how do you get rid of the scrubs in your area?

[JS Landscaping]

I dont know how bad you guys have it in your territories but up here in Orange County NY it seems like every day there is a new scrub out there. What do you guys do about it? I wish they had something like a pesticide to get rid of em.....cause they are a pest. I have one punk ass kid tryin to take a few accounts away from me by goin in and sayin he will do the lawn for half of what they are paying me. :realmad: What should I do? I know I could turn him in to the IRS but what do you guys think I should do. Any sugestions would be helpful.



James Soutar
JS LANDSCAPING

[Toy2]

Its everywhere, I have some that ask the homerowner what he wants to pay??Then they do it for that price!!!

[Runner]

Ok, someone post post that picture of The Sopranos cast.

[lawnman_scott]

I dont know how bad you guys have it in your territories
I didnt know we had territories.

[TURF DOCTOR]

Use a sniper rifle

[Grass Cake]

Ok, someone post post that picture of The Sopranos cast.

http://www.the-sopranos.com/sounds/tony/waste.wav

[GrassMasterNC]

If you consider the "scrubs" in your area competition, you need to revisit your business approach. You'll find it much more profitable and have less headaches with customers who want quality service and are willing to pay for it. Do you really want the customers who are looking for the cheapest service? Let the little guys put food on their table while they can - their murray's and craftsman riders won't last forever and their quality of workmanship and customer service is traditionally inferior. Simply put, they just make you look better, therbey helping your business to gain the clients (or potential clients) that will bring you more profit. If he is soliciting your current customers, be sure they are happy with you and that they know they are being provided the highest quality available. Furthermore, it is wise to target the customers that can afford REAL lawn and landscaping services and wave to the fella in the tattered pickup with a rusted trailer and worn equipment as you drive by. He's helping you look better and saving you hours of headaches.
Select your properties, and give them more than they expected, and the scrubs won't be an issue.
Matt

[JS Landscaping]

Never did look at it that way. We do make sure everyone is happy tho, from monthly surveys to always spending just a tad bit more time to make sure every yard is perfect. Perfection is what I base my company on. I just dont understand when a dude with a ratted old truck and mower is hired by a homeowner in a $500,000 dolar home. Doenst make any sence. :dizzy: I guess I just gotta keep up what Im doin and let the scrubs die off themselves. Well have a good season y'all :waving:


James Soutar
JS LANDSCAPING

[out4now]

How do think they were alble to affoard the 500K home? They won't spend any money. Remember Sam Walton?

[TurfProSTL]

If you consider the "scrubs" in your area competition, you need to revisit your business approach. You'll find it much more profitable and have less headaches with customers who want quality service and are willing to pay for it. Do you really want the customers who are looking for the cheapest service? Let the little guys put food on their table while they can - their murray's and craftsman riders won't last forever and their quality of workmanship and customer service is traditionally inferior. Simply put, they just make you look better, therbey helping your business to gain the clients (or potential clients) that will bring you more profit. If he is soliciting your current customers, be sure they are happy with you and that they know they are being provided the highest quality available. Furthermore, it is wise to target the customers that can afford REAL lawn and landscaping services and wave to the fella in the tattered pickup with a rusted trailer and worn equipment as you drive by. He's helping you look better and saving you hours of headaches.
Select your properties, and give them more than they expected, and the scrubs won't be an issue.
Matt Good advice.

I don't get all these posts blasting so-called scrubs. Every stinking one of you started as some variation of scrub.

Provide excellent service and you won't miss the price shoppers that switch to a "scrub".....

:waving:

[QualityLawnCare4u]

Good advice.

I don't get all these posts blasting so-called scrubs. you started as some variation ofEvery stinking one of scrub.

Provide excellent service and you won't miss the price shoppers that switch to a "scrub".....

:waving:

I have to agree with you on we were all some form or scrubs at one time. I was just thinking today how unprofessional I looked my first year in biz. A rusty smoking dodge caravan, a UGLY homemade trailor, a rusty murray and homelite weedeater. My entire setup was less than 3 grand! One of my ztr now cost twice that much and the sad thing about it I made a higher profit margin the first 2 years than I do now! However, I understand what the original poster was getting at, we have an abundance now of "unprofessional lco" here also, the most Ive ever seen. I dont like the scrub word because I was one at one time till I graduted! I just keep telling myself that most wont be here by June. I was one of the few that stuck it out and Im sure that a few of todays scrubs, a very few, will become tommorows LCO.

