MISTAKES

[cjcland]

would some of you veterans please tell me what some of the common mistakes and pitfalls made by a fairly new company?<p>----------<br>CJC Landscape Management<br>Winter Haven, Florida

[yardsmith]

One of the biggest mistakes new guys make is taking on too much work at a time & lowballing to get work in the first place.<br>Been there, done that. I think you may need to burn your self a bit once or twice, or see it happen to someone else to really remember what it's like to be under the gun & hating it for takin on too much work. That feeling stays with you to help you remember in the future. Nothing is worse than getting up in the morning & saying 'oh man I'm losin $$ every time I show up at this place', or 'man how am I ever gonna get this work done-I took too much'. Those have stuck w/me.<br>Something I've noticed others do is get too big too fast, by taking on too much, but also buying way too much or too big of equipment they don't need, then scramble like mad to find work for it. Grow as you go, & be sure of your self & your finances, but also don't be afraid to take risks.<br>Good luck.<p>----------<br>Smitty ô¿ô<br>

[Lazer]

I agree with Smitty.<p>1.) Do what you say you're going to do.<br>2.) Charge lots of $$.<br>3.) Be reliable as a Swiss Watch.

[cjcland]

thank you for he posts does anyone else please have any post to add to this?<p>----------<br>CJC Landscape Management<br>Winter Haven, Florida

[dbroome]

the biggest complaint you will hear is &quot;they told me they were going to be here and i havn't seen them. I don't care if you are having a heart attack and need a tripple bypass you make sure you are there when you say you will be. nobody wants an event planned and you were supposed to do the lawn that day and didn't. that makes the customer look bad and worst of all that makes you look bad. All my clients stay happy and don't mind paying my prices because i am dependable. also don't low ball prices you will hate yourself for it. If you get out bid so what you wern't going to make any $ anyway. don't sacrafice quality of your work just to get the job. you do good work and your business will grow. also dress nice when you are working. look like a pro. no metalica t's and all that save it for when you get off work.

[accuratelawn]

Having been in the biz only four years, I have just left the situations described above. Low ball - toooo much work - stess - not making enough money.<br>Know your costs<br>Know what the competition is charging<br>Don't trade productivity for quality work<br>&lt; If you got into for the enjoyment of working outside and being proud of you efforts &gt; Work smarter not harder.<br>If you provide a great service in a timely manor you will build a list of quality customers that are willing to pay for your service. Good luck.

[BigElow]

How can I measure my prices outside of the competitions prices. Does anybody recommend a formula or book of cost measurements? Also, I am thinking of starting a lawn service soon, but I am concerned with it being too late in the season. Is it? also, how do you deal with off-seasons?

[MOW ED]

I have been in business 5 years and the above reasons are great so in addition to them my biggest mistake was starting out with &quot;less than commercial&quot; equipment. Every thing you use will be put to the test and will eventually wear out. Commercial equipment lengthens the interval. Result is more time working (making money) less time repairing (spending money on something you really don't want to).

[Richard Martin]

As far as pricing does, a rule of thumb that has been mentioned elsewhere on this message board is: $20.00 unload fee and then $1.25 to $1.75 per thousand square feet. This includes weedeating. For more difficult jobs like steep hills and an over abundace of weedeating add additional fees. <p>As far as the off season goes, here is your best advice, GET A JOB! If all you plan to do is cut grass then once the leaves start falling your season is over until the next spring. If you are just starting out and only have a couple of customers do them on Friday and get a job for the rest of the week. Convert it to fulltime in the winter. Whatever you do, don't lay around the house waiting for something to happen, get out there and do it.

[GrassMaster]

Hello:<p>The biggest mistakes I made was:<p>I worked harder not smarter until it was too late! <br>I had a real bad heat stroke.<p>I can do all the work myself!<br>Changed my mind after I fell off the roof of a house.<br>If you want the big bucks you need help.<p>Nobody is as good as I am.<br>Thats stupid to even say, because they are every where.<p>I don't need a measuring wheel, I'm a good guesser?<br>More later!<p>There's plenty more, just think about them.<p>PS: BigElow<p>What good would somebody elses measurements do. Buy your self a measuring wheel & take your own measurements.<p>If all of the above people that replied to this one post, I think 8 or 9 of them & put them on the exact same ZTR's & same amount of grass, lets say 10,000sq. ft. I bet every bodies time would be different. Also the same for edging, trimming, blowing & etc...<p>Think about it, you are going to have to get a wheel anyway, make your own measurements. The wheel will make you money, LOL even if you don't use your own formulas. It will at least make you look like you know what you are doing.<p>What would you think if somebody came over to your house & walked around it for 15 or 20 minutes. Then comes up to you & says &quot; Yeh, you need 22 1/2 yards of carpet & I will do it for $1,125.00. This person had no measuring tape, pencil or paper.<p>----------<br>GrassMaster - Home: www.lawnservicing.com<br>My Start Up Page www.lawnservicing.com/startup/<br>

[Bobby]

cjcland If possible, take care of the fertilizing on your lawns. Living in FLA, you can cut all year if you fertilize rite. If it's green and theres somthing to cut, your customers won't mind. <p>----------<br>Bobby <br>Ft Lauderdale

[Alan]

Hell,, toss a little annual rye in with your fall fertilizer and fire up a nice crop of green for the winter. Can't do that up here in Vermont but if I was down south I'd sure try it

[DMC300]

THE RYE IS AGOOD IDEA,EVERYONE COMPLIMENTS ON &quot;THOSE GREAT LOOKING LAWNS&quot;IN THE WINTER&gt;<p>----------<br>DON<br>LIANNES' MOWING

[steveair]

when it comes to measuring, the truth is it can be done by foot. I've been doing designng work for years and still, to this day, I still find pacing to be just as accurate most of the times.<p>When I go on quotes with contractors I work with they always get a kick out of it. They have there shiny new 100 dollar wheel and I have nothing. When I walk off a measurement, I say 86 feet. They then use there wheel and say '87', then ask how i did it. <p>Now, having worked for a survey company may have helped me, but knowing how to pace something off can save a lot of time and make a lot of money.

[Lanelle]

Definitely buy commercial equipment that works well with the sites you are mowing. The wider the cut, the sooner you will be finished. But be careful about buying too many loaded, new trucks at once, too soon. You only have to have a couple of contracts vanish, if you are over-extended, to get into a very uncomfortable situation money-wise. Know your financial situation. Don't just go with a feeling or it may turn into a bad feeling.<p>----------<br>Lanelle<br>