business

[jsfrk]

After reading a lot of from Lawnsite, I am a bit discouraged about a lawn and landscaping business. It's seems to me that you work way to hard for little money. Unless you have large accounts you may as well hang it up. It seems like you spend more time and money trying to find accounts than actually gaining any money from them. You would need to do no less than 10 accounts a day to make any kind of cash. 50 accounts a week, seems extremely difficult to achieve according you all. It's a business that I really want to get into, but it seems pretty frustrating to make anything from it.

[kc2006]

Yea when your just starting out of course your going to have to get your name out there alot but 5 years down the road when your an established company it wouldnt be that hard to get work. You have to work hard to get money, simple as that and this is work. I have a starting cost of 3500 (minus the truck I have) but that includes a mower, trimmer, blower, little things i need, trailer and enough for advertising and some extra for incase something happens to the equipment. Thats the good thing about lawn businesses, its a pretty small startup fee compaired to other businesses. I figure I should have all the equipment paid off and have some extra for winter with this being my first year and doing it "part time" as some would say, i dont have another just but i do my accounts in 2 days a week and still make more then i would working for someone else.

Its not that hard and you don't need 50 accounts to stay afloat, just think smart and be productive and you can get by with less.

[jsfrk]

How many accounts do you do in those 2 days?

[kc2006]

as of now only 8 (do them in one day). I meant the 25 lawns i'm attempting to get though.

I used to do anywhere from 18-25 lawns a day with myself and one other person trimming with a 48" walkbehind with a sulky so I think i'll be able to handle 25 in 2 days by myself.

[jsfrk]

That's a lot.

What is the average you charge per lawn/account?

What is your method of advertisement?

Sorry for so many questions. As I said, I second guessing doing the whole lawn and landscape thing.

[kc2006]

yards i have now are all 25-30 because they're pretty small yards. But the houses i'm putting flyers at all are very nice houses with larger yards, the houses are all $400,000+ and average price will be 38-50 per yard.

I use flyers for now but I'm going to be putting ads in the local papers. Flyers are my best friend around here since no one else uses them.

[jsfrk]

Do you just place the flyer on their front door or mail box?

I am just trying to get an idea of how at one time your were doing 20-25 lawns per day. That would an awesome goal to achieve.

I figure if you do about 50 lawns per week, that's about $1500 a week. Is that pretty realistic?

[SidelinePropMgr]

I noticed both you folks are from Ohio. I am in Dayton and just starting my second year. I currently have 5 accounts with many one time services. Still looking to grow. Any ideas or referrals!:)

[kc2006]

i'm in Youngstown so I'm a ways away from you. I dont know if i said it in this thread but the big advantages in my area are: Flyers for one, no one uses them! I've never gotten a flyer at my house in all the years of living here. Second is a professional image, I was at the lesco dealer and he asked how i do my advertising and i said I play of other lawn companies mistakes, I said i'm putting a batch of flyers out that question if your truely happy with you lawn company and how we do better, he said it was a great idea and was suprised that it came from someone as young as i am, also I try to do everything very professional, I have uniforms that i wear (tan polo shirt with company logo on the back and khaki shorts) I keep the equipment clean (some people say they're too busy to do that, I have nothing better to do so after eating supper I'll go out with the power washer one time a week and take 10 mins to spray it all down) and finally the actual work, everyone around here is slipshot, they all do halfa$$ jobs where as I'm all about the stripes :D and making every lawn look like art.

Thats my theory on advertising :D

[kc2006]

Oh just to say how much i like stripes, the ones in my picture below my name are from my 21" mower that my dad cuts our back yard with :D I made a home made striper for it lol.

[Sean Adams]

Starting any business can be discouraging at times. If it were easy everyone would do it.....(love that saying).....

It takes time to grow a business in the service industry. But if you pay attention to detail, learn how to estimate properly for your time, and work relentlessly to market what you offer, before you know it you will be turning work away.

There is a lot of work out there - it's just a matter of how bad you want it. Putting in the time, sweat, and energy is worth it to some, and not worth it to others. Only you know if it is worth it to you.

[jsfrk]

You made a home made striper. Do you have a striper kit on the mower you use for your accounts?