is it just me?

[joshua]

is it just me or are there more and more guys out here this year, that have no idea what there doing? another funny thing is that they don't even know how to use the mowr they have, i have never seen so many crooked lines after the 2nd full week of cutting. is it just me or are you guys seeing this too?

[kutnkru]

I could care less about the patterns of other LCOs. What Im amazed at is the lack of wb this year. There are so many new companies out in the fields, and they all seem to have a new z-rider of some sort.

Hopefully our phones will ring off the hook for deck work once they tear up more than enuff turf thru May.

Kris

[E-man]

I agree with kutnkru every time I turn around theres a new guy with a ztr mostly walkers. I wish I could have started out with one instead of using wbs for the first few years.as for their work I dont realy pay attention I figure if its bad the good lcos will get the call.

[wrtenterprises]

I too have been noticing an abundance of new comers to the business. And it seems that they all have shiny new $8,000.00 ztr's! As for the quality of their work, I always pay attention to my competition. It's nice to know who I will be cleaning up after they get booted for tearin' up too much turf!!!

[Groundcover Solutions]

I got my new phone book today and i could not belive all of the new compenys that have sprung up!! They will most likley not last long. Most of the new compenys last year are nolonger around so I will just do quality work and keep raken in there customers!!!LOL

[joshua]

yea i hear ya on tearing up the turf, i never seen so many turn marks now that i think about it. ohh well i've always said after the customer sees what their doing to their yard it will be so much easier for me to pick them up.

[CSRA Landscaping]

I'm new, only been around since July. I'm staying. I will watch as I overtake the big boys and have fun all the way.
My shiny, new ztr only cost about $6k, since I got a cub.

[summitgroundskeeping]

Just today, I saw this guy in my neighborhood mowing my old piano teacher's lawn. His equipment was...

A rusty 197? pick up
A delapidated 5X10 trailer
An OLD Gravely 150 series 36" walkbehind
An even older Velky (on soaked soil)
Wearing a pair of severly torn jeans and a nasty gray sweatshirt

And his lines were all over the place. There were horrible ruts in the grass. On top of that, he dumped his grass in the street. My question is why she would hire him over me? I live about a 20 sec. drive from her house. RRRRRR

[HOMER]

Newbies galore here. Association time! I may contact the licensing div. to find out just how many are actually licensed............just for fun of course.

[Charles]

I counted over 21 ads in our local paper just for cutting grass. Did not include the landscaper grass cutters. Normally there is about 16 ads in peek season. I cant even bring myself to look at the ads anymore. I am sure the newbies will find the callins slim as I have and quit wasteing their money trying to start a biz in a saturated market. I have seen alot of them having ztrs and a few employees and big trucks to start out with. I see it all crashing down on them when they realize they just working to pay bills

[CSRA Landscaping]

I find that I have to agree with a previous post that I saw, saying that what gets most folks is not understanding the business side of things and that there are expenses to this biz. I think if someone has the desire to succeed in this field and they keep a good biz head on their shoulders, they'll do just fine. Upwards of 75% of ALL new businesses fail in the first five years because they fail to take into account their expenses among other things, so it's not just in thelawncare biz that folks will just come and go. I think that we should applaud anyone that is, first, willing to make the effort and second, able to succeed in their endeavour.

[parkwest]

CSRA's response made me think of an article in L&L magazine where they showed a survey where the business owner reported lawn mowing generated over 50% profit margin.

50% profit and 80% failure rate don't add up. Shows you how little and naive most mowers actually know about running a business.

[Mowman]

I see these guy's go out and borrow 8-10,000K for equipment only to be out of business the next year cause they can't get enough business to pay the payments for all their new mowers and truck and trailer. I started out with a 21" Toro Pro-Line. Now after my second year I got enough business to buy a GOOD USED WALKER. All my hand-held equipment is BRAND NEW,Husky. These guy's that go out and BORROW $$$$$$$$ to get started are usually out of business by the end of the first season. So NO FEAR GUY'S keep doing QUALITY WORK and GROW into your business.
I'm picking up alot of work cause people are tired of getting RIPPED of from these FLY-BY NIGHT'S.
Mowman

[Grateful11]

It amazing what picture some people draw of people by looking at what others drive or pull. My neighbor down the street drives a 12 year old PU and pulls a rough trailer with broken boards and all. But in it is a 12K Diesel Grasshopper and an old WB. He's been mowing and landscaping for about 15 years and works without a shirt most of the time. But he's good as gold and I'd put his mowing up against anyone on here. I've seen his work and people pay handsomely for it. He's got 20 some accounts some of them are quite high dollar but he still does a couple of $20 accounts because they're either disabled or can't afford more. Let's be careful of who we put down they might listening. To look at this guy you'd think he just started yesterday.
As for myself, my lawns look darn good and have never had to advertise except dropping off a few bus. cards. here and there.
I have too agree that there are alot of new guys this year. We've had several 1000 people to lose their jobs lately and the job market not what it was a year ago. I don't really blame them for trying and most probably won't make it or will get tired of it and quit. Then there will be more to take their place but if you do good work and satisfy your customers then you don't have anything too worry about.

