Starting a new business

[exotion]

I charge cutting grass by acre. Some prices I can charge are as low as $15/acre, and I've done lawns as high as $105/acre, but my rate is $15/acre. By the size of lot and an additional $10/hour for if it takes longer than an hour. Your friend should set a price that is comfortable for him, and at the same time doing it not for too low and not for too high. Your friend should also make the decision for cutting grass based on size/time. Again, my going rate is done by acre. I don't charge more for service if the lawn is cut a couple times a month.

I don't remove the clippings, they are a natural fertilizer. I do have rates for trimming shrubs, weeding, and an additional $5/acre for leaf pickup in the fall.

Seems like your setting your self up for failure... 15 an hour is garbage. Burger flippers get paid more than that.. as for leaf clean up I don't even know how you manage that. I could imagine trying to do that.

I charge the max I feel the customer will pay. Generally $25+ a lawn for 1/2 acre lots... That lot includes the house.

Leaf clean up is bid by job I wait for the leaves to fall I take them to the dump I charge between $100-$300 a lawn

 

[Ric]

Seems like your setting your self up for failure... 15 an hour is garbage. Burger flippers get paid more than that.. as for leaf clean up I don't even know how you manage that. I could imagine trying to do that.

I charge the max I feel the customer will pay. Generally $25+ a lawn for 1/2 acre lots... That lot includes the house.

Leaf clean up is bid by job I wait for the leaves to fall I take them to the dump I charge between $100-$300 a lawn

I agree, I think you have to look for somewhere between $50 and $70 an hour to make a comfortable living out of it. If you can't make that you may as well stay at home.

 

[DJlawnboy]

I pay some kid $20 to do one of my rentals. Wish I had lazer around.

 

[Carscw]

I have never done a pay the same every month for a year.
Till the other day.

Lady called me she is 69 her husband is 79. The guy they had is just doing a bad job. They only want to pay by the month.

I charged them $50 per month.
I will make no money at all.
Probably will cost me money.

 

[LazerZLandscaping]

Seems like your setting your self up for failure... 15 an hour is garbage. Burger flippers get paid more than that.. as for leaf clean up I don't even know how you manage that. I could imagine trying to do that.

I charge the max I feel the customer will pay. Generally $25+ a lawn for 1/2 acre lots... That lot includes the house.

Leaf clean up is bid by job I wait for the leaves to fall I take them to the dump I charge between $100-$300 a lawn

Well that's just for lawn mowing. Most of my clients take at least an hour or more to do. So still for most lawns I do I get paid $25 or more depending on how many acres. And then sometimes I have more stuff to do, (weed wack, blowing, etc.) I just don't mow lawns, I have plant care contracts, My business also specializes in home improvement and renovation, you make some real good money off that, I cut hardwood trees on my land and sell for cordwood, brush mowing & hogging, demolition, site work, chipping, painting, concrete, new lawns, sodding, etc, I do endless types of things in my combined home improvement and landscaping business. I make real good money, better than most here in NH. My employees get good wages too. I make even more in winter with snowblowing, sanding, plowing, I even take care of private roads that some towns or cities may not cover.

So then again, don't judge a book by it's cover. I don't work for minimum wage. If I did I wouldn't have a big business and all the employees I have today. My mowing may seem cheap, but I do better than most overpriced companies, So I have lots of clients and I am referred a lot so I get even more clients.

 

[DJlawnboy]

Well that's just for lawn mowing. Most of my clients take at least an hour or more to do. So still for most lawns I do I get paid $25 or more depending on how many acres. And then sometimes I have more stuff to do, (weed wack, blowing, etc.) I just don't mow lawns, I have plant care contracts, My business also specializes in home improvement and renovation, you make some real good money off that, I cut hardwood trees on my land and sell for cordwood, brush mowing & hogging, demolition, site work, chipping, painting, concrete, new lawns, sodding, etc, I do endless types of things in my combined home improvement and landscaping business. I make real good money, better than most here in NH. My employees get good wages too. I make even more in winter with snowblowing, sanding, plowing, I even take care of private roads that some towns or cities may not cover. So then again, don't judge a book by it's cover. I don't work for minimum wage. If I did I wouldn't have a big business and all the employees I have today. My mowing may seem cheap, but I do better than most overpriced companies, So I have lots of clients and I am referred a lot so I get even more clients.

That's what I figured. I knew that you couldn't just be mowing. Yes, at your rates people would flock to you. Once a company quoted me 200 for my 2 acres when I was on vacation....I let the grass grow lol. Sounds like you got quite the set up. I could see serious cash from NH winters and snowblowing.

 

[LazerZLandscaping]

That's what I figured. I knew that you couldn't just be mowing. Yes, at your rates people would flock to you. Once a company quoted me 200 for my 2 acres when I was on vacation....I let the grass grow lol. Sounds like you got quite the set up. I could see serious cash from NH winters and snowblowing.

Yes I have lots of clients and I have a pad of paper with jobs that I haven't even started on and jobs to finish. I take quality in my work and that's why my clients always call back. I get referred and see some of my business cards hanging up at town halls and local businesses. $200 for two acres?! That's $100/acre, seems overpriced. Yeah, it's quite the set up, took years and years to become the company that it is today. And there is serious cash in the winter, the winters up here are brutal.

 

[jekjr]

The area you live in plays a large part ad well. Down here people who cut weekly is almost nill. A handful and I mean small handful cut weekly or on a 10 day rotation.

We charge $35 to $45 for an average lot of 1/2 acre to 3/4 acre. An acre lot normally close to $50.

Once we hit multiple acres we shoot for $30 to $35 per acre. After about 5 acres we will cut it for $25 per and we try not to go less than that regardless. That cheap is with almost no weed eating.

We have cut as much as 40 acre tracts. Would cut larger.