College Money

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An excellent way for college students to make money over the summer is to perform basic lawn care.  Most college students have mowed a lawn or two in their lifetime.

By starting a lawn care service you can rake in an income for summer spending or back to school needs this fall. A lawn care business is an ideal way for a college student to make money. For one thing, it can easily be done in the summer when most people are practically desperate to get someone to cut their lawns for them.

Also, with a lawn care business,you get paid everyday! How’s that for putting money in your pockets? Not only that, it’s easy to start and easy to expand. No need for a lot of equipment. You can begin your business with 1 mower and work alone, or when business picks up, you can hire a crew of some of your college friends or some kids from your neighborhood.

Also, by starting this lucrative summer time service, which by the way pays anywhere between $35-$80 and hour, you never have to look for a help wanted sign again! You will be your own boss and have the freedom to work when you want.

Click here for your ultimate source for everything you need to know to start and run a successful lawn care business. This guide will teach you how to bid, give you marketing ideas, and let you in on many other professional techniques that WORK! Plus, it includes professional and easy to use forms and letters you can customize to your business. Just some of the forms you get below:

1. Bill of Sale – Comes in handy.
2. Daily Expense Log – Track purchases by date, purpose, purchased from, payment type , and cost.
3. Daily Income Log – You won’t lose track of your money with one of these.
4. Servicing Equipment – This form will keep track of what needs to be serviced when.
5. Lawn Care Receipts – Always keep track of everything. This form makes it easier than you expect.
6. Lawn Maintenance Agreements – Need a yearly contract with your customer? This agreement will do the job.
7. Employment Applications – Employment applications you can customize.
8. Customer Referral Letters – Encourage your customers to refer your professional services to others.
9. Prospect Letters – Pick up new Residential and Commercial customers using these proven mailings.
10.  Past Due Letters – There is a right and wrong way to ask for your money!
11. Sample Classified Ads – Use these in your local newspapers to pull in new business.
12. Credit Request Letters – Request credit from suppliers fast and easy with these already written letters.
13. Estimate Worksheets – Use these to stay within your budget for your many jobs.
14. Flyers – You can customize these and hand them out everywhere to get business!

Click here for more forms for your lawn care business.

With the exception of the city, most places around the country have an abundance of grass so finding a summer gig doing lawn care won’t be a problem.  It doesn’t have to be all about mowing grass, here is a list of additional services, which if you are familiar with how to do them, you can go ahead and include them in your business.

Lawn mowing

Seeding or Laying Sod

Prune and Trim Trees

Clearing Lots

General Landscaping

Raking

Aerating And Fertilizing

Plant Trees

Leaf Blowing

Planting Flowers/Shrubs

Tree Removal

Compost Piles

First and foremost, you can make money but it will depend on where you live, the number and size of the lots/yards you acquire, how many clients you want to take on. The number of services you are able to provide will increase the earning potential.

You can charge an hourly rate.  However, a better way to go, for a number of reasons, is to offer a free estimate and decide on a price once you see the job.  I will show you why.  Let’s say you’re at the house for an estimate to mow and whack weeds; maybe you spot another odd job they hadn’t planned to hire you for.  So you say something like, “TO MOW AND WHACK WOULD BE $35  HOWEVER IF YOU WANT ME TO TACKLE (FILL IN THE BLANK) I COULD DO IT ALL FOR $50.”

Perhaps point out what an eye sore (fill in the blank) is.  If you are more comfortable charging an hourly rate here are a few examples by locale: San Francisco $25 – $40 per hour; Chicago $15 – $20 per hour; Cincinnati $25 – $35; Louisville $15 – $20; Orlando $15 – $25 per hour; Washington DC $25 – $35.

Once you decided in favor of a lawn care business, all you need is a marketing plan, which, because you’re a college student, you’ll want to do quite cheaply.

Lawn Care Marketing on Steroids: “Give Me Just 30 Days And I’ll Show You How To Quickly And Easily Double The Profits From Your Lawn Care Business!” It’s so simple. Just follow this proven plan (the same plan I used for my own amazing results), and then just sit back and wait for the new clients (and profits) to come rolling in. Click here for more!

One thing that you can do is make up fliers to distribute throughout your neighborhood (or the targeted area), go door to door to meet – greet – solicit, put an ad in the local newspaper, a free online ad, at www.craigslist.org a few other free sites you may not be familiar with are www.backpage.com, www.oodle.com, http://yodle.com, and www.classifieds.myspace.com (check to see if they advertise in your area).

Moreover have professional business cards printed; what about one of those 8”x11”car door magnets, or window decals to help get the word out?  A fun way to catch people’s attention is to use novelty promotional items with your name and number; you know like pens, pencils, notepads, etc.

Here is a good place to find some cool products at closeout prices http://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/sale.htm otherwise do a Google search.

As a college student offering this kind of service during your summer vacation is a great money making idea – the business is there for the taking. You can make money from this. Just be as creative as you can – people may hire you on that alone.