How Does one Compete with the Zero Turn Guys?

[davbell22602]

other forums

I guess you read what they put?

 

[davbell22602]

Ok I guess my question would be are you doing this as a sideline to make a little extra cash or are you trying to establish a business. If it's a sideline then your fine because you have no pressure or time restraints. If however it's to establish a business then I'd say your in a little trouble. As an LCO you need to establish an hourly income and many LCO's establish that based on how many accounts they can do on an hourly basis. In lawn-care time is money, you have to be good at what you do and fast.
When you talk about what to charge you need to check and see what the area can stand. Check with some company's and find out about there pricing structure. There's no need to try and compete with the guys with the ztr mowers don't worry about them, that type of equipment will come in time or as you build your business.

I'd Look at Vista-Print and do my advertising with business cards, they always have those things for like 250 for $10.00 you can put what ever you like on the cards and they have all types of mower cards to choose from.

Yes This will start out being a sideline but if it grows enough to turn into a business then so be it. Im not pour money into advertising in newpapers, etc. Id stick to Cl and FB group pages.

 

[mowerman05]

I started with a push mower in the trunk of a cavalier, still was getting 15.00 a yard at that time. Now my minimum is no less than 25.00. just do a good job and let word of mouth get out that your doing a good job for a little less than everyone else. maybe it will work out for you. :thumbsup:

 

[Ric]

Yes This will start out being a sideline but if it grows enough to turn into a business then so be it. I'm not pour money into advertising in newspapers, etc. Id stick to Cl and FB group pages.

Well I don't know your situation but I was able to confine my client list to the sub-division I live in. The closer your clients are together the better off you are, that was the problem I had with Craigs-list I was spread all over the county and by the time I was through driving all over I was throwing away any profit in my gas for the truck. If it's a sideline then you have no pressure or time restraints so I'd go with what you have and build on it and see where it goes. :thumbsup: the other equipment will come in time.

 

[davbell22602]

I started with a push mower in the trunk of a cavalier, still was getting 15.00 a yard at that time. Now my minimum is no less than 25.00. just do a good job and let word of mouth get out that your doing a good job for a little less than everyone else. maybe it will work out for you. :thumbsup:

I know. My phone is swamped with calls in the spring from people wanting used mowers that I fixed to sell. But I get more calls than the time it takes me to fill everyone needs in pushmowers and riding mowers.

 

[wjjones]

I tried advertising in past for lawn mowing etc. I only got 2 calls and took both jobs. I dont have any zero turns but plenty of front riding mowers. So how does a guy with front engine riding mower compete with zero turn guys? How you know if your charging too much or not enough when mowing with riding mower? I see alot guys doing it in my area and dont see how I could draw in the business if started advertising again for lawn mowing.

I have some customers that wont let me in their yard with a zero. I have a rider I do their yards with, and use the ztr for the others the prices shouldnt be any different though your labor is the same.

 

[wjjones]

I started with a push mower in the trunk of a cavalier, still was getting 15.00 a yard at that time. Now my minimum is no less than 25.00. just do a good job and let word of mouth get out that your doing a good job for a little less than everyone else. maybe it will work out for you. :thumbsup:

Yep I 2nd that by word of mouth will take you a long way.:thumbsup:

 

[Ric]

I have some customers that wont let me in their yard with a zero. I have a rider I do their yards with, and use the ztr for the others the prices shouldnt be any different though your labor is the same.

I have a few of those clients too but I have to disagree with prices and the labor thing though. between the two mowers one will cost more to run and the time factor involved in doing a lawn with a rider vs a ztr is a lot different say nothing about maybe using a push instead of a rider, I can't see why the price and labor shouldn't change?

 

[jekjr]

I see this thing of advertising come across regularly. Different people use different methods. For me, hands down I have gotten more work by using Facebook than every other method put together. I get a lot of word of mouth but the people giving the word of mouth I got on Facebook. Anybody in business that is not putting it to use is ignoring a very large free method of advertisement laying there. From August 2012 till the end of the Summer of 2013 we went from no customers to 38 regulars and we had worked for many many more on some basis approximately 98% or more of that came either from Facebook or word of mouth from somebody we had got work from thorough Facebook.

 

[wjjones]

I have a few of those clients too but I have to disagree with prices and the labor thing though. between the two mowers one will cost more to run and the time factor involved in doing a lawn with a rider vs a ztr is a lot different say nothing about maybe using a push instead of a rider, I can't see why the price and labor shouldn't change?

Well with the customers that dont mind which mower I use I haved timed, and its only about 10 minutes difference with athe zero v/s the rider. I dont see charging them more for that little of a difference. I have one yard that I mowed with the zero in 45 minutes, and the same yard on the rider was 55 minutes. I know if your doing alot of yards in one day that 10 minutes adds up but I gave up alot of yards years ago. I only cut 7 now, and thats enough for me.