Striping and new 36" Viking

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Originally Posted by xclusive

Just a recommendation instead of going to kinkos to print up bills purchase a hp or ibm laser printer with a high yield cartridge (these kind of cartridges can print like 3000 pages before needing to be replaced) and it will be cheaper for you in the long run. Then you can purchase windowed billing envelopes from staples and fold you invoices so the address appears in the window. Then just have staples or kinkos print up 1000 or so return payment envelopes with you info on them.

I figured out an even better way. AHAHAHAHA> I PRINTED 130 PAGES IN FULL COLOR AT MY SCHOOL FOR FREE. haha. Suckersss. But your idea would be great. I need some organization like that, i sat and wrote out all the names on the envelopes today. Do oyu think people would pay faster if you put a stamp on the return envelope? i feel like they would pay so much quicker since they dont have to do all of the busy work. its already done for them.

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Originally Posted by teamgreendude

delonglandscaping, I'm very Impressed on how far you've come I'm also 17 and bill maybe about 1/3 of what you have. Right now I'll be buying my first truck soon along with a new 6x12 dump trailer and a new 18hp billy goat leaf vac.

thanks for the compliments, they are always nice to hear.great to hear your getting your first truck. My advice, right of the bat, get a 3/4 ton truck. 1/2 tons are useless in the long run, beside pulling a trailer. I love my truck to death but the thought of putting a plow for winter on my truck makes me cringe, i would rather not do snow at all than have 5,000 in suspension and frame damage with a 1/2 ton . When i buy equipment , i go big, i would get a 14 foot dump with tandem 8,000 lb axles, you dont realize how much we leaves weigh especially when you mulch them up with a leave vac. i just put a deposit on a leaf vac at weingartz. They have to order it, its a custom made billy goat with a 35hp vanguard engine on it. I am going to get a 1 ton dump for the fall so i can finally plow and i will have my uncle the fabricator mount it on the back of the truck so i can suck and pull my trailer at the same time.

Good luck this season and i love seeing 17 year olds like myself working instead of playing halo all day. i hate video games, rather get my hands dirty than anything.

[teamgreendude]

Originally Posted by delonglandscaping

thanks for the compliments, they are always nice to hear.great to hear your getting your first truck. My advice, right of the bat, get a 3/4 ton truck. 1/2 tons are useless in the long run, beside pulling a trailer. I love my truck to death but the thought of putting a plow for winter on my truck makes me cringe, i would rather not do snow at all than have 5,000 in suspension and frame damage with a 1/2 ton . When i buy equipment , i go big, i would get a 14 foot dump with tandem 8,000 lb axles, you dont realize how much we leaves weigh especially when you mulch them up with a leave vac. i just put a deposit on a leaf vac at weingartz. They have to order it, its a custom made billy goat with a 35hp vanguard engine on it. I am going to get a 1 ton dump for the fall so i can finally plow and i will have my uncle the fabricator mount it on the back of the truck so i can suck and pull my trailer at the same time.

Good luck this season and i love seeing 17 year olds like myself working instead of playing halo all day. i hate video games, rather get my hands dirty than anything.

I hear yea all the way, When I was still out a 8:30 friday night I had a homeowner asked me why I wasn't out with friends, and i said because they all teens my age are doing stupid things. H was real Impressed by that and said even if people talk sh!t about me just keep working harder and by the time your 25 you'll be doing great and they'll still be stuck looking for a job and getting turned down due to stupid things in the past. I'm also you have a gf who supports what you do, I've thought about having a gf but with mowing and firefighter class I couldn't see any time to fit it in. Also do you know how much that billygoat is running you ?, I may change my order to the 35hp one, it sounds like an animal !!!!!!!
Thanks,
James

[lifetree]

Originally Posted by delonglandscaping

... people are mowing acres around my for 35 dollars. and 2 acres for 50. ...

That's too freaking cheap !!

[lifetree]

Originally Posted by delonglandscaping

... The next purchases i will be making is a 24" STIHL Chain saw, 23hp billy goat leaf loader, qds bagger for my exmark, and a 2010 f-250 ...

Man, all of this equipment combined with everything that you already have is really alot for someone just 17 years old ... your parents must be helping you out !!

