New to the bus. got a couple of questions

[Freshman Lawnman]

Spent 8 hours reading threads and posts on this site and love it! Y'alls advice is exceptional. Here are my questions.

1. About to buy my first equipment. Independent dealer will sell me a Dixie Chopper 27hp 50'' run-behind for 3999.99 with purchase of professional grade Stihl blower, trimmer, and chainsaw at about 1100.00, does this sound like a good deal? mower 4999.99 regular price

2. First account guy wants me to cut down 3 magnolia trees, 1-30', 1-20', and 1-8' and haul them off and remove stumps enough to not worry about hitting with blades and also be able to grow grass. I'm gonna do it by myself don't have to pay for the drop off. estimate of time to complete job is 6 hours. I told him 450.00 because he's selling me a 16' trailer for my equipment for 250.00, it's in fine shape. What do ya'll think?

[JKOOPERS]

thats a good start seems like a fair price for all that equipment. what stihl saw?

[Freshman Lawnman]

Sorry I don't have model numbers right now, I'm at school and my models and prices they gave me are at the house, check back in about 4 hours

Appreciate the reply

[B&J]

Sounds good to me .....you're getting 1100.00 worth of equipment and a mower for what it would have cost you to just get the mower.
__________________________________________________________

[JKOOPERS]

just wondering its not a big deal .

[yardmanlee]

why can't I get customers like that ???? :dizzy:

[Freshman Lawnman]

The equipment goes like this:
Stihl backpack blower BR-600 price:479.95
Stihl chain saw MS-250 18'' price:309.95
Stihl line trimmer solid FS110R price:349.95

[SUPERIORCARELANDSCAPING]

Sounds like a good deal to me! It would be hard to find another company to beat that price and in this business your gonna need all that equipment and you can not beat stihl. Just becareful with the big trees you really need a bucket truck for the 30 footer, so becareful and look for power lines. Good Luck Buddy!

[Wells]

It sounds like a great deal on the equipment but what would make me nervous is you're going into debt $5350.00 with only one client.

Usually the people that go out and spend a lot of money on equipment at startup with little to no clientele are typically the first ones to get depressed and leave the industry because they soon realize all their profits are being eaten up by equipment payments.

I would say buy what you need to get started and plan for some future growth but don't over due it by thinking the work is just going to fall in your lap once you have the equipment, a decent client base usually takes years to build up.

[2menandamower]

That sounds like a great deal on the equipment and the trailer is a good buy also. The work seems fairly good price also. I guess I got lucky too in that my mother gave me a credit card to buy my first WB on and it will be paid for in May. She transferred the balance to a credit card with 0% interest for one year so all of my payments go to the principal. Good luck with your biz.

[Freshman Lawnman]

Thanks for the input. Luckily, I actually have 3 accounts and maybe 4 landscape jobs which should pay off my equipment this season and I work other jobs for my income.

[monstermows]

450 for 6 hours of work so you will make about $80 DOLLARS AND HOUR AND GIVE 250 BACK FOR A TRAILER

[monstermows]

450 for 6 hours of work comes to about $83/hr. Give 250 back for a trailer that would maybe cost you a grand normally. Sounds like a great start. My advice to you is if you have the heart, patience , and drive to start your own company then do it and do not listen to people on here who tell you it is so hard you cant do it. Lots of these people have went into debit because they started wrong and are salty now towards newbees. For your first years in the business keep your overhead as low as possible. Store all your equipment in your mom's garage. Also for years do as much of the labor you can do yourself before you hire help and keep doing all the labor you can do even when you do have help.