how many clients do you have?

[dlandscaping]

i was just wondering how many client you or your company has, including mowing fertilizing heges snow etc. around here the average is about 50-150 just wondering how many you have regardless of size.
right now i have about 15 full time and a few just mowing/bush work etc but no snow work. i am 15 years old, am I right track? I want to grow the company to be the biggest in the area and am wondering when you started? and how many clients you had your first year in the biz or when you were my age?
thanks

[65hoss]

I think I'm around 50. But that # is irrelevant. My properties may be bigger or smaller than others. I have a few at less than 3000 sf and up to over 2 acres. The average is in the 1/2 area.

[lawnboy82]

Dlandscaping, the number of accounts a company has is irelevant. You can go for the big numbers of accounts, and make your money over volume. Then there are those people who work, themself and 3 or more other people at about 10 places or so, and that keeps them busy all year long. Just depends on how big the places are? Can you really equate (1) big corporate account that will pay you 140K per year with a small residential account that you do the same thing as per year for 5K? Someplace that pays $140 per year, could keep a crew of 2 busy every day, without needing any other customers.

[Ssouth]

I only have 18 clients but one has 67 properties that I maintain. All are year round customers except for one and it's a 10 month contract.

[guntruck]

We have about 30 residentials, one 7 acre commercial and some other small commercials. Sounds like your on the right track just done get in over your head too fast. Take your time and learn as fast as you grow!!!!!

[VnDrWLawnCare]

Hey i am only 18 and i have about and average of 25 yards a week. All yards are about the same size. Doesnt take me but about 18 hrs by myself to get them all done. Very little drive time for the majority. This is my second year with a 48" Lesco hydro w/b. I like it but am ready to start riding. If i decide to do it again next year i figure i will need to pick up at least 15 or so accounts to make it worth my while. When i have someone helping me i can get them all done in a 13-14 hours total between us two. Sometime as many as 30 yards too. I want more too but i dont want to get in over my head. since many times as the year goes on you tend to have people drop off. I just lost a few because people were moving, or started to feel better-health wise. I take all of that into consideration when i start off. Figure on losing a few cust. over the year. This past year i picked up 14 new. So it takes time. Make sure what you pick up you can handle. You want to keep the customer happy. Each year you will wish you had more since you are getting stuff done quickly. That is why there is always next year. Good luck.
Eric

[dmk395]

About 50 weekly, and maybe 10-20 who call me with various landscaping projects

[landscaper3]

We maintain approx, 70 summer maintenance accounts and 30 winter season accounts, 6 Of the year round accounts are 40 plus unit condos and 3 shopping centers. Even in winter we stay real busy with plowing. We are adding hydroseeding and sprinkler installation next season for added groth.

[hustlers]

im 20 and it takes me and 2 people 4 days to mow
about 50-70 accounts but some are condos with some
acreage- then we work for 8 months-too cold in mn.
I go to mexico for a few months and chill out and come
back fired up

[gusbuster]

I hover somewhere between 200 to 250, but half of them are less than 400 sq.ft..

Having high numbers doesn't mean anything though.... I think you should of asked something like sq.ft ect... you cut.

All the above are all year for me as we do work the 52 weeks a year.

John

[Lawn-Scapes]

27 residential weekly/35 hrs

[GreenQuest Lawn]

1,613,235 +- some:D Depending on my measuring

Thats 44 accts

20 Commercial

21 residential

3 that I just Fertilize

One that I fert Is over 600,000sq/ft so that adds ALOT to the area. I don't mow that much. (Mow about 1,110,000sq/ft)

Thats just me and Alot of hours a week.

:D

[TotalLawn]

A few of mine are every 14 days.

46 regular mowing customers.

Then do trees & landscaping, ect., ect...

Mowing is approx. 70% of my sales $. That % will change as this is my 1st year full time and have not been through a full spring or fall yet. I am solo. :-) (this year)

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Around 500 plus or minus a few

[awm]

now that explains why the equipment dont last long:)

[HOMER]

500? WOW, you big time mowin' dude huh?

I'm at around 60 accounts, down from my high of 78 and feeling much more comfortable about it too! I once thought those big numbers meant something but have since found out that time at home means more, you know.......... you gotta keep your homework up too so Mama stays happy! I work all year so I don't worry about losing much of that income over the winter. I've done this long enough now that I am also being more selective about my customers and really only accept year round customers unless the seasonals want to pay a little more. The only numbers that really matter are the hours spent with the wife and yungins'. If you ain't got them then work your a$$ off all you want, if you got em then working just isn't as important as all that..................pay the bills and be maintain a family life!

[gusbuster]

Originally posted by HOMER
500 The only numbers that really matter are the hours spent with the wife and yungins'.

Homer,
That's the truth.
John

[Prasino]

35 residentials, 5 commercials
Im 19 years old, I was kind of lucky with some of my accounts. Do good work and have good customer relations. Learn how to market yourself, and the accounts will come.

