Export thread

I have been mowing lawns since I was 14 years old. through time it has become the most relaxing thing I do in my spare time. but I have never done it for profit or a business. I have gotten paid as a teen to do family and nieghbors lawn, but nothing serious. I work 2nd shift in a factory and get laid off often. I have thought a lot about lawn care as a business to suppliment my income and some day become full time. I have mornings and weekends to work on this. but I am looking for pointers and advise on the business end. can anyone help with ideas, books, advise, contracts, pay scale, etc.?

Bigkev said:

I have been mowing lawns since I was 14 years old. through time it has become the most relaxing thing I do in my spare time. but I have never done it for profit or a business. I have gotten paid as a teen to do family and neighbors lawn, but nothing serious. I work 2nd shift in a factory and get laid off often. I have thought a lot about lawn care as a business to supplement my income and some day become full time. I have mornings and weekends to work on this. but I am looking for pointers and advise on the business end. can anyone help with ideas, books, advise, contracts, pay scale, etc.?

Click to expand...

I think before anyone can give any advise we would need to know how large a business are you going to be putting together? If you look i or under the commercial forum you can probably find some threads there and possibly find some of the information and answers that your looking for. What type of mowers will you be using and how large a client base are you looking at?

Thanks Ric,
to answer your questions, first I am looking for small commercial (credit unions, small office buildings) and mid to upper income single family residential properties under 2 acres. as for equipment I have 2 craftsman mowers: 1 bagger and 1 mulcher, both 21" cuts, 1 long straight shaft trimmer, 1 seed spreader, 2 leaf blowers, trash cans, gas cans, battery powered hedge trimmers, racks, shovels, a small tool kit, and a 4x8 trailer that I pull with my car. but I am looking for a small used truck. I would like to suppliment a part time income of $1500 monthly to start out, if this is reallistic. I have 25-30 hrs a week to work on this business.

Bigkev said:

Thanks Ric,
to answer your questions, first I am looking for small commercial (credit unions, small office buildings) and mid to upper income single family residential properties under 2 acres. as for equipment I have 2 craftsman mowers: 1 bagger and 1 mulcher, both 21" cuts, 1 long straight shaft trimmer, 1 seed spreader, 2 leaf blowers, trash cans, gas cans, battery powered hedge trimmers, racks, shovels, a small tool kit, and a 4x8 trailer that I pull with my car. but I am looking for a small used truck. I would like to suppliment a part time income of $1500 monthly to start out, if this is reallistic. I have 25-30 hrs a week to work on this business.

Click to expand...

Bigkev,
I know nothing about the lawn care business, but when you say "residential properties under 2 acres", I cannot see how you could handle lawns > 1 acre efficiently with just two 21" push(self-propelled?) mowers. If it were me and I was going to be cutting ANY yards > 1 acre, I would invest in at least a 48" cut Commercial ZTR or Stander mower. Ric has experience in the business, so let's see his thoughts about what I just stated.

Bigkev said:

Thanks Ric,
to answer your questions, first I am looking for small commercial (credit unions, small office buildings) and mid to upper income single family residential properties under 2 acres. as for equipment I have 2 craftsman mowers: 1 bagger and 1 mulcher, both 21" cuts, 1 long straight shaft trimmer, 1 seed spreader, 2 leaf blowers, trash cans, gas cans, battery powered hedge trimmers, racks, shovels, a small tool kit, and a 4x8 trailer that I pull with my car. but I am looking for a small used truck. I would like to supplement a part time income of $1500 monthly to start out, if this is realistic. I have 25-30 hrs a week to work on this business.

Click to expand...

Well I'm not going to say that what you're attempting can't be done because it can if you like working long hours, although I think you have a ruff road to go. First thing if you are looking at commercial accounts you'll have to have a license and Insurance to start. Most commercial accounts will be bid jobs that you'll be competing against guys with high dollar equipment and crews, your advantage there would be you don't have the overhead of the other guys so your prices could be cheaper. If it were me I go for the residential properties with the half acre or less lot size (sub-Divisions) preferably quarter acre that are not going to be to time consuming seeing your mowing with self propelled mowers. I'd back up my trimmer with another as well as adding at least one edger. Working 25 to 30 hrs a week and meeting the income you stated is realistic but I think you'll be looking at at least 20 accounts weekly to do it at at least $20 per cut including mowing ,trimming edging and blowing off. The hrs we work are basically the same but their are three of us though and we knock down 12 Lawns a day six days a week. Our prices range for $15.00 to $40.00 per cut depending on the size of the lot.

djdicetn said:

Bigkev,
I know nothing about the lawn care business, but when you say "residential properties under 2 acres", I cannot see how you could handle lawns > 1 acre efficiently with just two 21" push(self-propelled?) mowers. If it were me and I was going to be cutting ANY yards > 1 acre, I would invest in at least a 48" cut Commercial ZTR or Stander mower. Ric has experience in the business, so let's see his thoughts about what I just stated.

