When you are ill??

[kmcutters]

Hello Everyone,
First of all I have been reading this forum for about 6 months now and this is my first post.Everytime I think of something to post I do a search and find the info I wanted then I am disapointed because once again I didnt get to do my first post LOL.
I am planning to start a lawncare in the next season.My ? is what do you all do when you are ill and unable to do your accounts for a short time?Everyone hopes this does'nt happen but I am sure it does from time to time.I would like to try to have some kind of plan if this did happen.Maybe this is a dumb question but I always try to be prepaired for the worst
Thanks for all your input.


kmcutters

[Ocutter]

Welcome KM. I do 90% of the work for my customers. I have never been ill to a point where I cant work (knock on wood). I did however put a drill bit thru (1/4") my big toe 3 months ago. I pretty much limped from lawn to lawn with a weed wacker and blower for about two weeks. Scared me too. Now I'll have to find help just in case. Good luck.

[geogunn]

please allow me to be the second to say "welcome kmcutters!" it isn't my forum but I am sure you are welcome.

you ask a good question. the only time in the last five years that I have been unable to service my accounts is in the death of family members. when I'm sick, if I can work, I do.

in the case of one death in my family, I had to farm out the cutting for several weeks. it wasn't a perfect way to do business but it worked. the next year I did loose one account to the guy that subbed for me. I think he lowballed me but without his help I'd have lost more than one. good luck.

GEO

[Cutter1]

As everyone knows here.....YOu don't work, you don't eat!! These places don't cut themselves, so you have to be out there. I personally have been pretty sick and yet I drag myself out of bed and go to work. I have three guys working, but I just feel better being out there with them!

[Skookum]

I have always worked when normal illnesses have struck, give or take a day or so that I could lay out and catch up later.

Try to have a friend, co-worker, relative, etc.. get use to using your equipment. In a drastic need they could help.

Get to know a few of your competetors. If you know one or two close enough in the future, they will likely help you out. This is where the idea of not being a butt about bidding on jobs or stealing jobs comes into play if this is your only option. In otherwords, you do not want to burn bridges that you might need to cross later. Something everyone must decide how to go about it, who to tick off and who not to tick off.

If that worried about it make sure you speak to an insurance agent about some sort of coverage. I am sure for a price you can get about anything.

[guntruck]

The best advice I can give, which was mentioned, is have a good friend or family member learn your equipment. In the case of an emergency he/she can man your post temporarily. As far as getting to know the competition.......cant say thats the route i would take but think it over carefully. Good luck and welcome to LS.

[cleancut]

If I'm really sick, I just send the guys out by themselves.But if you're a one man operation you'll have to have a backup plan..Either a friend or relative or another lawn care co...Also, you can buy disability insurance. It pays you if you are out of work for a long period..Luckily in 5 yrs., I've only had to take off about 7 days for sickness..Good Luck....Clean-Cut

[dhicks]

Skookum is right on target because that's what I do. I will always help another contractor out for a week or two but my accounts come first. Oh yeah, get paid up front by your fellow contractor before you do his/her work.

[Richard Martin]

I usually only get ill around April 15 of every year. Just kidding :-) I cracked a rib a couple of years back when I slipped in the bathtub. I could do most of the work but I couldn't get the mowers on and off the trailer. My wife got to ride around wih me for a week and take them off and put them back on. After about a week the rib finally broke and I got to take a week off. Fortunately it was during August and the grass had slowed down growing to the point where I could skip everybody a week.

[John DiMartino]

I dont want to think about not being able to work,If Im alive and able to pull myself to the truck,Ill go to work-Its only when I cannot that i wont-that hasnt happened yet,but i have a PT business,and wife can do it all,she does help now,stripes wont be quite as nice though,but itll be OK for a week or 2.

