newbie wanna be

[green with envy]

:rolleyes: Hi guys !!! I have a hydroseedin biz. that we do part time... "Damn near full time".

I"m thinking about adding lawn service to our menu.


we already own a couple of Stihl trimmers and blowers..

We hve to buy some commercial mowing machines...

I'm thinking about a 52" ZTR and a 36" walk behind we already own a 21" JD mower.

Do you think that's a good start??

WE can afford the get the added equipment new.

Thanks for any help !!

Mike Brown

Green With Envy, LLC.
(248) 684-9650

123 E. Lafayette
MIlford, Mi. 48381

You've got two lives, one you're given the other one you make !!!!

[walker-talker]

You are headed in the right path. I have a 52" ZTR and a 21" JD and thinking of purchasing a 32"/36" in the near future or next spring. I think those 3 different sizes of mowers is a pretty good start.

MATT

[HOMER]

If your "dang near full time" with the seeding then I would work that to "overbooked". Just sounds a lot easier than the maintenance end of it.

Good luck with your decision.

[65hoss]

carry the hydroseeding biz out fulltime, then maybe work on the maintenance side.

[dforbes]

Seems like the wrong time of year to be buying equiptment and trying to start mowing. most people have contracted for this year. I'm not sure you can get enough business to pay for it. I think I would do what I could with the 21" then try to pick contracts up this winter and next spring. This will also give you a good idea as to what you need. new equiptment sitting in your shop wont make you money. If you have the cash get a 6 month CD or something. you'll probably be better off.

Dennis

[green with envy]

Sorry about any misunderstanding....

I am talking about starting next season. As an add on to the hydroseeding and other accounts.

I think taht would be a good way to put my part time helpers into a full time status.

Also I would not be buying any equipment this year unless one hell of a deal comes around...

[dforbes]

I think adding services next year is a positive move and I would consider it. You need to look at the contracts you have then decide on the equiptment you by. In our area we use the largest mowers we can to get the job done. the smallest mower we run is a 48" and this works well for us. Thats other than a pushmower. You need to evaluate your jobsites and decide what would be the most efficent. We run mostly 60s. The extra 8" doesn't seem like much but it makes a differance in the coarse of a year. We even tried a 72" one time but it was to big for most of our properties. Good luck with your new adventure.

Dennis

[Brickman]

With your other biz you are in the position to see the properties and meet the owners early on. Only take the cherry accounts and the nice people to work with. The head aches of doing it any other way are way too big. Asprin don't go that big. :D

[MOW ED]

Not to tell you how to run a business but did you ever consider adding an irrigation business?
Add the maintenance also and you could almost become a one stop business. Get your apps license and you are all set.

Put em in,

Keep em wet,

Make em grow,

Mow em down.

I am serious. You are at the beggining of the process with the hydroseeding and you could only take the cream mowing jobs and sub out the rest.

[green with envy]

Thanks for your opinions guys.

For now getting into irrigation may be more than we are willing to swallow. We are looking to get into a working relationship with a sprinkler company. You know wash each other backs.....

I thought we had one with one of the larger companies around here. they got several jobs from us but they didn't help us at all.

More than once a date had to be changed and they put us back weeks !!! We lost three jobs because of them !!! Guess who we don't refer anymore ???

If any of you guys know any sprinkler companies in the detroit area let me know !!!

One last thing, Have any of your guys run Husqvarna mowers??

Thanks again

Mike Brown

Green With Envy
123 E. Lafayette
Milford Mi. 48381
248) 684-9650




"You've got two lives, one you're given the other one you make"