The Green Industry's Resource Center

RSK Property Maintenance · #31 11-18-2012, 11:30 AM

i thought about getting a part time job during the summer when i had a few really slow months but then I realized if I just knock on a few doors, I can make the same money i would have made if i worked 3 or 4 nights a restaurant or some crappy hourly job, so I did and no job was needed, things do get tight in the summer but you gotta be able to get past that and look forward and be proactive. if someone offered me a full time job for 18/hr i would laugh...no way i could do it now. Don't get me wrong if i have nothing going on and one of my buddies needs some help with tree work or doing clean ups i'll work for little money just to help them, but thats only for a day or two, every couple of months. if even that much.

Duekster · #32 11-18-2012, 11:40 AM

I do some work part time but it often is in 3 or 4 day events about 10 times a year.

94gt331 · #33 11-18-2012, 05:22 PM

Soloscaper my advice to you is do what feels best for you and if you know that taking a winter job is best for you take it. Alot of guys on here are gonna not work for those beer wages, but alot of people don't realize that that is consistant money every week 40-50hrs a weeks at $15hr adds up to a nice paycheck for the next 4 months. Plowing causes alot of stress plus you are putting your finances on the line and if it doesn't snow your sunk, and when you spend your summer bank fixing your plow when it breaks your sunk. Personally, I do alot of plowing in the winter but I also work about 30-40hrs on a farm over the winter to make some spending money. I plow because I like plowing snow and it's a bonus. But I now have my snow buisiness to where I relie on having employees plowing with me and that's my biggest stress while plowing. Talk to your customers and be straight with them, explain why you are dropping there snow work, they will keep you if you are good at there lawn etc. good luck!

soloscaperman · #34 11-18-2012, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94gt331

Soloscaper my advice to you is do what feels best for you and if you know that taking a winter job is best for you take it. Alot of guys on here are gonna not work for those beer wages, but alot of people don't realize that that is consistant money every week 40-50hrs a weeks at $15hr adds up to a nice paycheck for the next 4 months. Plowing causes alot of stress plus you are putting your finances on the line and if it doesn't snow your sunk, and when you spend your summer bank fixing your plow when it breaks your sunk. Personally, I do alot of plowing in the winter but I also work about 30-40hrs on a farm over the winter to make some spending money. I plow because I like plowing snow and it's a bonus. But I now have my snow buisiness to where I relie on having employees plowing with me and that's my biggest stress while plowing. Talk to your customers and be straight with them, explain why you are dropping there snow work, they will keep you if you are good at there lawn etc. good luck!

Thanks for the insight. The warehouse is about 3 miles from my house so it's sweet to only spend a few bucks on gas. So far I like it. It's a different kind of hussle and I like the fast pace work. You have to memorize the truck numbers like #37 truck needs 5 cases of Pnoir, 6 Majors, 20 Pg's etc.. It's nice because the place is warm and the people work at the same level of hustling. It makes me realize how much I took running my business for granted in different aspects and my adrenaline is back at 100%. Some people don't like being told but I guess I needed it to put me back in my place when it comes to working mad crazy. It's hard to explain.

This second job is putting the training wheels back in my business TEMPORARY because I basically "Lagged business wise this year" with my Ex almost dying this summer and my mind was just garbled everywhere. I am going to focus 100% to make $$$$! I already have people that want to work with me but I won't because the owner of the liquor warehouse would probably fire me. Plus if I want to buy a house & it would look good that I run a business and also work a second night job.

Also getting paid $19 HR is about the same from what most guys make at mowing from reading this forum. From the gas from your mower, truck, oil, spark plugs, tires, insurance, taxes, to the coffee and bottle of water lowers your goal at $60 an hour. These little things add up. Unless your ripping your customers off and or doing shobby work your not going to make a crazy amount unless you know what your doing and it takes years to build that. This is almost my 4th year and I getting close to making a large amount of profit that I see as good.

RSK Property Maintenance · #35 11-18-2012, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soloscaperman

Thanks for the insight. The warehouse is about 3 miles from my house so it's sweet to only spend a few bucks on gas. So far I like it. It's a different kind of hussle and I like the fast pace work. You have to memorize the truck numbers like #37 truck needs 5 cases of Pnoir, 6 Majors, 20 Pg's etc.. It's nice because the place is warm and the people work at the same level of hustling. It makes me realize how much I took running my business for granted in different aspects and my adrenaline is back at 100%. Some people don't like being told but I guess I needed it to put me back in my place when it comes to working mad crazy. It's hard to explain.

This second job is putting the training wheels back in my business TEMPORARY because I basically "Lagged business wise this year" with my Ex almost dying this summer and my mind was just garbled everywhere. I am going to focus 100% to make $$$$! I already have people that want to work with me but I won't because the owner of the liquor warehouse would probably fire me. Plus if I want to buy a house & it would look good that I run a business and also work a second night job.

Also getting paid $19 HR is about the same from what most guys make at mowing from reading this forum. From the gas from your mower, truck, oil, spark plugs, tires, insurance, taxes, to the coffee and bottle of water lowers your goal at $60 an hour. These little things add up. Unless your ripping your customers off and or doing shobby work your not going to make a crazy amount unless you know what your doing and it takes years to build that. This is almost my 4th year and I getting close to making a large amount of profit that I see as good.

good luck with the new job, but I don't think most on here make anywhere near 19/hr mowing lawns even after everything you listed, probably closer 100/hr after everything you listed is deducted probably more then that. I for one gross over 100/hr mowing lawns, but i don't have full time mowing yet, but that's why i do so many other things, the landscaping side of things really helps keep me going when, while my lawns do pay a pretty good amount, i only have about 20 of them for now, I already got 3 new accounts for next year and i plan on booking several more over the winter so i can go into the spring with 40-50 lawns with an average of 50 a lawn, then whatever i get from april to june will be a bonus. and you can look in my picture thread and see my work is not perfect, but it is excellent, and my customers will agree.

jrs.landscaping · #36 11-18-2012, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RSK Property Maintenance

good luck with the new job, but I don't think most on here make anywhere near 19/hr mowing lawns even after everything you listed, probably closer 100/hr after everything you listed is deducted probably more then that. I for one gross over 100/hr mowing lawns, but i don't have full time mowing yet, but that's why i do so many other things, the landscaping side of things really helps keep me going when, while my lawns do pay a pretty good amount, i only have about 20 of them for now, I already got 3 new accounts for next year and i plan on booking several more over the winter so i can go into the spring with 40-50 lawns with an average of 50 a lawn, then whatever i get from april to june will be a bonus. and you can look in my picture thread and see my work is not perfect, but it is excellent, and my customers will agree.

So do you net 100 PH or gross 100 PH....? I'm a little confused. If you're grossing $100 PMH are there some tips to getting rates to that level?

RSK Property Maintenance · #37 11-19-2012, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrs.landscaping

So do you net 100 PH or gross 100 PH....? I'm a little confused. If you're grossing $100 PMH are there some tips to getting rates to that level?

I gross 100ph, mowing, while doing clean ups, I price most of them so I will gross 100/hr if I do it on my own with no help usually, but I usually do my clean ups with 1 or 2 other people. much quicker that way. I've had my pricing this way for a quite a few years, I sure as heck don't make anywhere near 19 per hour after everything is deducted, do you? I will say if I do my lawn solo, as in I cut and do the trimming then I go down to grossing 60hr or even a little less for some lawns. still a far cry from 19hr like soloscaper was saying. If that's what he was getting after he deducted for everything then I completely understand him taking his job, but that is his fault for under bidding all his jobs.