Quote includes.....?

[PlatinumLandCon]

Originally Posted by DVS Hardscaper

An extensive portfolio of your completed jobs is a must.

That's what's killing me!

Originally Posted by DVS Hardscaper

You must understand that people are about to spend thousands of dollars on their home. And despite that I started in the green industry at a young age - I know I would not shell out 5k to 10k to someone that has limited experience. Now that I look back I think to myself "I can't believe they entrusted me to do that for them, I had no clue what we were doing."

So you're going to have a lot of hurdles if you wanna do hardscapes.

That's what my parents, brothers and sisters (2 bro, 2 sis) are telling me all the time. "Why the hell will someone give you money to do this?"

[mrusk]

Musclecarboy- Take the advice i am about to give you and follow it exactly. If you do, you will be more succesful than i am when you are 21 years old.

Forget about doing any hardscape now. Don't advertise for them, and don't go on estimates for them. Focus 100% on building up the lawn portion of your business. No one will trust you with 10k dollars when someone else has to drive you to your estimates. However, at your age, people have no trouble hiring your for there lawn, mulch and bed work. Focus on this and you will make more $.

Do this until you graduate high school. Then once you are able to focus 100% of your time on the business, start to do some hardscapes. You will have to do some pretty chessey jobs for the first couple of years, then the bigger jobs will come.

I formed my LLC in Aug of 04 when i was 18. I started working spring of 05 and signed my first 'big' job in August of 05 for 10k when i was 19. When i started out, it was incredible hard to sell anything. I could not even get a mulch job. But i never got discouraged. I spent 100% of my time focusing on my business. Honestly, my first year gross #s were a joke. All the projects i did were small. Year 2 got much better because i started to do some advertising and a decent size job. Year 3 i have people trusting me with six figure jobs. Next year it looks like every job will be six figures.


Don't get discouraged. Just focus on what you can sell easily and what you know you can make money on. MAINTENANCE!

[PlatinumLandCon]

Yeah, I guess you make a good point. It is hard to do big jobs being so young.

I think at times I try to rush into things, such as hardscapes. I guess I should slow down and grow slowly but surely. I'm just lured into the big jobs & the big money.
I get a truck this fall and will do plowing this winter and try to grow to 30 lawns next summer. I know the mulch stuff really has good money in it and same with planting and small landscaping.

You know what, I think I'm going to swallow my pride here and keep doing lawns for next year at least. I feel like I'm sinking to a lower level as a business but I need to build a foundation.

Thanks for the advice, mrusk.

[mrusk]

There is no lower level. There is just the $$$ level. Don't be in a big rush to jump into the big jobs. I kinda dove in head first and did not make what i should have on a few. Its a completly different ball game. If your not ready for it, it can easily put you out of business. Grow slow.

[PlatinumLandCon]

Originally Posted by mrusk

There is no lower level. There is just the $$$ level. Don't be in a big rush to jump into the big jobs. I kinda dove in head first and did not make what i should have on a few. Its a completly different ball game. If your not ready for it, it can easily put you out of business. Grow slow.

Yea, I agree. I think I'm trying to just jump in head first which will never work in the end. I'm rushing it too bad trying to make tons of money. I'm looking to buy an aerator to do aeration this fall to make quick $$.

Money is the only issue.... I NEED financing to buy all this stuff.

[mrusk]

Then maybe you should not be buying the stuff.

[AztlanLC]

Meanwhile you can start training yourself by reading ICPI manuals or even better take the test, as well as NCMA, see if you can get hooked up with a landscaper designer or engineer to start doing smalls jobs where they do all design.

[PlatinumLandCon]

Originally Posted by mrusk

Then maybe you should not be buying the stuff.

Thing is, how do you make money without the equipment? I'l be buying alllll used stuff cause buying new is not smart at this point.

[PlatinumLandCon]

Originally Posted by AztlanLC

Meanwhile you can start training yourself by reading ICPI manuals or even better take the test, as well as NCMA, see if you can get hooked up with a landscaper designer or engineer to start doing smalls jobs where they do all design.

I have lots of ICPI tech guides and resources to try and learn. I want to do a few jobs then hook up with a designer. tthomass first told me about that and I really thought that was a good idea.

[tthomass]

If I were you I would not worry about doing your own thing too much right now. Patience will make you money. Go work for a local BIG company. I say big because often you get the most experience with a vast amount of things in the industry......some smaller companies can provide you with this too.

Keep you mouth zipped, don't be talking about starting a company etc, they won't like it. I would actually fire you to be honest.

Work with the company gain your experience....installs, equipment, hardscapes etc. THEN go do your own thing. By the time you graduate you should be good to go if you are a fast learner.

Patience patience patience. Think long term and hope you live to see it. I look forward to say 30yrs old. Business, I hope, will be great, I'll have my 50+ acres with a house on it and my Z06 in the garage.