What The Hey

[dtxwizard]

Well here we go just wondering whats up with about 75% of the members of this forum?

here's my beef I joined lawnsite thinking it would be informative and beneficial to a new guy to the biz. especially the just starting in business threads sounds like where a newbie would go to ask questions and get valuable info on estimating, tips to make the job at hand easier and a wealth of experienced knowledge so that the new guy can go on an estimate or job and act in a professional well educated manner to try and make a name and a good reputation for themselves

But instead they get grief and a load unprocessed fertilizer about like if you don't know your costs and expenses you should'nt be doing it or do you there is a spell check on this website or if all you have is a push mower and a rake you need better equipment, if your doing it to cheap your the scum of the earth, you need a 17 page contract before you start any job, well you all know what I'm talking about you have all seen it and very seldom does the question at hand ever truly get answered

and then you guys wonder why some people are low-balling prices and doing substandard work when you did'nt help them like they asked for in the first place

so I think if you want to vent on something just because you had a bad day or run a crappy business yourself you should start a thread in the off topic forum stating as such

and then try and help the people looking for help instead of trying to ruin their day too

thanks just venting I think I need to go to an off topic forum :waving:

[Tadams]

I agree that some people can be rather crude and harsh at times but I also think that there is a wealth of information out there on this site. There are a lot of threads that have valuable information in them but you might have to sift through a lot of manure to get to it. It takes a little time and work to find what you want and some people might give you the wrong answer but that is just like the real world, isn't it? Nothing is easy nor given to you. You have to work for it.

You also have to realize that some of the questions are monotonous and redundant- what's better, faster, easier? That's all on here -you just have to look.

I noticed that you are 40ish so you are not a teenager ( not bashing teens but he has been around a little longer ) and you probably have some legitimate questions to ask but you haven't asked any. What do you want to know?

[C&KLawnCare]

:) Welcome to lawn site , ahhhhhhhh i used to let it get to me to but ya know what, It's My buisness im the owner not them, It's My equipment that gets the job done , not their's , Its me that knows the area and sets the prices not them , Other word's the ones who bash others equipment constantly has what i call. Smalltesticularsyndrom, Any way hang in their and your going to find out in your own mind if ya pay attention some of these guy's dont have a goats ass in hadies what their talking about , some i really doubt they even are in buisness mowing grass ,

[dtxwizard]

I dont ask many questions?

I have literaly read 1000's of posts and found lots of good info just tic's me when sombody asks a legit question and i have to read 20 post of bs to get the answer and I'm sure its not just me

[twcw5804]

I'll keep this short. I have gotten lots of great info on here. The posts you speak of will help me do better next year. I wish maybe you would have complained about how many posts per day asking on how to price a job without giving much info, or posts asking what kind of mowers to buy but don't list how many lawns or what their plan of growth is. Maybe next time type on how to use the search archives to create more quality posts. Mosts topics have already been covered twice this week.

[daveyo]

I agree with you that even the most seasoned LCO's on this site give smart azz answers instead of really trying to help. I've said this once and I'll say it again, take from this forum what you think is valuable, ignore the smart azz answers and utilize search. I don't know of any other forum that will have such valuable advice. Remember even when you are a well seasoned you'll still be scratching your head at times, saying to your self "what theeeeeee hell just happened" :p. Thats what makes being in business so fun, you never know what tomorrow will bring, may be $$$ may be ;), just make sure it's the latter most of the time.

Have fun

[Joey bag a' donuts]

If your looking for advice and all your questions answered...enroll in some college courses on what you are trying to do,get some books on the subject and get out there and get experience...what you hear on this board or any board for that matter should be taken with a grain of salt, plus there isnt an easy way to learning this biz...nobody can answer all your questions, nobody knows your work ethic...there is no template on exactly how to do everything or how to be sucessful...when your starting out its all trial and error. Be patiant and Best of luck to ya.

[Howard Roark]

Get over it.


:)

[daveyo]

I think were here to help each other out not be cool, right howard.

