How's the season goin' for the rest of ya?

[Scag48]

Hey guys. Just want to see how everyone else is doing so far. I haven't gotten a great start, but better than last year. I went door to door today and yesterday hoping to get some response. I hope I get some, if I don't, I might as well through in the towl. The competition is so tough here and there aren't enough people that need their lawns mowed and there's about 10-15 LCO's in a town of 5,000 people. Luckily, most of them don't do the greatest job ;) and when I start to get more jobs people might notice and switch over. I'm gonna venture a little into landscaping this year, not a whole lot but I'll see what comes up. Well, just checking with everyone else. Hope all of you have good luck on this upcoming season. KEEP IT GREEN!

[oneEXMARKfan]

Money flowing in !!! (and right back out)

[joshua]

alot of money coming in my way so far, more than double the sales this april than i did last year. looking to be a better than great year here.

[Paradise Yard Service]

My season has been just fine. Started in June of 1985 and its been one long season!
Aloha,
P.Y.S.

[Richard Martin]

I am just now starting to pick up new customers. I did loose most of the customers I picked up over the summer last year and that had me worried a little bit. I had never lost so many customers in one year before but then I remembered that last year was the year from heck with rain every other day all summer long and unbeleiveable crabgrass. This year is turning out to be a dry one and those summer pickups I got last year are deciding to cut their own grass again. I was worried that maybe my quality was starting to slip or something but then I noticed that I was only loosing the customers that I picked up during the monsoon. If they call me again this year they are outta luck, "Sorry, the schedule is full".

[cst51]

DRY.. Skipped 5 lawns already this week. It's August in May here in Indiana.
Cary

[Esby]

Spring clean-ups have been going really well, and are done. Profit on them has been terrific. Going to start full mowing service this thursday. This has been the latest winter that I can remember in a long time. We have had alot of rain though, which has really gotten the grass growing. I'm sorry to hear about all the dry spots across the country, I hope it stays wet here!

[John Allin]

It's Friday.
It's hot out.
Customers suck.
Employees suck.
Mechanics suck.
Accountants suck.
Lawyers suck.

Recievables up.
Payables up.
Cash in hand sucks.

Only people that don't suck and understand the frustration - are the people on this forum.

We'll see what tomorrow brings......

[Mike Nelson]

Mr.Allin,

I think you should take a brake this weekend.Sounds like your overheated.:eek:

Sometimes the sun does that.

Anyway everything here could not be any better.:D

Mike Nelson

[Grassman]

Mowing is slow because of the drought, but irrigation repair and upgrades are keeping the cash flowing. For now. Russ

[HOMER]

If we could repeat the month of March we would be good. We can't and the drought is in high gear again! I'm tired of cutting dirt for people...........I'm tired of folks that don't water, even when there isn't a ban on watering, I'm tired of the phone not ringing............must be all the newbies door knocking or something, and I'm tired of being tired of everything.

Sound depressed? Could well be!

Might as well move to the frickin' Sahara frickin' dessert, at least there I might imagine water.

[dfor]

August in May is not a good start. I'm Already skipping lawns, and the dust if flying.

[Charles]

Same boat on dry land here too. This looks like the last week of a full schedule for me too. No rain in sight the grass is quickly going dormant. I have just a few that water. Its just a repeat of last year for us. Did well in march and april but unless there is a drastic change in the weather pattern who knows about the rest of the year. The thing about it is that they say global warming is suppoes to bring above average rainfall. Ya right, F the weather guessers

[Scag48]

