Wildbend Funding Group, a small-business funding service in Newark, Ohio, helps Licking County, OH landscaping and lawn care companies compare equipment financing for mowers and trailers, lines of credit for uneven months, and term loans for buying a route. Revenue follows the work schedule, so structure matters. Each request goes to funding partners, who review it and make their own decision.
| Landscaping employers | 71 in Licking County, OH (CBP 2023) |
|---|---|
| Without payroll | 344 nonemployers (NES 2024) |
| Under 5 employees | 64.8% of employers |
| Common fits | Equipment, a line of credit |
A landscaper's year in cash terms
Lawn care and landscaping revenue depends on when the work can be done, and each owner's own records show the pattern. A company can spend before it earns: equipment repairs and replacements, a new trailer, insurance, and the first weeks of crew wages all land before the first round of invoices is paid. Commercial accounts may pay on 30- or 60-day terms, stretching that gap further.
Your own bank statements are the evidence a partner will use to see the pattern, so keep at least a full year of them handy.
Lawn care equipment financing
Zero-turn and stand-on mowers, trimmers, blowers, aerators, skid steers and enclosed trailers are financed through equipment financing, with the equipment as collateral. A landscaping equipment loan for a used mower is common; partners weigh hours, condition and brand resale. Dealer promotional financing on new mowers is worth comparing too, because it can beat other options for that one item.
For a deeper look at mower and trailer financing, including how to compare a dealer offer, read the post on lawn care equipment financing in Newark, Ohio. To estimate a payment first, use the equipment payment calculator.
A small business loan for landscaping crews and slow months
For the months when costs run ahead of payments, a business line of credit lets you draw for wages, fuel and repairs and repay as invoices are paid. A fixed working capital loan can work for a single known gap, such as the start of a large commercial contract. Partners will ask for a year of statements to see when deposits rise and fall.
Illustration only, with invented figures: a three-crew company spends about $21,000 on wages, fuel and repairs in the four weeks before its first commercial invoices clear. Drawing that amount on a line, then repaying it over the following two months from those invoices, means interest is paid only on what was used. Not an offer.
Hardscape and installation work
Companies that add patios, retaining walls and plantings to mowing take on a different cash pattern. Installation jobs can be larger, may need a deposit from the customer, and require stone, block and plants bought in advance. A compact track loader or mini excavator may be worth owning rather than renting once installation work is steady. Ask customers for deposits that cover materials, and keep installation receivables separate from maintenance billing when you show them to a partner.
How to buy a lawn care business in Licking County, OH
Buying an established route brings customers, equipment and sometimes crew members. Value it on the recurring accounts, not the equipment alone. Ask for the customer list with contract terms, revenue by account for two or more years, equipment ages and hours, and whether commercial contracts can be assigned to a new owner. A term loan plus buyer cash is the common structure; some sellers carry part of the price as a note.
- Check retention: what share of customers renewed last year?
- Check concentration: does one commercial account make up a large share of revenue?
- Check the equipment: hours and service records, so you are not buying a fleet due for replacement.
Landscaping in Licking County, OH: the numbers
Licking County, OH had 71 landscaping services employer establishments in 2023 (NAICS 561730), with about 429 paid employees, six per company by our arithmetic (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023; employee counts are noise-infused). 64.8% had fewer than five employees, and 21 had a ZIP 43055 address (U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023). Nonemployer Statistics 2024 counted 344 landscaping businesses with no payroll (U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024, NAICS 2022 code 56173), a separate program and year.
The Newark, OH business page has more local counts, and related trades are on the construction page and the industries page.
Landscaper files: what partners commonly look at
- A full year or more of bank statements
- Equipment quotes or listings, with hours for used items
- Commercial contracts, if they support the request
- Existing equipment loans and dealer financing
- For a purchase, the customer list and revenue by account
Requirements vary by partner and none publish fixed thresholds.
By Wildbend Funding Group · Updated