This is Farewell.

[GrassRoots Lawn Care]

Well, guys after a few years in the business I'm calling it quits. Sold my Biz and its final.

Too tight of market here in Fla, too hot and humid. :-) Anyway, thanks for all the advice that inabled me to build this business into something worth selling. I've learned more on this website than any other source, except trial and error, and most of that error coming from trying to do things different than what the old timers on here have told me. "I've found a better way to do it." LOL !!!!

Anyways, good-bye and good luck out there.

Mike Reynolds
GrassRoots Lawn Care
New Smyrna Beach, FL

[Eric ELM]

Sorry to hear about this, but we can always give you advice as a homeowner. :)

Stop back and visit when you can. What are you going to do now for income? I don't think I could take that heat and humidity down there either. Good luck to you.

Eric

[Skookum]

I can only imagine working in that heat down there. I cannot stand the few days in the high eighties that we have here.

What are you doing now since sold biz?

[Mark]

Skookum it only gets in the eightys up north? Man what a blessing,im down here in southern In. Right on the Ohio River. It get so hot and humid here its hard to take and im 51yrs old now. I really just have to work at my own pace and take a few more breaks that you young fellows.Well back to the topic,sorry to hear about your business but you know whats best because your the one out there in that heat,good luck on you new job or whatever you plan to do and God Bless. Marks Mowing Service

[Chopper Lover]

Mike...

I would like to congratulate & commend you for building your business into "something worth selling". It shows all of us that building a thriving business can be done with hard work and perseverance... And a little help from the "old timers" at Lawnsite!

Best of luck in your next "adventure".

Mark

[bob]

Good luck Mike! Feel free to come back and visit us. What are you going to do for a living now?

[ron]

Well Mike good luck to ya,

[Turfclippings]

i know what ya mean Mark. I am from Indy, and visit Evansville on the 4th of July and i cant sitting on the river for fireworks, its so humid, it doesnt get that bad up here, but if i lived down there i wouldnt be doing lawncare.

Kevin@Turfclippings

[TJLC]

Not to upset anyone but I think there is a bad misconception about Fl. weather. I lived in Cinti. until 3 years ago when we moved down here. Cinti in the summer was terrible. Hot, humid and smog! Down here where we are, there is no industry to ruin the air and the heat just lasts a little longer, it's really no hotter here at least in my opnion. I used to feel the same until I actually moved here. Sorry to get a little off subject. Good luck to you Mike.

[AVRECON]

Good luck 2 u. I was about to hang it up this year also, but with the economy slipping, I had to stay. But I'm pushing hard for new customers this year and if it doesn't turn around I will be forced to get out.

[Getmow]

Welcome to the new list. Green Retirees

[Evan528]

That post is so depressing!!!!

[yardsmith]

Too bad you're leaving, but glad you got to experience & enjoy the full spectrum of this industry. Good luck on your new endeavors.
Of course we'll still be around to chat with & gab with a retiree... lol
Best Wishes

[GrassRoots Lawn Care]

Eric,

I've decided to make use of my degree in Psychology and am going to be a Parole Officer for the State of Florida.

[Charles]

What so depressing about this post? LOL. Its depressing when more people get INTO the lawncare biz. I wish all my competitors in SC would leave the lawn care biz.
I should add though that it bad you have to leave the forum. good luck in your new adventure.

[Edited by Charles on 04-05-2001 at 10:40 PM]

[DMC300]

Hope all works out for you!
You'll still have the memories,did you get your asking price?
Just to be nosey.

[Paradise Yard Service]

Take up weight training or triathalons or something brah. You need to sweat. I thought I was outa here, but for some reason things are not the same unless I crank up the t-270,smell the burn, and watch as all the white knuckles drool over my gig! Dig? Been in since 85, I know.

Anyway, you will do well in your new endeavor and alot of that comes from running a sucsessful buisiness in Lawn Care. One of the biggest lessons you learn is what your limits are and continually breaking new barriers/frontiers. Just when you think you can't take it...... This builds big time confidence/esteem!!!!!

As we say in sometimes hot/humid, but mostly partly sunny with tradewinds Hawaii, Aloha Oe, until we meet agan. Take care Grass Roots.

Lawn Bidness has always been good to me, think I'll build it up some more this year with the help of a buddy who needs a job. You can only do that if you self employed.

"I LOVE MY JOB,I LOVE MY BOSS,I'M SELF EMPLOYED"

Aloha,
Kevin

[jeffyr]

Good luck mike !

jeffyr

[geogunn]

the competition in florida is legendary. most of the prices I hear quoted I would not work for. but that is easy for me to say as long as I am not in fla!

good luck in your next endeavour (sp?)!

GEO

[Green Finger]

Micheal Jordan and Mario retired too.

You'll be back.................

[Greenkeepers]

Good luck!! At least you made enough of a business to sell!

[Mowman]

Good Luck in your new job. Sorry to hear your leaving the LCI. But hey at least you will be inside in the air condtioning right? Thanks for all your advice while on lawnsite.
Take Care,
Mowman

[Acute Cut]

Good luck Mike. You keeping any of the ol equipment to do your own lawn? Or are you going to break down and get one of them fancy crapsmans like your neighbors have? (hehe)

[awm]

what am i doing here the middle of friday.
24 hr monster bug.WEAK WEAK GOT TO GO OUT THOUGH,
anyway Mike hope you can do sme good your new job.
Sounds like a tough one as far as accomplishing any success.LUCK TO YA

[GrassRoots Lawn Care]

To DMC300: Yes I got my full asking price.

Thanks to all for all the well wishes. Don't get me wrong the heat and the humidity is bad down here but that's the least of the reasons for leaving. Customer relations with all these elderly, wanting everything for nothing. The FIERCE competition. I'm talking people in the Biz for 5+ years charging $10-12 per cut, Fertilizing w/o a Lic. for the cost of the Fertilizer, free hedges, ect. Too many older men, retired down here do this for a sense of purpose, to keep them going. More power to them, but it makes it very difficult to make a living on it. For instance I have bidded out 2 acre properties for $45 /cut (low I know, but it's Fla) and still be underbid by someone offering do to it for $19 /cut. Oh well, I do have very fond memories of working, and I'm sure there will be many mornings when tightening up my necktie for work and sitting behind a desk that I will yearn to be riding on the back on my Lesco, wind in my face, or dashing from tree to tree with my Shindy. Maybe I'll buy a T-270 for home use? LOL Take care all.

[thelawnguy]

Originally posted by geogunn
the competition in florida is legendary. most of the prices I hear quoted I would not work for. but that is easy for me to say as long as I am not in fla!

I thought the whining about FL competition was just that, but now I see someone leaving the profession to make the "big bux" (loads of sarcasm here folks) as a parole officer.

Must be worse than I ever imagined.

Good luck.

[Fantasy Lawns]

Good Luck Mike ......more than likely with the sample of labor force we have ....you'll see lots of "lawn monkey's " even in your new field ....seems half my guys have a parole officer

here in Brevard county we have an estimated pop of 500k with over 2k of licenced "lawn care" people ....that's 1 lawn guy to every 250 people (which includes kids & teens)....that's a tight market when you think of all the scrubs out there too !!





[Edited by theleven on 04-06-2001 at 03:18 PM]

[Shack]

Good luck Take care