New Business Questions

[wesley5150]

Hi, I'm starting a mowing service to make extra money. It will be very basic. I have a riding mower, a trimmer, a blower, a truck and ramps. I would not be able to bag since I don't have the equipment to do that yet and my knowledge of landscaping is limited right now. My question is, what rates should I charge since I'll just be basically mowing and trimming without any extra services? Thanks!

[ED'S LAWNCARE]

Get a lic and ins or you will be ripped apart on this site. Charge what you need to make a profit and do a quality job. Take some classes if you want to go into this further, pesticides etc...(you'll need a lic for that too).

[Proc's Lawncare]

Since your really not skilled in the industry your kind of behind the 8 ball. What is going to set you apart from jimmy the 12 year old kid using dads equipment? Once you can figure that out, then you can figure out what to charge and WHY you are charging that.

[Jersey Shore Landscaping]

what are you going to be using a craftsman ride on you will not be charging much at all

[ambersLawnmowing]

what are you going to be using a craftsman ride on you will not be charging much at all

So you should charge diff. because of what you use to mow with? That is the dumbest thing i have ever read.

Figure out what YOU want to make per hour. Not find out what costs you have, then add a hair to make a profit so you can get the equipment needed to do the job correctly, That is what you charge... Or $1.00 a min. like many on here will tell you.. But i dont do that.

Also get insurance and pay taxes or you will become sick of getting bashed on here.

[FourTrees]

It will be very basic. I have a riding mower, a trimmer, a blower, a truck and ramps. I would not be able to bag since I don't have the equipment to do that yet and my knowledge of landscaping is limited right now. My question is, what rates should I charge since I'll just be basically mowing and trimming without any extra services?

Rate is hard to answer as that is based upon your area. finds some people that do pay for mowing and see what they offer. You may know a number of people that have this service already.

Since your really not skilled in the industry your kind of behind the 8 ball. What is going to set you apart from jimmy the 12 year old kid using dads equipment? Once you can figure that out, then you can figure out what to charge and WHY you are charging that.

what are you going to be using a craftsman ride on you will not be charging much at all

You two make us look like a snooty crowd. More guys than are willing to admit it got this same start. Seriously he is not talking full scale maintenance, so having a deep landscaping knowledge is not required. I know a lot of homeowners that know very little about landscaping, but with time and effort they make their yard look real nice each week. Crapsman mower and all. It just needs level blades and sharp ones. Sure he may not offer all the bells and whistles, but we all know not everyone is willing to pay for that.

Good luck to you. I do highly recommend you take the advice and do it all legal.

[Jersey Shore Landscaping]

i was just saying uf you are going to use a ride on tractor people most likly wont pay as much as if you use a zero turn doesnt look nearly as good

[ambersLawnmowing]

i was just saying uf you are going to use a ride on tractor people most likly wont pay as much as if you use a zero turn doesnt look nearly as good

What if he uses a walkbehind does that pay in between a rider and a zero? I have all three and i will bet you that you cant tell the diff in the mowing once i am done. What is the diff? it still has a mowing deck with blades that spin and cut the grass, doesnt matter if he steers or pushes some sticks. Zero's are faster then a tractor but that is about it. Thats like saying well i paid $11000 for my John deere so i will get more for a lawn then the guy with a BOP....

[tiggazee]

All you need to do is print up about two thousand flyers. Make it professional but real basic. Pass them out however you would like. It really depends on the rules of the area you are in. I have absolutely great luck with putting them on the flags of mailboxes. As far as prices go, with the current situation you are in with little overhead, I would suggest charging about 40 dollars an hour. Don't tell them that, just base your estimates on how long you think it will take you to do the job. I also suggest not going any lower than 30 dollars for one job even if it takes you 20 minutes. With two thousand flyers being distributed in two days, you should definately be able to round up 10 solid customers within two weeks. Tell them to tell their friends, family, coworkers and everyone else they know. Also, knock on about 10 or 15 of their neighbors doors and talk to them personally. That is a great way to get a few customers close by to one another. Before you know it, you will have too much business to handle. KEEP GOOD RECORDS or you will STRESS YOURSELF THE HELL OUT.

