Start a Lawn Business Kit !

[bob]

I was at Home Depot today and out front they had a 10' landscape trailer with an Ariens ZTR, backpack blower, trimmer, and a Lawnboy in the trailer. The sign on the trailer said "start your own lawn business" $5142.00

[Eric ELM]

Man, I'm going to burn rubber all the way to Home Depot to get my Start Up Kit. :D

I'm out of here, bye. ;)

[syzer]

YES! Maybe now we'll have some real scrubs to contend with!

[eggy]

Go to wal- mart by a ranch king...ryobi trimmer...and a broom...under bid everything....dont carry insurance..and you will fit in with what is taking over...

[BCLawncare]

Dang!!! I hope my wife dont see this she will divorce me when she finds out i spent 20k too much on equip.
ERIC PLEASE DELETE the above post before she finds out!!!!

[Fantasy Lawns]

now I know I can afford another crew;->

[thelawnguy]

Local dealer sells the whole deal- F150, 10 foot trailer, 48 In belt drive blower and trimmer but he gives you a monthly lease price for the package.

[joshua]

i knew i should of shopped around. i could run 2 crew with the price i paid for my lazer and bagging system.

[awm]

Somebody should protest HD approach.
They can mislead alot of folks.I dont think that ztr is even a commercial machine.From what Ive heard about that z
they are predestined to failure.One salesman told me every
one he sold has come back.

[LScom Addict]

The Mower: 36" 12.5hp
The Blower: 41cc Kawasaki
The Trimmer: 23.1cc Kawasaki
Package with 36" Mower $2599.00

The Mower: 48" 14hp
The Blower: 41cc Kawasaki
The Trimmer: 23.1cc Kawasaki
Package with 48" Mower $2699.00

The Mower: 52" 17hp
The Blower: 41cc Kawasaki
The Trimmer: 23.1cc Kawasaki
Package with 52" Mower $3099.00

[VLM]

I hope HD has some good lawyers cause theyre gonna need em when one of those cheap trailers breaks loose and kills some one. Deep pockets!

[cleancut]

I don't like it, but you have to give it to them, it's a good marketing tactic...My local Scag dealer offers a similar package..Trailer, 48 belt drive, blower, and trimmer..$4500 I think...I wish they had these back when I started out...When I started, I didn't even have a trailer...It is kind of deceiving though...Makes it look real easy to start your own business, but doesn't tell you about all the headaches and problems associated with your own business....Alot of people just jump in with both feet and find out there's alot more to it than just buying the equip...Derrick

[Nathan]

I have got to agree with clean cut, not many newbies know what they are getting into. Everyone jokes about scrubs, I think with a little fear of them taking business away. But, as most of us with years of experience will attest, there are many things that disqualify the scrubs from true customers that we actually want to have. If everyone out there continues to operate in a professional manner with all the legal requirements we can keep this industry strong.
I am going to start adding a little blurb on my ads and website about why homeowners should protect themselves by only hiring licensed,insured and bonded contractors, along with the web address or phone # for the state lic. info. I think a lot of customers don't really know how much liability they enter into when they don't check out companies before hiring them.
I think if all of us legit guys spread the word, scrubs could be exterminated.

[Randy Scott]

I am with Nathan on this one. I tell everyone of my customers and potential customers that I am state certified and licensed. Fully insured and have all that proof on me at all times and offer to show it to customers. My license number goes on my proposals and final contracts. I stress to all that this is important and that seperates the legit from the non-legit. We need to educate customers that legitimate businesses cost more to run than 'el-cheapo' pulling up to their house in a $200 truck and dragging their "Home Depot" junk package off the trailer he bought (that came in a box) and was assemled by himself! Personally, supporting Home Depot or others offering these cheap-ass packages is basically screwing ourselves. I guess I am fortunate to live in an area that has excellent choices of equipment from private dealers and the fertilizer company I deal with is right in my community and produces 90% of their own products. I know this will get me some ridicule, but these huge retailers can kiss my a$$. Sell yourself to customers in ways other LCO's can't! I spend many a nights loosing sleep thinking what I can do better than the next guy! Try it, you will come up with something.:)

[kutnkru]

I think that the truth of the matter is this. There will always be consumers who want to have it done the cheapest way possible. I have personally seen potential clients look at our bids and say, I think I will stick with Chem-Lawn and hire the neighbors kid.:)

I just want to pull their heads thru the wall when they say this, but its the truth. This has also created a totally different type of contractor.

There are those like myself who advise the customer what their account needs to reach its fullest potential. If they cannot afford it, or want someone else to do part of it for cheaper, than I am not the contractor for them. At some point we all break apart when we get to the home/shop/garage/office/etc., get fed up and cancel anyone who doesnt let us do it all.

This is the point when we graduate from a mowing service, to a Grounds Management Company. This is when we begin to make money and seperate ourselves from the competition. This is the time when these new infestation of weed like contractor hopefuls, will no longer matter to us.

