How much to pay employee?

[LawnSharkMowing]

How do you figure out how much to pay an employee to mow residential yards. I thinking about paying him per lawn so say I charge the client $70 per month what should I pay my employee? I was thinking I would keep $50.00 and pay him $20.00 each month cutting once a week...does this sound about right? Thanks!!

[Dunn's]

Nope Sounds illegal. Also sounds like you aren't charging enough to hire employee's

[Integrity LC]

First off, you have one lawn that your charging $70 a month for? Does that sound worth it? Obviously you are not licsenced or insured. And what makes you incapable of cutting by yourself once a week?

You should re thing your business plan or give us some more details on your business so we can answer the question correctly.

[DaveinSWFL]

Welcome to Florida rates. For yearly/weekly in my area rates are $75 to $100 per month. We have smaller properties than up north.

[AI Inc]

I would just go fishing before I showed up at someones house for $18.

[Dunn's]

Welcome to Florida rates. For yearly/weekly in my area rates are $75 to $100 per month. We have smaller properties than up north.

you guys can keep telling yourself that to make yourselves feel better. But your lots are pretty much the same as most areas of the country. Everytime one of you says the dimensions to one of your lots it is 8k-9k. Pretty normal for everyone who doesn't live in the country.

[DaveinSWFL]

you guys can keep telling yourself that to make yourselves feel better. But your lots are pretty much the same as most areas of the country. Everytime one of you says the dimensions to one of your lots it is 8k-9k. Pretty normal for everyone who doesn't live in the country.
Bottom line is that's the going rate for the area. That goesn't mean we are happy about it. Whats the other option we have? The economy sucks here so theres not alot of options.

[chuck simpkins]

i too live and operate in florida and started charging on average 25 dollars per month more than my immediate competitors without a problem.be sure to do everything you can to set yourself apart from your competition through education and service not pricing. as for how much you pay an employee there are plenty of websites including careerbuilder.com that have wage scales for our area to help you be fair yet competitive in your market area.if by some strange chance you have a champion employee that is top notch then perhaps you give that person an above average wage but let them know you're doing so,this lets them know that their efforts are appreciated and that "the grass may not be so gr$$n on the other side":)

[Itzkcatz]

Damn i wouldnt even do it if the market is that bad. You must have to get like 300 customers to pull a decent profit

[DaveinSWFL]

I don't know to many places that pay between $250-$300 a day. That is typically what I clear each day. I work a 6 day work week. I am sure that doesn't amount to much to some folks but I am living comfortably.

[nick858]

Im with ya. Im from central Iowa and your rates are a little lower than ours, but not by much. We have $20/minimum, and we lost a few customers when we implemented that this year. I just figured those are the ones I dont want anyway. I can work 7 months/year doing this and clear more than working the last job I had at $11/hr. I wish we could charge as much as others, but people here dont have the money. Its a lot (LOT) cheaper to live in Iowa than where you guys are getting 50 bucks to drop the tailgate.

[A Leaf Above]

We in South Florida have something going for us that most of the northerners do not have , We have have a house 10 feet from each other and there are millions of them ....Our drive time is practically zero if any between properties ..I know that in areas like the Carolinas and areas like that that its 10-15 minutes alot of times to next property ...I can charge 25 bux a yard down here (small lot prop) and 2 guys can knock out 30-35 a day no problem at all and drive 10 miles all day ...Is that good money for 25 a cut ???? Average cut time with 2 people ..8-12 minutes each

[A Leaf Above]

I would just go fishing before I showed up at someones house for $18.

This statement is also a little deceiving because we dont cut down here once a week ( you do)..Usually on a 10 day cycle in summer and every other week in dormant season ....You guys also have to remember that we cut here all year round ..We dont pack up the equipment for the winter ..We still are cutting everyday in most cases ...We have so much growth here that we can work 12 hours a day , 7 days a week if we want too ..But i am not gonna do that !!

[Greeenvalley]

I work in the sarasota area and have been in business for 5 years. After paying the 1 guy
that works with me 20$ an hour and after figuring in workers comp, fuel , maintenance I average around 100$ an hr. Thank GOD for the lawn business, I used to build houses!

[juspayme]

its a great business to be in when youve figured it out!

you just show up week after week with smiles on my face. thanks johnny!