Seems like some of you are doing well. Others, well, you guys are in the same boat as I am. I have one job back from last year :(. My teacher's lawn (the one that's really steep) was given to some little punk 7th grader that I know. The teacher is a weird guy and figured he could save a couple of bucks by hiring this kid. What a cheap-skate. I could do one job that was a constant customer last year but the price was so low that I would have to raise about $5-$10 a week. That's how cheap I bid it last year. I obviously didn't know what I was doing. This was before I joined Lawnsite and figured out how to price jobs ;). That job was also tough to get to since I can't drive but I'm gonna check with someone else in that area and see if they want their lawn done this year as well, therefore making it worth the drive. I can't buy a new mower, I'm in desperate need of one. Like I said, the competition is cut-throat and I guess I gotta stay competitive. I know this has been brought up before, but what do you guys think about "job stealing"? I figure if I think the LCO isn't doing a good job I can drop a card at the customers house and if they want, get a bid from me. That's just a form of business, right? Does anybody else do this? Thanks guys!

[Samurai WeedWacker]

I have mowed a couple yards, but the mowing season hasn't really started yet around here. It looks promising though. I definitely have commitments from my 2 hugest clients.

[Eric ELM]

Things were going good here too. We were getting rain every few evenings and things looked good. We got a week of 80's and the wind blew like crazy and dried things up to nothing here too. If we don't get rain here soon, we will be in trouble also. Next week we should get them all mowed, but after that, it could be some skipping of a few that don't water.

[AB Lawn Care]

Well this spring I lost about 3 clients.......and got 16 new clients :) :) :0

I'm almost booked!But booked is very good!When ever I get booked I start giving price raises.If they don't like it the can get,as I call them "bottom feeders".Many people seem to dislike these "bottom feeders" becouse they like to under bid at any chance they can get.Personally I actually injoy having them in my city.

My slogan is "eat the tasty fish and crap out the rest for the bottom feeders".

[powerreel]

Scag, my problem is traffic!!!! I wish I lived in Chelan, you should only do MICROSOFT houses on the lake. Get a boat instead of a truck,I would get a WW2 landing craft painted orange and you will retire by 40.Don't waste your time with cherry farmers.

[cantoo]

As much as I wanted to go full time this year I think I made the right decision to stay with my job. The ground is so dry already we will be missing cuts even before we start. No one irrigates here in farm country. Because of my full time job we will be able to buy some equipment from guys who aren't going to make it. It's going to be an interesting year, everyone better watch your expenses and be careful on the pricing.

[AB Lawn Care]

Cantoo,dry there too eh!Its dry here but is starting to spit a little outside.....come on rain!!!!!

[Evan528]

Unless things else where are extremly diffrent then in PA there is something wrong if you dont have more work than you can handle! I have not advertised in about 6 years and I am at the point where I am turning down 2 and sometimes 3 accounts everyday! If you do good work people will flock to you without you going after them!

[1MajorTom]

Quote: I am at the point where I am turning down 2 and sometimes 3 accounts everyday! If you do good work people will flock to you without you going after them!



Ditto.

[jnjnlc]

Up until last December I was part time. I am now doing this full time. I was a little concerned earlier this year but things are starting to pick up even though it is dry as heck here. Last year my business doubled from the year before. I hope I have the same luck this year. I am getting there.

I came home today and thought I was getting a great tan on my legs until I took a shower and found out it was just dirt. That was just from mowing. I mowed several that could have waited another week. I understand that, you understand that, but the customer does not. Oh well, what can you do?

[linky]

We need the rain also. I am very busy and very worn out. Man solo is hard! I need to get a full time helper.

[eslawns]

I've been as busy as a 1 legged man in a butt-kicking contest. :D

[GreenQuest Lawn]

Well I also did not advertise this year. Stopped taking accounts Around the first of April. Added about 50% more than last year. I still had some come in up untill last week (they were ones that I quoted in Feb. that just came in) so i did take them. Hired a part time person for a month or so. Probably untill the odd jobs are done. But I have found that I enjoy the help and may take on enough to keep her busy part time all season. We are VERY dry here. Its kind of funny that 90 miles to the west (right where Eric is) they are getting rain. Seems Lake Michigan and our dry air is ending all chances of rain. There was a light mist for about an hour today but not enough to help. The lawns are starting to show sighs of burning already. Oh well I am taking the day off on Sat & Sun. Need time with my family. Then its back to the grind on Mon!

