Learning to run a business properly

[Ric]

Growing a business takes time! I can recommend you two great books that reveal secrets. They have been recommended by a very big bussiness man that I have known for a long time. The first book is Focus and the second one is How to get clients. If you want, I can give you the author name of both books.

Like most persons say, take your time! It took me 7 years to be now able to work full time! I started mowing with my dad's mower and a crappy electric trimmer. I had only 4 lawns. Now, I have about 40 clients and add a 10 more clients that go on vacation and need my services for watering, mowing... I also own a truck, my own gas mower, trimmer, blower and all sorts of tools. I remember when my parents use to bring me to my clients with there car! Now, I am with my truck driving everywhere around town with my employee. If you do things right, you will keep your clients and every year, you will keep them and have more, because they are going to refer you to there friends and familly and others in the neigborhoods might want your services. Then again, that is time. So, keep doing a good job and you should be on the right track! Dont let the competitors squish you! Go out there and show them what you can do!

A final thing, your prices... Now, you need good prices to attract clients! Don't go too low and don't go too high! Be in the middle so that you attract people. And don't make your prices based on the forum here. The guy here that charges 50$ an hour for mowing lives in FL where the rich are so he can jack up his prices. So, keep that in mind! I am not being mean here! I am just stating a fact!

I can probably give even more advice, but I am going to stop for now! My dad has his own company for 25 years and I have known very good business men in my life! So, what I am saying is not stupid!

P.S. Sorry for the crappy English, my first language is French.

Now wait I said I was averaging 50 dollars an hour not charging fifty dollars an hour and where I live is not rich people. :biggrin: The thing about prices and how to set your price should be figured on your overhead. How much money your going to have to make to cover cost of the business and make a profit . Figuring things like your business license fee, Insurance fee along with workmen's comp if you have someone working for you. Gas for your truck Gas and oil for your equipment plus the cost of equipment along with maintenance fees for you equipment, the List goes on. Keeping receipts for your gas, receipts for equipment and maintenance along with work orders, writing down mileage everyday, every expense needs to be recorded. Now thet may give you an idea of how much money you have to make just to break even say nothing about turning a profit.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

I'm new to the whole entrepreneur thing, and I really want to make it work. So I'm wondering what I can do to speed up the learning process. Between my full-time job of 50+ hours per week, the part-time business, and the family at home taking courses isn't an option right now. I think I'm pretty much limited to internet and books.

I love to soak up new information and love to read. What are some of the best books that you've come across on the subject? I've read/listened to Entreleadership by Dave Ramsey, but that's about it so far.

So how did you experienced business owners learn what you know? What do you recommend?

   How to Start a Lawn Care Business | Starting a Lawn Care Business

 

[twoguyswithmowers]

We aren't having much of a problem getting new clients as of yet. And we aren't having any problem keeping them happy once we get them. What I'm having trouble with is staying organized.

I'm able to keep up with our schedule fairly well using google calendar. I'm using quick books to keep up with the accounting, but I have trouble keeping it current and find myself having to sit and figure it out ever so often.

And I'm completely clueless on filing. I have no system at all right now. Receipts are just piling up in my clipboard. How do you keep up with your files? Should I buy a separate filing cabinet and keep paper files? Should I scan everything and store it in files on Dropbox? Do you keep a file for each customer?

Ill probably add to this as I come up with more problems I'm having.

 

[twoguyswithmowers]

Another thing... How to you keep up with regularly scheduled maintenance? And what do you do for maintenance files?

 

[exotion]

Another thing... How to you keep up with regularly scheduled maintenance? And what do you do for maintenance files?

Keep a notebook with you at all times you spend mone write it down you get money write it down.

I also print out route sheets for the month and I date every time I go to a house so I know what day I mowed it.

I don't keep maintenance records my machines are not high end enough for that but I would maybe make a sheet for the season for each machine and what needs to be done and how often and write it down

End of every week I give my notebook to my wife who then does the accounting and billing. Filing is tricky but the department of licencing makes it simple enough as long as you follow directions and use their system

 

[Ric]

Keep a notebook with you at all times you spend mone write it down you get money write it down.

I also print out route sheets for the month and I date every time I go to a house so I know what day I mowed it.

I don't keep maintenance records my machines are not high end enough for that but I would maybe make a sheet for the season for each machine and what needs to be done and how often and write it down

End of every week I give my notebook to my wife who then does the accounting and billing. Filing is tricky but the department of licencing makes it simple enough as long as you follow directions and use their system

Not to pop your bubble but writing things down doesn't amount to anything without receipts. Every expenditure you have or make you have to have a Invoice with the name of the business where purchased and a receipt that matches as proof. Things like your business license fee, Insurance fees, Gas for your truck, Gas and oil for your equipment plus the cost of equipment and when purchased along with maintenance fees for your equipment, every expense needs to be recorded with proof. You should also have an account under your business name (DBA) at a bank to deposit checks and cash as proof of how much money the business makes and they will issue you a check card and checks for purchasing your supply's and equipment for and under the business. The other thing you need to know if you don't already is when you get your first license you have a certain time frame in which your business has to show a profit, it's like 2 or 3 years from the issue date of your first license. Just think all this for your friendly Tax Auditor, it's such fun.

 

[Carscw]

This has nothing to do with taxes. This is more of protecting your self.

Beware of your surrounding if the house or car next door has a broke window take a pic of it with date and time stamp.

I don't know crap about doing the bookkeeping my wife is the brains.

(( cowboy up and get over it ))