Dont let your equipment be an excuse to not do a great Job!

[Lawnboy18]

obviously if they're in "bad health" we'd do the Christian thing and set their trash out. like Ric stated there's a line. we offer contracted packages that would include landscape maintenance, leaf removal, ect, but those are all paid services. I don't have a single customer not on a contract. I even have myself on contract and pay my business. that keeps my taxes clean and all my equipment is 100% business.

as for the post cards that depends on the season, some are just advertising, then the seasonal stuff like spring clean up, turf treatments, leaf removal, snow removal, holiday cards with lawn services listed. I have them made locally but have used sites like vista print in the past.

the PR young lady works no less then 2 Saturdays a month some months every Saturday. its a little extra money for her cheaper then stamps for me and still adds that personal touch. customers will respect that you are there to do a job and not bother them. sure I'll give the old guy/gal a couple minutes to chat while the trailer is getting loaded or we're finishing up. but I almost always say politely I don't have a lot of time today to chat we've got a lot to do today. they get it, we're busy and a business that needs to stay moving to make money. we haven't lost a residential customer in 4 years that's current on their bill, moved out of the area or hasn't passed away. what I'm doing is working and we pick up new accounts almost weekly.

Got ya on the garbage thing.

That card thing is a good idea. I do send out Christmas cards to all my clients. I kinda work part time (30 hours of mowing), but I always get new clients every year. I think last year I had about 35 and I went up to about 50-55 this year. I think that is pretty good. The ones I lose are the ones that die or move out of the city. Never lost one because I was no good.

I will do the same. Sometimes a quick chat (while I get paid at the same time) or a simple smile or hello while I am mowing.

 

[TaskForceLawnCare]

Got ya on the garbage thing.

That card thing is a good idea. I do send out Christmas cards to all my clients. I kinda work part time (30 hours of mowing), but I always get new clients every year. I think last year I had about 35 and I went up to about 50-55 this year. I think that is pretty good. The ones I lose are the ones that die or move out of the city. Never lost one because I was no good.

I will do the same. Sometimes a quick chat (while I get paid at the same time) or a simple smile or hello while I am mowing.

that's pretty efficient if you're mowing 50-55 lawns in 30 yours a week. anyway only doing 30 hours a week you could do your own PR, I only buy 250 of the post cards when we do. here's the thing with them 95% of them get a quick look then tossed in the garbage. what you want to accomplish is them remembering getting something with a picture of leafs and remember for your website.

 

[Lawnboy18]

that's pretty efficient if you're mowing 50-55 lawns in 30 yours a week. anyway only doing 30 hours a week you could do your own PR, I only buy 250 of the post cards when we do. here's the thing with them 95% of them get a quick look then tossed in the garbage. what you want to accomplish is them remembering getting something with a picture of leafs and remember for your website.

Yea, I think it's good and it gives me room for more in the futur.

Yes, post cards are usually thrown in the trash, but what I like is that they give a snow ball effect. In one neighborhood I put out some. Got an e-mail and I got the contract. Then he refered me to his friend down the street and then to his neihgbor beside him. So I now have 3 in that area plus another one that I have there since last year. People will see you work and will ask you your number when they drive by. That is how you use your post cards.

 

[Mike88se]

http://youtu.be/l-rKk6hKPjw
Take pride in your work even with the basics and it will payoff.

Well... he did a nice job there except for the edge burn but looking at that yard next to the one he did makes his work look even better
I have another income so I'm just a part timer but the extra money is necessary. It's been interesting to progress. I started with a Toro personal pace 22 I bought used for $50. I've been working up from there. The equipment I've bought since then has been used but a little higher quality than whatever equipment it replaced. It works out because I don't have 20 or 30 lawns to do.
There's not a lot of pressure. My first customer was a lady down the street. I still do her yard so I guess I must be doing okay as far as quality. I'd like to do about 20 to 30 lawns a week but I'm not good at marketing.

 

[Ric]

Well... he did a nice job there except for the edge burn but looking at that yard next to the one he did makes his work look even better
I have another income so I'm just a part timer but the extra money is necessary. It's been interesting to progress. I started with a Toro personal pace 22 I bought used for $50. I've been working up from there. The equipment I've bought since then has been used but a little higher quality than whatever equipment it replaced. It works out because I don't have 20 or 30 lawns to do.
There's not a lot of pressure. My first customer was a lady down the street. I still do her yard so I guess I must be doing okay as far as quality. I'd like to do about 20 to 30 lawns a week but I'm not good at marketing.

You say your a part timer, how many lawns are you doing at the present time? and what type of equipment are you running?

 

[jamie11]

http://youtu.be/l-rKk6hKPjw
Take pride in your work even with the basics and it will payoff.

Yes! I somehow agree that mower brands are no better than a skilled mowing person!

 

[Ric]

Yes! I somehow agree that mower brands are no better than a skilled mowing person!

I can agree that the brands of mower you use doesn't matter, but the grade of mower does. The video clearly shows the guy is a prime example for why most start up businesses fail. He is using residential equipment. Equipment that's meant and designed to be used once a week by a homeowner not everyday by a professional.

Put that skilled person you mentioned on a Commercial grade mower / ZTR or Stander and he can deliver a far better job than someone with a residential Troy-built tractor.

 

[Lawnboy18]

I can agree that the brands of mower you use doesn't matter, but the grade of mower does. The video clearly shows the guy is a prime example for why most start up businesses fail. He is using residential equipment. Equipment that's meant and designed to be used once a week by a homeowner not everyday by a professional.

Put that skilled person you mentioned on a Commercial grade mower / ZTR or Stander and he can deliver a far better job than someone with a residential Troy-built tractor.

We don't start with 10 000$ - 20 000$ sir. I started with residential equipment. Blew it and bought the heavy gauge tools when money was gettin' good. I never looked back.

 

[reynoldston]

The reason I only cut my own lawn is I hate cutting grass. Just want to get the job done as fast as I can. I am into repairs and do feel I want a good quality job done there. No loose wires dang down or missing bolts and if a bolt breaks I repair it. When the mower leaves my shop it mows level and run like it should. That is one of the reasons I will turn down a repair job if the mower is just worn out and not worth repairing anymore. I find this on cheap equipment like chain saws it cost more to fix them then replace them.

 

[Ric]

We don't start with 10 000$ - 20 000$ sir. I started with residential equipment. Blew it and bought the heavy gauge tools when money was gettin' good. I never looked back.

As you said you started with residential equipment. Blew it and bought the heavy gauge tools when money was getting good. I think that pretty much proves what I said equipment that's meant and designed to be used once a week by a homeowner doesn't work for long and can cost you money for repairs as well as clients when your not there to do the job. The lack of start up expenses or funding is the biggest reason lawn-care businesses fail. You can get some good Commercial equipment used for a lot less than $10,000.