I have a problem...

[grassrootsinab]

I know I shouldn't be griping but this spring I seem to be overwhelmed with new customers. I teach full-time and cut in the evenings during school and a couple of days per week in the summer. I'm really at the point where I can't keep up and need to hire an employee. The problem is that I only have enough work for 1 guy for about 25 hours per week. Any ideas? The last 4 years I've had a high school student help for 3 hours a night for about 4 nights a week (I was always on site) and that worked great, but now I have too many for even that.

I hate to pass up jobs, especially referals (" I talked to so-and-so and they said you do really good work and I really need someone to look after our yard") from loyal customers. I really want to grow this business and manage it and hire some summer students. I guess I need some advice from guys that have been in similar situations. Thanks.

Jeff

[walker-talker]

I am not in this situation yet, but have you considered giving up teaching? Is having someone mow for you an option?

[marko]

If you hire someone just be aware of the maintenance (calls during the day from him, not showing up etc.) If you look at some employee posts here, you can tell it's not that easy to find a good employee. If you have enough work to hire or consider hiring an employee for 25 hrs/week, why not use your students as you said you did in the past? 3 students @ 2 hrs a day per week = 30 hours. Its just till you get out for the summer, right?

[grassrootsinab]

Yeah Marko, I really feel the crunch for May and June. The problem I have with hiring some High School students is the maturity issue (trust with the truck and trailer etc.). They are great workers when I am on site but to leave them to themselves is a HUGE trust issue. I think that finding the right person to do the "labour" is the best option. It's how I got started...I worked for a guy (accountant) that started his mowing company in university. My cousin and I worked for him and now I've spun off my business in a different town. I'd really like to have a university student do the work and then I can grow my business to 50 or 60 clients. Right now...counting my wait list I have 35 so I think it's very doable.

I have thought about quitting teaching. The problem up here is I only get 4 good months (Late April -Sept) where the lawns are actively growing so I'd have to find something to do through the winter (subtitute teaching isn't an option...) I'd have to spin off landscape design etc which would be interesting but isn't in the cards right now.

[Littleriver1]

Raise your prices! Your probably not charging enough.

[sheshovel]

Learn to say no rather than get yourself so overbooked you have to drop jobs or give them away.It's hard to say no to $$ knowing it will go into somebody elses pocket,but you have to know your limits too.

[dvmcmrhp52]

Learn to say no rather than get yourself so overbooked you have to drop jobs or give them away.It's hard to say no to $$ knowing it will go into somebody elses pocket,but you have to know your limits too.



Saying "no" also helps keep you out of the funny farm................... :D

[Jpocket]

Im still in high school, and have managed 50 accounts in the past 2 years with my grandfather helping me. Dude you just gotta bust ASS till school lets out.

[grassrootsinab]

Thanks for the input guys, I appreciate it. I have a line on a former student (in university now) who is coming home to work on their farm....might want to supplement income a bit.

Little River, I don't think I can raise prices. I service mostly small residential lots in my town (50' x 110' with an average 1500 sq ft house +driveway) so the actual lawn area is quite small. I see posts here that cut 1/4 acre for $30-45 so I am definitely in line with that price.

There was one other fellow cutting part time in our town and he and his wife closed shop this spring. I'm getting most of their customers...that's where the growth is coming from mostly. I'd hate to lose the "monopoly" in my town by passing up work. I know I need to set a limit but if I get an employee to do the cutting I can continue to grow at a reasonable rate (love to have 100-130 clients total and 2 employees within 4 years). Thanks for letting me vent...I know it runs long sometimes.

[Team Gopher]

Hi grassrootsinab,

I hear you. I agree with Littleriver1 though. Maybe if you raise your prices, some may say no but others might say yes and then you could focus on a limited number of high paying customers.

Just a thought.

[lawnranger44]

My brother and I ran our business while in high school. (He still is in high school, I am in college) Definitely hire one or two of your students! You should be able to spot the responsible ones, being a teacher. Also, could you use an equipment upgrade? My brother and I were swamped in Late April/May until we bought a bigger mower.

[grassrootsinab]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all the feedback. Just to update, here's where I'm at:
I've talked to a former student (in university) and he's going to let me know tonight. Failing that, I have one other former student to ask. Failing that I think I'm going to ask a couple of my current students to work together. Both have worked for me in the past. They are both 17 and can drive. The problem is my insurance company said they really prefer people over 20 to be driving on my policy (unless my own kids) so I though about paying one of the students $100 a month to use his own truck pulling my trailer (I have a SUPER tight route 35 clients less than 10 km driving per week so this is a pretty good bonus I think).

I've thought about upgrading equipment but as most of my clients have quite small yards, I'm pretty much stuck with the 21" and my 38" walkbehind. Almost all of my clients have fenced yards so I have a tough time even getting the 38" into the back yards. I've been looking at the Quick 36 or I saw in Turf magazine that somebody (Gravelly maybe?!?) is making a 48" mower that has collapsable "wings" to get through 32" gates. Mower upgrade is definetly in the cards for later in the season though.

[wrestlingcoach]

Know exactly what you are saying, My partner and I are both teachers & coaches, we have around 40 accounts and picking up 1-3accts each week. one commercial account takes about 25 man hours to do each week.

We have a guy in college mowing right now. He will mow from 8-4 today then he has class, then we pick up what he hasn't done or we try to get ahead. Tomorrow he'll work 7am-12 take a firemen's test at 1pm then help us fri night. We also have 3 other helpers. One is school bus driver, a teacher (Just started) and we have 2 older gentlemen (older teacher & a brother-in-law to the bus driver) that only ride our walkbehinds or ztr

The older guys get less, but remember the most important part of the job is trimming.

we put a email out asking for part-time workers at the bus barn and other teachers. But the new guys have to be able to work in the fall also so NO baseball or football coaches. We got the new young teacher wanting money.

Ask some firemen,
But try and get at least 3 different ( helpers) people that can help so that way if someone is sick, need to be off , you have plan A , B, & C

[grassrootsinab]

Well, I hired an ex-student (current University student) to work for me. He started on Monday and I have to say my productivity is WAY down. He just stopped by this morning to keep me up to date. At 12:30 he had only cut 3 yards (I usually take 30-45 minutes on them). He is doubling the time required. I guess he is on a learning curve and hopefully it will get better. I'm going to give him a couple of weeks to "train" and then I'm going to start busting him to speed it up a bit. I'm keeping my fingers crossed...must say the extra time is sure nice and my boys are enjoying having Dad at soccer practice.

Jeff

[walker-talker]

I'm going to give him a couple of weeks to "train" and then I'm going to start busting him to speed it up a bit.
JeffI wouldn't give him a couple days!! If he is taking twice as long as what you can do it....after 3 days, something is definetely wrong. I would bust him up to speed and give him a week or he would be gone.