your first ever lawn mowing business doesn’t need to be overly complicated. In fact, a simple plan — written on a single sheet of paper — will help focus your attention on getting your development path right. You can then edit this plan over time. 

Still, you will need to answer some basic, but important questions. How much money are you hoping to make from your lawn care business? What hours and lifestyle do you aspire to? Do you wish to focus on a small geographical area, or serve households further afield? 

John prepares a relatively simple business plan to begin with. He decides to initially focus his grass-cutting business in and around Bayswater and nearby areas of the North Shore. 

Step 2: Seeking mentorship 

Lawn care and maintenance is the kind of industry in which there are already a lot of great and successful businesses. You might not be experienced in running a lawn mowing business yet, but you can learn directly from someone who is. How, you may ask? Well, you could seek out a mentor to guide you on how things are done in exchange for assistance with their projects. If you don’t know anyone in the field, you could work for someone else’s lawnmowing business for a bit and learn all the ropes. 

Sure enough, John realises the value that mentoring could have for him. After discussing the idea with his wife, he is reminded of an old school friend who has entered and gained some success in the lawn mowing industry. 

So, he re-establishes contact and offers to help with his old friend’s current projects. Before long, he is learning firsthand about pricing, appointment scheduling, equipment handling, and all manner of hacks for running a lawn maintenance business. 

Step 3: Deciding on a structure for the lawn mowing business 

You basically have two choices for getting your lawn care business going in earnest: starting your business from scratch, or buying into a franchise. 

If you decide to buy a franchise, you can save time you’d otherwise have to invest in establishing your business’s image and reputation. You might also be able to tap into the franchise’s existing client base. 

Franchise agreements can be complicated, though. So, if you’re tempted by this path, make sure you fully understand your rights and obligations before you commit.  

The other potential approach – starting your grass-cutting business from scratch – can be super challenging as well. After all, the burden of dealing with business issues, tax planning, and employment regulations, will be very much on you. 

If you decide to start from scratch, you’ll need to determine what legal structure to go with for your business. These naturally have their pros and cons. 

Our lawn-mowing dad, John, considers models such as a company or partnership. Eventually, he decides to start out as a sole trader. This means he will be the only one responsible for his business – the business’s finances, liabilities, and legal matters will be his personal responsibility. But he’s prepared for that. 

Step 4: Registering the lawn mowing business 

So, John’s confident that he’s got the right structure for his lawn care business — and hopefully, you will be sure about your own choice. 

Next, it will be time to get your New Zealand Business Number (NZBN), or register your business with the New Zealand Companies Office. 

If you decide in favour of registering a company for your lawn mowing business, and do so, you will be automatically assigned an NZBN. But if you instead decide to be self-employed (a sole trader) or choose a partnership, you can apply for an NZBN online. 

Naturally, our sole trader John applies for his NZBN online. To do this, he needs a few items on hand, including proof of his identity and the IRD number used by his business. It’s an easy application process that also won’t cost him a thing. 

With that done, he also takes his chance to register a .nz domain name, for a discounted price of $20 for the first year. He’s checked the fine print, and he’ll be renewing it for $35 a year from here on in — that’s something you also need to be alert to. 

John uses his initials to keep his domain name short, simple, and memorable, with a mention of lawn mowing and the North Shore — the target locality for his business.

Step 5: Purchasing or hiring grass-cutting equipment 

Starting a lawn mowing business isn’t just about cutting the grass with your own mower. In fact, for business purposes, you might not want to use that ordinary domestic mower at all. 

This is certainly what John quickly realises. Having done his research, he learns that a commercial lawn mower will last a lot longer than the domestic mower he needs to save for his own lawn. 

He knows that a commercial mower can stand up to much heavier use over time. Furthermore, while the upfront cost is higher than a domestic model, his productivity in business will help cover such extra expenditure over time. 

Step 6: Investing in suitable tool storage 

A locked van can be an excellent place to store your business’s lawn mowing equipment while you’re “on the go” from one job to the next. 

John recognises this — he has spent a lot on his valuable tools, and he would rather not have to leave fuel containers and other equipment sitting on a ute deck while he is attending a client’s lawn. So, he invests in a set of wheels that does the job — a used van for $8,000. 

Step 7: Arranging insurance for the lawn mowing business 

If you’re skilled and confident in lawn care, you might feel you can “get away with” having only the most basic insurance in place. 

And sure, it may be rare for anything to go wrong. But if it does go wrong, the resulting high legal costs could threaten the end of your small business. 

Being “only” a sole trader — and relatively flush with cash from his desk job — John decides to go with “just” public liability insurance, motor vehicle insurance and general property insurance for now. He’s confident to take out other insurance policies a little later. 

There are various forms of insurance that can be relevant to those starting a lawn mowing business. The likes of business interruption insurance, business vehicle insurance, and employer’s liability insurance are available, and can help give protection and peace of mind. 

The types of insurance that you should go for when setting up a lawn care business, and their cost, will depend on a range of factors. These will include your business size (turnover) and the number of employees or contractors your business uses, as well as the specific types of work you carry out. 

If you’re on a tight budget and anxious to avoid putting yourself (and your business) at unnecessary risk, reach out to an insurance broker. They’ll help you prioritise the elements of cover you truly need.  

Step 8: Marketing the business 

We’ve come a long way since the days when someone might have simply promoted their grass-cutting services by arranging letter box drops with advertising flyers, encouraging “word of mouth,” and making sure they were in the Yellow Pages. 

Now, many of those “old-school” methods are irrelevant or non-existent. However, the importance of gradually and diligently building up one’s client base remains as great as ever. 

In today’s highly digital world, at the very least, you will need to give your lawn maintenance business a Facebook presence, and a website with a landing page, to be developed further later. So, that’s precisely what John arranges to begin with, too – the perfect foundation for his business’s later success. 

Step 9: Using current clients to build income 

For any still-young business, the existing client base is an extremely precious resource. John realises this; it’s why he’s adding messages at the end of invoices, handing out his business cards whenever he can, and has even begun developing an alluring referral benefit system. 

His hard work is already paying off, with some of his clients recommending his services to their friends and family. All of a sudden, his client base is on the up, and he is firmly on his way. 

Optional step: Taking on additional staff 

For now, John is confident that he can cater to his Bayswater and North Shore clientele on his own and isn’t looking to hire additional personnel. 

You, however, might have different ideas. Recruiting some capable employees could help your lawn maintenance business grow even faster than the grass you’ll be cutting. 

Remember, though, that becoming an employer in New Zealand will mean you have certain legal and tax obligations. Indeed, whether you do or don’t employ someone straight away, you will need to be vigilant about adhering to all local business regulations.

If you employ someone, make sure your business complies with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, which may include risk assessments and safety training.

Are you inspired to get started setting up your NZ lawn mowing business? If so, browse our tools, guides, and other resources at JumpStarter to help you do exactly that. We’re all about supporting you and helping you realise your hopes and dreams!