[Bluegrass Lawn Service]

As stated above it's never happened Praise GOD. I've been out of the factory now for 4 mowing seasons and where I was ill quite a lot in there I've never been Ill in the 4years of mowing. Now I have a crew of 3-4 employees not counting me that can take over if I'm not there, but wouldn't want to be gone for very long. I can't fathom the idea of working alone. So I have always had someone working as a lead man or crew leader and have a good amount of trust in him or them.

[Barkleymut]

Be a tough guy....In 3 years I have never missed a day due to sickness. I have missed several days due to river fever (I wanted to go play with the dogs in the water more so than cutting grass).

[jay]

Originally posted by kmcutters
I have been working in the field for almost five years and the only time I took off was for my weding and that was only three days. I've dislocated my shoulder went to work with one arm and just tryed to hire some help for a couple days. It's hard taking time off when your the only one doing the work. I've had only one vacation since Ive been in business, but I guess thats the price you pay for being on your own.

[Nathan]

to go along with everyone else, you just have to do it. In the past 10 years I could probably count on my fingers how many times I didn't make it to work, even when I was working for myself. So I guess work ethic comes into it somewhere, it is just a little easier to do it when you are the one calling the shots.

[awm]

I always just worked thru it .
Then came a summer when when i
I really was to sick to work. I
tried helpers but finally lost
it.Iwould have been better off
to sell and wait until I was able
but like most i kept thinking
i would get thru it.Got to know your
limits

thanks TM

[kmcutters]

Thanks for all your input on this.Skookum had the idea that I was thinking of about getting a family member to learn my equipment.I just wanted to see if others had a plan and what it was to get me some ideas. As some of the others said, I have worked for over ten years at the factory and the only days I missed was just for playing not for illness.There is always the possiblity though and I wanted to have someone to back me up.Expecially in my first couple of years in the biz.

Thanks again guys.

kmcutters

[GrassMaster]

Welcome to posting on this Forum kmcutters:

That's the biggest down fall for the one man show. Self employed people work when they sick & if they so bad off they can't work, well that's when you start loosing accounts, if it's very long period of time.

A few days maybe Ok, people can tell you what they want but you get down for a while & can't work, well your customers don't care. They just want the work done & Lawn Service Companies are a Dime a Dozen. If you don't think so look around while working. There is no customer Loyality these days!

I know you have to start by yo self, but as soon as possible you need to get employees. If you thing you can't find them well you are wrong they out there, you just got to find them.

You take a huge risk being a one man show, yes i know a lot of guys done it for years. Well they need to go & buy lottery tickets too!. One day S will happen & you will start loosing accounts.

I know a guy that got in car wreck & broke both his legs. He lost everything. Is it worth it thinking that no body can do it as good as you. Your wrong they are everywhere.

Yes I worked sick as dog & worse. I had the flue so bad 1 time that I passed out twice. You know what wised me up, I fell off of a house trying to make a extra $35 & hit my hip on the way down on corner of AC.

I thought I had broke it, it hurt so bad well no body around & in those brief moments, I visualized loosing everything I owned. Then I figured out that I just was in terrible pain. LOL, a world class bruise & limp for a while. I hired my first Employee the next week & it was straight up from there.

No One Man can be Success by himself it always takes others along the way!
That's a Fact Jack!

[thelawnguy]

"I know a guy that got in car wreck & broke both his legs. He lost everything. Is it worth it thinking that no body can do it as good as you. Your wrong they are everywhere."

This is why disability insurance is a must-have. I pay 500 a year for a policy that will pay me 1500 a month if I become disabled, still pay me after I recover, long enough to rebuild my business. Hey, its not much but it will pay the mortgage and groceries every bit will help when the chips are down.

[jaclawn]

1. What thelawnguy said.

2. I will usually just work through it. Ahh, the joys of self employment. I have (knock on wood) never lost more than one day at any given time. I've worked with broken bones, things in my eyes, migraines, burns...

3. I will try to schedule non essential things for the off season. I had oral surgery two Decembers ago, and was laid up for a few days because of some complications.