Good luck and don't listen to any of these negative people. MANY and MOST people are looking for a basic (mow, weed, edge, blow) service.

[DRBLawnBuster]

It is almost impossible to no what to charge i mean none of us no what your yards look like.

[wesley5150]

First of all, thanks to those of you who actually gave me constructive advise. I will definitely use it. To the others, I've been running a mower for many years, I can mow and trim as well as anyone and the Craftsman cuts as good as a zero turn just not as fast. Also, there's not much difference between me and 12 year old Jimmy except age. We both already have the tools for the job and both of us want to make some extra money. Besides the 12 year old Jimmies of the world do a really good job sometimes. I already own a business, so I know about taxes, licenses, insurance and all that stuff. Anyway, thanks again for the help!

[Sweet Tater]

So you should charge diff. because of what you use to mow with? That is the dumbest thing i have ever read.

Figure out what YOU want to make per hour. Not find out what costs you have, then add a hair to make a profit so you can get the equipment needed to do the job correctly, That is what you charge... Or $1.00 a min. like many on here will tell you.. But i dont do that.

Also get insurance and pay taxes or you will become sick of getting bashed on here.

you do that and you will go broke, you Must base your price on what your costs are, that is a basic of any business ;)
you cost includes what you want to make an hour, $10 $12 or what ever your hourly pay, plus cost of equipment, gas,ins and all that, then add say 15% on top of that and that is what you charge

[hsieh]

how long does it take to mow with a walk behind self propelled mower an acre?

and i'm a fast walker.

[addictedtolandscaping]

It is fine that you are a fast walker, but if the machine isn't processing the turf it is covering, you are gonna walk fast again, over where you just were.

I started out with a craftsman, and that damn thing cut beautifully. I was able to get my first ztr, then suddenly the client base I had that took me a week was done in two days, hell I had one that I was there for a little over four hours, the ztr had me done and leaving in 45 minutes. The craftsman will do you well, just slower that;s all. Eventually you will generate enough to cover the cost of upgrading, then it is all gravy, you existing base will cover you overhead, the additional time will allow for other customers, that will end up at minimum 50% profit. Good luck, hold you head up and go for it.

[tiggazee]

I started out with a craftsman mower, craftsman weedeater, and craftsman blower. I still have all of them and use them as backups. I still use my craftsman mower every week for small yards. Two years later I have a Toro 36'' walkbehind and stihl everything else. Brand new and paid for.

[hsieh]

so an acre takes how much time?

[lastdetail14]

First, you need to know what you need to survive.
a) as a person with bills
b) as a business with bills, including paying (a)

Second, what do you want to have in the next year/ season?
---
I look at it like this:

I need $$ to pay my personal bills.
My business needs to make enough $$ to pay for an employee (myself), bills associated with running business ie; truck, mowers, insurance, liscenses', advertising etc...

All of those costs of running a business determines your rate. I figued I worked x hours last year. I spent X-amt of $ working those hours. Divide $ by the time it took you to spend it. Thats what it costs you to run your business. Add 10%-20% for profit and you should be in the area. Other than that, if you get all the work you bid, you're probably too low, if your phone never rings,... you get the idea. I say ask for what you need. Any more hurts your chances of being competitive. Hope this helps.

[hsieh]

i've got to buy (the cheapest) ztr mower to be competitive. i may not make a profit for 2 yrs but that's to be expected with a new company. i already have a full time job to live on.

[THE GREEN TEAM L&S]

What's up? I've been plowing for a couple years, and have been "playing w/ lawn care about a year, this year i'm getting real serious about Lawn Service,flyers,equip. package real accounts,as compared to mowing for relatives,neighbors,etc..we passed out flyers , vista print ,(like they said)I'm taking out a loan and I am looking for equip. w/ S.L.E. if all goes , well, then as far as pricing we looked on the web at all the Lawn sites we could find put them all together and made our own worked pretty well as most of these guy's are pro's,They have prices, as well as ideas ,just think of your area and put it together,Be on time personable,and do excellent work and it should be fine,Remember you do have to start someplace!! EVERYONE did!!

