Any single parents take on the mowing biz?

[tyler_mott85]

Recently separated with shared custody of our 10 month old. How do you do it? The long hours, unexpected weather, SNOW!? I need support and motivation that I can make it work.

[billslawn89]

Recently separated with shared custody of our 10 month old. How do you do it? The long hours, unexpected weather, SNOW!? I need support and motivation that I can make it work.

your motivation is... "10 month old"

[tyler_mott85]

Ok, so I walked into that one...
Wow...I feel we todd did.
Thanks for that tho. I needed it.

[White Gardens]

I'm not a single parent, but with having a 15 month old and a wife with health issues I feel what you're saying.

Long hours, trying to find relatives, and babysitters to watch him, and wondering if you are doing enough all around, I hear ya.

Just plug along, and when you're feeling down about the whole deal, just post about it on Lawnsite, we're here for ya.Thumbs Up

[prizeprop]

Recently separated with shared custody of our 10 month old. How do you do it? The long hours, unexpected weather, SNOW!? I need support and motivation that I can make it work.
Forget about snow! Sometimes you must pickup and go at a seconds notice.My buddy does very well with his landscape maint business and has sole custody of his 4 yr old son, However he pays through the nose for day care and has a very good crew he sends out unsupervised.

[MileHigh]

I have an 8 year old daughter, almost 3 year old daughter, and a 5 month old son.

Gotta do it for them...but I Do have the support of there mother...so I am not a single parent by any means, but It can be done.

Hope you have some parental support, maybe they can help out watching the kid.

And don't tell yourself you can't do snow plowing being single with a child...that's BS.

You could always have snow accounts that you sub out to another company, stay with your child posibbly, and still make money during the storms you would have missed out on anyways.

I will never not plow snow...weather I'm plowing, or someone else is....That snow is white gold falling from the sky.

Good luck Bro.

[punt66]

Work 2 jobs until the business can support your lifestyle. It can be done.

[hseeder]

I have had my business since my kids were little - babies in fact and I was still married back then. It enables me to give them alot of things that I wouldn't have been able to. I also plowed snow when they were babies as well, and if my wife at the time was working, I would pack them up and bring them with me, they usually slept, but when they didn't they were content with watching what Dad was doing. Now some 10's plus years later, my youngest who is now 14 goes with me all the time. He has been running a ztr since he was 10, as well as the other maintenance equipment. Started him with the chainsaw this year as we also went back into selling firewood. He can operate not run but operate all of my machines from the mtl to the excavator, and pull a grade pretty damn well with the excavator. We do alot of sub work in the winter with plowing, and my owned trucks concentrate on my accounts, but the point is he was with me on a few jobs that I bilt walls for my buddy, and secured himself a job last year shoveling the sidewalks at the accounts I was doing - all commercial. He makes 15 an hours at 14 yo. So in the long run, they benefit as you can see, not only did they have things they wouldn't have had other wise when they wee younger, but also learned the value of what a dollar is and what it takes to get it. Colby will muscle standard versa lok right next to me any time, split and stack fire wood, clean and service the machines, work on the equipment etc. He is you ng enough that it is bred right into him to work hard for your desires in life, and h still carries a's and b+ in all of his classes. He is also a total miser did I mention that. But seriously, you can do it, as was mentioned your child is your incentive. You may not be able to do 100 accounts by yourself, but do you want to or have to, you could feasibly do 50 residential in 40 hours yourself and go from there with a crew of one or two guys your could easily do 100+. Figure out where you have to be for success as a provider, and shoot for that. If you find you have more time than you expected you can either increase what you handle or increase you customer base and add one or two guys.

You will make it, just don;t let it overwhelm you, slow and steady will do you just fine, and when you look back, you will see that you were able to succeed as a Dad, and businessman.

[Daily Lawn/Landscape]

Tyler,
You can do anything you set your mind to do. It will be challenging at first, but things will quickly fall into place. you will have to work very hard on the days you don't have your child so that you can spend time with him/her when you do have custody. I am a father of 5 and my wife is disabled and I can tell you many of my days start very early and don't end until about 11pm.It all depends on how she is doing for that day/week. It would be a good idea to network with as many contractors in your area as you can. That way when you need some help, you have some people to help you out. I have at least 5 people I could call on today that would be willing to help me out, and I would do the same in return for them. You might also look for someone down the road that will work with you (ie employee) that can get work done when you are not there.
Hope this helps a little.
Good luck in what ever you do.