Click to expand...

yes sir,
this is why I am asking for help in the business department. but I am not saying I cannot do anything under 2 acres, because I did for 4 years at my grandparents house every week in just over an hour. an that was a lot of work.

Bigkev said:

yes sir,
this is why I am asking for help in the business department. but I am not saying I cannot do anything under 2 acres, because I did for 4 years at my grandparents house every week in just over an hour. an that was a lot of work.

Click to expand...

Bigkev,
Like user ric eluded to, I'm sure you could mow 2 acre lots, but if you do the math(you stated you had 25-30 hours a week)......if they were all that big, with loading/unloading/travel time from one job to another you'd be lucky to get 5 or 6 done each week:0(
Not exactly the monthly supplemental income you are seeking much less you'd be too tired to work your regular job.

djdicetn said:

Bigkev,
Like user ric eluded to, I'm sure you could mow 2 acre lots, but if you do the math(you stated you had 25-30 hours a week)......if they were all that big, with loading/unloading/travel time from one job to another you'd be lucky to get 5 or 6 done each week:0(
Not exactly the monthly supplemental income you are seeking much less you'd be too tired to work your regular job.

Click to expand...

I went out this morning started at 7:30 am. I Pushed 7 lawns and all were 1/4 acre or less and did 2 others both larger lawns with the stander and was done by 11:30 am. I'm using a Toro Turf Master 30" mower and had two other people doing all the trimming, edging and blowing off so if he is by himself he can do the math and figure his time with a 21". The other thing is that I'm lucky, my 9 lawns were all in a row so I have no loading/unloading/travel time from one job to another. The other nice thing for me is I don't have too worry about another job and that should be a concern on his part when he starts calculating how many lawns he is going to do a day.

I moved your thread to the Commercial & Residential Lawn Mowing Forum. :smile:

Go for it!! If illegal Mexicans can do it do it so can you. They will also low ball your bids!! And they won't pay tax like you and I. Good luck!!

AmericanTurf said:

Go for it!! If illegal Mexicans can do it do it so can you. They will also low ball your bids!! And they won't pay tax like you and I. Good luck!!

Click to expand...

AmericanTurf,
That's a nice looking Grasshopper in your avatar!!! What year/model is it? I though about getting one last fall, but figured they were out of my budget(I dropped about $6800 total for my 52" Gravely Pro-Turn). So, the illegals have migrated that far north(Wisconsin's a long way from that hole in the El Paso fence:0) They've pretty well taken over the janitorial, house framing, masonry and roofing occupations here in Tennessee:0(

A 2012. Model 725D. With deck lift. Woot

djdicetn said:

AmericanTurf,
That's a nice looking Grasshopper in your avatar!!! What year/model is it? I though about getting one last fall, but figured they were out of my budget(I dropped about $6800 total for my 52" Gravely Pro-Turn). So, the illegals have migrated that far north(Wisconsin's a long way from that hole in the El Paso fence:0) They've pretty well taken over the janitorial, house framing, masonry and roofing occupations here in Tennessee:0(

Click to expand...

Hey, Got a question? With all the talk about Illegals how do you tell there not here legal and doing there jobs above board. Now I'm not defending them but at the same time I see many guys or crews working lawns that are questionable as to whether they have licenses and all the necessary paper work to be doing the things there doing. No signs on trucks or cars, no business names to be seen, are they illegal too??

Ric said:

Hey, Got a question? With all the talk about Illegals how do you tell there not here legal and doing there jobs above board. Now I'm not defending them but at the same time I see many guys or crews working lawns that are questionable as to whether they have licenses and all the necessary paper work to be doing the things there doing. No signs on trucks or cars, no business names to be seen, are they illegal too??

Click to expand...

