Solo Operators?

[Scraper]

Just wondering how many of the people in here are solo operators, in that, you are the only person performing the work for your business? If so, have you found that you must turn down much work due to sizes of jobs which could be done more efficiently with help? Any input is appreciated as I am in the process of deciding whether to quit my full-time job to do this full-time as opposed to part-time!<p>Thanks!!!

[kountryscape]

hey ive been doing landscaping by my self i do commercial and rest. the more equipment the faster you move i rent alot the home owner doesn't know if its yours or what. i sat on the fence for a while but if your going to do it do it! i love being in control of my pay check and i don't have to take orders from some over blown boss . just go for it if you think you can make as much as you do now doing what you want do it find a nice warm part time job in the winter at hit it hard in the summer just my view on things see ya jarrett

[Lee Homan]

I'm a sole operator. I turn down a lot of work just for that reason. It's hard to be competitive on a clean-up job that takes the better part of the day, when 3 guys could do it in about 2-3 hours. After about about 3-4 hours my productivity starts to diminish. Also depends on the weather outside, whether it's cool or hot has alot to do with how fast you can work and when the fatigue starts to set in. I'm just speaking for myself, the other guys in this forum may not be affected as much. This year though I did hook up with a guy that does landscaping and maintenance that I refer all that work to and he gives me 10% of each job he gets from my referral. Works real well. It lets me concentrate on mowing and he does the rest. This relationship was possible because of the excellant advice received from this forum. Hope this helps. Good Luck!

[Scraper]

Lee: Have you found customers who are unwilling to accept your lawn care services if you are unable to do other work such as cleanups or snow removal?

[Charles]

I work alone too. There are plenty of yards out there that don't require a crew. I just work those and turn down the rest. No problem either with a home that has maybe 20 hedges. Its hard to fit in extra work like that. But it is really required on a large percentage of your homes. Working alone is not a easy life sometimes. Yard cleanup is required on most of my yards too. Just something you have to do.

[gusbuster]

I work by myself most of the time. I'm lucky that both my father and uncle are in the trade. I am able to use there workers when the need arises. I do most of the time the maintenace side of this business. Some landscaping i use my families helpers. Unlike my family, i let the helpers bust there backs moving around soil or jobs i'm not to fond of. <br>When you don't have a payroll, less expenses.<p>Do I turn down jobs? Most of the time no. The jobs that I don't want, i just bid high. If I get it, just means I get more money for my troubles.<br>Jean

[thelawnguy]

I work alone. Its been several years since I had to turn down a big job. I dont advertise, just word of mouth, and the majority of my customers are in urban area, i.e., city and village lots under 1/2 acre.<p>Only thing that sucks about working alone, a. you can go loopy in the summer with no one to talk to all day except scream at dr laura on the radio ;) b. the cleanups can take a little longer than I like but if I put the spring ones that are a mess off til mid-April I can do a quick pick-up then mow and it looks great as long as you dont get your face down in the turf. c. if you dont feel well toobad ya gotta get yer butt out there anyhow. Nobody to cover your butt. Really sucks in the winter, try plowing with your head out the window heaving a trail of chunks down the side of the truck.<p>Bill

[scottlawns]

i too work alone and DR.Laura drives me nutts too...but i keep listening...i think after listening to her callers makes us feel not so weird,i do like working with someone else but i can entertain myself just fine,it is nice knowing i dont have to worry about paying someone every week.

[cjcland]

i work alone, one of the good things about working alone is that you know your equipment is being taken care of, and the job gets done right, i dont have the problem of turning down work yet but im sure i will have to in the future, i am looking for about 20-25 more residentials then i will start being picky about the work i take on<p>----------<br>CJC Landscape Management<br>Winter Haven, Florida

[dfor]

I'm doing it all on my own. Works out pretty well. There are times when I could use help but I just plug away. I've only lost a couple of customers that needed a crew. I have had to turn down a few jobs, knowing that I couldn't handle them on my own.

