[Athletic field]

Have any fert/squirt guys added mowing to their list of services? If so, did you find that it was worth it?

 

[Young Bros]

I worked at 2 jack of all trades and they were masters of none. They got stretched thin with all the departments. The fert was always least important, always moving fert apps up or down for clean up. We didn't want to invest in all the equipment either.

 

[Runner]

The consistency is there, but the margin sure is not. It is like taking a few steps backwards. You are almost better off to concentrate efforts on more marketing to build the fert..

 

[jasontimm]

I do both, i think a lot of guys start with mowing and expand into weed control and fert. my customers like a one stop shop when it comes to thier lawns. Only you know how much you can handle, just take as many accounts you can handle without loosing quality of service.

 

[JJS]

a lot of companys around here started as mowing and as soon as they got into fert...dropped the mowing end. We do both because we started off as a mowing company 24 years ago. To me i would never get out of the mowing end because of the consistency and our current client base. Mowing always leads to other word, which keeps you busy. I do agree with runner, if you have been doing fert and now want to "expand" into mowing...you are going to feel like you've take a couple steps back, but to each his own, go where the work is

 

[LawnTamer]

If you are an established spray/fert company, or are trying to be, DON'T DO IT!

I started out as strictly a fert and squirt, got tired of turning away people who wanted mowing. So we added mowing. It was a huge mistake. The margins just aren't there, people perceive you as being a jack of all trades, handy man, rather than a lawn professional. Focus on your fert and squirt, if you are wanting to add services, add ones that go along with being a spraying company, like deep root feeding, shrub and tree spraying, disease control etc.

The mowing market here is SATURATED. I can't get more $$$$ for lawns than I did 12 years ago.

 

[Young Bros]

I agree with lawntamer. Add perimeter house insect spray, preventative insect lawn application, fungicide, tree & shrub fert, tree & shrub insect & disease, soil testing, soil ammendments (gypsum, lime, sulfur, compost), core aeration, over seeding, slit seeding, ground sterilants, or landscape spray.

 

[Athletic field]

I'm going into my third year as a solo fert and squirt company. I do fert and weed control programs, grub control, surface insect control, Soil testing, lawn renovations (aerating seeding) etc. I would like to expand or really get more work and thought about mowing. I pretty much had the same answers given to me by others I know in the industry. I'll have to look more into spraying trees and shrubs. Thank you for your responses.

 

[turf hokie]

Agreed, no mowing....tree&shrub is best, we started to and it is better margin than the lawns!

 

[grassman177]

it is not a bad thing to mow grass, you can start up cheap and keep a guy or two busy. dont knock it

 

[DA Quality Lawn & YS]

I do both, i think a lot of guys start with mowing and expand into weed control and fert. my customers like a one stop shop when it comes to thier lawns. Only you know how much you can handle, just take as many accounts you can handle without loosing quality of service.

Agreed, it is nice to be able to control all of the lawn activity on a customer's lawn yourself. But, as both ends of the business grow, you are going to run short on time to get things covered VERY fast. Don't take on more business than you can handle if you are going to do both mow and spray.

 

[DuWayne]

This post was good, I am starting out this year and was wondering some of the same things. My focus will be weed and feed, I plan to offer an natural/organic service when asked to. Thought about mowing for awhile I see pro and cons to offering both. My plan that I will use is yes offer both, but what makes that easy for me to decide is my father is retired and says he will help, I have another retired guy that does some mowing of his own, only has enough accounts to justify his mower he would like to help me with or without his equipment. So if I do get bogged down I would have a back up with equipment.
Then I have myself and one other guy that will be certified for lawn applications, and still help out mowing if possible.
So thats my plan of attack.