[Eric ELM]

Originally posted by LAWNGODFATHER
Around 500 plus or minus a few

Do you mow these 500 lawns with the 2 - 3 man crews you have?

That is around 90 lawns for each person a week. That is more than I could ever handle.

[65hoss]

That is why he is the "LAWNGODFATHER". :blob4:

[HOMER]

Might be counting those doors at the Apt. complexes as "accounts" like someone around here does. If you get one check it's one account I don't care how many yards are there and how many doors. I wouldn't even want to try and keep up with 500 accounts.

[Jason Pallas]

We've got between 450-500 weekly on an average - and each one is a pain in the ass in their own special way!

[Pauls Mowing]

I have 3. One has 5 subdivisions with about 250 lots total, ranging in size from 8000SF to 1.5 acres. One is my employer, 4 miles of railroad right-of-way in town, and a 1/2 mile to mow out in the country. One is my employeers parent company, with about 1.5 miles of berm to mow, along a quarry, and around a redi-mix and asphalt batch plant. We also do off season lot work, clean-ups and light grading work in the subdivisions. Keeps us busy.

Paul

[LAWNGODFATHER]

You kidding that's to much work. I have to sub a lot out, because of the shortage of labor around here. No I only have one Apt. complex, and it's 1 account. We mow the easier accounts, let the subs mow the harder ones. There is now way i could give a turf area with out going out and getting all the measurments. I only know the turf area of most of the ones I fert/spray. I do have one place that is 16 acres of mowing, what's cool about it, we can do it in 1 hour with 4 mowers mowing. Another place we do is 12 - 3 acre lawns we just did it yesterday in 4 hours. My crews and I mow about 100-120 of them and the subs do the rest, but now that it has slowed down and trimming is very little we are mowing about 170 acounts. Most of which are 1 acre plus. I do have a few clients that we mow multiple properties for.

LGF:blob1:

[1grnlwn]

I have 50 Mowing accounts and 50 Fertilizer accounts. Aprox 15 o/o being commercial. Wish it was the other way around.

[Paradise Yard Service]

40. Over the years I've been able to get the more desirable accounts and streamline so,so ones. Now if I can only get to the extras my main 40 want me to do.

Aloha,
P.Y.S.

[David Gretzmier]

250 or so- average around 1/3 acre

and I make time for wife and youngun.

the real number is net income, and we don' talk about that...

Dave g

[lawnman_scott]

We have 213 right now, takes 4 people to get it done.

[TLS]

Exactly 1,996,358 sq. ft. or Exactly 38 accounts.

[MOW ED]

Roughly 233,000 sq/ft
Exactly 19 accounts
Roughly 10 hours. (86" cutting surface- 2 people)

The 2 people bonus started this fall. Next year we will have to increase business.

[ChadsLawn]

Well I stared this year with about 30 accounts most were Homes..As some of you can recall I went into the Hospital in June for a week and was down for a total of 2 weeks..Since then I have lost about half of what I started with. Ive done more flyers than I can count, went door knocking and have only gained 1 account since my big loss..I am trying to keep my head up high on this situation,but Im slowly giving up on this buiz..I know "dont give up"..Well Im trying hard not to..I guess I need to start hanging out in here again..Ive been taking night classes on web graphics and stuff..

I am down to a total of 11 accounts now...Thank GOD there all monthly..I can still pay all my bills but thats pretty much it..


Chad

[65hoss]

Chad, now is not the best time to gain accounts. Wait until spring and see how it goes before you give up. Do leaves for extra money and it will get your name out there more also.

[grassman50]

hey bud, your on the right track! I was in your same shoes four years ago. I am 19 now, and i have around fifty weekly accouts, basically all residentials. Dont let people say your money is with the commercails. Its not! There are so many lawn companies that bid them, they get all beat up til some dude is doing a one hour job for like $40.00. who wants to do that?? not me, and probably not you. Spend alittle money and get a nice mower, trimmer, ect. Target the high class subdivisions, you know, the rich people, put fliers in the paper box and knock on doors and introduce yourself. Letme know what you think.

[johnhenry]

I have 31 commercial and 7 residential most of my properties avg at least a acre and one motel that I has 11 acres by itself.But I couldnt imagine being too much bigger.If I was going to get any bigger I would lose that personal touch that makes me different in my area. But the most important part is that you luv what you do

[Pauls Mowing]

3 commercial accounts. One is a developer with 5 subdivisions and 250+- lots total. One is my employeer with 3 miles of railroad right of way; one is employeers parent company with several acres of mowing around a quarry, asphalt and redi-mix batch plants. The developer is adding another subdivision next spring with about 50 more lots. Keeps me busy. Just bought another John Deere.

Paul

[Flex-Deck]

Pauls Mowing-Don't see JD mentioned very often on this forum. I run 455's and in fact got an email that mentions that a lot of Z's are comparing Z's to the old gear shift deals and have not seen many all wheel steer hydro's. Hope to see you at the BBQ in St. Louis. Sat. Oct 20. We will domo WB 36" and JD all steer 60" with a unique attachment.