[Green Pastures]

I pay no attention to anybody else in my area.

My business and doing the best possible job I can do for every customer every day is my only concern.

Try it sometime.

[Tonyr]

Good advice.

I don't get all these posts blasting so-called scrubs. Every stinking one of you started as some variation of scrub.

Provide excellent service and you won't miss the price shoppers that switch to a "scrub".....

:waving:



Like bloody hell WE ALL started out as Scrubs!

I certainly didn't!!

I started with a walker 48'' ghs, enclosed trailer, painted, signwritten, honda brush cutter, toyota 80 series 4 x 4.....full 10 mil insurance, licenced to apply chems.

I unlike a lot researched by butt off before deciding this was for me, then was confident and spend up and set myself up...and every year has been better than the last, like my mowers! lol.

Please guys, don't go throwing statements around too loosly, I'm proud of the fact my research etc paid off and I started off NON SCRUB.

NOT EVERYONE STARTED AS SCRUBS! :realmad: payup

[Runner]

I've been in the business for more than 20 years now, and I'm STILL a scrub. One of these days, I may even figure out how this biz works! :rolleyes:

[stuie]

Like bloody hell WE ALL started out as Scrubs!

I certainly didn't!!

I started with a walker 48'' ghs, enclosed trailer, painted, signwritten, honda brush cutter, toyota 80 series 4 x 4.....full 10 mil insurance, licenced to apply chems.

I unlike a lot researched by butt off before deciding this was for me, then was confident and spend up and set myself up...and every year has been better than the last, like my mowers! lol.

Please guys, don't go throwing statements around too loosly, I'm proud of the fact my research etc paid off and I started off NON SCRUB.

NOT EVERYONE STARTED AS SCRUBS! :realmad: payup

Tony Mate your a scrub! :waving: :rolleyes:
Get rid of that Toro buy a 21in honda You will do fine! :cool2:

[crawdad]

I dont know how bad you guys have it in your territories but up here in Orange County NY it seems like every day there is a new scrub out there. What do you guys do about it? I wish they had something like a pesticide to get rid of em.....cause they are a pest. I have one punk ass kid tryin to take a few accounts away from me by goin in and sayin he will do the lawn for half of what they are paying me. :realmad: What should I do? I know I could turn him in to the IRS but what do you guys think I should do. Any sugestions would be helpful.



James Soutar
JS LANDSCAPING
Let's get this straight... You are 18, you've "been in business" for 4 years, and you want to know how to get rid of punk ass kids.
Interesting problem.

[Tonyr]

Tony Mate your a scrub! :waving: :rolleyes:
Get rid of that Toro buy a 21in honda You will do fine! :cool2:


Shhhhhhhhh, don't tell everyone ya wally! :p

I reckon youre stalking me ya southern plonka! :help:

If I bought a 21'er, I'd finish too early, and alcohol problem would get worse and not become a problem! :cool2: :cool2: :dizzy:

Got Toro back....see how many hours I get before next breakdown! :realmad:

If I buy shoes, or thongs....am I still a scrub??

[65hoss]

Let's get this straight... You are 18, you've "been in business" for 4 years, and you want to know how to get rid of punk ass kids.
Interesting problem.
That was basically what I was thinking. Until you hit 18, you couldn't be a real business. You have been considered by many in your area as the scrub and they probably were thinking about how to get rid of you.

Pay attention to your own business. Focus on what you do.

[pagefault]

I'm just worried about what I can do better. I don't really care what they should be doing better. I still don't know where some of you draw the line in deciding if someone is a scrub. Personally, some of the plain-jane flatbed trailers look a little scrub-a-dub-dubby to me. So do trucks with door magnets or no signage at all.

As far as I can tell, anyone who has less invested than the next guy is a scrub. Maybe I'm a scrub too. Who knows? The only one I want to get rid of is the big guy with 1000+ accounts and maybe the national chains/franchises. They're the ones I might be losing customers to.

I feel sorry for the guys with the mowers in their trunks. I don't feel threatened by them.

