Bummed about business

[Acute Cut]

ok, so this is my 5th year. Every year i lose some, but seem to get better ones to replace them. I bust my a@@ every day and i do a decent job. I know my lawn facts and i show up every day and my prices are fair. They arent the lowest, but not way up there either.

So this guy starts up last year. He just got layed off from his job and so i feel for him and send him some regular account bids. Nothing big, some residentials that are kinda out of my route area. Well, the first year he lands an 8000 and a 10000 dollar a year jobs. He gets 5-10 calls a day. The thing that really gets me is that he is getting calls on some wonderful big commercial accounts. We are "friends" in business and he is really grateful for all my help getting him started.

I am getting rather discouraged though that i dont get near as many calls and i aint getting even 1/20 of the chances that he is getting for commercial bids. We do the exact same advertising and everything.

What really steamed me is that i bid a job last week that was semi-commercial. I bid it for 7450 a year and did an awesome presentation for the board members for the contract. I see the guy i helped out and he was all happy and stuff and so i asked why. he said ' oh, i just got this really sweet contract for 7200 a year". Need i say which contract he got? He did not know i was bidding or anything so he aint stealin business for sure. he really is a great guy.

I guess i am just really getting discouraged at all the great contracts he is getting and here i am the "veteran" of the business and not doing near the revenue. I guess this aint really a question post, just more of a gripe kinda post. If yall are bored and lookin to type, then i am up for ideas or comments. I can honestly say this has rather gotten to me and gotten me down about my job lately. :(

[Brickman]

Year 4 and 5 were toughest for me. This year is 7, looks to be good. I have so much work that I turn a lot down.
My best advice is to keep your head up and keep trying. Many businesses go balls up in the first 5 years. If you can pull thru you will be ok. Most lawn businesses I would say go down the drain in the first 2 or 3. If you are thinking of quiting don't do that, until you think it thru. I have had days when I was ready to sell out, more like give it away. But things got better. Keep bidding, if you are hard up for work you might have to lower the price a little. I have enough that I don't need to, actually I need to raise prices. We do have a lot of scrubs here too, and I still stay busy.

[Mykster]

Just keep plugging away. I'm sure things will start to turn around for you. Good luck.

[Scag48]

Acute- I feel for ya man! Things here aren't great, but I've got a new one coming in the next month, going to bid one tomorrow, and working on getting a condo complex. I went from no new business to like 3 new jobs. That isn't alot for you, but to me, that could mean $60-$70 a week more which for me is great! Now I gotta save for car insurance. Now I've just lost my spending mood! WWWWAAAA:cry: !!!!! Peace out!

[tgrebis]

Just curious about what this guy is doing different. Is he more outgoing? Is he the type of person people just feel comfortable with, or is he just bidding low? Bidding low will get you plenty of work but no profit.Is he doing some other sort of advertising your not aware of?

[anythinglawns]

1st year was great for me I landed a $900 per week contract with a P.O.A.. Lost it the next year (yearly bids) but picked up enough smaller jobs to make up for it. Anyway first few years I had to cancel my adds. Anyway I had a recent post about being bummed out. (Feeling down and out) I complain on Lawnsite about multi problems and not getting any new accounts and as if by magic I get several new accounts this week. Some good, some suck, but all profitable. Things are looking up already.
Jason

[TGCummings]

I had much the same questions as tgrebis. Some people are simply natural salespeople while the rest of us have to work for every close. ;)

I think it's time the man returned the favor to you. You helped him get started and he needs to help you understand what he's doing for success. Sit down and have a talk with him. Tell him you're amazed by his success and would like to learn from him now. If it's not just natural sales acumen, then he may have a system in place you can duplicate. If you're 'friends' in the business this shouldn't be a problem.

Either way, stay positive. You're obviously good at what you do and are growing, if even at a slightly slower pace than the other guy.

Good luck!

[Acute Cut]

Thanks guys. I went to work today and had a smile on my face. I found out he got the bid on the 42 empty building lots for 250$ less than me, but he is gonna BAG all fourty two lots. Now i am thinking he is working too hard for not near enough money. I bet he gets atleast 3-4 truck loads of grass per cut out there. EGATS! I know i would have done the same job in half the time, for only 250$ more. LMAO at him now. I picked up another customer today, 120$ mo, for 30 minute job. It aint the big numbers, but it will help.

Thanks again for the pick me up. It helped alot. :)

"On the lawn again, i just cant wait to get on the lawns again........." hehe

[yardman1]

ACUTE CUT, Keep your head up, this business has its ups and downs, I have been going through the same thing here, it seems like every big bid that i put out the same company gets it every time. But thats the nature of this business, it make you strive for the next one a little bit harder. But anyway keep your head up and keep on trying it will work out, at least that is what i tell myself....:D

[Toroguy]

Acute Cut,

Weren"t you taking a PLCAA course in turf Mgmt? How did that turn out?

Your "friend" in the business may still pay off.

[Southern Lawns]

Will his success stand the test? The test of time. Sometimes our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. One can grow too fast.
My wife always tells me! Slow and steady wins the race....:D

[John Allin]

It's possble he's just plain "asking for the job".... or, maybe he knows when to shut up and let the customer talk (and then realizes when he has the order).

Could be lots of things. If it were me, I'd just ask him "How you getting these jobs?" How do you do it, how do you make your presentation.

Being a "veteran" of the industry doesn't mean you'll get the jobs if your not doing something right (or at least, doing what the other fellow is doing that is apparently 'right'). Even us veterans can learn things.... especially from those who are having some success at securing the work.

I'm not being critical... just some observations. I'm always on guard for the new start up that is really having some success.... then I watch to see what he's doing that is paying off.

Be observant and ask questions. You may never know what your friend is doing if you don't ask him. Worst case scenario?? He won't tell you. Can't be any worse than you not realizing what he's doing.