how many accounts when just starting out?

[haynestotallawn]

Okay guys and gals just curious as to how many accounts everyone started out with when they first went solo (full-time or part-time). I know everyone is different but I was wondering what kind of average the first year LCO would be looking at. Thanks in advance!

[ADMowing]

We lived in a mobile home park and did about 20 of the lawns. Mother in law lived in another mobile home park and we did about 10 over there. The second year we advertised and got up to about 60 around town and in mobile home parks. We upgraded out equipment and have about 90 now including some very large properties.

[Brickman]

I started with ONE (1).

:D

[lawnkid]

I only started with one account too. What a coincidence. Anyway I got about 6 steady account before I went and bought the commercial mower. From there I like almost tripled my accounts. When I get my rig i hope to have about 35 wihtin a 5-mile radius. I like to go for the high volume areas.
:)

[FrankenScagMachines]

One!
Then it went from there, now I have 4 regulars and a couple fill in's when they're on vacation. Most of these are larger ones though, from 1/4 acre, 1/2, 3/4, 2, and 2. So that would be equal to alot of small city ones. These are out in the country.
Eric

[ronslawncare]

my first year expect a good 10 -15 weekly but i started out with one, i could remeber when i had seven for the longest time i was gonna give up i thought wow one for every day of the week .then they just come its all marketing skill.plus word of mouth .good luck

[VLM]

Uhhhhhhh, didnt we all start with one????????

[MikeLT1Z28]

i started with about 20 out the door, but i had some help (see sig) ;)

[maple city]

One.
We were talking about starting our own business. My husband wanted to do lawn care and I was unsure about it. Anyway, out of the blue, a neighbor stops and asks my husband if he wanted to start mowing her lawn every week. It snowballed from there.
:)

[SLS]

One.

[LawnSmith]

i started out with 15 from day 1. i got lucky and took over some commercial and residential accounts that became available when the previous LCO did a **** job.
as everyone else said, snowballed from there and continues to get bigger i hope!

[JR LeGer]

We started out with a one time job worth $40. We had an old borrowed $88 Wal Mart lawnmower, an electric weedeater, no blowers or trimmers or anything else. We mowed, messed with our cords, and swept off the place, we spent a total of about 2 hours. Yep, two of us and 2 hours for $40!! We split a whopping. I guess that equals out to about $8 an hour after drive time and gas for the vehicle and mower.

We then did some flyers and got about 2 or 3 accounts that we bid about 1/3 of what they should of been. It was really hard, but you have to have that vision. The thing that has made us so very successful is that we understand business and basically we are businessmen who happen to own a landscaping company.


2 years later and we have probably about $75,000 or more worth of equipment. We have two contractors licenses and some trucks and all of the things you need. Most of our revenue is actual landscaping construction and troubleshooting/ repair, but we have maybe 40 or so maintenance accounts, some residential and some good commercial ones.

[Smartgene]

Hi JR,

i was wondering what the grass situation is around Phoenix. Is there a lot of grass to be cut? I was under the impression that a lot of folks have little or no grass - mostly landscaping rocks or what not - being the dessert and all.

[ADMowing]

How it happend that we started with 30 instead of 1: We took over accounts that a retiring LCO friend gave us in the mobile home park where we were living. Got 20 there right from the start and 10 where my mother in law lives right away (less than 1 mile from our mobile home park) -- cause she did some recruiting for us. We had 4 we did for nothing before that -- didn't count that as business. We weren't licensed or insured then -- just did this for family. Decided we liked lawn service and had to debate whether we wanted to do this big time. Went ahead with the 30 lawns, got insured, got license and paid taxes. All snowballed from there.

[LAWNS AND MOWER]

Had 24 accounts after my first season. Would go anywhere and take anything. Now that I'm totally spoiled rotten and paid my dues, I'm very,very,very selective on what I'll take on.

LAWNS AND MOWER

[JR LeGer]

There actually is a lot of grass here in the Phoenix area. The lawns are not all large, but some are. Some are 1000 sq. ft., and of course some people have 1/2 acre, 1 acre, etc. I would say it is about 20/80 with desert vs. grass. Everyone has some decorative rock in their lawns and about half of them have grass as well. Most people (like me) are not from AZ and want a little bit of their homestate in their lawn. Everyone here has shrubs that have to be trimmed and of course they are always in the rocks so then yo ahve to remove the trimmings from the rocks, etc. Everything here is almost always governed by a homeowners association. They have to approve your landscape and they pretty much tell you what you can have in your lawn. It is kind of stupid, but the associations make us a lot of money because everyone has to keep their places really clean and neat or they get fined, etc.

I would say an avergae neighborhood around here has between 500 and 2000 homes in it within a square mile. That means a lot of customers. This place is becoming a lot like California. People are too lazy or too busy to mow their lawns each week for 30 mins, so they call us and we might charge $100 a month and with our business system and quality equipment, it takes our people about 15 mins. How many lawns can you do in a day? A lot. Maybe 10 to 20, depending on size and traffic, location, etc.

The other advantage is that is does not snow here and in the winter it is rare for it to be below 30 degrees. Year round business--that is why it is so lucrative.

Joe (JR)

[GrassMaster84]

I started with 3 which were all family members. Then when I was old enough to drive I got my rig together and sent out flyers, have picked up many yards since then...!

[Smartgene]

Thanks Joe for the Arizona explanation. I've always wondered how it works there. I've heard that Phoenix has a lot of skin cancer. What preventive measures do you take? How mant cities do you service?



Gene

[Pro-Cut Lawns]

I've got a buddy that has a lawn care business that gave me 3 accounts to start with. (There is always a reason if someone GIVES you accounts:D. He still laughs about that ). As he picked up a few better accounts he would give me a few of his smaller ones. I think I got 5 from him and picked up 8 of my own the first season. Man I took some loosers too. Im a lot more picky now and have weeded out (no pun intended) the not-so-good accounts (slow pay, no pay, everyother week, cranky customers, etc.).
Larry

[trimmer]

I started with one. It was my grandma's and I was just doing it as a kid to earn some money.

[cowman66]

uno! other than my own of course

[JR LeGer]

Gene-

The potential here for skin cancer is high, but strangely enough I read that AZ is not all that high on the nimber of cases due to the preventitive measures people here take. In many states the rates are higher because it is not as hot and sunny as here but the dangers remain the same.

The measures that I personally take are to wear a hat and sunblock if I am in the field. Some people do not take any measures. A wide brimmed hat as well as some type of garmet to cover the neck is also advisable.

Joe

[scottb]

uno

[brucec32]

2000 homes per square mile? Where are you working, Hong Kong? :)

[65hoss]

Zero! Nada! It was sink or swim time.