Time is $$$

[Heath]

I am new to this site and I must say the information for what I am planning to do is very beneficial. In planning to start in the industry in the Spring of 06, I wanted an idea about many lawns I could realistically do working evenings after the 8-5 gig and on weekends. I was advised to start out solo as well as opposed to hiring part time help to get in more jobs. Feedback?

The Tips, Do's and Don'ts is great, thanks! thank goodness my wife is a CPA.

Go Astros!!

[Shane7258]

Maybe one after the work day and 4 on a nonworkdays solo

[topsites]

my stuff got cross-post in the wrong thread, sorry...

[daveintoledo]

im going full time in the spring, but this year i have 25, from 5000 sqft to 3.5 acres and everthing inbetween.... i work my butt off,,,, but i get er done.....

[CutNLawns]

Same story here. Right at 20 I take care of now after work and on weekends. Size are around 8K-25K lawns with a nice 4ac commercial job I do. Most are weeklys with a couple bi-weekly and one lawn is every MFWMFW. Not too bad during the summer when the days are longer and I can work only a few days until dark but now I run every night until dark M-S and do aerations on Sunday just to keep up. Dumping the Eng job in the spring and going FT.

[bohiaa]

I'm the cheep type,


I don't hire anyone until I have more than I can handle myself.

It's harder to do an entire yard by yourself, and more time consuming. but all the pay is yours.

When you get to the point where you cant do all the yards, or cant handle it.
Hire someone, but try to have enoulf work to keep this person busy.

It's hard to find someone who's good and have them only work 3 hrs here and 5 there....

Day labors are sometimes a nightmare

[Heath]

in a residential area with average size yards, how long does it take a one man team usually to knock a job? I know it depends on size of course, takes me approx. 1 hour to mow, edge, weedeat, clean up my little tiny yard by myself. after the 8-5 job, i would like to do 2 yards in the evenings on weeknights and around 20 more on the weekend. realistic?

[sheshovel]

I think the 20 yards on the weekends is unrealistic for you.You should GET some yards first and do the work then you will fiqure out how much you can handle alone

[premierlawncare]

Depends of the drive time house to house. Depends on your equipment. It also is going to be difficult working 7 days a week.

[joedaddy]

in a residential area with average size yards, how long does it take a one man team usually to knock a job? I know it depends on size of course, takes me approx. 1 hour to mow, edge, weedeat, clean up my little tiny yard by myself. after the 8-5 job, i would like to do 2 yards in the evenings on weeknights and around 20 more on the weekend. realistic?

Very unrealistic. What happens if it rains Saturday and Sunday? Or if a part breaks on your mower and you have to order it, you would get way behind, besides Sundays are for church and resting.

[topsites]

Very unrealistic. What happens if it rains Saturday and Sunday? Or if a part breaks on your mower and you have to order it, you would get way behind, besides Sundays are for church and resting.

I agree, even thou I don't go to church, I feel that by not working Sundays I help respect this holy day off and I think it helps gain a slightly better customer base (not saying ALL good customers will come my way but certainly none of them will frown on me for this bit).
I've broken this rule twice in 4 years while I was still new, and the last time I worked on a Sunday was really the last time. I still might do a bit of weed-control, an estimate or a drive-by to look-see but NO gas-powered equipment runs on Sundays, it is NOT a work day (except my own lawn, lol).
So, ok, NO work on sundays, dangit.

[Thatguy682]

It depends on the size of the lawns, your drive time, and your equipment. In one neighborhood I can do five lawns in two and a half hours which includes cutting mostly with the 48, 2 small gated yards with a 36, one entire yard with the 36 with a bag, string trimming everything, then blowing off. So a 15 lawns on saturday and 10 during the week is what I could do if conditions were the same everywhere but they're not. Again it's going to come down to your travel time, your equipment, and the size of the lawn and work involved. While I could bang out 15 lawns like that in a day by myself I do lawns that would take me 4-5 hours to do myself and that's running a walker with a 48in side discharge deck.

[topsites]

Far as rain, if it's more than a drizzle once the drivebelts get wet my mower is dead and nothing dampens the enthusiasm faster than 300 lbs. of I-will-NOT-move machine. However, you can minimize downtime due to breakage by having a 2nd machine, even a used one (or TWO used ones is how I started, both commercial grade, if old).

Far as employees, I think one must decide what excites you more: Doing the work or supervising others? In my case, I'd rather do it all myself. For others, they find benefits I don't see in the supervision department.

But yes, employees (for me) COST money... For others, it's a worthwhile investment. Guess it's kinda like paid advertising.

[Heath]

I have a good friend who owns an employment agency. He is willing to help me if I decide to go this route, that be me managing staff to cover my jobs I sign up. In your answer to my question: "What about hiring help?" you asked if I could cover workers comp, social security, unemployment, etc. Well, here is my dilema. Do this by using my friends staffing agency and having him cover all these costs of employment or doing this and not seeing my wife and kids in the evenings and on weekends after the 8-5 job. Would having my friend have my guy on his payroll and him working my lawns while I work weekdays be totally wrong? I know the profit I see will be a considerable amount less than going solo at first, but right now I know with simply using friends, family and referals I can get enough work next spring to keep one guy busy for at least 30-40 hours a week. To get someone good, I would need to pay $10 an hour, with my friends markup it would be $13 an hour(keep in mind that covers all employment costs you mentioned) and with me charging $25 a yard, doing tight routes to reduce drive time(already planned) and handling 30 yards per week, at an avg. of one hour per job, I would gross approx. $750 a week, after payroll $360 a week (ouch), after gas and other expenses, approx. $200 a week, for approx. $800 a month. I know many other factors play in, this it VERY ballpark figuring, just wanted to get some feedback on the idea. I can hear you guys now, If it were that easy right!!! I may be off my rocker, but this is why I am getting a plan together before starting. Thank you for all your advice. Take care!

[Team Gopher]

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Hi Heath,

I would say start off by yourself at first and learn a bit of what it is like to run the different aspects of your business. Then hire people as you need to. It's nice to have friends that can help you out as well! Good luck to you on your business :)

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