As a new lawn care business owner, one of the biggest questions you'll face is "How many lawns can I mow in a day?"
Knowing your daily mowing capacity is key to:
Without a good grasp of this number, you risk overcommitting and disappointing customers plus missing out on potential revenue.
In this blog post, we'll look at the factors that affect how many lawns you can mow in a day and provide some tips to help you maximize your productivity.
The time it takes to mow a lawn can vary widely depending on lots of different factors.
Obviously, bigger lawns will take more time than smaller ones, but you also need to think about the terrain (flat vs. hilly), obstacles like trees and landscaping, and the type of mowing equipment you're using.
On average, you can expect:
Using the right equipment and proper mowing techniques can help you mow more efficiently.
For example, a wide cutting deck and sharp blades allow you to cover more ground faster.
Planning an efficient mowing route with the right software can save you a ton of time.
So how many of those lawns can you realistically mow in a day? The number of productive mowing hours you have depends on things like:
As a rule of thumb, an experienced solo operator can mow 5-8 lawns per day, while a 2-3-person crew could handle 10-15 average-sized properties.
This is just an estimate to help you get started, so be sure to look at your own local area, equipment, and types of lawns you have when making your calculation.
If you overcommit yourself and risk disappointing clients with rushed, poor-quality mowing.
Make sure to set realistic expectations with your clients, especially during peak mowing seasons when demand is high.
Having a waitlist and scheduling a few weeks in advance can help smooth out your workload, but you want to be in a spot where you can take on new business when it presents itself to you.
So be sure to hire some additional crew members if you find yourself frequently overbooked and overwhelmed.
Once you've established a baseline for your daily mowing capacity, it's important to track real-world data on your job.
Here are a few of the things you should track:
Plus, take some time to look at this data to find pain points and areas for improvement.
Maybe you're underestimating mowing times for larger properties, or you might not be factoring in how long it takes to get to certain jobs.
Your data gives you insight that can help you make smart decisions about things like:
The more accurate your estimates, the better you can optimize your operations and profitability.
Pro Tip! Tracking mowing data with software like Service Autopilot makes this process much easier and can save you endless hours crunching numbers.
While having the right mowing equipment is important, technology can also play a big role in helping you squeeze more lawns into each day.
Routing software allows you to plan the optimal routes between job sites, saving time and fuel costs. Plus, it can factor in things like travel times and crew schedules.
By leveraging these types of tools, your crews can work more efficiently, reduce windshield time, and ultimately service more clients each day without sacrificing quality.
In addition to tracking data and using the right technology, having standardized processes in place can go a long way toward upping your answer to “How many lawns can I mow in a day?”
Defining and documenting these processes provides consistency across your crews.
It allows you to replicate your best practices as you grow instead of having everyone do things their own way.
Here are a few processes you should put in place for your crew:
Establish routines for properly maintaining all mowing equipment, including daily checks, refueling, blade sharpening, etc. Remember, breakdowns cause expensive delays.
Also, consider standardizing your fleets to further streamline in-shop repairs, maintenance, and training.
Plus, did you know you can use Service Autopilot’s FleetSharp integration to track vehicle and asset location and more?
Make sure all crew members are properly trained on mowing techniques, efficient processes, client service protocols, and using any technology/software tools.
Have standardized processes for lawn setup, mowing patterns, cleanups, documenting issues, client interactions, and job closeouts—instantly eliminating wasted time and rework.
As your lawn care business expands and you gain experience, you'll get better at estimating workload and finding how many lawns you and your crew can mow in a day.
As you grow, remember to:
Now, you have the answer to the question: “How many lawns can I mow in a day?”
Remember that upping the amount of clients you serve can take time.
Be patient, serve more of your community, and grow your business!
Related: Boost Profits With The Best Lawn Care Business App
Tags: Business Operation
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