Growing, Growing, Growing! (The Grass & My Business!)

[DSLND]

All this rain is nuts, I only got about 1/4 of my yards done last week, and now things are going to be crazy this week.

To the point, my business is getting out of control. It seems like I'm adding more and more properties each week, and I cannot get my phone to stop ringing. Up to this point, I loved adding new business, but now I need some help.

I currently have a guy who works with me. He is a retired gentleman, 76 years old (NO LIE), and he is by far the best worker a guy could ask for. He really helps me out a lot, and I have trained him well. It is nice to have him, because if something goes wrong with a mower, I can send him to the dealership during the day, while I am at school (have done it before with my Lesco's).

To this point, I have never sent him out on his own. But this week I need to. We are so far behind, that I think I can send him out with a 21", and a trimmer and go do some of my crap yards, small yards, and other properties that he can handle with the 21". He knows the route, and knows what I expect out of him, and what each individual yard needs, so I find no problem with this.

But looking more towards next year, I had the idea of going back to working solo, but I am unsure if I can handle all of the yards by myself. I will have my license then (thank god!) and can work from 3-dark every night, and Saturday all day. I think I can do it, but I think I will burn myself out. I love working solo, thats one of the reasons I do this, because you get paid to talk to yourself, and not too many others when mowing In all actuality, I only have the helper because I have to right now, and sometimes he can drive me insane (he was a retired truck driver, full of stories, and never afraid to share)

I think the tool to add next year is a 60" ZTR, for my 6 acre personal home, and my larger yards. That would really save me some time. Then I will have one heck of a mower setup, 60", 48", 32", 21". Perfect!


What do you guys think? I mean, if I wanted to, I could add guys, and have a three man crew, but I think that would make me go insane with all the BS I would have to put up with, I'd like to wait a while before that.

Add employees, or keep things smaller?

I'd rather invest in equipment, rather than people.



Thanks!

-Mitch-