[summitgroundskeeping]

I know what u guys are talking about. TO show u how many newbies are around here, a dealer around here has specials on "newbies out of the biz". Haha. Guys here don't borrow 8-10 thousand, they buy 30-50 worth of stuff and go out of business that year and file chapter 11. When I started a truck and a 21" Ariens along with a trimmer (I was a freshman in HS). Last I counted about 7 newbies or scrubs in my city this year. I don't mind newbies as long as they are good grounds keepers u know? But, I hate scrubs who have been around and can't mow, landscape, fertilize, etc.

[thelawnguy]

"My neighbor down the street drives a 12 year old PU and pulls a rough trailer with broken boards and all. But in it is a 12K Diesel Grasshopper and an old WB. "

And when that "rough trailer" throws an axle bearing or the frame snaps who's gonna pick up his accounts while that 12k hopper is being scraped off the curb?

Today saw a mid-80s crown vic sedan with a bumper hitch pulling a homemade trailer with a brand new Lazer in it.

Yup thats smart. I sure want to trust lawn decisions to someone like that.

[summitgroundskeeping]

thelawnguy, I have seen some stupid people in my few years, but that takes the prize. Why didn't you get out of your truck and smack him upside the head for endangering people?

[David Gretzmier]

These guys don't go out of business because they can't make thier payments! REALLY- a 10k mower only costs 300 month or so. They should be able to make that in a day. They go out of business because they don' t plan for winter, don't invoice or watch cash flow, or they spend all they make. Dave

[joshua]

now lets face 1 fact that we all know. most newbies don't know how to bid and price to low. then they suck so bad that my blind grandma can cut staighter and make the yard look nicer. so when the fall comes around most of their customers tell them to go fly a kite. then people won't let them plow for them because they don't have insurance. then when they found that out they said not to come back. so its like the guy is starting all over and it's his 2nd year, and now his reputation is so bad that another company wouldn't hire him if he paid them to work.

am i on the right tract?

[rochester]

OK Im sure this will piss some of you off but I cant take anymore new guy bashing. Would you like to know why you see so many new guys out there? Because times are hard thats why. This is not brain surgery, its lawncare. If a guy needs to feed his family and does not posses any other marketable skills I can see why he would turn to this business. Cutting lawns is not that intimidating. These guys may not be very good now or they may not have the fanciest rigs but give them time and they will improve, you did. If the guy is willing to work hard I applaud him.

[Randy Scott]

I read some of the threads and simply consider the source before getting too agitated at ones comments.

[thelawnguy]

"Would you like to know why you see so many new guys out there? Because times are hard thats why"

Our unemployment rate is 1.9%. Which means over 98% of the workforce has some type of job. And from what Ive seen, its becoming more and more obvious why the remaining 2% still havent found a job so thats why they saddle up the strap-on trailer hitch to their govt surplus crown vic and farm trailer and sail off with their no-money down, no payment til september mower.

Quite frankly these folks have a purpose in the business-kinda like the lobster, they spend their days foraging for the droppings of others until they are finally gobbled up by a higher being. I for one dont want the customer who will consider hiring these dregs.

[65hoss]

We see several cutters a day. But nothing unusual about that. Most of these guys are pulling a small trailer with crapsmans on them. The quality is nowhere near the same. So, I really don't worry about them. Its the guys with the exmarks, toros, hoppers, choppers & Walkers I pay attention to. I just don't see that many newbies with this stuff.

Most of these guys will be gone by mid summer. They really don't expect it to be as hot as it is. I usually pick up a few in mid summer just because of this.

I lost a job to one of these guys the other day. It was a fairly big clean up and regular cutting. While I planned on giving him an estimate and discussing several ideas about what he needed, he let some newbies do the job. This should have been about a $600 job. He told me he couldn't beat the offer they gave him. Everything for $200. They are also going to cut it weekly for $25. This is easily a $45 lawn. I think that by mid summer he will be calling me. These guys can't afford to do the job right at that price. This is a well manicured lawn that will take more time than they are willing to give.

[joshua]

rochester, i hate to inform you but i don't think you made any of us guys mad, because it seems you are a newbie, to bad your not from my area, because i would crush you then kick you to the crub.
about how these guys are suppose to get good, if their not by now they won't be. i would practice everyday in march when i got my 1st walkbehind in the freezen cold making sure that when the 1st day came i would cut straight as an arrow and i did. same with the lazer but only took 2 days to do it and master it to where i can out cut any guy in my area.
its nature some guys are born with this in there blood and some guys aren't, thats what i've always said and i was born with it and some.

