Lawn and Garden Services Business Plan

The following sections will outline important financial information.

7.1 Start-up Funding

The owners are contributing a truck worth $3,500 as a long-term asset to the business, plus $1,500 cash toward purchasing the short-term assets needed (mowers, trimmers, safety equipment, etc.). In addition, we are seeking a loan of $11,000 to fund the rest of the start-up requirements. This loan will be backed by the Fescues’ equity in their home.

7.2 Important Assumptions

The following table highlights some important financial assumptions of Fescue & Sons.

7.3 Projected Balance Sheet

The following table indicates the projected balance sheet. As we retain earnings and repay the long-term loan, our net worth will increase from $1,200 at start-up to over $21,000 by year three.

7.4 Break-even Analysis

The Break-even Analysis indicates $3,830 is needed in monthly revenue to break even.

7.5 Projected Profit and Loss

The following table and charts show our projected profit and loss. After paying reasonable salaries, we will make a modest profit in the first year, with increasing profits in future years. Our gross margins will remain around 91 or 92%. Our largest expenses as a service business are payroll and payroll taxes.

7.6 Projected Cash Flow

The following chart and table show our projected cash flow. We will repay the loan over ten years (interest payments can be found in the Profit and Loss, above). The table also shows planned purchases of additional equipment as long-term assets in the second fiscal year.

7.7 Business Ratios

The following table outlines some of the more important ratios from the Lawn and Garden Services industry. The final column, Industry Profile, details specific ratios based on the industry as it is classified by the Standard Industry Classification (SIC) code, 0782.

The major difference between our ratios and the industry standard is in gross margin. The Lawn and Garden Service industry is labor intensive, and most businesses include manual labor expenses in their direct cost of sales. As a small, family-owned business without a large staff of workers, I am treating these as operating expenses, instead. If personnel costs are included, our gross margin in the first year falls around 23%, and by year three it is up around 32%, roughly the industry average.