Lawn & Landscape Mag Profile: Will the madness ever stop?

[lbmd1]

It wasn't bad enough to read about Lawn and Landscape profiling a guy with $45 aerations, but then I turn to page 27 and look up there profiled "On the Web" section. I checked out Justlawns.com, advertising $18 for any size lawn! After getting through their wedding page picture of the owners, I proceeded to their FAQ section. This is the best:

regarding the $18 lawn cut:

Q: Why is it so cheap?

A: Why not, it's only mowing grass.

Q: Will the price go up?

A: No, we have kept this price for 7 years and see no reason to change it in the near future.


While I know that L & L magazine cannot check every web site that is submitted to them, but if your profiling only 6 of them, I would think it would be of interest to check it out a bit. You know if new (or established) LCO's stopped lowballing, we would all be able to demand a price that customers would have to pay based upon the going rate. Therefore choosing LCO's by their professionalism, image, references, time in biz, and past quality of work. And everyone wonders why we don't get respected as a whole in our profession. I'd hang up my mowers and get a factory job before I would pull up to a big old new home with 2 BMW's in the drive and cut their lawn for $18. And please, don't tell me volume! LOL

Mike

[PrimeGreen Lawn]

Well, you see.....um...er ah....hmmmm.:blob2:

[HOMER]

And in the next breath a "small" operation generates just $1,000,000.00 annually!

Like I said before.............I'm micro mini and love it.

I don't cut yards for $18.00 though. MAMA didn't raise no fool.

[PAPS]

Yea.. $18.00 a cut.. and they probably pay there guys like $4.50 and hr. and have no insurance, work comp. Probably run the rattiest trucks and equip. out there. Let them make there $18.00 a cut. i laugh at that.:D

[TGCummings]

Could be this is the very model of the upwardly mobile lawn service company. Everything is out there right up front. A price very close to industry standards, and seven years experience showing that the model 'works'. I'd like to see their job cost reports and profit and loss statements...

On their web site they have it all spelled out.

We're residential.
We only do lawn care.
We only do it only in the area of the map listed below.

I'd also be interested in seeing their average sized lawns. At $18/cut, any lawn, I'd make a fortune in my neck of the woods. I charge many lawns at that rate now, many well above that rate, but many lawns in my area are well below that rate. It just depends on the area and the market.

Plugging in the '$18 every lawn' approach into my database improves my overall standing, and I'm among the top rates in my town already. Of course, I probably wouldn't be able to keep the 1000-1500 square foot lawns I have now at $18.

It certainly something to put some thought into, instead of discarding contemptuously. It may be a bad business model, or they may just be onto something over there...

[gusbuster]

Thomas,

You do make a very good point. "It's your neck of the WOODS"

For those that don't know, Thomas is about a good 1 1/2 hour drive south of me. His 1000 to 1500 sq.ft. Lawns are going for $22 to $28 up in my area if your legitimate. Otherwise I see them down to $9 to $14 by scrubs.

It's what works for your area. People on this forum assume that the way it's done in your area, is the only way to do it. Not true!
As long as the concepts\rules of business are followed, you can make some good money.

John

[LAWNS AND MOWER]

:blob2: :blob2: :blob2: :blob2:
It's worth it to get on that site to check out Amy. I guess the Wal-Mart philosophy is in place here. Volume, volume and more volume. I just don't get it. But if it works for them, then more power to them.

LAWNS AND MOWER

[TGCummings]

Hey John,

That tears it. I'm commuting for my business!

$22 for a 1000 square foot lawn is great money. This little community has a billion of those, all sandwiched together, and I can get 4-6 of 'em an hour if they're together!

Unfortunately, most folks will cut them for $8-$10 a cut so I'm lucky to get 'em at $12-$15. My work now is mostly figuring out how to make my fortune at these rates. ;)

But John is right, my brothers, it depends on your market. These folks might be making a fortune down there with their business model...

[65hoss]

If he is in anyone here's area, contact him to sub all your work out. Might as well stay home and earn money.

[Richard Martin]

Actually he should be making very good money with this particular business model. If you look at the neighborhoods that he is cutting with Mapquest's aerial photos you can see that there are around a million houses there and they are all on tiny lots. You could park the truck in one place all day long and never have to move it.

[KirbysLawn]

Why would he advertise in a L&L trade publication? Must have a little extra cash...

[Twotoros]

8-10-22-16.72$ lawns. How long does it take to drive to these lawns? If it is more than 15 seconds it is too long! How can anyone make money in Cali on a 9.00 dollar lawn even if they are on food stamps etc. My prices don't seem too bad now. Twenty minimum and an average of 45$ an hour working by myself in what I now call 'Lil Meky-ko is starting to look good. Thanks for the moral boost everyone.:p

[TGCummings]

Originally posted by Twotoros
an average of 45$ an hour working by myself

That's about what I averaged all of last year, too, at my rates...

[kenneth parsons]

Maybe a huge trailer park...one pass, two at the most...done! That wouldn't be bad money at all. Otherwise I can't see it.