[RKISTNER1]

Got a ztr for home use. My neighbor across street has LCO every week for $45.00 I said sh#t i'll do it for $30.00. Then I siad to myself "I got a job" and I would only be doing it for beer money, that guy is doing it for a living! 3 Lco's come and go all around me. I wait till they are done than ask "what blades u runnin?" etc tell them about this site. Have a great respect for u guys thanks to this site.. sCRUB= STARTED CUTTING REALLY UNDER BID..not me!

[sheshovel]

Tony Mate your a scrub! :waving: :rolleyes:
Get rid of that Toro buy a 21in honda You will do fine! :cool2:

Oh oh now we got the Aussie mates in the thread,they can sure tell ya about bein a scrub ...you PLONKERS!! LoL

[kc2006]

I feel like I'm thinkin jiberish when I read what the austrailian say on here :D You guys say wank dont you? or is that british? haha

Only people I have a problem with are the guys that do everything under the table. I don't care what equipment they have, how they trailer it, how bad of a job they do (if they do a bad job i call them butchers and laugh) but the guys doing it illegally get me. I wouldn't try to run them out of the area because soon enough the customers see that they're butchers/scrubs and drop them and call me up. I'm starting to get calls about weekly mowing FINALLY and each one says we hired this guy but he stopped showing up.

[RedWolf]

Ive had to fix alot of lawns because of scrubs.The way i look at it,there givein me work and cutting there own wrists by how the do things.I spend more time on a lawn then i should but,Its the little things like talk to the customer and do little freebees that makes them happy.I got so much word of mouth work because i did those things i never have to worrie about work.The customer always comes first and if they want a scrub, fine because i know in a month they will be calling back and wanting me to do there lawn again.

[Lodogg2221]

Geez, maybe Im a scrub too. Ive got no signs, no trailer. But for my yards I dont need em. Biggest one only takes 35-40 minutes to trim mow and blow. Most are in the 20-30 min range. I like em cause the "big" guys (those with ZTR's, big w/bs etc) dont like em cause they cant use their equipment. Two only have about 20" on either side of their property. Its fine by me, saves my investing in a big mower Ill only be using a little at first! Besides, I can charge a little less and make more. Yes I do pay taxes. And since I joined this forum a few weeks ago, Ive been looking into insurance. Either way, Im not raising my prices, they are more than fair to me and my customers.

I guess what kills me is some people rate "scrubs" on the price they charge compared to their own. Is it my fault I can pay for everything and make what money I want to make and still be cheaper than the next guy? Should I raise my price just cause someone else costs more? No. Its not my fault they have 12 employees and Ive got none. I dont want any. Less overhead. Less liability. OK, rant over.

[chriscampbell]

I guess what kills me is some people rate "scrubs" on the price they charge compared to their own. Is it my fault I can pay for everything and make what money I want to make and still be cheaper than the next guy? Should I raise my price just cause someone else costs more? No. Its not my fault they have 12 employees and Ive got none. I dont want any. Less overhead. Less liability. OK, rant over.

One day you might want to grow to have 12 employees so you do not have to cut the grass. I just hired my first employees this year. I am not planing to cut one lawn by 2007...You should charge what the other guys charge so you can invest in the bigger equipment when it is time to expand and be able to cover the overhead, insurance, work comp, and all that other good stuff. my 2 cents.

[Pro-Scapes]

Well hrmmm I could be somewhere in the middle of a scrub and proffesional. While I dont know all the little secrets of the pro's yet I am licensed, insured and do top quality work. I just came back from my dealer (ordered a new Z master!!!!) and I couldnt imagine working how some of these guys did. 1 guy had a murray 38 rider stuffed in back of his mini van with the weedeater and rakes and stuff on the luggage rack. Way I see it is he is in a different market than I am and thats fine with me. I seen 3 guys pushing old 21's in a yard that I would never take my ztr in. MOUGLES and tons of small low stumps. Yeah they had a beat up old truck full of shovels and rakes and such but I can promise they dont test a customers soil or know the first thing about proper lawn care.

I admire any guy willing to bust his A$$ in the 95 degree sun for 10 an hour (thats great money here!) just to feed his family. Least he aint out selling crack or something or robbing LCO's at gun point.

I think everyone needs to find thier niche. If you got the tools and knowledge and desire to stand apart from others yes your rates should be higher. If you just wanna take care of people who want thier grass chopped off and thats the quality of work you do then you should charge accordingly.

I got an acct this week. Next door to an old lady I do. Nieghbor was charging her 75 per cut. I did it for 40 bucks and it took 30 min. Did I lowball or was he just overpriced ????