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not so much. My dad's business went almost under two years ago and he doesnt have a great jbo but its a job at MSU Alumni. You'll see his picture on the web site, peter delong. He hasnt helped me out at all except for financing my truck, he co-signed for me because im only 17. On august 4th, it will be turned over to completely my name. He hasnt made one payment on it or helped me out at all besides when i was 12 using his 21" mower for 3 months until i bought my first 48" exmark metro. My parents help me out with getting friends accounts which are some of my biggest accounts, and that is where i startted my growth. Friends tell other friends and soon enough i have 65 customers and a line up of equipment. Other than my car, my set up is completely paid for and i am just keeping my car financed so i can establish some credit on my name when im 18. I have commercial auto insurance in my name, liablilty insurance for 2 million in my name, and i am licensed with the state of michigan, registered in the state of michgan, and pay taxes with my EIN number.

I dont take nor do i fend off my parents for anything but a place to stay and love me. Thats it. I dont use their money and i help out around my house as much as i can and is respectful in this hard economy.

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Originally Posted by lifetree

That's too freaking cheap !!

its BS is what it is, Some of my lawns are 20 dollars and alot of them are 25, but i have a couple 45-75 dollars lawns that are about an acre in size. I bid on them hoping i would get them because they are neoghbors of cliets already but companys were bidding 10-15 dollar under me, if im there for 45 minutes i would be making 10 dollars profit. I would rather drop everything and go work at subway than be working hard and sweating than charging 30 dollars mowing a acre of grass.

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Originally Posted by teamgreendude

I hear yea all the way, When I was still out a 8:30 friday night I had a homeowner asked me why I wasn't out with friends, and i said because they all teens my age are doing stupid things. H was real Impressed by that and said even if people talk sh!t about me just keep working harder and by the time your 25 you'll be doing great and they'll still be stuck looking for a job and getting turned down due to stupid things in the past. I'm also you have a gf who supports what you do, I've thought about having a gf but with mowing and firefighter class I couldn't see any time to fit it in. Also do you know how much that billygoat is running you ?, I may change my order to the 35hp one, it sounds like an animal !!!!!!!
Thanks,
James

Highschool is big hip about how high and drunk you can get and how far you can go with a girl. Its stupid is what it is, i focused on two things see how many business classes i could take, and growing my business itself. I hated sitting through all the long english lectures so i made tables of how many customers i could get and which neighbors i knew who has a lawn company i could talk to.

About the girlfriend, i have said many times on here, but i will say it again, i love her to death and shes is my boss. I would take her over my business any day if she wasnt happy. love ones are the people who are going to stick by you until death and if your love ones arnt happy somethings gotta change. Girlfriends and wives are a great asset and companionship to you and your business, they are the voice of reason, although they dont get sometimes what you are talking about, they always seem to know what is the best way to figure a problem out.

The Billy goat leaf vac was put on hold, i got a call that the distributer cant get the 35 hp engine in for another 3 months, which is fine but i would like it around september or asap. It ran me 4600 dollars shipped to my door and i opted not to get the trailer which i thought would save me a ton of money. the 23 hp vac goes for around 4500 with the trailer at my dealer with my discount(dont ask dont tell kind of discount, basically my dad knows a few owners of the store) so i am getting a pretty great deal if i say so myself. ha. i am quite unsure about waht truck im going to get this fall. and may want to hold off as long as possible until the right deal falls through. Whether to by used and install a dump insert and plow, or to buy new with a plow installed with 36,000 mile warrenty.

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Here is some work i have been doing this weekend and finally remembered to get some pictures as i go.

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and some more
this was a small job only about 12x18 total area. I had to get two loads of 50 bags of step 1 and 30 bags of step 2. I opted to not get pavers sand and course rocks/sand delivered because it would have made such a mess. I have to power wash all bricks, fill in cracks with sand(barely any cracks thank god) and measure and cut the corners and i'll be done. I finished it after my phone died and i will be over tomorrow so i will take more pictures with better quality hopefully. The slope of this is from the back corner and then about 2 feet away from the other wall i slopped it so the water would drain out of the opening.