I think it comes down to those who get of the pot or stay there for a while. The best thing that could happen in this case is you get out of the industry and start to generate an income for yourself. Or the worst thing that could happen is you start to turn a profit and return each season to make more and more money!!!

Just my nickle.
Kris

[lawnman_scott]

I saw that a t home depot also, made me chuckle a bit i would say. Anyone mowing with that isnt really a big threat to me, but if you want to stop it the best way is to report the homewoner for hiring a unlicensed contractor. One of those guys came into a mobile home park that i do part of a few years ago, and just quit this week, so my prices are going up for those who dropped.

[vipermanz]

is it all that bad to be a teen looking for money and making it by doing yard work? i am only the "neighborhood kid" out making enough money to keep me happy,Would i happen to fall under the category of a lawn scrub?

[Skookum]

Vipermanz,

Most of these posts are from guys that forgot where they began. It is a strange thing, but most of us all started out the same way as you are doing right now. Maybe not all, but many reputable LCO's were once neighborhood kids with a mower and the desire to make a buck.

Just sift through the BS and learn from what these members post elsewhere about actual business techniques and experience. Sometimes, it seems that simple opinions look to be like the rules of the masses, but they are just opinions.

Good luck and welcome to the forum!

[AVRECON]

Vipermanz, the number one problem I have are the lowballers.I couldn't care less if there were one lawn co. for each resident in my town, but most of them drive the price right down into the ground and thats what hurts us full timers. So you keep on workin but charge accordingly.

[kutnkru]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by kutnkru
... I think I will stick with Chem-Lawn and hire the neighbors kid. ...

Viper Man Z,
First allow me to appologize for the way that read. Secondly welcome to LawnSite!!

The intent of this statement was directed towards Tru-Green ChemLawn. I started out when I was 11 pushing a mower for my Grandfather and his neighbor. At times as Scott said we do forget that we were the new kid on the block, literally.

I am not opposed to those from the younger generation sparking an interest in the Green Idustry. I think that if you keep focused with your studies, cut some grass for extra cash thus staying out of trouble - you are doing okay in my book. Not that my opinion matters or is desired.

YES, Scott was acurate in advising you to weed thru the BS here and just pay attention to the pertinent information. You are fortunate enough to have this source and vast wealth of information at your disposal at your age. If I had this information at my disposal when I was in my late teens I would have started a part-time business in addition to school.

If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me and I will answer them for you too.

Good Luck this season Z!!:)
Kris

[vipermanz]

Thanks for clearing things up,i didn't really understand some of your industry terms,.
I suppose given the help this site provides,then some day i will be running 72" lazers instead of a 21" lawnboy!
Thanks for all the info on pricing,techniques,and precautions, You will help me take in part of the market in my area when i am up and established!
Thank You Again!!!

[vipermanz]

so a "lowballer" or"scrub" would be the mullet-haired,redneck with a k-mart mower hanging out the back of a camaro? Or the guy pushing the set of 2 different mowers screwed together? i have seen this one!,the guy got out of his car, pulls two ?*brand*? mowers out of the hatch and proceeds to apply his attachment, which looked from a distance to be a board screwed between each mower! What really keeps the guy from buying the rusty old "crapsman" that was probably at the junkyard he got those two from?
I guess this is a made from scratch toro 48"!!
You should have seen the guy push it around a corner!, I liked to run into a tree on my bike seeing that!

But i still don't understand the situation where the guys i go to school with come down and ask if they can rake my yard
,Nevermind the fact that i had the best looking yard on the block with not a leaf on it!!

[Eng Mwr Guy]

Since my paycheck has Ariens on it I will weigh in on this topic.

awm:
All Ariens ztr's do not go back to the dealer. I can say almost all do not. It is an excellent machine for the HOMEOWNER. Therein lies the key. It is well built for a home machine but not commercial. If home depot wants to market it as such they (being the 500lb gorilla) can do so. It is similar to the supposed Hydro gear special lube stuff from a commercial manufacturer. It is a marketing tactic. Does 90W gear lube make a difference in Hydro operation....maybe. Does that manufacturer have anything different than any other commercial manufacturer as far as pumps/motors....definitely not. It is merely another way to market.

VLM:
You mentioned HD's liability. HD assumes no responsibility for the products. If an Ariens mower blows up it is Ariens in negotiations not HD. Kinda makes you not want to produce anything in the US doesn't it with all the sue happy peoples running about.

Barry Adamski
(Ariens) Gravely Engineer

[John Allin]

Does this mean that I have to take my HD kit back now???

[Esby]

.

[summitgroundskeeping]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAH. Boy oh boy, I think I spent too
much on my lawn business. I think that
I'm going to take my stuff back and go
with the Home Depot setup(how can I loose?).HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. But, that is marketing
gunius on HD's part. Think of all the
scrubs that buy it.

[Rooster]

Eric,
After you get your new kit. Please crate up your D.C's and send them to me. I will make sure they get a good home!

Please do this right after you get home from buying your kit. That way you will have more room to unload everything.
:cool: