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One man mowing small business injury

4K views 34 replies 16 participants last post by  wbw 
#1 ·
Hey guys,

I threw my back out and ended up with a bulging disc. I mow a little over a dozen 1/3 acre properties in a small town in central illinois(about 6 hrs of mowing a week).

The problem is I have no helper and do all the work myself so now that I'm injured and the back specialist will not give me the clear to even sit on a mower and mow how am I going to get these yards mowed in this freaky spring growth?

I'm up for any recommendations guys, I can't quit thinking about it, I'm losing sleep, it's not a huge business or a lot of money but it's my only source of income and these people intrusted in me the maintenance of there property and I feel like I'm letting them down.

thanks guys
 
#4 ·
I broke my neck in three places when I was 16 (2 fractures on the right side and a clean break in the c2) and had a halo put on for 6 months after a rollover car accident that shot me threw the roof and landed me 12 yards away head first, shattered my colour bone when I was 11 and had to wear a cast that looked like a football chest pad for God knows how long, broken fingers, got suckers punched in a bar when I was 23 and had a hair line fracture in my face, infected to nail after crushing the first half of my big toe, and many more injuries. this legiment tear that led to a disc bulge between 3 and 4 on the lower right side take the cake. some things you just cannot work threw. I came in here asking for honest help, please if you don't have any then leave any unneeded comments to yourself, thank you.
 
#5 ·
How long until you can work did the doctor say.?

Edit: I'm in a similar situation, I'm going to lose a family member any day, has been like this for about 2 months. I make my customers aware of the situation in a professional manner when I first talk with them for the year and everything seemed to work out so far. Communication is huge. Best of luck
 
#6 ·
they didn't give me a time line, they just said it is deffinitly not recommended to sit on any jostling type of machinery in fear of rupturing the disc. I'm just sick to my stomach man because I don't want to let my customers down but I really don't want to be an idiot about it and "work threw it" and hurt myself and end up not just losing my business but maybe even my ease of mobility.
 
#14 ·
If this is a chronic condition with an indefinite time frame I think you need to just get out of it as gracefully as possible. Finding a long-term employee to work 6 hours a week just doesn't seem practical.

If it's temporary then I agree with trying to get friends/family or another LCO to cover for you until you can resume running the route yourself.

I've been told to stay off my feet for weeks 3 different times, which I never did, but the consequences were not as severe as yours. Can they hook you up with a brace or not enough support?
 
#17 ·
I know somebody here said sometimes just suck it up, I do not know how severe your injury is, so only take this with a grain of salt. One guy here if I recalled mowed with a neck brace on due to a roll over accident he had. Just sayin. Anyways, best wishes for a speedy recovery
 
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#18 ·
thanks man I appreciate it. ya I have seen guys mow with casts on and all kinds off crap(neck brace - that's a first). I just don't want to herniate or rupture the disc and be in a worse position then I am now. I know I'm probably over thinking it, I'm a worrier, but when they told me they deffinitly did not recommend me mowing it scared me. this back injury is the worst pain I've ever dealt with and I don't want to find out how much worse it can get if u know what I mean.
 
#21 ·
First off let me say I broke my back 14 years ago. Crushed L1 L2 &L3 vert . I don't know how severe you pain is. Mine was hell. Was a year n half before I could do anything physical. Hopefully you will recover soon. You may need to look at a long term game plan here. I don't have a answer for that. Been some good suggestions made ,temp service, another LCO you trust, can you drive? Maybe a part time college kid. Anyways probably best to do as little as possible until your well.
 
#25 ·
High school kid would be great pay em 100$ a week to mow for you, in my area 9-10$ hr is start out for laborer most ztr op are 12$. Even on 100$ week salary you could pay this kids taxes for him or do cash whatever floats you're boat and still make money if you get 60hr . If back is long term may not be a bad idea to look at this as more a business venture than a job. You do paperwork bids and run business while laborer does the work. Yes it cuts your profits down but you still make money and your back thanks you for it
 
#27 ·
this is deffinitly my long term plan to a T. I just didn't think I would be looking at taking a backseat to the labor this early. I'm 30 years old and was hoping to run a 1 man show for a while until I built up a solid customer base and then look at hiring. Im finding out that injuries really throw a wrench in the whole operation. I should of been more prepared.
 
#30 ·
6 hrs of labor at a 100$ salary is 16.67 a hr that's pretty good considering all they do is run equipment, if they ran their own crew 15-18 would be pretty reasonable. Just think if you were full time in an average 6 month mowing season you would have to make 30 hr for 40 hr a week to pay yourself 15 hr for the year. Now you maybe able to keep an employee busy thru the fall maybe even winter. 60 hr minus 15$ hr is cost, 15$ hr in taxes and you got 30 left. Employees would leave you with 15$ an hr theoretical
 
#32 ·
If I got hurt now I wouldn't try to run my young business, without full time work it would be too hard to have labourers lined up for any jobs I did get. I'd find a non physical job for the year and hit the advertising hard next winter, get a good website up and get a good start on next year. It's not like you are missing out.

Maybe try to sub your work out to a newer company where you can still make 10-20% off each lawn and still be able to get the jobs back once you are better.
 
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