Yard Maintenance

Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000
Home Based: Can be operated from home.
Part Time: Can be operated part-time.
Franchises Available? Yes
Online Operation? No

Offer clients a host of yard and property cleanup and maintenance services by starting a general yard maintenance service. Cut grass, provide rubbish removal, trim trees and hedges, and offer lawn aeration and garden tilling. Concentrate your marketing efforts on securing customers who are prepared to sign up for regular service, and offer financial incentives to persuade them to do so. On average, you should have no problem charging in the range of $15 to $30 per hour.

The Market

Providing you offer great service, and because yard maintenance can be hard work, there should be no shortage of homeowners prepared to part with a few dollars per month to have their yards professionally maintained and kept in tiptop condition. If you will be operating in northern climates, offer leaf raking in the fall and snow clearing and de-icing services in the winter for a year-round operation.

Needed Equipment

You'll need a truck to transport your equipment from one client's house to another, but assuming you already own a truck, most of the equipment needed to operate a yard maintenance service is relatively inexpensive; to keep start-up costs to a minimum, equipment such as mowers, tillers, leaf blowers, and weed eaters can be purchased secondhand or rented on an as-needed basis until you have earned enough to buy them.