Ric,
I agree that a lot of Hispanic workers are legally here.....but I blame Mexico for not taking the incentive to legislate a "decent" minimum wage law like we have here to raise their own people out of living in poverty. They have to come here(legally or illegally, and I think everyone will agree there are a LOT of illegals) to get out of poverty and will work very hard for a salary that none of us here can compete with. I may sound biased, but I always say that about 250,000 of us indigent U.S. citizans should move to Mexico City, take over(low-ball) some of their high-salary occupations and refuse to learn their language. That's what I see here that makes me angry(especially their blatant refusal to learn English). All of the "immigrants" from WWII forward were fine with learning our language and applying for citizenship(which in my opinion should "require" passing an "English speaking test"). Of course my "attitude" changes when my wife and I eat out at a Mexican restaurant that serves "authentic" Mexican food and I could care less whether the cooks are legal or illegal(guess that makes me a blatant hypocrite:0)

djdicetn said:

Ric,
I agree that a lot of Hispanic workers are legally here.....but I blame Mexico for not taking the incentive to legislate a "decent" minimum wage law like we have here to raise their own people out of living in poverty. They have to come here(legally or illegally, and I think everyone will agree there are a LOT of illegals) to get out of poverty and will work very hard for a salary that none of us here can compete with. I may sound biased, but I always say that about 250,000 of us indigent U.S. citizans should move to Mexico City, take over(low-ball) some of their high-salary occupations and refuse to learn their language. That's what I see here that makes me angry(especially their blatant refusal to learn English). All of the "immigrants" from WWII forward were fine with learning our language and applying for citizenship(which in my opinion should "require" passing an "English speaking test"). Of course my "attitude" changes when my wife and I eat out at a Mexican restaurant that serves "authentic" Mexican food and I could care less whether the cooks are legal or illegal(guess that makes me a blatant hypocrite:0)

Click to expand...

djdicent

noticed you use Gravely---I have opportunity to buy a 2008 52 inch with 14 hours---what do you think i should offer ?

thanks

Sureyards---White Bluff, Tn

SUREYARDS said:

djdicent

noticed you use Gravely---I have opportunity to buy a 2008 52 inch with 14 hours---what do you think i should offer ?

thanks

Sureyards---White Bluff, Tn

Click to expand...

What model series is that 52"??? ZT HD, Pro-Turn 100XDZ, Pro-Turn 200XDZ Pro-Turn 400XDZ??? The ZT HD is a high-end Residential ZTR and all of the Pro-Turns are Commercial(the higher the "number" the better the quality). I paid $6,800 out-the door for my 20012 52" Pro-Turn 100XDZ(which had a MSRP of $7,199 plus taxes). That model went up to $7499 in 2013. If the one you are looking at is a Pro-Turn 14 hours is "nothing"(mine, bought last September has 8 hours). The first tranny service is not needed until they have 70 hours on them. I really don't know "used mower pricing", but maybe what I paid will help you and another user that knows depreciation on mowers will chime in. Personally, if it is indeed a Pro-Turn 100 XDZ series I would offer $4,000 without hesitating.

djdicetn said:

What model series is that 52"??? ZT HD, Pro-Turn 100XDZ, Pro-Turn 200XDZ Pro-Turn 400XDZ??? The ZT HD is a high-end Residential ZTR and all of the Pro-Turns are Commercial(the higher the "number" the better the quality). I paid $6,800 out-the door for my 20012 52" Pro-Turn 100XDZ(which had a MSRP of $7,199 plus taxes). That model went up to $7499 in 2013. If the one you are looking at is a Pro-Turn 14 hours is "nothing"(mine, bought last September has 8 hours). The first tranny service is not needed until they have 70 hours on them. I really don't know "used mower pricing", but maybe what I paid will help you and another user that knows depreciation on mowers will chime in. Personally, if it is indeed a Pro-Turn 100 XDZ series I would offer $4,000 without hesitating.

Click to expand...

Yes, it is a 100xdz---he wants 4,500-----Thanks for the info---I believe i will buy it--What part of Tenneseee are you in ?

Sureyards

SUREYARDS said:

Yes, it is a 100xdz---he wants 4,500-----Thanks for the info---I believe i will buy it--What part of Tenneseee are you in ?

Sureyards

Click to expand...

