The Green Industry's Resource Center

osmann_lawn · #1 10-01-2011, 12:59 AM

Started a little late, first year in business part time. Bought all new equipment. I have 8 accounts. I hope to get more next year. I am thinking about doing direct mail? anyone done that before for the lawn care business? let me know what you think on that.

ivyslawncare · #2 10-02-2011, 01:35 AM

Welcome sir. Want to post some pics of your equipment? Also when you say direct mail do you mean just send bills and receive checks though the mail?

osmann_lawn · #3 10-02-2011, 04:15 AM

Hello, I mean sending out 5,000 postcards that advertises my business. Its costing more money than i thought. Its about 350 for the design and printing of the card. another 400.00 for a mailing list. Than postage will be around 1,400. I am also thinking about door hangers with a quote already on it. How did you get customers? Okay i will post some pictures.

osmann_lawn · #4 10-02-2011, 04:17 AM

osmann_lawn · #5 10-02-2011, 04:19 AM

osmann_lawn · #6 10-02-2011, 04:21 AM

osmann_lawn · #7 10-02-2011, 04:30 AM

This is my fist year in business i know my setup is not the greatest. I dont seem to have any problems mowing with a rider. I eventually want to get a zero turn. It is nice for pulling carts to do yard work. moving dirt, mulching, etc..

Equipment:
Cub Cadet STLX1050 Lawn Tractor
Cub Cadet 21' Walk Behind/Bagger
ECHO SRM 230 Trimmer Straight Shaft
ECHO PB 500 Back Pack Blower
12 FT Galvanized Utility Trailer.
1998 Dodge Ram 1500 Short Box

Darryl G · #8 10-02-2011, 06:25 AM

Don't take this the wrong way, but I've seen this 100 times before. So you got everything you need to mow lawns, you think. The weak link is that tractor. It's slow, fragile and bound to become undependable. But you're in no hurry, you've only got a few accounts. You take your time and do a nice job and you start picking up more accounts. It's spring and the grass is growing like crazy, you're having a hard time cutting and not leaving clumps, it's taking you forever it seems...then it rains for a full week. You can't even get to last week's lawns let alone this week's lawns...the phone is ringing off the hook with customers wanting to know when you're coming and you don't know what to tell them. And then the tractor dies and they say it will be at least a week before they can fix it. Now what?

That tractor is made for cutting one lawn once or twice a week. You cannot depend on it to run a business!

Get a commercial walk behind mower even if it's a 36 inch belt drive.

osmann_lawn · #9 10-02-2011, 06:35 AM

I was just going to use it to start out. I take good care of my equipment always clean and ready to go. Cub Cadet seems to have the best tractors for dependability. Is it okay to start with this? or do people get turned off by it? I wanted to have my overhead low just in case i don't get enough customers to make a profit.

osmann_lawn · #10 10-02-2011, 06:43 AM

my uncle loaned me the money to get started so i have to pay him back before i even consider getting a new lawn mower. i am only 19 and it is so hard to get a loan now. This is what i have to work with until i get more accounts.