How do you compete with this??!!

[miketull8]

Okay, so I am fairly new at this. I have been doing just 8 yards for the last few years. I have a full time job and have been using a Lawn Boy Commercial 21" after work...puts a little extra cash in my pocket, and I love doing it. Now, I was told to not even drop the gate for less than 35 bucks for the average yard...now that I am buying a Quick 36 this week...this "minimum charge" has even more meaning. I want to have 15 solid customers by spring....now the question.........is 35 bucks really the minimum? :confused: This site scared the !$@? out of me....check it out and let me know what we need to do to keep the prices where they are supposed to be!! What IS the going rate? Be ready for this >>>> :dizzy:

http://big-js.com/landscaping.htm :hammerhead:

you may have to copy and paste....

[IMAGE]

keep that guy in your area, I dont want him here.

[miketull8]

I am not trying to beat him up or anything...not trying to badmouth him at all....I really, am just shocked!! This is what makes it really hard on the rest of us that want to give the customer a great looking yard, and make a few bucks doing it. Bucks, not spare change...so what is the actual minimum rate? I know that everyone has a different number in mind, but if you respond, it helps us all by knowing, we cannot let guys like this ruin our market...

[MowHouston]

Technically, my basic service starts at $25. But not very many customers get classified as "small" yards. Its a marketing ploy.

I bet that guy is also. Look at his page. He's got discounts all over the place to reel customers in. I bet if you call him up and ask up how much regular service would be, he would say that the $13 is a discount for first service then regular service is XX amount of $$$.

[topsites]

If 35 doesn't work go 30, but I'm glad you seen the light on this minimum nonsense, and don't go no less than 30 thou, seriously.

This is what makes it really hard on the rest of us

What do you mean, right on that Web site the man said his schedule fills quickly...
Once his schedule is full what's the difference, how is that so hard on you?

If anything guy like that in my area I write down their phone number so I got someone to send some bi-weekly customers to.

[miketull8]

not necessarily hard on me...but hard on all of us....we are expected to cut lawns for 13 bucks, because joe blow does...we need to get paid for the good work that we do....true?

[barefeetny]

true to a degree, i don't buy into the whole set minumuim thing. I estimate my time to make a profit.... If the job takes me twenty minutes or less... its usually a 20 dollar bill. I dump a couple bags of potting soil in a raised bed and it takes me 5 minutes i might even not charge...

I don't have 200 customers...or need them for that matter...

to me its about building goodwill and a strong reputation and eventually getting ~50 quality maintenance customers.. I would much rather do more installs...

there is a local sandwich shop by me....corner lot

the amount of lawn is 46" X 100' on one side
44" X 100' in the other direction

Once a month I trim the hedges, shrubberry and take care of the flower beds

i get paid good for this

i can't let the lawn go that long though

i mow that once a week, usually eat lunch when i'm there too, pass out some cards, let the truck be seen

I charge them a whopping 10 dollars to mow and edge...

to me the exposure and having the place look good is worth it....

This is my buisness plan... yours might be diffrent

Lets use the coffee analogy

mobil sells a cup for 1.00 its bitter and on the burner to long
stewarts sells a cup for 1.50 and its allways fresh, best milk in ny state
DD sells a decent cup for 1.90 and its ok
Starbucks (imo) isn't that good and costs 4.00

all these buisness sell alot of coffee and make money
there customers all choose a respective buisness based on a series of criteria

price
quality
location
atmoshere/personality
and maybe a few more

Just my.02

Nate

[Johnson LCO]

Always stick to your minimum, and always try a high price first. My boss has me cut a lawn that takes seriously 5 or 6 strips with a 52". It takes 2 ppl less than 10 mins. The yard was soo small but he told her $35. He never thought she would take it but she did. Dont go low. People are lazy and want our services, so why give them away?

[stevenf]

They must be happy with $6-$7 an hour. they shouldnt last.

[lawnscapesLLC]

I don't even worry about those guys. He can't cut everyone so there will always be lawns left. Just charge what you need to charge to make a profit. I'd rather cut half the lawns of that guy and make the same amout of money. Work smarter not harder. I do have 2 lawns I do charge less for but for the same reason as barefeet does. Good exposure and have gotten a few customers by my truck being seen at a busy intersection.

[Grits]

Sub out to him and get paid for making phone calls!

[Wilson Edge]

In the area i live in people are very cheep....when i started out 5 years ago i charged 15 dollars....and that wasnt even my minimum....but now im around 25 dollars.....i have a couple people i actualy still mow at 15-20 just because they were my first customers and i feel that i would not have gotten were i am today without them....but i would have to say that i wont be going much less than 25 dollars this year inless the offer me multiple houses ill do them at like 22-24 a house depending on how many they have.....

[barefeetny]

you see there is a lot myths in this buisness

hes got an old rusty truck so he must be a hack with no insurance

He's advertising for 18 dollars so hes a lowballer thats making no money

He's also advertisisng 500 dollars off any 5000 dollar job

15% for seniors

15% of what.... maybe 100 dollars becomes 85 on a 3/4 acre lot

unless you follow this guy around, taking notes, looking at his books.evaluation of his overhead and profit margins.. we have no idea if hes simply lowballing up alot of buisness or just advertising up a great deal that may never get offered....

I don't have such time to waste...

at a certain point it becomes also becomes easier to be cheap

how much is a YARD of mulch
whats the price on 200 yards...

personaly i can care less what anyone else does

I have my own goals

Macys and Gimbles learned to live side by side
and would macys tell gimbles?


Nate

[paponte]

LOL!!!! Look at the guys work!!!!!! Compete with him!?!?! LMAO Look at his pond install... competition is not even a thought! :hammerhead:

[miketull8]

Now, my intention was not to knock his work...really it is just to figure out how to run my business (and I'm just a little guy), and make decent money...not a killing, just decent money for decent work...what I get from everyone is to do my job, do it well, it's better to do 15 jobs with good pay then to do 40 or 50 for a couple bucks each....thanks for the great feedback!!

[bruno_rs]

Now, my intention was not to knock his work...really it is just to figure out how to run my business (and I'm just a little guy), and make decent money...not a killing, just decent money for decent work...what I get from everyone is to do my job, do it well, it's better to do 15 jobs with good pay then to do 40 or 50 for a couple bucks each....thanks for the great feedback!!

exactly... it's not how much you make... it's how much you keep. moreover, what works for one, may not work for another. good luck, have a good one.

[lifetree]

... just to figure out how to run my business (and I'm just a little guy), and make decent money ... not a killing, just decent money for decent work ... what I get from everyone is to do my job, do it well, it's better to do 15 jobs with good pay then to do 40 or 50 for a couple bucks each

miketull8 -- Congratulations, you've summed up in just a few lines what most don't learn for quite awhile ... just do your best work for your customers at a price that you are happy with and everythinh else will work out in the long run !! By the way, which Quick model are you buying ??

[mattfromNY]

The mowing is probably just a lost leader.
He's probably trying to upsell other services once the potential client is on the hook.
He's got a different business plan than you, stick to your guns, you will do fine.

[miketull8]

I'm going for the quick 36 samurai......how do you like yours? What accessories do you recommend for this machine? Thanks!

[Newby08]

no worries man, i had people like that around me when i had my business, they low balled and then they weren't around much longer. Plus, people who go with people like him aren't looking for good quality lawncare they just want the cheapest price and they can have all those idiots they can get. They are definitely not good solid customers.