[S.I.]

So you should charge diff. because of what you use to mow with? That is the dumbest thing i have ever read.

Figure out what YOU want to make per hour. Not find out what costs you have, then add a hair to make a profit so you can get the equipment needed to do the job correctly, That is what you charge... Or $1.00 a min. like many on here will tell you.. But i dont do that.

Also get insurance and pay taxes or you will become sick of getting bashed on here.

Actually it isn't that dumb. You do need to charge different because of your equipment if you are figuring work by the hour. If you mow a yard with a Sears tractor and it takes you 3 hours, but you can mow the same yard in 45min with a commercial ZTR, would it make sense to figure your price the same per hour?

The truth is you won't be as efficient with the craftsman tractor, therefore should not expect to make as much per hour. The value of the service is still the same, but it will take you longer to do it. A $35 lawn is a $35 lawn no matter if it takes you 10min. or three hours. How you determine what it is worth is all in your business plan. You do have a business plan????

[hsieh]

i had a name for the business and a guy called on the flyers i sent out and said his son has that name for his lawn business and i can't use it. so if i put my first name in front of that name is now a different name and therefore i can't be sued?

[tiggazee]

Tell that guy to kiss your ass.

[addictedtolandscaping]

The only time that a name truly matters is when you file officially. There will be an overall search done, I know you can do it on the internet but I apologize I can;t remember how. Even if you chose a name that is already used, change the spelling, add a word or line a good example there are two companies in my area, started as one then the partners had a falling out. One of them kept the exact same name, the other one kept the name, but added "of XXXXXXX." Totally legal as it is view as a different name. I know both owners and believe it or not, the one that is associated with just the name is the one that had to change it a bit. Quality of work speaks for itself, the owner has more work lined up than one could imagine, has been booked for months straight since January. That tells you right there, quality of service and reasonable prices go a long long way.

[hsieh]

how much faster is a commercial ztr mower to the non commercial one?

[addictedtolandscaping]

Remarkably. When I bought my first one, a lawn that used to take me about 4 hours I was back on the trailer and gone in 45 minutes.

[CutApproved]

i was just saying uf you are going to use a ride on tractor people most likly wont pay as much as if you use a zero turn doesnt look nearly as good

I AGREE, it does matter what your using because a guy with Brand new equipment will need to charge more than a guy that has no insurance, no license, and NO OVERHEAD.

That being said,, that is what I think seperates one guys rates from another. IMO.

[CutApproved]

Remarkably. When I bought my first one, a lawn that used to take me about 4 hours I was back on the trailer and gone in 45 minutes.

LOL,,, SOOOO TRUE.. You cannot compare!!! Plus a commercial mower will more than likely give a lawn nicer stripes than a homeowner model.. IMO.

[wesley5150]

That's all fine about commercial vs. home mowers, even though a "Craftsman" can do an excellent job, just
not as fast. But when just starting out why would I want to spend $4000 on a commercial mower when I can just
use what I have. When I build up business and can afford to buy a commercial mower with cash, then fine.
Too many businesses make the mistake of going into debt when starting out and are then at a disadvantage from the start.
If I actually own my brand new equipment instead of the bank owning it then would have no reason to charge more than
anyone else because I would have no overhead except for fuel, maintenance, insurance and licensing. Anyway, that's
my two cents worth. Thanks!

[CutApproved]

Your right, if whatever you have does the job and well then stick with it. Also you will soon learn when NOT to pass on a good deal for a used machine. Get your experience and then spend the cash.

[WeCare-LawnCare]

Happy customer is Job 1. Most don't care, so long as it's cut well. low overhead helps build business.

[DirtRider]

i was just saying uf you are going to use a ride on tractor people most likly wont pay as much as if you use a zero turn doesnt look nearly as good

Judging strictly by the list of equipment in your sig, you seem to have a pretty descent gig going, maybe. But, you also seem to be as literate as a 5 year old so I'm not sure what gives. :hammerhead: