Maine

[lawnsbybrown]

Originally Posted by nortonlawncare

I just got my logo done by a designer and I gotta pay the balance before its mine, need a place to get some shirts made
Posted via Mobile Device

Hey Norton try out "Black Dog Graphics" www.blackdoggraphics.com they are in clinton maine but you can design online and get a quote. They do great work I will be getting my shirts done there soon.

[jsecape]

Hello all..I have come own on the price!!!!!
Price reduced...$5,600 ... stand-on mower or walk behind 19 HP Kawasaki with 48"deck,catcher. 9.1 Hours on the hour gauge...warranty is transferable.Got it last year(2011)never used commercially.Why pay $7,800 for a new one.. As this one is like new.Please no tire kickers.I am not a dealer, so there is no demo days..

[jrs.landscaping]

Originally Posted by McFarland_Lawn_Care

Anyone care to give an update on how they are doing now that the season is in FULL swing and we got some nice weather? Yay!! I am having a little trouble finding good help and on the verge of firing one but overall not too bad. Lots and lots of work to do, hope to get all the lawns caught up, finish the round of fert/weed apps, and get a few other projects done this week before the end of the month. I'm beginning to think a "manager" might be good to help me out - just getting to be too much for me to handle and my foreman is a great worker but not much for the business end of things. We'll see - gotta start looking for some good talent. =D

I agree with you one the help issue. We have one kid who is a hard worker but a little mouthy, shows up late once a week. Another kid we just hired has a miserable attitude towards everything his job entails. Our lead guy quit last week because of a medical condition so we have to wait 2 weeks before another new guy joins us. How many crews do you run to need a "manager?"
I'm in the same boat, go to work 50-60 hours, then do payroll, figure out the crew schedules and on and on. I guess that's just the price we pay to play the game....

[McFarland_Lawn_Care]

Just 2 crews, buddy. I guess the right way to put it would be someone to help me run the business. By the time I get done running around meeting customers and working 10-12 hr days, then entering invoices and drawing up schedules for the next day, I just don't have any time at ALL for myself or my wife and family/friends. Some may say that's part of running a business, but family has to have time too. I'm willing to pay good money for someone to step up and help me do this. Maybe "manager" wasn't the right word for it but you get the idea. How many crews you running, JRS? (sorry forgot your first name)....


Jason

[jrs.landscaping]

We run two crews as well. I hear you on the no time for anything outside work. Kid on my crew complains about 10 hour days. So I give him the run down of my night when I get home and he stops complaining quickly. Like you said having a lead guy that can set a schedule, track his own accounts for invoicing would be handy, even to alleviate a little of the burden. Let me know if you find any good help... it seems to be a hard thing to come by for all of us.

Chris

[McFarland_Lawn_Care]

Ya, it's tough. The seasonal thing really puts a damper in things during the winter. We do a little snow removal but not enough to keep them all busy. Biggest thing is I need to figure a way to offer benefits in order to attract real good quality help. Tough thing.

[jrs.landscaping]

Do you lay your guys off in the winter? We just hired a kid to replace our lead guy, he was leaving his old job for another LCO because he hated being laid off in the winter. We offered him less money per hour but would pay him 40 hours in the winter. Year end he makes a little more money and doesn't have to mess with unemployment. Ask your guys what they want, health benefits aren't really an industry standard unless you have over 25 employees. We have looked into benefits from paychex and through blue cross, problem is it would raise our total wages by about 5% of gross which is a pretty large sum of money.

[McFarland_Lawn_Care]

Ya, I have to lay them off in the winter....not enough work to keep everyone busy. So, in reality you put them on a salary of sorts and then just have them do snow removal when storms hit? That's an idea I tossed around a bit - I'd be more comfortable if we had a little more winter work. It's very cut throat around here since everyone has a plow and does their "neighbors drive for beer money".lol

Jason

[jrs.landscaping]

Dirveways are a losing proposition IMO. I had four or five calls last year "hey I'm looking for someone to plow my driveway and I was referred to you." I ask the size of the driveway, give them my price and they all said, "well I know another guy that will come after the storm and only charges $25. I told them thats the guy they should be calling not me. I have a few driveways, long time customers who pay after they are plowed out. Commercial pays for the guys in the winter because it is contract and we get paid whether we plow or not. Finding winter money is tough but like I said it makes the guys happy know they will get a check this week even during the winter. I'd look into commercial accounts to cover payroll and operting expenses and use driveways to fill in.

[jrs.landscaping]

Is anyone else up here looking at crispy lawns? We have one sports field that looks like it was spray painted brown, others that are irregated and still brown. How are things around the state?