[StarCity]

Hey all you Lone Rangers....How many customers can you handle working alone? I know it will vary with how hard and much and efficiently you work.....but can I hear some numbers??? Do you have 100 res. 10 com.??? Do you work 8, 10, 15 hours a day during growing season??? Do you work on average 5, 6, 7 days a week??? Are you making just enough to get buy, or a good living, or your making a killing???<br>Thank you for your replies.<br>

[Lee Homan]

Scraper,<p>If it is a 3-4 hour clean-up job I'll do it,<br>but anything bigger I just explain to them that my price wouldn't be that competitive and refer the work to the guy that has agreed to do my landscape work. To be honest <br>landscaping jobs and landscape maintenance just interfere with my mowing schedule thats why I decided to get someone that would take them over. This guy and his dad work together plus he is suppose to be hiring someone else. He's a real good guy.<br>As far as having a problem with this arrangement, I haven't had a problem with my old customers. I'm just starting to get calls from new potential customers. If it does become a problem I'll probably see if I can consolidate the billing some how.<br>

[cantoo]

My wife actually does most of our work while I build houses. We schedule the physical work around my full time job. She leaves messages on my pager for me so I know where to go at night and what needs to be done. Most of our properties only need trimming every other week so I just do a trimming run a couple of nights a week. Most of our customers are weekend cottagers so as long as grass is cut and trimmed be Friday they are happy. We team up for cemetery work and larger properties. We have bought a second Walker and a Toro walk behind so we should have enough equipment this year.

[Toroguy]

Solo is nice...I brought my imaginary friend to help and he had a most unfortunate accident, fortunately noone witnessed it... Seriously, Ive turned down work I couldnt handle, but would rather do that than partnership or hire possibly unreliable help. I can handle 40 customers in 30 hours, with better equipment shooting for 60 customers in 40 hours

[JohnyNCa]

Im solo also and its great! I love it. No one tells me what to do and i get to work at my own pace and come and go as I please. There have been jobs that were to big for me so i passed them on. Once in a while I get a cleanup and usually get a helper to help me but its only for a day or so on one of my slow days...I have a 30+ route which is ok, but im working on getting on at least 10 more accounts or so.

[manr]

I'm solo to I do however hire help parttime for clean-up in the spring. I use a temp. agency I don't have the hassle of workmans comp. state & fed. taxes they take care of all that. One drawback, the help sometimes isn't that great. But I don't like to clean-up either, just part of the job<p>To answer an earlier question<br>I maintaned 83 properties last season mon-fri aprox. 45hrs per week spent on them that was mow, trim, & bag everyone<br>the largest was 2 acres the smallest 2000sqft<br>average 6000sqft<br>I scheduled all my fert and landscaping after my last lawn of the day or on sat.<p>I'm not making a killing but living good<p><br>The season is just starting here and i'm guessing i'll do around 90 this season don't want to it's to hard to say no<br>

[HOMER]

Tried it, didn't like it! After my wife could put her shoes back on from being barefoot an' pregnated, I put her to work riding. I still do most of the trimming, will need a full time helper this season and possibly a part-timer to boot.<p>83 in 45 hrs = 1.84444 per hour! You must be humpin' it!<p>Homer

[manr]

yea that humpin' 30 of the 83 lawns are in pairs (side by side)

[Richard Martin]

I work by myself. My current cust. list is around 30. It takes me around 5-6 hours a day 4 days a week and I'm making a decent living. Quality machines and tools are the key to getting productivity from yourself.

[jrblawncare]

I'm also a solo operator,I try not to turn down jobs.What I do on bigger installations is do them in parts or stages.everyone so far understands and works with me on this.I do find I burn alot of time just running around trying to get things done..post office,equipment dealers,estimates,ect...I just have to learn to manage time better.