James

[GallucciLandscaping]

Well I don't have any experience with this from the parent stand point but my dad has been in the bus for almost 40 yrs... after i was born, my mother took me and left ( i was 5 months old) my dad is the greatest dad for one, he never missed a day being with me... they had joint custody and whenever it was his day to be with me he was there to pick me up, even if it rained the past for days and that day was sunny_ he wasn't mowing he was with me :)
Just my piece of advice.... find out where you make your most profit and do that and let the little things go so you can be with your kid. for my dad that was doing shrub/wall/lawn installs and very little maint, but whatever you do end up doing, make sure you spend time with your child... Now at just about 21 yrs old I see all the things my dad has done for me and all that he has given up for me. It makes me proud to say thats my dad.

[tyler_mott85]

Thanks for the responses! One of the hardest things that I am finding is when you move from a job where you work for the man under the man's terms and when the man wants you to it's hard to start thinking like a business owner. I can work whenever I want to, even if it's not traditional working hours. That's the joy of working for yourself. I just need to reprogram my brain into thinking about working out a successful business and being the best dad I can be. Thanks for the back bone!

[Daily Lawn/Landscape]

Well I don't have any experience with this from the parent stand point but my dad has been in the bus for almost 40 yrs... after i was born, my mother took me and left ( i was 5 months old) my dad is the greatest dad for one, he never missed a day being with me... they had joint custody and whenever it was his day to be with me he was there to pick me up, even if it rained the past for days and that day was sunny_ he wasn't mowing he was with me :)
Just my piece of advice.... find out where you make your most profit and do that and let the little things go so you can be with your kid. for my dad that was doing shrub/wall/lawn installs and very little maint, but whatever you do end up doing, make sure you spend time with your child... Now at just about 21 yrs old I see all the things my dad has done for me and all that he has given up for me. It makes me proud to say thats my dad.


Great post!

[bigshow825]

I feel your pain, i have a alomst 7 year old son and have kinda shared custody, fighting back and forth in court now, my ex is a thorn in my side, we had an uncontested divorce in 06 and ever since then it has been ruff. i am a full time police officer at night and do my business during the day, but when ive got my son, its just he and i, no work but all play and teaching, teaching him how to be a lil man, doing stuff lil boys should be doing, climbing trees, geting dirty, very dirty, and having chores and understanding what a dollar means and being thankfull for what he has, i am only 29 but feel alot older. i work like a dog and my son see's and knows it. he asks why i do it and i tell him that one day i am going to stop being a cop and do my buz fulll time, he jumped up and beggd to be my foreman, i said yeah but youll hav eto work for it, he said yeah i know i know, work work work. but he understands what its all about, but anyway, good lluck with watever you do, make sure your children always know you love them, keep them and god very close to your heart.

[Al, The A in A&E TK]

Well first thing you want to do is find someone who runs a daycare out of their home, check craigslist or something. Go interview the individuals you find, make sure they have all of their certifications, let them know what you do, so your hours will be crazy depending on weather and such, offer a trade, they give you a discounted rate and in return you do their yard or snow. Make sure that anytime you get with your child is quality time, and as billslawn89 said, remember your child should be all the motivation you need. Make your child your "why" write down your income goals and remember providing everything needed for your child is your reason "WHY" you get there a do it everyday.

[yardmanlee]

worked 2 jobs myself, really thats how my lawncare business started, my son was 4 at the time and the days I had him no work
in the lawncare end but my full time I had too, but was off at 3:30
days I didnt have him I worked till dark, got myself out of about $35 grand in debt in 2 yrs workin like this.

[lrlandscapedesign]

Just my piece of advice.... find out where you make your most profit and do that and let the little things go so you can be with your kid. for my dad that was doing shrub/wall/lawn installs and very little maint, but whatever you do end up doing, make sure you spend time with your child... Now at just about 21 yrs old I see all the things my dad has done for me and all that he has given up for me. It makes me proud to say thats my dad.

What a great post! I've been in your dad's position, my youngest is now 14 (out of 4), shared custody, and they've all been on a bunch of jobs, learning, laboring, and hanging with me. I hit all their baseball, football, and basketball games, camping when we can, etc. Yep, I know for me, my kids motivated me like nobody's business... :cool2: I want more for them above making my living.