4 Tips for Choosing New Equipment for a Lawn Care Company

4 Tips for Choosing New Equipment for a Lawn Care Company

Running a lawn care business can be a lucrative enterprise. For one thing, there’s never any shortage of potential customers. For another, it’s a business with somewhat low barriers to entry. One of those barriers is gathering the equipment necessary to serve customers. Intense competition in the market means simply having any old lawnmower won’t do. Here are four tips on choosing the right new equipment for your lawn care company.

1. Consider Total Cost of Ownership

As it often is, cost is one of the most important factors influencing your lawn care equipment choice. So, the first thing you’ll need to do is set a budget for your equipment purchases. After all, the best equipment is the equipment your business can afford. However, remember that you’ll need to calculate the total cost of ownership of your choices.

As you think about the costs involved, remember that the equipment you buy is a long-term investment. Professional lawn care equipment often eventually gets sold secondhand. That makes looking into resale value important as you weigh your choices. It may mean that the cheapest possible option on the market turns out to be the wrong one for your long-term business strategy.

2. Think About Capacity Needs

Next, you should think about the demand you anticipate for your business. Ideally, you need sufficient equipment to meet your demand. You want any lawnmower, edger, or other gear you buy to be in use with as little downtime as possible. However, you shouldn’t try to plan for zero downtime. It’s essential to account for necessary maintenance and repair. If you don’t have backup equipment available, your business might end up a breakdown away from a breached contract with a customer.

3. Consider Brand Reputation

If you’re accustomed to consumer lawn care equipment, it’s a good idea to research the well-known names in the commercial market. You may not realize that some of the top commercial lawn care equipment manufacturers have names you’re unfamiliar with. It’s worth doing this research in advance so you don’t simply buy equipment with a name you recognize. That could lead to needless expenditures that harm your bottom line.

4. Find a Reputable Dealer

Finally, you must take care to purchase the equipment you choose from a reputable dealer. You will likely depend on your dealer for your maintenance and repair needs. Even if you don’t, you’ll likely need their help sourcing parts for your equipment in the future. Therefore, you should avoid making purchase decisions based on who offers the best price alone. As the old saying goes, you’ll get what you pay for.

A Well-Equipped Lawn Care Business

If you heed the tips above, you should end up with the exact right equipment for your lawn care business’s needs. It should come with the right mix of affordability, longevity, and utility. Then, it’ll be up to you to turn those machines into money-earners. With enough hard work and patience, doing that should be no problem for any willing entrepreneur. Investing in new equipment for your lawn care company will have a large impact on your company’s profitability.