O'Donnell Landscaping

[garth1967]

I dont ask many questions?

I have literaly read 1000's of posts and found lots of good info just tic's me when sombody asks a legit question and i have to read 20 post of bs to get the answer and I'm sure its not just me

i hear ya but dont be discouraged it all serves a purpose some of the experienced guys make good and justifable points, if you look beyond the fertiliser and the delivery. good on you for raising your opinion. when i advertise my business i get about 10 worthless calls before i get one good one its similar when posting a thread. take some advice dont take it to seriously and enjoy the site. its made a difference to my business

[topsites]

I think part of what does it is the dime a dozen problem... Lets face it, every time I turn a corner there's yet ANOTHER new truck in town, and somedays I think we all get a little tired of it ...

In the end, it is just like any other business but what attracts folks to this one left and right are the low start-up costs .... That, and seeing everyone and their brother doing it, somedays even thou I try not to come right out and say it, I do it too by allowing someone to go down a road I know from experience is no good, without saying a word to the wise...

So, which is better?
Someone letting you make the mistake, or someone being a wiseguy?

The wiseguys ... That's just their way of saying they think someone is about to make a mistake, IMO...

p.s.: I found a few tools here which, over time, have helped relieve if nothing else at least my own frustration:
1) If one person consistently frustrates you, you can click on their handle above the post, then select 'Ignore'
2) I learned over time which threads get me going good, so now I do my best to stay out of them.
3) I un-selected 'notify on reply via e-mail' in my preferences, which allows others to have the last word, not to mention it reduces spam :)

Just little tricks and tips help me out from jumping down ppls throat too much...

[Jay Ray]

Finsihing my second season Wizard, and Lawnsite has been very helpful to me. What doesn't help you directly is usually interesting. When you have a problem you can do a search and it is almost always helpful, sometimes even gives you the complete answer.

Estimating is the hardest thing to learn and the only way is just do it. There is some help here on the site, but there are just too many variables. I'm still learning how to estimate.

You can't know your costs in the beginning, but really you should keep every receipt, segregate the receipts into particular accounts, and keep a detailed record of mileage. When tax time comes I will know my average miles and average cost to the penny going from lawn to lawn. I will know fuel and maintenace costs per lawn. I will know depreciation per lawn. It will help me plan and also know what I am actually making.

[PMLAWN]

I have seen a few posts here that address the Vague Question problem.

"I just bought a 21" mower and now I am in business, What do I do next"

A question like that is hard to answer.
Another problem is when you do answer one like that with a lot of info on how to run a business and how to figure costs, they come back with

"I don't need to worry about my truck because it is paid for and my mom will do the billing and I see no reason to sharpen blades. Just tell me what to charge so I will get rich"

If you want a person, that makes real money and knows how to run a business that will support the business and a family and a household, to answer a question, Than that question must be asked in a way that shows that the person asking it has done some homework and has a base of understanding about what he is doing. This is when the pros will respond.

And when they respond, If they are treated with respect and someone enters into a conversation with them and asks for clarification or more detail, they will be very generous with info.
To reply with an augment and tell them they are wrong or to just reject the knowledge as trash will cause a pro to reframe from ever giving info again.
Lawnsite has lost many good posters that way.
This site is a two way street, respect need to be shown both ways for it to work.

[Precision]

I have seen a few posts here that address the Vague Question problem.

"I just bought a 21" mower and now I am in business, What do I do next"

A question like that is hard to answer.
Another problem is when you do answer one like that with a lot of info on how to run a business and how to figure costs, they come back with

"I don't need to worry about my truck because it is paid for and my mom will do the billing and I see no reason to sharpen blades. Just tell me what to charge so I will get rich"

If you want a person, that makes real money and knows how to run a business that will support the business and a family and a household, to answer a question, Than that question must be asked in a way that shows that the person asking it has done some homework and has a base of understanding about what he is doing. This is when the pros will respond.

