Here come the new guys

[double e]

It's that time of the year again- I'm seeing all the new scrubs on the road that will last a season or two. I'm not knocking you new guys starting a ligitament bus., just the ones with no lic., and insurance.

I'm seeing all kinds of new businessses that claim they do it all:

"Electrician work and Lawncare"

I'm still waiting for:

-Heart Surgeory
-Lawncare
-Karate

[AVRECON]

I talked to my dealer today and he said that he has already dealt with 9 new scabs so far. Thats just great, theres already 1 yard guy for every 4 yards in my town. GEEEEZE!

[eggy]

You guys dont even know about to many LCOs or so called LCO,s come to Seymour IN

[turfman99]

Years ago when I first started, I did brain surgery on the weekends to make ends meet. I had all the tools already, just had a hard time keeping the damn bone saw sharp.

They won't last and wilt in August. Hold your prices and ground.

Sign up for my free e newsletter at http://www.landscapebusinesshelp.com

[Runner]

"Lazer" Karaoke anyone?

[LScom Addict]

I have always been under the impression that unless you have a registered trademark (ie.your name), thta you are fighting a loseing battle. I have seen it here where someone has Custom Lawn care and then someone will come out with CLC on the trucks and all the paperwork says Custom Lawn Care.

[Barkleymut]

Same thing different year, http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?threadid=1506

[Twotoros]

They last for years and years here!

[Charles]

I think it is required by law in South Carolina that you haul a trailor and mower behind your vehicle. Anyone caught not doing so will have to immediatly go out a get a real Dayummm Job

[AVRECON]

Here too! And it doesn't matter if they fail cause theres always a new batch of them the next year.

[LoneStarLawn]

Yeah we have a couple newbie scrubs here..we keep picking up flyers that are in plastic bags with rocks in them out of our customers yards.

[AVRECON]

HEHEHE! That was funny, 10 years in the biz and it works for me.

[LoneStarLawn]

I was actually being serious

[AVRECON]

I told my wife about putting flyers out with the rock deal and she said I wouldn't call you if you did that. Oh well, I know it aint the most professional way to do it but its faster and cheaper than mailing them or having them sent out in the newspaper.

[lawnman_scott]

ive put out about 25,000 flyers in the last month, it works for me.

[accuratelawn]

Saw an ad in the paper last week
Job Blow's mowing service were every seventh mowing is "free". followed by the usual B.S.

[HOMER]

Now I know why I was laughed at when I started back in '96!

I used to think, man I can make money doing this and a lot of it! When I would pass by the "BIG BOYS" I would see then snickering............that hurt. But now I see folks with their trailers and Crapsmans and I snicker..........cause I know what they are about to get their ars's in to.

I don't think the snickering was directed towards me so much as it was a sinister snicker! Like, ya-you go boy-you'll find out one day......................and I have.

It ain't easy work is it?

[LScom Addict]

I have to agree with Homer. There are more birds flipped thru truck windsheilds here than an afternoon at KFC. There is an aweful lot of animosity between the masses and I cannot understand why? I still wave even though I dont know who these guys are. Just common curtosey. I don't see the same animosity between guys when they are plowing though. Maybe it's just too early in the a.m. to see them finners.

[Davis TLC]

I see it every spring here. Just looked in the paper last night, 14 ads for lawn care companies, most of these aren't even insured or licensed, and these are the ones adveritising in the paper that doesn't count the ones that put flyers up in all the stores and restuarants in town.

Thought about playing the part of a college student studying horticulture and turf manangement and do a survey of the ones listed in the paper to see who has insurance and is licensed. Use the premise of doing a paper for a class to obtain the info.

We have lots of so called lawn care businesses here. Most are just guys thinking I can make an easy buck. Lots of them are charging bottom dollar to mow and blow. Most have no clue what their cost of doing business is, that is why they never last, they under price theirselves and soon are having to sell their equipment to pay their bills and go back to flipping burgers or working at the mini mart when reality sets in. I can't say that I'm making a killing but I'm doing better than most of them here.

One young guy (still in high school) that has been in business for the past 2 years stopped by to visit last week and was amazed at the equipment I have. Evidently he doesn't have anything near as nice as what I have. But he seems to be eager to learn what to do to succeed in this business. I gave him a few tips that I hope he will put to good use. I gave him no indication of my pricing scheme, but he couldn't figure out how somebody could charge so much for a job like mulching. I then explained to him that you need to figure in your expenses involved in the job, travel time to get the material, time loading at the job and numerous other variables that can go into the total charged for a job. He had never looked at it like that, I was the first person who had told him about figuring the cost of doing business. Then I told him about this site, where I have learned a great deal in the past year. I'm sure he will be checking us out here soon.

Oh and I see some of the same mentality around here between some of these guys, lots of birds flying here too. I try to wave and talk to these guys when I get the chance, just to be friendly.

Sorry if I have gotten off subject any, but most new guys have no clue what is involved in succeeding in this business.

[Eric ELM]

The only bird I see is one that talks, barks, crys, laughs, sings, ect. my parrot. :)

I have never seen anyone around here give me the bird. Maybe the young ones here have respect for their elders, because they always wave at us.

[mowin at the lake]

We way with ALL five fingers down here.....

[jrodgers]

No offense to the guys blasting these new commers but I can care less who comes around and puts fliers on my properties because my customers know that I know what I am doing and are satisfied with my work and get fliers all the time. You dont have to worry about anyone else if you are taking good care of your customers because it is pretty much common knowledge around here that you get what you pay for and no one is going to want to try someone that they dont know. Its like when you find someone who cuts your hair just the way you like it, your not going to go somewhere else to have some one butch it up to save a couple extra bucks. But that is just the way it is around here maybe its different in other places. And am I wrong to say were'nt we all new commers at one time, you have to start somewhere although I dont agree with the cut throat approach.

[LoneStarLawn]

I don't mind flyers on my accounts just not the ones that are unprofessional that I have to pick up like trash from the yards that I maintain.

[MIDSOUTH]

Wow, I got the paper today and there were 23 lawn services listed I never heard of. That don't even include the 32 trailers I passed yesterday, half looked legit, the other half I wouldn't want parked in front of my yard if I was a customer. Just means the legit guys can bid the yards higher during the summer when the murrys and crapsmans break.

[Stinger]

Yeah, we have one company that WILL do it all called:Wade's Clean Up Service they will cut your lawn, trees, do bobcat work, haul off any form of trash/debris etc, etc, all for a $1.98. These guys make me laugh when I see some of the things that they do for a buck. As for flyers most neighborhoods we work in prohibit solicitation and the other subdivisions are gated communties. My guys get a kick out of the newbies they keep track of all of them and make bets who's gonna be the first to go when the heat is on. Yes we have 100 degree summers down here in Texas and if your lawns don't have irrigation, you don't have much to cut.

[Fantasy Lawns]

it seems our state bird is the "scrub jay" ;->