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Hi, I just recently started my lawn care business 2 years ago... I am 16 and I do not have my licence yet so I use my John Deere LT 155 with a 12 cubic foot lawn wagon. I also have a walk behind Toro lawn mower a brand new Echo interchangeable weed trimmer, and a Echo leaf blower. I drive around my community and mow and do small landscaping jobs. I currently have 12 customers and looking for more advertising ideas. Also i would like to know how i could stripe line when mowing... I've asked around and no one has any ideas or suggestion.. If you could please let me know on ideas they would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!:smile:

Hi im 15 and started my lawn care buissness at 14 like you i have a toro walk behind also, go on toros site you will see they make a striping kit for them.
Chris

I am mainly looking for a stripier for my tractor though.. not my walk behind.. but thanks! - Nate

Good to see our youth willing to work at such a young age. Good luck guys! As your business grows, you should know lawn care and landscaping may require different licensing as well as insurance here in FL they do anyways.

Nate'sLawnCare said:

Hi, I just recently started my lawn care business 2 years ago... I am 16 and I do not have my licence yet so I use my John Deere LT 155 with a 12 cubic foot lawn wagon. I also have a walk behind Toro lawn mower a brand new Echo interchangeable weed trimmer, and a Echo leaf blower. I drive around my community and mow and do small landscaping jobs. I currently have 12 customers and looking for more advertising ideas. Also i would like to know how i could stripe line when mowing... I've asked around and no one has any ideas or suggestion.. If you could please let me know on ideas they would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!:smile:

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If you're looking for more advertising ideas try vista print and have some business cards made up with your company's name, prices and phone number and you can leave those in doors.
Advertising can come from a majority of place's like business cards, flyer's etc. but your biggest advertisement is you and word of mouth you can create by the job you do.

Personally I'd forget the striping thing because your money can be spent on other things that would be more beneficial to your business.

You say you have a Echo interchangeable weed trimmer, and a Echo leaf blower, what about an Edger, Hedge Trimmer?

You also say you're 16 and I do not have your license yet and I'm assuming driver license, what about your business license?

The big thing I see with new guys breaking into the business is they're thinking of only one thing and that's the money they can put in there pocket and not the true cost of what it takes to run a business and they don't think about what can happen down the road if some of there equipment should go down like your Echo interchangeable weed trimmer, and and blower, that combination alone can cost you money and clients.
Having the equipment and the Back up equipment to a lawn care business is a must, mowers, hand held etc. because down time can kill your business in a heartbeat, remember that in lawn care Time is Money.

I would say stripe If you can get into a high dollar community use your walk behind and stripe it nice in a new pattern each time you cut. I have a friend went into a neighbor hood with his push mower charged more than the guys with cut fast and go zero turns and took there yards from them He has a flat rate of $25 a man hour so two guys = $50 a yard Just take pride in your work Any one can cut grass Quality means more than quantity

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Oh I got away from what your asking Word of mouth is your best Look and see if you have welcome wagon in your area they will hook you up with new home owners. Tell your present customers for every two new customers they get you they get one free cut

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Carscw said:

I would say stripe If you can get into a high dollar community use your walk behind and stripe it nice in a new pattern each time you cut. I have a friend went into a neighbor hood with his push mower charged more than the guys with cut fast and go zero turns and took there yards from them He has a flat rate of $25 a man hour so two guys = $50 a yard Just take pride in your work Any one can cut grass Quality means more than quantity

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I think striping is a matter of personal opinion and personally in the seven years I've been in business I've never had a customer ask about striping there lawn. It's hard enough for someone to get started in the business without putting undo pressure on themselves, say nothing about the competition from the big boys that a newcomer faces.

Thank you everyone for the ideas!

Ric said:

I think striping is a matter of personal opinion and personally in the seven years I've been in business I've never had a customer ask about striping there lawn. It's hard enough for someone to get started in the business without putting undo pressure on themselves, say nothing about the competition from the big boys that a newcomer faces.

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Never been a fan of striping either, but doing a good job consistently is what most customers are looking for whether in a plumber, gardener, mechanic or window washer.

I'm 15 and I just bought a gravely 50inc mower and the best way to get accounts is word of mouth. I had 1 guy who seemed to know every one I ended up getting 5 accounts just from him telling his friends. I also sold my old simplicity to a guy who was in the village water utility, and gave him a few of my cards and since then I've got 4 calls from ppl he recommended to give me a call. And I also talk to ppl walking their dogs and they usually want thatching or aerating done witch leads to there lawn being cut. When you ride around on a mower that always brings attention and since your young people want to see hard working kids. Good luck