New to Lawn Care - Looking for advice!

[rvalandscapes]

Cutting grass doesn't cut it! Most startup lawn care companies try to make money with just lawn care, and figure out pretty quickly that it doesn't pay. Then they try to raise there price and then "don't put down the gate for less than $40", this type of attitude is absolutely destined to fail...sorry! You cannot make money cutting grass because as you expand to pick up more jobs, your overall cost to run the company becomes cost prohibitive. Meaning, you can only make money cutting grass if you are a single man operation cutting a few lawns per week, but it's just not scalable. Keep in mind that it's JUST lawn care and any 14 year old with a lawn mower can do it. The trick is, figure out how to do those things the 14 year old can't do. You cannot charge a premium for lawn care, but you can charge a premium for practically everything else, provided your company has a good reputation, and your standards remain high.

Solution, you cut grass to gain access to quality clients that might want more, like landscaping, hardscaping, powerwashing ect...these other services produce a higher profit margin and enable you to make money with your sell up services. This also enables you to charge LESS for lawn care, not more. Quality customers will eventually have you do everything from mulching to fertilization. If you won't drop the gate for less than $40, you have already failed as a lawn care business, you just don't know it yet.

Mark

RVA Landscapes LLC RVA Landscapes LLC

RVA Landscapes LLC RVA Landscapes LLC

 

[rvalandscapes]

I'm not talking about Task Force Lawn Care, I'm talking about 1st year rookies BTW. Even Task force will probably tell you that they cut for a whole lot cheeper than 40 until they built up their clientele. I'm referencing that this was bad advice because we're talking about startups here and you can't price fix yourself as a startup. No disrespect intended for Task Force.

RVA Landscapes LLC RVA Landscapes LLC

 

[exotion]

Well said sir

 

[jekjr]

I'm not talking about Task Force Lawn Care, I'm talking about 1st year rookies BTW. Even Task force will probably tell you that they cut for a whole lot cheeper than 40 until they built up their clientele. I'm referencing that this was bad advice because we're talking about startups here and you can't price fix yourself as a startup. No disrespect intended for Task Force. RVA Landscapes LLC RVA Landscapes LLC

We cut a good bit of grass. Run a 3 man crew most of the time. Starting Monday AM we are going to run a 3 man crew and a two man crew. We started up in Aug of 2012. As with anybody else we have to cut grass as cheap as it takes to get the job many times. I have cut $20 and $25 yards. Very seldom now do I take one for less than $40 unless it is somebody disabled or elderly on a fixed income. Some times I just flat out ask one of those people what can you afford to pay and what ever they tell me I take and put a crew to work there. On the other hand if it is a $150K house with a Lexus in the front yard and they want to low ball me I walk away.

I ran into a guy in my area last week at the gas station that said he had been in it lots of years. I am guessing 15 to 20 possibly more. He said they would not drop the gate for less than $65............

This thing of pricing is always a major discussion. The reason being there are so many variables involved. Where is one located? What kind of equipment is one running? What other companies are there in the area offering similar services How long has one been working on a client list building clientele are a few of those variables......

One thing I have found that works for me also is if I can get a yard in a new area, even if it is not profitable to do it, I still take that one yard. I use it as an anchor to get others in that area. Some times in a short while I will have several in that area and some times I never get anything else.

For me it has been a learning process.

 

[rvalandscapes]

This guy makes my point perfectly. One 3 man crew is not a business yet, it's a hobby. I agree it can be worth it to "wait" out the higher priced clientele if your a small single crew trying to just make a living....which is respectable and just fine for some. My advice is more centered around those who want to make a bigger impact and grow. You will NEVER see a lawn care company running multiple crews that charge a lot for lawn care and don't do much else. These are the guys you are competing with for grass cutting clients, and they can't figure out why you would possibly do what they refuse to do for the amount they refuse to do it for. Let them continue to believe they are maintaining some type of pricing standard, and continue to grow as you add more services to your ability and make the real money doing everything else BUT grass cutting;-) my 2 cents, take it for what it's worth.
Mark

RVA Landscapes LLC RVA Landscapes LLC

 

[rvalandscapes]

One thing I have found that works for me also is if I can get a yard in a new area, even if it is not profitable to do it, I still take that one yard. I use it as an anchor to get others in that area. Some times in a short while I will have several in that area and some times I never get anything else. For me it has been a learning process.

Good point and I agree with this.

RVA Landscapes LLC RVA Landscapes LLC

 

[Ric]

I don't think the size of the crew has much to do with it. You can be a solo operator or have a 3 man crew or run multiple crews and trailers and it doesn't matter. It all comes down to what you are willing to put into the business and what you expect to get out of the business.

 

[rvalandscapes]

I don't think the size of the crew has much to do with it. You can be a solo operator or have a 3 man crew or run multiple crews and trailers and it doesn't matter. It all comes down to what you are willing to put into the business and what you expect to get out of the business.

I agree with you Ric, no disrespect intended.

RVA Landscapes LLC RVA Landscapes LLC

 

[Ric]

I agree with you Ric, no disrespect intended.

RVA Landscapes LLC RVA Landscapes LLC

None Taken. I think the biggest problem is that the guys that are starting a LCB don't know what to expect or what's all involved. It's things like the book keeping involved and keeping records of expenditures and sending out those bills at the end of every month and if you market the business who's going to be answering your phone while your on a mower and a missed call is a missed client cause if you don't answer they call the next guy in line or on there list. It takes a lot to start and build a business and get any type of respect.

 

[jekjr]

This guy makes my point perfectly. One 3 man crew is not a business yet, it's a hobby. I agree it can be worth it to "wait" out the higher priced clientele if your a small single crew trying to just make a living....which is respectable and just fine for some. My advice is more centered around those who want to make a bigger impact and grow. You will NEVER see a lawn care company running multiple crews that charge a lot for lawn care and don't do much else. These are the guys you are competing with for grass cutting clients, and they can't figure out why you would possibly do what they refuse to do for the amount they refuse to do it for. Let them continue to believe they are maintaining some type of pricing standard, and continue to grow as you add more services to your ability and make the real money doing everything else BUT grass cutting;-) my 2 cents, take it for what it's worth. Mark RVA Landscapes LLC RVA Landscapes LLC

We have had customers call us wanting to know if we trim shrubs. When I said sure not only did we get the shrub job but also their grass as well. They would say I used this guy to cut my grass but he said he did not do shrubs.

Also there have been times when we got a customer who had a yard that for what ever reason was overgrown and had not been cut for an extended period of time. They wanted an estimate to clean it up and put it on a schedule. There will be people waiting in line to just cut grass but they will run like roaches when a light is turned on when it comes to cleaning up a property.


One question. How many of what size do we need to be a business?

For our part of the world I would say we have grown the fastest to the point we are at of any crew out there. We live in a kind of rural area of South Alabama. If we can continue to grow at our current rate two more years we will be one of if not the largest around us.