If you cant hang with thoes cheaper than you and charge your rates then your work aint high enough quality or your not established enough to get away with it. Yes knocking on the door after so and so LCO leaves and saying you will do it cheaper is unethical.

[turfmann]

I'm reminded of an old (I mean really old) friend of mine, Gene.

Gene is a landscaper. He works out of an old pickup truck. He has an old 21" mower, that's it. He has basic hand tools. He doesn't have any modern equipment. Gene has forgotten more than I know.

Gene mows his customers lawns, plants their annuals, mulches their beds, plants their shrubs, installs their walkways.

Gene wanted to meet with me one day at a commercial site I was fertilizing for him. I couldn't find him anywhere. Suddenly, he calls out to me, I don't see him, he's nowhere around. I think I'm having an out-of-body experience. No, Gene is up a tree, about 30', pruning.

Gene has attended most of his customers funerals because Gene is 86 years old. He gets up every morning and goes to work.

Gene is older than most of your grandfathers. He is a great-grandfather 4 times over.

Gene is a scrub, according to the predominate definition here.

I want to be a scrub, too.

[nocutting]

Yea a "Double barrell shot gun".......a little buckshot will keepem movein......sugar in their gas tanks?........cut their tires.........report'em to the infernal revenue.........Tell your customers they're "Gay", lol,lol,lol. Heres a few options nobody has mentioned? :rolleyes:

[Carolina Cutter]

I dont know how bad you guys have it in your territories but up here in Orange County NY it seems like every day there is a new scrub out there. What do you guys do about it? I wish they had something like a pesticide to get rid of em.....cause they are a pest. I have one punk ass kid tryin to take a few accounts away from me by goin in and sayin he will do the lawn for half of what they are paying me. :realmad: What should I do? I know I could turn him in to the IRS but what do you guys think I should do. Any sugestions would be helpful.



James Soutar
JS LANDSCAPING


Ignore them.....you can't grow YOUR business if you are worrying about theirs. There is enough work for everybody. I used to sweat them guys....but the usually don't last once the heat sets in and well its been an incredibly busy year for me anyway.

Things will change....just do quality work and you won't have to worry about them.....you will have enough work to keep you busy.

[freddyc]

I'm reminded of an old (I mean really old) friend of mine, Gene.

Gene is a landscaper. He works out of an old pickup truck. He has an old 21" mower, that's it. He has basic hand tools. He doesn't have any modern equipment. Gene has forgotten more than I know.

Gene mows his customers lawns, plants their annuals, mulches their beds, plants their shrubs, installs their walkways.

Gene wanted to meet with me one day at a commercial site I was fertilizing for him. I couldn't find him anywhere. Suddenly, he calls out to me, I don't see him, he's nowhere around. I think I'm having an out-of-body experience. No, Gene is up a tree, about 30', pruning.

Gene has attended most of his customers funerals because Gene is 86 years old. He gets up every morning and goes to work.

Gene is older than most of your grandfathers. He is a great-grandfather 4 times over.

Gene is a scrub, according to the predominate definition here.

I want to be a scrub, too.






This post should be an inspiration to all. Sadly, the response would probably be "its not like that anymore", or thats good for him but I can't make any money like that".


Guess I'm a scrub too. ;)

[kandklandscape]

Well I do not call them this, however what I do is I always talk with the new company/person. In PA we have got to have a certificate to do landscaping services. So if they do not have one, then usually they are fly by nights...

However, there are ALOT of them out there that were/are young and do not know this yet.

I am now 22 was 16 when I started my business. Now have 15 employees, 5 trucks and so much work not even funny. Sometimes new business folks are good to come around, makes comp for us bigger guys.... BUT
when they learn how to do estimates.....

Had this new company outbid us by $3200
The new company bid $800 for a NEW LAWN I believe the meas. are around 150x250??? Anyways, I HAVE NO IDEA how this company stays in biz, but he bid it for that and got it. Play in factor he has ALL NEW EQUIP, ALL NEW trucks..... wont last more then 5 years.

Dont make the wrong choice.

Also, go with someone who is in the proper organizations, etc etc.

[Staffordnurseries]

The fact of the matter is the reason why these guys are entering the business is because they can, the barriers to entry are low. For 10 grand you can have decent equipment used to get started. Insurance is just a phone call away.