[Edited by greenquestlawn on 05-04-2001 at 10:27 PM]

[Toroguy]

Dont give up Scag48,
Stick to your principles and do good work like Jodi said.

My ad was a bust, only three calls for $70.00. It was the same ad as the previous three years. Just alot more people in the biz locally.

I have achieved my 2001 customer goal through referrals and should see more in the next week.

The dry conditions should resurrect Charles's famous "Drought" posts.

[Evan528]

Theres an abundance of competition where I am also! I guess the diffrence is that I am always personally on site so the job is always done right. Most other companys just send out unsupervised crews who screw up and face no consequences!

[wxmn6]

It was a bit slow start for me but hopefully that it will improve as the year goes on. It is bone dry here, no rain for 22 straight days except one night that brought only 0.06" of rain. Also it was very windy for two weeks. It is dusty everywhere. I drove my truck on the dirt road a few days ago and it looked like a dust storm. It is so dry here that New York State issued an outdoor fire ban for the entire New York for the weekend and would continue until good rain come. But to my suprise, the grass is still growing, but not as fast as usual. It is because of unusual warm weather. It hit 90s here for four straight days, broke several records, so it gave the lawn some boost. I am hoping that the rain will come soon or else my mowing business would be slower and I will have several fire calls to response to brush fires!

[lawnman_scott]

Real busy here, dry but still busy, and i dont usually really pick up alot of new ones till july or aug

[65hoss]

We have been very busy here. No advertising at all, but the phone is continually ringing. I'm up over 50% in new business.

[Barkleymut]

Doing real well here, just put in another 60 hour week and I'm out the door tomorrow morning to mow 4 final properties. But we really need the rain. With a 1 year old and a stay at home wife I need to be MOWIN! Anyways, about 60% of my customers are billed a monthly rate and I wouldn't take on a new customer unless they had a sprinkler system or agreed to the monthly price. Just some food for thought. Just started on a big landscape project as well. All told should be $3000 profit for 3 days work. Can't beat that.

[Jason_S]

I live in SE Wisconsin, we are getting plenty of rain right now as Eric would surely tell you. Just went back to a mowing customer (big gas station) 2 days after I mowed to do the edging around the curbs. (that was overdue) I couldn't believe my eyes, after 2 days, the grass was 6inches or better ALREADY!!! At this rate, I'm going to have to start rounds again on Sunday!

So for me, BUSY!!!!!!!!

[little green guy]

I've got so much work I can't even think striaght. I've been getting 2 calls a day for landscape work plus about half of my lawn customers are looking to do so landscaping now too. I havn't even called back some of the people. On the other hand I'm going to have to start wearing an air tank when I cut grass because of all the dust, it's getting realy dry here. I'm not to worried though cause I've got so much landscape work besides mowing it'll be alright. Good luck to you guys.

[Scag48]

I just talked with a guy that I mowed for a few times last year. I mowed his lawn like 3 or 4 times, not the whole season. He was out of a job for a while so I didn't ask but he wants me to do his lawn again. Now, I can do the other lawn that was very constant last year because I have another job out in the same area to make it worth more of the drive. Things might shape up for me. I went advertising in the high-end residentials (summer homes) and today when I was riding my bike, all the ones I advertised at had already been mowed. I know that lowballers beat me, cheap punks. People over here will do anything to save some $$$. My cousin just now got in the biz. He wanted to borrow some of my stuff, I told him to take a hike. He was talking trash about how he was gonna waste me but I figure I don't care 'cuz I know I can do a better job ;). I realize that there is NICE competition that helps you out but when it's all cut-throat, NEVER YIELD TO THE ENEMY! There is this one guy that is nice and does a good job that I talk to once in a while but when lowballers are out, BEWARE! Good luck with biz guys!