Competition

[beck]

This morning as I was out mowing I saw a little girl putting flyers on doors. Here is what it said.


NEED HELP

Hello! Our names are blank and blank. We are trying to help you. You sit down and relax and we'll get to work right away! During winter we shovel snow, and sing songs, during spring we do household chores, during summer, we mow the lawn, and during autumn we rake leaves. We do household chores anytime you want us to! We are both 10 years old, but we are really good at work. Phone numbers . . .

[cos]

And your worried?

[beck]

Maybe I should have said "Competition"

No I am not worried.

[lawnboy11]

That's great for those kids. That's exactly how I started. I think it's fantastic that the kids have that work ethic and ambition already. And yeah, what are you worried about? Their range can only be as far as they can walk and push a mower anyway.

PS. It's "and you're worried?", not your.
Your is possesive, in other owrds, it's yours, it belongs to you.
You're is the contraction of you are. As in " and you are worried?"
I am only trying to help here, not be condescending.

[cos]

I have a little whipper snapper in my hood that drives a craftsmen ride on that pulls a trailer with a push mower, weed eater, and broom. Evertime that I pass him in my Ford F250 Power stroke diesel, he looks at me with a serious look.

Now that kid worries me.

Beck,

I know that you aren't worried about them and your just bring up a cute little story. I didn't mean it in a dirogetory way, but just funny little question.

[thelawnguy]

Its not the young kids I worry about. Its the bigger kids, the college kids who think that they can hire a buddy for $7 an hour, no training, and undercut everybody in the neighborhood because they dont need insurance, dont need to pay taxes, dont need a pest license heck they only doing it for a couple years til they get that degree, by then the neighborhood is convinced that the professional is trying to rip the customer off, heck junior and 9-finger joe could do the lawn for half what you want when they were in business...

[Eric ELM]

We all realize we aren't perfect spellers and we all don't use perfect grammar, but we do learn from each other, just the same. I am a good example of not being a good speller and using proper grammar, but a few here have learned something from me too. Please don't make the members feel like they have to be perfect to post here.

If you look at your above post on the line under PS, you will find that you make mistakes also, just like us. So what, I figured out what you meant. As you wrote on another post which part of it got edited out,

"I usually don't agree with what Mr. Stone has to say, but he's right on here. Learn how to spell. If you don't know a word, look it up, it's called a dictionary!"

I have to read every post on here so it is hard to fool a fool. Practice what you preach or quit preaching. BTW, I did find other typing errors on your posts, like alwys for always. I admit I'm not a good speller, now it's your turn.

[dmk395]

Most of us younger guys started out that way. The ones you should look out for are the ones who have a serious look, or seem to work passionately, those are the ones who you maybe competing with down the road.

[lawnboy11]

To ELM,
I'm not trying to say anyone has to be perfect and I never said anything about typos, everyone does that. However, to present yourself (not you specifically) as a professional to your clients you should be able to spell correctly and use decent, not perfect grammar. I really don't mean to sound like an a hole, I'm sure it does, but it looks like you don't care or are not the smartest if you can't spell at all. (again, not you personally) Anyone that can use a computer and run a business can open a dictionary. People always talk about scrubs and professionalism on this forum. Spelling and writing like a fourth grader is not professional. That's all I'm saying, and maybe I should have said it that way in the first place.

[cos]

Lawnboy11,

Let me tell ya. I am not cracking out the ol' dictionary everytime I post. When I read posts with spelling mistakes and poor grammar, doesn't mean they come off in an unproffessional manner to their own customers. This is a forum of landscapers and people trying to make extra money cutting grass. We don't know anybody here personally, so it is very hard to judge someone by their misspellings. If your an english teacher and moonlighting as a lawn cutter, than fantastic. If you want to correct my grammar then e-mail me and I might take your suggesstions into consideration (maybe not). When I compose a letter to a client, I do in fact read it over and correct what I feel is wrong. When I post here I do make misstakes and don't feel I should be scolded by my own peers.

I agree eric........