Our economy is changing, factories are closing and going overseas. Not only are these laid off guys no longer your customer, they are looking to become your competitors.

Even myself, Im a factory manager but I have been buying professional grade equipment for the house and nursery business I do on the side. Further my educational development is now going towards horticulture rather than further technical expertise. If my current job goes overseas (which it will) the margins that are being enjoyed by the people in this business are just too good to turn down.

Pretty soon it will not be the kids you are up against, it will be the people entering the service sector of the economy (which you are) from other segments which are changing. Further it will not be with old Murrays, and rusted mini vans, it will be with good equipment and either good mechanical or good managment skills already gained in other segments of the economy.
Or it may be talented youngsters getting horticulture or agriculture degrees rather than mechanical, industrial and electrical engineering degrees that will raise the bar on what services and knowledge must be offered to be successful

Very straight forward, to succeed you grow new business, offer more services through vertical integration or greater expertise, or you accept a lower margin than your current competitors. I will use all those strategies if the time comes when my hobby becomes my profession. Since this is capitalism it will come at the expence of anyone who cannot stay ahead of me.

The scrubs are the least of your worry, worry that you can keep up with a tighter regulated, more competitive environment that will remain when the economic shift is over with,

[liquidforcedude7]

As someone put it elsewhere the people who are gona pay 15 dollars for a kid arent gona pay 50 for someone who has nicer stuff and vice-versa. Im not as bad a scrub as I used to be (now most of mine are at least $30). And that is exactly the expierence ive had. I did go up to a homeowner one time after a "pro" tore the **** out of their yard and it looked terraible (sp) they even knocked over 2 sidewalk light things and to this day they havnt been replaced. When I confronted the lady she said that she liked the people that she had and that money was not an issue. To this day they still pay tons and their yard looks like crap.

language

[Green Pastures]

I pay no attention to other LCO's in my "territory" except to wave or say hi when we meet at the common supply houses.

Early on I learned that I have a business to run and it meant I had no time for childish game playing.

[jfenton]

I dont know how bad you guys have it in your territories but up here in Orange County NY it seems like every day there is a new scrub out there. What do you guys do about it? I wish they had something like a pesticide to get rid of em.....cause they are a pest. I have one punk ass kid tryin to take a few accounts away from me by goin in and sayin he will do the lawn for half of what they are paying me. :realmad: What should I do? I know I could turn him in to the IRS but what do you guys think I should do. Any sugestions would be helpful.



James Soutar
JS LANDSCAPING
In our area, we've organized an elite squad of extremely well equiped lawn care specialists, to do our wet work. We waylay them in traffic, and drive them to a remote location where they are forced to dig their own graves. Hope this helps

[Mo Green]

I pay no attention to other LCO's in my "territory" except to wave or say hi when we meet at the common supply houses.

Early on I learned that I have a business to run and it meant I had no time for childish game playing.
Same here........

[MarcusLndscp]

blah blah blah not another you're a scrub I'm a scrub thread. Everyone has a different opinion of what a scrub is...who cares just do your job at whatever level you're on

[William J. L.]

Thats sort of true TurfPro however I made sure we had a decent truck, a cheap magnetic sign, and a couple of shirts with the name on it. Then the rest is how you carry yourself professionally and most of all how well you actually know your business to do it right.
The scrubs motto of 'fake it til you make it' doesn't really work unless you know what your doing.

[rover]

These so called "scrubs" who posses the captial, labor and time to do a job and earn monies in exchange for their services should not be looked down upon. I have seen top notch qaulity work performed by "scrubs" with moderately priced equipment that would put some of the professionals in my area to shame. On the other hand, I have seen inferior qaulity work performed by "scrubs". Much of the qaulity is in the hands of the property owners type of turf and the neatness of the property, as well as the person performing the work, wheather a "scrub" or "professional". However, should a property owner not be satisified with the qaulity of work performed by anyone, it's really not difficult to find another person to cut thier property. The difference is the "scubs" usually take longer to finish their work due to lack of zero-turn capability and fewer workers at the property site. These "scrubs" are almost always high school and college students and people out of work. Many are looking to go full time in the future and some are only temporarily doing this until something better comes along. Why should a person trying to earn a living, as long as that living is performed honestly and ethically be degraded? In the end, its all about the property owners demands.