That sounds like a fair price to me. I don't think you'll be unhappy with that Pro-Turn 152!!! I'm in Middle TN(Wilson County).....you?
Maybe if we're close enough we could start a "Gravely Club":0)

SUREYARDS said:

Yes, it is a 100xdz---he wants 4,500-----Thanks for the info---I believe i will buy it--What part of Tenneseee are you in ?

Sureyards

Click to expand...

DICKSON COUNTY

I am small time---only 25 yards

SUREYARDS said:

DICKSON COUNTY

I am small time---only 25 yards

Click to expand...

25 yards is ok depends on what you charge. If you on the cheap side that's still about $750

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

Im Mexican and have a business license and Insurance. I live in West Virginia and guess what? there are not many Mexicans up here. Most of the people who work here in the lawn care business do not have any insurance or business license. How do I know? Most do not have any business names or phone numbers on their trucks or trailers. As a matter of fact I was called to do an estimate on a house with a half acre lot. I priced it at 50 dollars weekly to mow, trim and edge the lawn. The lady said it was too much. She said a person before me had given her an estimate of 35 dollars. I saw the truck with a lawn trailer leave as I was arriving, and there was no business name or phone number on the truck. Oh and he was not Mexican, he was white and was wearing a WV hat. BTW I am an American Citizen!

locolupe77 said:

Im Mexican and have a business license and Insurance. I live in West Virginia and guess what? there are not many Mexicans up here. Most of the people who work here in the lawn care business do not have any insurance or business license. How do I know? Most do not have any business names or phone numbers on their trucks or trailers. As a matter of fact I was called to do an estimate on a house with a half acre lot. I priced it at 50 dollars weekly to mow, trim and edge the lawn. The lady said it was too much. She said a person before me had given her an estimate of 35 dollars. I saw the truck with a lawn trailer leave as I was arriving, and there was no business name or phone number on the truck. Oh and he was not Mexican, he was white and was wearing a WV hat. BTW I am an American Citizen!

Click to expand...

And you said all this why?
I have no name or number on my trucks or trailers I took them off 4 years ago so people would stop calling me to get there yard done.

What's it matter if your Mexican? As long as people know what your saying and you know what they say

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

Carscw said:

And you said all this why?
I have no name or number on my trucks or trailers I took them off 4 years ago so people would stop calling me to get there yard done.

What's it matter if your Mexican? As long as people know what your saying and you know what they say

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))

Click to expand...

Because I felt like stating that fact! Did you not read the previous posts? It was in response to some posters making remarks about Mexicans. Read before you question people about their posts..

locolupe77 said:

Because I felt like stating that fact! Did you not read the previous posts? It was in response to some posters making remarks about Mexicans. Read before you question people about their posts..

Click to expand...

Ok I understand your remarks and you wanting to state the facts, but that fact is that you are talking about Human Nature. That was the reason I asked how do you tell. When people see an individual or crew of Mexicans working on lawns they automatically think and make the assumption there illegals, the same with someone from the middle east that works or owns a convenient store, they make the assumption that they are some sort of terrorist or something and the list goes on. The thing is I see a lot of people doing lawn care that are questionable whether they have all the necessary papers they are supposed to have to do the job but I also see a guy that is maybe just trying to feed his family or pay some bills and I make the assumption that he is one I don't have to supply welfare and food stamps for because at least he is making an effort. Think Positive.

locolupe77 said:

Because I felt like stating that fact! Did you not read the previous posts? It was in response to some posters making remarks about Mexicans. Read before you question people about their posts..

Click to expand...

locolupe77,
If you read all of my posts in the context they are written you will see that the illegals are the ones that are making you feel "profiled" by some of the posts in this thread and you should be just as angry toward illegals as some of us are. I have read many of your posts and I must say that you appear to make very legible sentences which are obviously not in Spanish. I am assuming, that as pointed out by user Carscw, if we had a person-to-person conversation with you that we would have no problem understaning what you are saying(aside from most likely a slight accent). And with you being a U.S. Citizen(shows some initiative to fit into our society), becoming fluant in English(shows an intitiate for you to blend into our culture) and paying your taxes and obtaining the proper licenses......you are NOT one of the Hispanic, Mexican born individuals that I referred to in my posts. I'm also willing to bet that you price your services competitively, but reasonably close to any other lawn maintenance professional in your area. If you, because of your ethnicity, were offended by any of my remarks I have no qualms humbly apologizing. But as I just stated, based upon the information you provided, I was NOT talking about you.