[HOMER]

eYE THINC SUMBUDI MICCED THEYRE,THEIR,THRE,THEY'RE COLLING> IF'N I CULD SPEL THAT GUUD I WOOD B TEECHIN ANGLICH UR SUMPIN.

STEAD.....I JES CUT A LITTLE GRASE

HUH.HUH HOMER

[helodude]

Hey COS, I think I know you!! I think it's cute that a 10-year old would be putting out flyers. I wish, mine would do something, besides Dad can I have a 20. Everybody has a concern of competition, but I would worry more about the ones with a vehicle.

[eslawns]

Homer,

You a product of the Jawjuh public school system? I hear they teach rednecks to count differently there. Instead of 1, 2, 3... they teach Park, Wallace, Earnhardt... Just wondering. I grew up in VA and we have a similar system. Anyone know where the toothbrush was invented?

[cos]

hey helodude,

Do you really think that I am concerned about the kid in the tractor. I was only joking, just like beck was. I thought I established that.


Oh and by the way, how do you know me, e-mail, lets talk.

[Runner]

Bill, I can definitely relate to what you are saying. Near me, is a city and township called Grand Blanc. (where the Buick Open is played) It's a rather prominent area, and what gets me, is that with all the wealth around the Warwick Hills Golf Course, it's hard to make anything because all the kids daddy set up with a nice new pickup and a walk behind or two. Many of these lots are 3/4 acre lots, and we're constantly blowing their flyers out of the bushes that say they'll mow, trim and bag the whole place for 25 bucks. I think dad probably even foots for the gas for most of these guys. It's really kind of sickening.

[helodude]

Hey COS, Yeah, I know you were joking! That's how I started out. I used my dad's old JD 110 to cut. Granted back in the seventies, that was top of the line. I do remember staring down the local contractors mostly snowplow types. I'll e-mail later this weekend.

[lawnboy11]

Fine, whatever.

[Charles]

Lawnboy, you ever try to read a doctors perscription? And they are treated like Gods. LoL

[lawnboy11]

Listen guys, I apologize sincerely if I came off like a jerk in any way. I will shut up about the spelling, etc. All I'm saying is that its the little things that (not on this forum per se, but in letters to clients, etc.) that can make a big difference in the way you are perceived by others, meaning customers.
This forum is supposed to improve professionalism in the industry and I think that is great. Correct spelling, grammar, etc. is professional. No, I don't think we have to be perfect here, but one has to begin somewhere. It's just a little advice from little old me. No offense was meant to anyone at all.

[cos]

It kinda sounded like I was talkin to my 4th grade english teacher there a couple posts back. I just wanted to establish that when I post here, I am not going to look up every word that I feel is spelt wrong. I come here to post a few comments and love to learn from others. When I write a letter and always before I send it, I click on that spell check. It's an awesome feature, and for someone like myself, I sure need it.

No need to apologize. Sometimes it it is hard to take constructive critism. It is good to hear someone, once in a while, highly diagree with there post. It is hard to know how someone posts here, whether they are joking or are serious. We can all learn from a little critisism.

[T.C.O.B.]

God Bless America,and the free enterprise system.


GO GIRLS!

The striving spirit of young entrapuners!!!!!!!!!

[landscaper3]

We have done door hangers before about 100 to 150. But this next year we have had Nebs make us up 2000 door hangers and my niece and her softball team are going to pass out the door hangers and im going to help support the softball team with uniforms, equipment ect, if I can get 5% of those passed thats still 100 lawns well worth it plus I can help support some kids in there love of sports.

[GrassMaster]

Hello Everybody:

I'm having contractions just reading this Mumbo Jumbo?

BTW I'm 10th grade Educate & condescending means: That yall did a fine job building the Condo butt it doesn't madder be cause it's built on a sink hole. This is straight out of the JawJa & Bama Dixionary. That's a Fact Jack!"

English is off topic in here too! Could the administrator or somebody move this right below " I'm so confused" in the Off Topic Forum.

[TJLC]

Hey, Eric. You said what I was thinking. Thank you!