And when they respond, If they are treated with respect and someone enters into a conversation with them and asks for clarification or more detail, they will be very generous with info.
To reply with an augment and tell them they are wrong or to just reject the knowledge as trash will cause a pro to reframe from ever giving info again.
Lawnsite has lost many good posters that way.
This site is a two way street, respect need to be shown both ways for it to work.

I couldn't agree more.

I would like to think I am a respected poster. I would like to think I help people when I know the answer. I also know that there are specific people and types of questions that I will never respond too.

" Yeah, so do I really need insurance?"

"So why did she dump me after she caught me peeing on the side of her house?"

"I am in this for the money, I quote my prices then do a crappy job so I can get rich quick."

"So what is the big deal about using warning labeled pesticides without any training? I've been doing it for years and never been caught?"

"OK, so I have $1000 and want to break into the commercial market, what do I do first?"

"I have a 36" walk behind and need help on bidding a 32 acre cemetary"

[HOOLIE]

PMLAWN, you summed it up well. Most wise-arse replies are in response to vague or 'lazy' questions, where it's clear the newbie has done NO research prior to asking. Just tell me everything I need to know :dizzy:

Questions like "What's the best mower?" Gee, I dunno, who's the best QB in NFL history? See the point?

Show that you'll be an asset to the industry, ask specific questions that will elicit quality, useful responses. Try something like "I selected a local dealer, they carry both Scag and Exmark, I can only afford to buy a 36" belt drive...are the two brands comparable, or is one significantly better than the other?"

[Steppenwolf]

DTX,
Yes lots of bs. I think lots of questions get answered by private messages.
If some one asks a specific question about a piece of equiptment that I have experience with I would PM rather than put it on the board and have it shot down by some one who likes red better than green.

[jim dailey]

DTX,
Yes lots of bs. I think lots of questions get answered by private messages.
If some one asks a specific question about a piece of equiptment that I have experience with I would PM rather than put it on the board and have it shot down by some one who likes red better than green.

I have often used the PM. There are those on this site that will never get it. Some, I believe, do not even run a business, yet are just so full of themselves that they just waste the bandwidth. Keep telling the wrong stories,over and over again, and it catches up to you. It is just so obvious to those that are in a successful business. You just have to love some of the stories. "How do I plant tall fescue in Michigan?" And someone from the Deep South will jump up and tell you how. "How do I collect my money?" The answer involves trespassing, property damage and assault and battery. One person even has the court system working specifically just for him. I have run a very successful lawn care business for the last 16 years, all on just a handshake, and never once had a problem. It has paid ALL of my bills and my trucks and my (3)houses. Put a couple of kids thru college with it. It has been great to me. This site has been great to me, after I weed thru the Bull S***. Don't let it get to you. Takeeverything with a grain of salt and keep your nose to the grindstone. It is your business, conduct it your way!

[C&KLawnCare]

I have often used the PM. There are those on this site that will never get it. Some, I believe, do not even run a business, yet are just so full of themselves that they just waste the bandwidth. Keep telling the wrong stories,over and over again, and it catches up to you. It is just so obvious to those that are in a successful business. You just have to love some of the stories. "How do I plant tall fescue in Michigan?" And someone from the Deep South will jump up and tell you how. "How do I collect my money?" The answer involves trespassing, property damage and assault and battery. One person even has the court system working specifically just for him. I have run a very successful lawn care business for the last 16 years, all on just a handshake, and never once had a problem. It has paid ALL of my bills and my trucks and my (3)houses. Put a couple of kids thru college with it. It has been great to me. This site has been great to me, after I weed thru the Bull S***. Don't let it get to you. Takeeverything with a grain of salt and keep your nose to the grindstone. It is your business, conduct it your way!
__________________



Very Very true , Very well said Jim :)

[daveintoledo]

you need to figure out who the successful business owners are, and pay attention to them not the silly answers we sometimes give and get....
remember its for entertainment value also....

and you really can find about anything you need to knwo with the search ....

stick around for a while longer.... give it a chance, its pretty fun...