[CLM1]

Yea, I'm solo. It gets frustrating sometimes because you have to turn a job down every now and then. BUT, I also can pick and choose the jobs that I do want no matter how big. If it's a big job I just grit my teeth and get in there and try to work smart and consitant. Plus I know that when I'm done it's done RIGHT. <br>And yes I listen to Dr. Laura too. Funny thing is after hearing most of her callers I'm not as bad off and as crazy as I thought I is! hehehahahehehaaaw!!!

[crabber]

I work alone most of the spring until July when the water business gets full time attention. I only have about 15 yards so I guess I'm part time. My little cousin hops on that deere and goes while I trim after I get in from crabbing. By that time grass has slowed down.

[MOW ED]

I'm solo for 5 years now but my wife does the paperwork which saves me lots of time. I do all work myself all season and have 22 customers that averages to 16 hrs per week in the spring and 12 hrs per week in the slower times. I have another job that I work 56 hours per week at but I love the lawns.

[thelawnguy]

I have 60 mowing accounts, they are all weekly thru June when some are bi-weekly due to the slowdown. I actually work and commute about 30 hours a week, no weekends unless there is prolonged rain. Most of my accounts are in groups of three to five, a few pairs, only two accounts are by themselves but they pay well and usually have extra work thru the year so I keep em on.<p>Bill

[yardsmith]

been solo/wife helped for the past 4-5 yrs. When it gets too hot or cold, I'm solo for sure. Held a full time job until this season; holding my breath & praying all goes well as I go full time. I work best with 1 helper to do trimming & blowing while I knock out the mowing. Had to turn stuff down in the past, but better that than to take it & be overwhelmed. Less is more as they say. Some places I wouldn't want to be a slave to!<br>Most me & the wife could properly maintain with our used equip. was avg. of 25 properties, some big, some small, commercial & residential. With full time job we only had 20-25 hours a week to work with (sometimes 15-20).<p>----------<br>Smitty ô¿ô<br>

[steven Bousquet]

I see there are alot of soloist. are there any big guys on this sight ? I mean a million or more?

[Alan]

I'm a solo operator from northwestern Vermont. If I could, I'd get out of mowing almost completely. Only mowing I want to do is the contracts I have on a 12 month payment basis. That way I could keep them for the snow plowing. No money to speak of in mowing around here, too much lowball bidding and too many &quot;old buddy&quot; deals going on. I'd like to be able to keep mowing down to a couple days a week, choose my customers to suit myself, and spend the other days doing seeding or hardscaping, stuff I enjoy and can make money at

[DMC300]

I'M MOSTLY SOLO BUT HAVE ACHANCE TO GO HUGE,BUT IHAVE BUDDIES THAT GROSS $1,000,000 or so and they tell me to keep small .THE HEADACHES)are'nt worth the profit margin! and i seem to believe them. i don't consider myself threat to them,are they right?<p>----------<br>DON<br>LIANNES' MOWING

[DMC300]

i'm almost solo right now exceptfor my wife,when available.ihave achannce to get hugebut my buddy which gross'overe$1000000 pere year speaks against getting much larger,and i have to take his advice, see.ing his net profit.<p>----------<br>DON<br>LIANNES' MOWING

[DMC300]

<p>----------<br>DON<br>LIANNES' MOWING<br>

[Bobby]

I'M SOLO ALSO. I've had two trucks and <br>five guys in the past and make more <br>profit by myself. It seems that in my <br>market , you have to stay small or <br>become huge. Very few medium operations. <br>Being huge down here means paying your <br>help poverty wages. If you are a <br>perfectionist, it's hard to find <br>helpers.<p>----------<br>Bobby <br>Ft Lauderdale

[MJM Landscaping Inc]

I agree that staying small is less headaches. I consider myself medium. The only reason i decided to get bigger,( I have 3, 3 man crews and adding a 4th crew this year) is for when i get older. Im 31 now and honestly dont want to mow the rest of my life. I know i can make more by myself but im thinking in the future. Its a personal choice no right or wrong answer, just the way i decided to go.<br>Mark A Musolf