something i have to say

[ronslawncare]

first off i new to this forum and this business.i have learned alot from all of you.this is my first season and boy i can tell you this is a dirty business to be in.lets see i had one of my houses stolen by another landscapper.i had i dont even no how many landscappers turn around the block after they passed and start eyeing out my equiptment while im in the middle of mowing .my mechanic is is always trying to rip me off the only reason i use him is because hes fast .customers are so cheap and old ladys think that you like mowing for the fun of it.i did a 45 hedge job and told the guy i dont except checks before i started he said no problem cash is fine i got done he wanted to give me a check i saidd sorry cant do so he told me to go f--- myself.ohh ya my favorite one is that the mechanic i use sold me a weedwacker that was used and i saw it in the store cheaper brand new.i dont no does this happen to anyone else i live in longisland newyork god forbid if someone forgets to rip you off.alls i can say is the money is worth it all i love the business i made my mistakes and learned from them......

[lawrence stone]

From what I hear out on the island they will steal your stick egders and brush cutters off your truck while it is moving.

Only hard core addicts would try a stunt that that were I live, for I live in a right to carry a conceled weapon state.

If one intends on commiting a crime in my area it's not the cops you have to worry about but your intended victim.

[Charles]

This is why you see in trucking job ads they say "No north east" What they are real saying is "no new york" I was talking to a 24 ft box truck driver one time and he said he was sleeping in a shopping center in NY and when he woke up someone had jacked up his truck and had stole the wheels off. People in NY direct lost truck drivers down dead end allys and distract the drivers and then loot the back of the truck. Thats the way it here too Lawrence. This is a concealed weapon state. Even lil old ladies may be packing heat lol

[Mr.Ziffel]

Charles, what do you think your good friend Algore would like to do about your right to protect yourself? Yep, that's right, don't worry the government will protect you--LOL, you don't need to protect yourself. If you think NY is bad now, just wait until the rest of the country is just like them under an Algore administration. You may want to rethink your position and remember --

VOTE FREEDOM!

[Charles]

Well here in order to carry a concealed weapon . You have to go to class and take a test and go to the gun shooting range. But anyway we should keep the election stuff in the impending election post that Chuck has been gracious enough to let us have

[Barkleymut]

Do you mean to tell me that NO ONE in NYC is allowed to carry a concealed weapon except cops? That is the biggest joke I've every heard. In Richmond VA they have a law that is a couple of years old. Basically if you have an illegal gun or are caught using a gun in an illegal act your butt is in the Fed. Pen for 5 years. NO PAROLE NO EXCEPTIONS! The best damn law they ever had. When they introduced the law in DC for nationwide approval all the morons said "that will never work". Little did they know there was already a sample that they could have analyzed and seen, It does work. Homicides are half of what they were 5 years ago, all other crimes are down also.

[Chuck Sinclair]

Originally posted by Charles
was talking to a 24 ft box truck driver one time and he said he was sleeping in a shopping center in NY and when he woke up someone had jacked up his truck and had stole the wheels off.

About 12 years ago i was driving 18 wheeler all 48 and canada I had a load for hunts point New York (paper goods) a truck came in hauling swing beef about 12 am for a morning drop the driver crawled in the sleeper and went to bed. The next morning they could not find that driver to pull his truck up and open his rear doors so they asked another driver to do it when they open the rear doors they saw the driver hanging on a meat hook and the beef was gone. (True Story) I never went back to New York again.

[1stclasslawns]

Fear the government that fears your guns, for the second amendment was not put there so you and I can hunt poor little ol bambi but so we can defend aginst a tyrenical government.

"For the first time in history we have complete gun regestration, our streets will be safey, our police, and military will be effective"
Adolph Hitler 1935

Sorry just had to get it off my chest, this seemed like a good place to do it. Jim

[Bobby]

Hi Ron. Welcome to the green industry.
First off , a lawn man can't steal one of your lawns. You have to loose it.Secondly, learn how to maintain all of your equiptment. The shop will be to expensive and waist a lot of your time. Learn how to distance yourself from the pack.Where I live there are about eight out of ten operations who are mow,blow and go guys.Maybe two who are into quality. The demand for quality outweighs the willing contractors. So be different.

[Charles]

Bobby, what does 'yesteryear' mean?

