I think the brand name recognition...

[DFW Area Landscaper]

is finally starting to pay off. Here is the group photo of the fleet. It is contrary to the justmowit approach of small and more fuel efficient, but my trailers act as bill boards on wheels. Still not sure which approach is best...probably justmowit's proven approach...but I am starting to get customers who have "seen our trucks in the area."

Later,
DFW Area Landscaper

[palawnman]

is finally starting to pay off. Here is the group photo of the fleet. It is contrary to the justmowit approach of small and more fuel efficient, but my trailers act as bill boards on wheels. Still not sure which approach is best...probably justmowit's proven approach...but I am starting to get customers who have "seen our trucks in the area."

Later,
DFW Area Landscaper

That is a nice fleet, Im jealous, hopefully one day I will be that big too. I think that name recognition is the best advertising you can have. Do you still do alot of other advertising?? Flyers, doorhangers, ad's???? Or are you pretty happy with the size you are now?

Ron

[HOOLIE]

That looks very sharp DFW. Why the trailers though, don't you just run 21s??

[DFW Area Landscaper]

Totally unhappy with the customers I have now. Need to double my customer count, which I think will happen this year.

Realize, although my fleet looks impressive, my business still hasn't made any money. I have been a subscriber to the "spend money to make money" way of thinking.

Hopefully this year I will make some money...finally.

Later,
DFW Area Landscaper

[newz7151]

You know.. from the angle of that photo, that looks like one truck with a trailer. The other trucks look like they have something installed on the bed of the truck.

[DFW Area Landscaper]

Here is a more detailed photo of a single truck & trailer. You can easily see our name from the other side of a busy intersection.

Oh well, I thought this was larger.

Later,
DFW Area Landscaper

[DFW Area Landscaper]

Here is a better pic of Crew 101.

Later,
DFW Area Landscaper

[cush]

Why run five trucks if you Aren't making any money? How will you make money this year if you didn't last year? Those are very nice looking trucks. Hope you make lots of money this year!

[GrassBustersLawn]

DFW

Looks NICE.

Very PROFESSIONAL looking.

Hopefully, when you turn the corner, you'll have a BIG TIME payout!

Mike

[DFW Area Landscaper]

My two-man crews only gross about $600 per day. I tried running three-man crews last year with about $800 of revenue/day and it was a complaint fest.

I have discovered that this business is a business of volume.

There are a TON of fixed costs in this business...costs that don't fluctuate based on the amount of revenue you produce...things like internet expense, software purchases, storage expenses, telephone expenses, tax preparation expenses, web site development & hosting expenses, yellow page expenses...the list of expenses that are there whether you mow one lawn or a thousand lawns goes on and on forever it seems.

Just when I think I've finally spent all the money on the fixed assets I need, you know, things like shelves for the storage unit or a laser printer for the office, there are other expenses that always manage to pop up. Right now, I am getting ready to buy a new magna matic to sharpen the mower blades because the bench grinder is eating too much time. I understand the magna matic will reduce sharpening time by 90% so I feel like it makes sense to try it out. There is always something, it seems.

Later,
DFW Area Landscaper

[drumbo]

How many accounts do you service? Ballpark it.

[Joey bag a' donuts]

Impressive, thats awsome.

[palawnman]

Totally unhappy with the customers I have now. Need to double my customer count, which I think will happen this year.

Realize, although my fleet looks impressive, my business still hasn't made any money. I have been a subscriber to the "spend money to make money" way of thinking.

Hopefully this year I will make some money...finally.

Later,
DFW Area Landscaper

How long before you got this big? Are you thinking that this is the year to make money because alot of your bigger purchases (i.e. mowers trucks, etc) are now paid off? And being a subscriber to the "spend money to make money" theory what has been the hardest obstacle? Sorry for all the questions...I am a big believer in the same theory, I would appreciate any pit falls you mave have learned from in the process. Thanks.

Ron

[sheshovel]

Looks real good DFW..why are your crews grossing so little per day?Are you running 4 -2 man crews and EACH are grossing 600 per dAY? OR all your crews put together are only grossing 600 per day?

[nobagger]

DFW, why not look into a business consultant. Some one thats independent and could possibly show you where your loosing money or where and how you could be making more money with the assets you already have. One of our local "big boys" in lawn care I know has done this and it seems they have exploded in two years.

[LwnmwrMan22]

Totally unhappy with the customers I have now. Need to double my customer count, which I think will happen this year.

Realize, although my fleet looks impressive, my business still hasn't made any money. I have been a subscriber to the "spend money to make money" way of thinking.

Hopefully this year I will make some money...finally.

Later,
DFW Area Landscaper

DFW -

I want you to know this. I've been reading your posts, trying to get this game of lawncare figured out.

Sometimes it's seems that you're real frustrated with all the effort you're putting in, and seeing nothing in return.

Hopefully, those trucks you've got are getting paid off fairly soon, hopefully you're getting some equity built up in the business.

A question I have for you. Do YOU make any money??? Meaning, do you clear a wage, and then the company doesn't make any money?? Or do you yourself not make any money??

IMO, if your business only shows $1 profit at the end of the year, but you've pocketed $50k, that's not bad.

The more your company shows as clear profit, that's just more that you have to pay in taxes anyways.

It took me 8 years to finally start showing a profit.

I too was always buying more to spend more. Or is that spend more to make more. :dizzy: :laugh:

Anyways, I'm going on to year 18 now. About 4 years ago, I had 7 guys working for me, (2) 3 man crews, 1 floater for when people didn't show up.

I was making money, but the headaches weren't worth it.

I went back to working by myself. Everything had been paid off at the time and I only kept the lawns that were the easiest and pay the fastest / best.

I went from (130) 2+ acre accounts to 30. I'm now NETTING more than I did with the workers I had, and have newer (IMO) nicer stuff.

I guess my post is, if you get to the point where you decide you don't have any money making potential in this job, where you business doesn't make any money, make sure you look at it, run your numbers if you went back to running solo. You'd be surprised how the numbers have changed if you've had people get you the equipment that you really need to get an easy job done fast.

[captken]

Maybe the company is all 'daddy bought'....? Who knows?
kenny...lol
Reading your home page website for residential, I wounldn't hire you.

[captken]

take that back.

I just looked at your "homepage" I wouldn't hire you on principal....too many conditions you state.
Maybe a change in policy would do you a world of good. :hammerhead:

[captken]

take that back.

I just looked at your "homepage" I wouldn't hire you on principal....too many conditions you state.
Maybe a change in policy would do you a world of good. :hammerhead:

http://www.meierslandscape.com/residential/content/view/8/26/

[captken]

Totally unhappy with the customers I have now.
my business still hasn't made any money. I have been a subscriber to the "spend money to make money" way of thinking.

Hopefully this year I will make some money...finally.:cry: :help:

Later,
DFW Area Landscaper

Attitude is everything. Look over YOUR conditions of employment....in regards to your customers.

Just my opinion, constructive criticism. I want you to suceed...
kenny

[captken]

One more thing that I'll add that my daddy taught me...

"If you don't enjoy what you do, you won't be good at it and you won't be very successful. It doesn't matter what you do as long as you enjoy it...."

Maybe, you are in the wrong business....

[HOOLIE]

I agree with Captken regarding the website. I think what would help DFW greatly would be to have someone else transcribe his writings into something more 'politically correct' and presentable to the public. Just a friendlier approach in general is needed.

[Howard Roark]

Looks rather expensive.

Didn't you state you were going to use 1-man crews this year?