Going insane with no rain!!!!!!!

[KV]

Well since mother nature is quenn of our tempo for the most part I have found a new found bordem with not being able to mow the normal amounts due to no percipitation, This is my first full summer doing this full balls. Any suggestions on how to survive or tips or secrets to keep going strong??


KV:eek:

[KirbysLawn]

Contracts.

My income is unchanged by the weather, if they choose not to water so be it, pull up and check the lawn, spot spray any weeds and hit the road.

[SLS]

Check out your client's yards for other stuff you could do.

No rain here too for over a week and a half so I can relate.

I saw several of my clients needed bush/hedge work done and I needed to buy a gas hedge trimmer anyway...so.......I bought a RedMax CHT2200 (on sale! :)) and called those clients.

This week I paid for those trimmers AND made a little extra to boot by doing bushes and hedges. Even talked one of those clients into an aereating/seeding later this fall...yeah. (it sometimes pays to talk to your clients)

Gonna ask them about mulch beds if it don't rain soon! :D

You have to tell your clients about the other things that you can do for them or plant 'ideas' in their head...."You know, Mrs. Jones, don't you think a nice mulch bed with some pretty whatevers would look GREAT over in that spot?.....and a beautiful Dogwood would be awesome over there?..."

It is surprising how many people want this kind of stuff but don't think that you will do this kind of thing because your busy mowing and haven't mentioned it either. A lot of my customers could not get their previous lawn guys to do anything but mow so now they don't bother asking me either. :rolleyes:

Hang in there, KV.....this 'dry spell' thing happens every year in most places...it will pass.

In the meantime....Diversify! :D

PEACE!

[HOMER]

As long as bahai grows we got work, rain or shine.

[Charles]

We hadnt had rain for a couple of weeks until today. The 95 degree temps and low humidity have really dried things out. Lite rain is all we got sofar but I think it may increase in intensity. Weather plays such a big factor in the income of non contract work. I cant get these poor people around here to sign contracts because they know the next drought is around the corner. Weather hasnt been a factor so far this year.
I agree with the above on trying to get contracts and talking to custumers about extra stuff they need done. But I also know the stress of no rain can cause you feel like you are losing so much money that you dont feel like doing anything.
Commercial contracts is the way to go if you can win the bids.

[cp]

Today is the first day that I have skipped a customer because it didn't need it.:(

Bad feeling.:mad:

[racerdave]

Kirby,SLS,Charles,

Nice posts

[Jay ALC]

You guys can move here, we have had the hottest temps in the country in the daytime and have been getting drenched at night. Just the night before last we had three inches in less than 24hrs.
Its not skipping lawns due to dryness here but due to wetness.

[EJK2352]

SLS,
Excellent post !! I work solo and have about 30 accounts. I had to skip all but 5 of them this week. I have run into the same thing as you have, customers don't think I do anything but cut, because
that all the last guy did. I have been telling customers all services I offer besides mowing and it's helped me keep working through this dry spell. I'm going to get a flyer printed up w/ all services I offer to give to all my customers. :) ED

[Holloway Lawns]

No rain here in going on 2 months but we are doing better than last summer because we got rain lots of it in April so our lakes are at 77% copaired to the 40% last year. Please let it rain here we still need it.:angel:

[SLS]

racerdave:

Thanks! :)

ED:

I kinda figured I was not alone in this matter. We have a lot in common (solo and 30 accounts). Last year we had a 6 week dry spell and I did not utilize the time wisely. I fretted instead of hustled. It was my first season out and I did not have my confidence level up to snuff nor the proper equipment (42'' Riding tractor, TINY trailer...).

I thought some of this through over the winter and read, read, and read some more about lawn care and equipment and then bought a Laser Z and 7x12 trailer early this spring. The trailer has opened up more options (mulch beds in particular) and the Laser more than doubled my productivity...leaving more time to trim, plant, etc.

I think that being a lot of people (our customer base) DREADS doing bushes, hedges, planting beds, fall/spring cleanup, and such that they probably think we dread it too...plus the 'other guy' would run from these chores too.

On a 'per hour' basis I made more $$$ this week trimming and pruning than I do riding the ZTR...hmmmm...I intend to spend this winter getting it together to offer fert and herbicide/pesticide next spring. I think that the more you can do-the better- as you can squeeze a lot more money from your existing accounts instead of worrying about picking up new ones all the time. I don't base my business growth on the number of accounts I service but rather on the increase of the "bottom line". Better to squeeze $50K from 40 accounts than from 70.......fewer clients, fewer hassles....heheheh.

Offering to perform more than just mowing really sets an LCO apart from the herd in my area. ...thank God...as I was getting kinda bored just cutting all the time.:)

Your idea of putting your services on a flyer is excellent...I'm working on a brochure that does that too....could we be 'long, lost brothers' or something?

Good luck with your biz, ED! :D

[KV]

thanks for all the info and responses guess it's just time to grab the bull by the horns and kick a little grASS!!!


KV:(