[Bobby]

Charles
My dad worked for Eastern Air Lines and needed a tax shelter for the ten grand in taxes each year.
He came up with the Idea of antique landscaping. Things like old piture pumps, wagon wheels and stuff like that.
He knew there was no demand for it but he had to do some work to be legit.
Thats where Yesteryear Landscaping came from.
What we didn't know was how much work there would be avalable in lawn care.
That was twenty years ago.
Two of my brothers have there own services and my dad finally retired after twenty years of cutting after he retired from Eastern.
Talk about scrubs,we didn't even have blowers back then.

[lawnboy11]

All you bad mouthing New York and Long Island can take your concealed weapons and shoot yourselves! I live and work in a great area with friendly and honest (mostly) people. In fifteen years have had nothing stolen. So go to the outhouse and pull the trigger! (I'm just kidding, but every town is different in every state so back off before I act like your stereotypical New Yorker and kick your butts!)

[Charles]

Oh yea Lawnboy, we just sittin around badmouthing every county and everybody in NY---get real

[lawnboy11]

I said I was just kidding. Chill.

[Lawn Cruiser]

Do something that sets you apart and you can justify the price that you charge. I live in Northern Utah and fortunatley people are pretty honest here.

[geogunn]

isn't this an amazing forum?

here we are, all chatting about crime, gun control, and our favorite subject, the green, green, grass of home.

very cool.

GEO

[Guido]

A couple things to maybe help you out:

Old Ladys looking for free work:

Don't need em!! Get rid of them!! Make your price very clear in the beginning, in writing if you think its necesarry to do so so there is no argument later on.

Customers Stolen?? :

Like someone else said, no such thing! You lost your customer. If your customer was happy with their service and price there was no reason to go to another contractor. Keep them happy and make sure their happy!! If you treat them good they will become loyal.

Mechanic ripping you off:

Wise up! If you bought a used weed wacker for the price of a new one.....WHY??? Didn't you shop around and check prices? Research different models? Why not? You wouldn't have got ripped off if you did.


You don't accept Checks??:

WHY NOT? Are you legal? Do you pay taxes, insurance, licenses?? If you do why don't you accept checks? Do you ring your customers doorbell when your done and ask for the money? Thats pretty tacky. Especially in todays world of rush people want convineince. Why not bill every 2 weeks or once a month and have them mail you back a check?? Time is money, so if you have to go run around collecting it, your loosing it.


Well, live and learn, I guess. Hope you learn from some of your mistakes and keep posted around here and you'll learn a ton of good tips to make your business run a little smoother.

Sorry if I sound harsh, my intent was not to be an A-Hole. Hope this helped!

[ronslawncare]

first off the way i meant another landscapper stoled my house is that the guy came over talking to me giving tips and everything so i thought he was nice he said how much do u do this house for and i told him next week i saw him pulling away from my house so i asked my customer what happened oh he gave it 5$ cheaper than you.the part about getting ripped off about the weedwacker that was the third week i was in business i didnt no anything about sh--.i just wanted to get it and go out and make money..

[Charles]

" If you do why don't you accept checks? Do you ring your customers doorbell when your done and ask for the money? Thats pretty tacky. Especially in todays world of rush people want convineince. Why not bill every 2 weeks or once a month and have them mail you back a check?? Time is money, so if you have to go run around collecting it, your loosing it. "---Guido
Guido, most of my customers want to pay me when I get finished with the job. They don't want to go to the trouble and expense of stamps and envelopes I guess. Or they care that I need to get paid as quickly as possible. It may be tacky as you say. But it you drive away from a job and leave the money. You may just not get the money for awhile or ever. Some customers forget or they mail it to you when they get around to it. I myself would rather be tacky and have the check in my pocket when I before I leave. I only have a few of them that pay by mail.

[Guido]

I meant if you make them pay before you leave, not if they want to. I had the old retired women always running out with the money for me. Thats one thing, but making them do that is stupid I think. What do you do if their not home? Why not take checks??

[Charles]

Ya Guido, I meant if they wanted to pay me while i am there. Most of my customers do. If they not home I leave a bill in the door. I take checks or cash. I give them a receipt if they pay by cash. Most pay by check. but I wouldn't discourage them from paying me before I left their house.