[kutnkev]

there seems to be a great deal of time from you who claim to be "profeesional" and "established" businessmen, putting down folks who have less ,work for less, and know less than you about "your" profession. the are plenty of small auto repair shops that charge less,know less and do not have the
equipment as does a dealer. yet if you go to a dealer for service you will find the line out to the street by 7 am. thats because they deliver a level of SERVICE their customers demand. they dont wast their time complaing of back alley shops,the guy who works in his drive way or anyone else. they simply deliver the best service to their market and charge accordingly. if you "profeesionals" would do the same it would greatly improve the image of the lawn care professional to upstarts and customers.

kevin

[Charles]

65Hoss, i saw a guy yesterday with a nice looking jeep wagoneer(new looking and red) He had an 8 foot trailor and a small pushmower, echo blower and a new looking crapsman

[HOMER]

Hey Charles, that was me. I thought I could do better up there so I wanted a new look, new start. Can you help a guy out thats down on his luck?

[lee b]

Some of ya'll sure are insecure or do ya have an inferiority complex? If you worried as much about your own business as you do the competition, you'd probably be way better off. When I was a teenager I probably thought I knew everything and was the best at anything I did, don't worry that attitude will change as you mature. For the rest of you I say "GET A LIFE, AND FIND SOMETHING BETTER TO DO THAN BITCHING ALL THE TIME".

[Charles]

Homer if you down and out in SC and hope to move back up the ladder. I hate to break it to you but SC is the gateway back down the ladder and its all one way. Now you have to go to lawnguys area to work your way up to the rich and famous with him.
Had a retired Army sargent tell me one time that he only worried about his troups morale when they stopped bitching and griping and got too quiet.

[Twotoros]

Sighted this week two guys working out of a 70something chevy van, to 21's and garbage can for clippings.
GUYS:
GET READY TO GO FROM A PIECE OF THE PIE TO A BITE. I AM ALREADY THERE.
I am down 19 accounts out of 57 from the end of last season. 10 new bids and no takers.
25 ads in the yocal paper, 2 with free fertilizer and 1 boasts 25% cheaper than the compitition. There are 5 and 10$ minimums here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YIKES.

[Esby]

All these new guys out there are trying to make a go at this field. We all tried to make a go at it at one time or another. The ones that make the smart decisions made it. The ones with the quality work and good customer relations made it. The rest joined another group and dropped out of the business. You all can just keep on bitchin about "all the newbies", cause its not going to stop. Each year there will be more and more, and each year a couple of them ARE going to make it. Its a fact of business that new people come in and those new people are your competition. You didn't have to compete against them last year, but wake up, you do with year. Get on with life and go about your own business, if all you can do is crab about it, then QUIT!!!

[lawnworker]

supply and demand is what all bussiness is based on to many lawn services low prices.if the demand fow lawncare is high the market can support a lot of high priced lawn cutters.when the bottom falls out like it sounds like it has in some areas people are in trouble .My area is still pretty good as far as makeing enuff $$ to live off but few if any make it rich in the lawncare bussiness.Most aruond here that run these bussinesses dont live in the real high end houses come to think of it i dont no any that do.A man making 22.00 dollers a hour working for a good company with benifits and 401k plan is going to make and save more money then all these one man shows such as myself around here.we should all drive beat up old trucks then not every joe blow will think we are making so much money and jump in the big pot of gold called the lawn bussiness and bring down the market to 1960s money when you factor in inflation

[kutnkru]

I have to give credit where credit is due ...

Many of the Mow-N-Go LCOs in our area have changed their listings from the LAWN MAINTENANCE section to the LANDSCAPING section because they have learned that people are more apt to employ a landscaper than a mowing crew for their property needs.

HOWEVER!!!! They forgot to make sure that their prices reflected the so-called KNOWLEDGE that they posses to get their names listed under that heading -LOL!

Just makes you shake yer head and laff sometimes at how people cut themselves short in an effort to race to the top of the ladder.

Kris

[joshua]

lee, i shake my head at your post, i started this just to see if it was the same around the country, i don't think any of us guys are inserure, i know i'm not, i have not a worry in the world besides either cutting my yards at 4 days or 5. besides that i'm not worried about losing someone, because all my customers love to have me around, or what would you call them tipping me, and trying to give me hugs and stuff like that,(most elderly)plus do to the fact that i have never lost someone due to quality, and have only lost 6 or 7 people in 5 years. might i add i let them go. i really don't think i have anything to woorry about a new guy. this post is not to be mean, or starte any trouble, but to make it clear as to why i started this.