Losing money already

[Sunstate Lawn]

This is my first thread on lawnsite, but I've enjoyed reading your posts for about 2 months. I have two employees, and I'm trying do mostly communities and commercial properties. My company is brand new, but I do know a little about running a business. Any way I misunderstood what could and could not be dumped at my local landfill and I ended up paying twice as much. Live and learn.:rolleyes:.

Sunstate

[Roger]

If this is your only surprise, you may be well on your way to success.

[lawnmagicinc]

i agree with you roger

[bohiaa]

This was always an issure for me too...

Wait untill your bill reaches 2 to 3 thousand a month and you catch people throwing trash and such on your trailer while you at a clean up job...

I guess I'll never forget that lady....I simply couldn't make her understand that I have to pay to dump, so should she....

[lawnpro724]

around here you can't dump any form of lawn waste be it leaves, grass, branches or anything else at our landfill, they won't take anything.

[BUCKEYE MOWING]

This was always an issure for me too...

Wait untill your bill reaches 2 to 3 thousand a month and you catch people throwing trash and such on your trailer while you at a clean up job...

I guess I'll never forget that lady....I simply couldn't make her understand that I have to pay to dump, so should she....

2G's a month .....man what are the rates to dump in Texas ???

[topsites]

I know this isn't as easy as it sounds, but you just have to charge accordingly.

See I went through this school...
For several years I would go out of my way to find cheaper places to dump, and for some time I used to pride myself on how good I was at it, but after time I found it's just always that same thing...
Works great for however long but sooner or later I'm out of a place to dump again!

That in itself I might've been all right with, but what eventually got to me was the constant cheapness which was ultimately responsible for me having to look around in the first place, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. So one day I just got tired of it, I wasn't getting paid for all the extra rigmarole and really the only side that was benefiting was the customer in ways of lower hauling fees.

Now I just go to Shoosmith Landfill, they have regular business hours, are well known and they accept credit cards.
It may sound funny to call a landfill professional, but these guys even spray the dirt roads down with water during the day so our trucks don't get dusty I am not kidding.
It costs $40 a load on my 6x12x2, so I charge $200 for hauling, per load (it does get a little cheaper per multi-trailer loads but)...
The worst part is the smell on days the wind is just wrong.
But other than that it was the best thing I ever did, one size fits all solution.

It hurt at first but it eliminated all of the Sandford & Son type requests, now I'm better off.

[lifetree]

I know this isn't as easy as it sounds, but you just have to charge accordingly. ...

Now I just go to Shoosmith Landfill, they have regular business hours, are well known and they accept credit cards. It costs $40 a load on my 6x12x2, so I charge $200 for hauling, per load (it does get a little cheaper per multi-trailer loads but) ...

It hurt at first but today I am glad, it eliminated all of the Sandford & Son type requests, and I mean that crap stopped cold, nobody asks me to haul squat unless they can afford it.

It sounds like you figured out how to control your expenses and your business while making money at the same time ... that's what I call entrepreneurship !!

[Kickin Your Grass]

I pay $10.85 for the first 550lbs and $0.30 each pound after.

[lifetree]

around here you can't dump any form of lawn waste be it leaves, grass, branches or anything else at our landfill, they won't take anything.

Lawnpro -- What do you do with the debris ?? Where do you put it ??

[LawnMastersTx]

Allen, which dump do you use around North Texas? They are going to charge me around, west Ft. Worth, $57 for just dumping whats in the back of my truck and $130 for what i can fit on my 14' trailer. Its why I now have a burn pile in my backyard =)

[06HD BOSS]

man in my town its free to dump but limited to 2 trips per day. they take everything except chemicals and certain building materials. maybe thats why we pay so much taxes!

[Kickin Your Grass]

Allen, which dump do you use around North Texas? They are going to charge me around, west Ft. Worth, $57 for just dumping whats in the back of my truck and $130 for what i can fit on my 14' trailer. Its why I now have a burn pile in my backyard =)



Wichita County Dump

[lawnpro724]

Lawnpro -- What do you do with the debris ?? Where do you put it ??

I just take it out to our family farm out in the country and burn it off a couple times a year.

[LawnMastersTx]

I take it your up in the Wichita Falls area then? Burk?

[RGM]

around here you can't dump any form of lawn waste be it leaves, grass, branches or anything else at our landfill, they won't take anything.

There are 2 landfills near me at both I can bring in all the brush I want. At one of them I can fill up with as much mulch or compost they make out of it for free!

[Kickin Your Grass]

I take it your up in the Wichita Falls area then? Burk?


Yes. Do you know the area?

[Sunstate Lawn]

There are 2 landfills near me at both I can bring in all the brush I want. At one of them I can fill up with as much mulch or compost they make out of it for free!

Wow that make me jealous. I'm still trying to find a good mulch provider here. Everything is about $23 a yard.

[lawnmagicinc]

the chepest her is 17.50 per yard red or gold or what ever color you need

[lawnmagicinc]

mulch is 17.50 per yard wholesale

[LawnGuy73]

If this is the only hit you take to the pocket book, I'd say you'll be fine.

[goj]

Hey Topsites- what do you haul for $200? I do the same on the side, hauling loads for people, be it garbage or yard waste, building materials etc., and have been charging around $60 per load for my 6 1/2 x 10 trailer (16" high sides)- how much did you raise your prices? I mean what did you originally charge- I get these deadbeats calling me to haul trash for them and then they complain $60 is too much- I feel as though I'm already doing it for next to nothing. What do you charge for second and third loads? Are people actually willing to pay $200 to get rid of a load of garbage?

[goj]

Something just came back to me- when I first started doing lawn care (and junk removal on the side) this one lady called me up for a junk hauling job- the dump was approx 15 mins from the job. I told her two loads, $50 per load (back in 2004) and she replied "For that kind of money I can rent a truck". I just walked away. Sure, she could have rented a truck, but then she would still need to hire a guy to do the loading, driving, unloading, and still pay the dump fees on top. I've run into a lot of cheapskates.

[LawnMastersTx]

Yeah Allen, was raised in WF, my parents still live there. My dad at one time did some part-time landscaping there.