Direction to go for second year lawn cutter?

[jay stortini]

Am heading into my second year with 25 weekly clients and hoping to double that this year.
Should I just focus on small residential for another year and purchase another good walk behind mower or do I struggle to purchase a mid grade zero turn and pick up a a few big lots that I could not do last year?
Thanks
Jay

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[Lawnboy18]

It depends on what you wan't to do!

Residential can brings lots of money if you have a few houses in a same spot. Don't need to travel.

 

[Lawnboy18]

Let me elaborate on this.

Firstly, you have to make sure that if you invest in a commercial grade ZTR (about 4-5K) it will be used enough to be payed in the years that it will last you (amortization).
Don't forget that if you go into commercial stuff, they are bigger and need more maintance. Leave clean ups will be longer, trimming might take more time and it goes on. Make sure that if you go into commercial mowing, you will want to also have enough time to do all of your residential accounts.

Secondly, you need insurance for this kind of stuff! A cracked windshield on a CEO's BMW will not be good. The same goes for that little pebble that flew into the employee's face (luckilly we are in Canada, so they cannot sue you for enormous amounts!)

So, what you should do is sit down an assess the situation. Calculate how much it will cost for a ZTR, insurance and whatever else you need to do those big commercial lots.
Then calculate how much it will you cost to invest a little more to be more productive in the residential area. My recommendation is get a person to work with you! Once you have this person, contracts can flow in with no problems and you can take on the challenges of the demands.

Being in business is always about riks! You have to take some! There is never an answer, but a new question.

 

[jay stortini]

I am not thinking commercial but rather larger residential's 1 acre + lost out on 3 last year because I was not equipped to be productive enough to make money, but I was really successful just doing small residential picking up 25 weekly clients my first year. I am trying to decide if I should spend money I don't have on equipment to put myself in a position to take on those bigger lots or just run with the lots I can handle for another year and turn those 25 weekly into 40-50 weekly's and then maybe go for bigger lots the following year.
I am thinking I focus on small residential another year.

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[Carscw]

My rule when buying mowers is pay cash and don't spend more than you make in one month. My cub paid for it self in a week and half

 

[jay stortini]

My rule when buying mowers is pay cash and don't spend more than you make in one month. My cub paid for it self in a week and half

I think this rule make sense so I have a 30" time master should I buy a good commercial 21 (Honda ) or a 36" walk behind to go along with my TIMEMASTER ?

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[Carscw]

I think this rule make sense so I have a 30" time master should I buy a good commercial 21 (Honda ) or a 36" walk behind to go along with my TIMEMASTER ? Sent from my iPhone using LMF

I would go with the 36"

 

[BHLC]

I would go with the 36"

48" would make you more productive with a sulky

 

[Carscw]

48" would make you more productive with a sulky

I agree it would