New to Lawn Care - Looking for advice!

[TaskForceLawnCare]

Hey Everyone, I'm new to the lawn care business and I'm currently looking for a commercial zero turn mower. I'm looking to keep my budget around $5K or less. Any suggestions?! PS: if you're also new to the lawn care business and want to bounce ideas off each other, please PM me. Thanks everyone!!!

I'm not new, but Ric has given some pretty good advice. It's a dog eat dog business. You can stay friendly with other businesses but know they're doing the same thing you are, trying to make a living. I personally don't pay to much attention to what they're doing, just how they do it. I run a niche business model where as we are the high end service. We do a few extra detail things that ties a finished job all together. Bed edging and driveway, sidewalk edging, treatment plans, landscape shaping ect, that make every job stay clean and finished. My guys have a dress code, they never discuss pricing or make additional promises with customers they just refer them to me. We offer limited customized service, but the minimum we'll do is mow, edge, string trim and blow off all the clippings. I also won't drop the trailer gate for less then $40. We average 20 minutes a yard and that 2 guys. In good conditions we do 15-18 yards a day.

I stay away from commercial mowing, I've been burned in the past. Then re biding every year is just a hassle, plus there's always the guy that can under bid you.

We run Scag mowers and Echo hand held equipment. honestly our walk behinds are the big money makers and the Echo equipment has been as reliable as anyone could reasonably ask for. There's tons of nice stuff out there it's just a mater of what you like best and how close a good dealer is to you. The dealer i use is 20 minutes away which is farther then I'd like but the dealer 5 minutes away is a real peach to work with and his wife's pretty rude. So I'll make the 20 minute drive.

 

[Ric]

I've always said it's one of the biggest cut throat businesses you can get into and I'm not beyond cutting a few myself. I do not however buy into this I don't drop the trailer gate for less then $40 thing. I think ones pricing structure should be set up for the area he's working or what the area can handle. I've always found that working with people works a lot better than working for yourself. I never turn down any job I can make money at if I can work it into the schedule.

 

[TaskForceLawnCare]

That's honestly the minimum, I'm confident we are one the best at what we do in our areas. Thats about $5 over what respectable companies are charging. Just closed out June and literally tripled what we did last June. I'm not getting rich by no means. My guys are clean cut, uniformed, courteous and care about reputation. I've actually 2 National Guardsmen and my dad who retired a couple years ago working with me.

I made the decision to focus on quality, reputation and customer relationships them expanding customer basis. I set my minimum and have stuck with it, and it has seemed to work for us. I'm not saying it'll work for everyone.

 

[aassaf1989]

Thanks for the great advice guys! You have given me wonderful advice. Much appreciated.

 

[Ric]

That's honestly the minimum, I'm confident we are one the best at what we do in our areas. Thats about $5 over what respectable companies are charging. Just closed out June and literally tripled what we did last June. I'm not getting rich by no means. My guys are clean cut, uniformed, courteous and care about reputation. I've actually 2 National Guardsmen and my dad who retired a couple years ago working with me.

I made the decision to focus on quality, reputation and customer relationships them expanding customer basis. I set my minimum and have stuck with it, and it has seemed to work for us. I'm not saying it'll work for everyone.

You can be confident that your are one the best at what you do in your area but every other LCO in the area thinks the same way. Focusing on quality, reputation and customer relationships is something every business does or should do, that's just common sense. Offering the standard services Like Cut, Trim, Edge and Blowing off is pretty much the norm for every Lawn care business so there isn't anything special there. The problem you have is the guy that moves into your area that can give the same quality work as you do and do it for half of your price. I'd be real careful about throwing around statements like I also won't drop the trailer gate for less then $40 because it doesn't help your cause.

 

[exotion]

Wow just read through this. To original poster do a quick forum search on this topic lots of good advice, every company is different and will be run specific to them obviously it works for them but not everyone else but they will argue they are right while others are wrong. You need to figure your pricing depending on area, overhead, and what your time is worth. Don't underbid to get a job your only hurting yourself in the long run.

 

[TaskForceLawnCare]

Wow just read through this. To original poster do a quick forum search on this topic lots of good advice, every company is different and will be run specific to them obviously it works for them but not everyone else but they will argue they are right while others are wrong. You need to figure your pricing depending on area, overhead, and what your time is worth. Don't underbid to get a job your only hurting yourself in the long run.

That's basically it, i bid fair, we do top end service. It has and does work for us and I'll say it again i wont drop the tailgate for less then $40.

@Ric i stated you gave good advice, why are you busting my balls for the advice i gave? The guy will try a few things and figure out works for him. I know what it cost me per minute to operate. Good for the customer if they find a guy to do the quality of work we do for half the price. I'll get that customer back and more next year when the low baller goes bankrupt. Because they couldn't pay their gas bill, mower, or truck payment ect. I operate in the urban areas around Indianapolis. You operate in your own retirement community in Florida. How would you know what it's actually like out of your little safety bubble.

 

[exotion]

That's basically it, i bid fair, we do top end service. It has and does work for us and I'll say it again i wont drop the tailgate for less then $40.

@Ric i stated you gave good advice, why are you busting my balls for the advice i gave? The guy will try a few things and figure out works for him. I know what it cost me per minute to operate. Good for the customer if they find a guy to do the quality of work we do for half the price. I'll get that customer back and more next year when the low baller goes bankrupt. Because they couldn't pay their gas bill, mower, or truck payment ect. I operate in the urban areas around Indianapolis. You operate in your own retirement community in Florida. How would you know what it's actually like out of your little safety bubble.

Lol

 

[Gcorron]

Wow, you guys are giving me flashbacks! After 12 years of apprenticeship, then working as a foreman for others, I went into the electrical contracting business in 1980 and gave it up during the 'Great Depression' of 92!! My two major customers, which included 7-11 went bankrupt at the same time and cut our work so bad I took a gummint job until 99.

I thought electricians were the most cut throat group, don't want to start a competition here, but sounds like you guys may give us a run for our money, no pun intended.

That said, there was a time where excellence and fair price normally won the day. I keep in touch, and advice, with old friends and can say there has been a paradigm shift where it all comes down to price and little else.

Then, like electrical contractors, you've got the poor guy who may be out of work, or just trying to make a few extra bucks, with an old truck, and some used mower who can eat you alive on price. Why? Because he is NOT paying licensing fees, insurance, payroll, or other business expenses that you have as a legitimate business. This guy will always eat into your profit margin, so be prepared for some of your good clients to say they are going to use Ol' Dave down the road. If you're fairly gracious about it, they may come back to you when Ol' Dave loses a couple fingers in his mower and can't do it anymore!!

The good news is that there is almost always room for a good guy in business to make a living, it just may be a roller coaster so be ready for it!

Just my .02 cents, I love to see people succeed in business when they work hard and their heart is in the right place!

Good luck to all of you,

George

 

[exotion]

George - you are correct in every way. Thank you for the read