When it was just me and a helper I worked all the holidays. Once I got more trucks and employees I found it's better to give everyone a 3 day weekend. Most of the employees want it off to spend time with there families it gives them something to look forward to. Also it's good for the owner to rest up.

 

We actually tend to pick up customers on holidays. We assume it's because more people are home and finally see us working so they come ask. I think the pool plaster crew is coming tomorrow to plaster our new pool actually. I hope they do because that's basically the final step and then we can get it filled and opened up!

 

I think i saw this thread somewhere already this week, cant find it. I think the concensus was most people are taking off.

If you cant take a holliday off, you arent running a business. It is running you...

 

We can easily take it off. But it does make the rest of the week harder as those skipped lawns have to be incorporated into the rest of your week. Sure for somebody that only has 30 lawns or something no problem. What if we take off Monday then Tuesday we wake up to find the forecast has changed for Thursday and Friday and suddenly you have only 2 days to do all your lawns? That is why we never take a Monday off unless we have no choice due to rain.

 

Easy choice this year its going to be raining that day here. I get so few days off I'll find a project at my house to do I'll probably mulch one of the beds here.

 

Don't have much of a choice here, I'm already 3-4 weeks behind on extras as it is, will be mowing tomorrow due to rain so I don't plan to have off right now but that could change.

 

i don't have any holidays during mowing season. why be off monday if it will make me have to work on saturday? seems pointless to me.

i will be working unless it rains of course.

i was off by noon today so it's still a holiday weekend for me. :laugh:

i probably won't even take july 4th off. fireworks take place at night anyways not during the day. :laugh:

 

is your schedule really 5 solid days not counting side jobs? you just couldnt do that where im at, you have to have no more than 4 to 4.5 days of mowing, so you can adjust for rain and holidays. for us, we wont do any side jobs during a holiday week. plus everybody comes back energized and ready to go better than ever after a 3 day weekend.

 

I am, mainly because we have high rain chances the next few days, but also because the properties are are close to my home that I'll be able to smell my smoker!

 

I'm taking the boat out and fishing with my brothers and dad. And we over indulge a bit.

 

just cookout tomorrow instead of monday. problem solved.

 

Had rub this in a bit!
I just got back from vacation. First in seven years lol lawn care jeez.
Next 15 days have 2 days with less than 20% chance of rain I'm mowing or landscaping if at all possible.

 

One of the main reason I went into business for myself was so I could spend more time with my family. I happily take off all holidays and other days just to do family things. I took a three day weekend a few weeks ago for my son's birthday. Went up to Wisconsin dells and had a blast at an indoor water park.

 

exactly my thoughts. if i wanted to work weekends i wouldve kept my old job, now i get to decide when i work within reason.

 

I pushed like an insane maniac, moved a day or two around and got everyone done by Friday afternoon 5-27-17 to resume wednesday.

 

Yea what is the point in being self employed if you can't take off the major Holidays? Something will always get us behind every now and then. Nothing new. Customers expect me to take off. So every year the answer is NO mowing lawns on Major Holidays.

 

Thank you! I thought i was the only one who still runs their business.*newusflag*

 

Ferting today.. tomorrow I will wash my truck trailer and machine. Then Monday is mowing and ferting businesses all day baby!

 

In the summer if a holiday falls on a weekday then im working. I have a 5 day schedule and 85 yards or so i have to get done every week all summer long.

 

So for those that work on Monday, you show up and the client has the family over playing wiffle ball and BBQing....skip? or mow and spray fert all over everyone?

 

Very very seldom ever happens but if it did of course you would have to skip in that case

 

I'm still moving stuff to my new shop. Couple more loads and I'll be done. Running a couple estimates this afternoon. Hired a guy to pressure wash my house and all concrete areas. He'll be here Sunday then I am going to chill. Have a great weekend and CHEERS to our VETS!

 

Supposed too rain, but if not I likely will.

 

I wanted to have the three day weekend off, but rain last couple of days made things fall behind, so we're mowing Saturday and part of Sunday, should still have Monday off though

 

yes i mow 5 days a week about 6-8 hrs a day. i have a little room at the end of each day or saturday to work to makeup for rain delays.

side jobs? i don't do any side jobs during mowing season if i can help it. i might trim a few shrubs or cut down a small tree but nothing that takes too much time. side jobs are held off until late fall/early spring when i have plenty of time to get to them.

side jobs are just that...side jobs. i get to them when i can or i work on them a little at a time whenever i'm at the yard to mow.

as a solo person you don't make a lot of money on side jobs anyways. they are more of a distraction. mowing is where the money is if you are solo. you can't afford to spend 2-3 days landscaping during peak mowing season.

Say what??? What you gotta do is only side jobs, no mowing. Then Your making money.

Without the age old debate, i Strongly disagree that mowing is "where the money is".
profitable for solo yes, but landscape work can profit much much more if you know what your doing, and consider mowing expenses.

 

Say what??? What you gotta do is only side jobs, no mowing. Then Your making money.

Without the age old debate, i Strongly disagree that mowing is "where the money is".
profitable for solo yes, but landscape work can profit much much more if you know what your doing, and consider mowing expenses.

Flat out mowing is where its at in Bama.

 

Mowing smaller check less lip service
Sidejobs bigger check more lip service
I take on both
And side jobs wait and are told that.
Mowing is core of my business.
And I'll be doing both on Memorial Day.
Might try to take my dad out for dinner who served in the navy.

 

In the summer if a holiday falls on a weekday then im working. I have a 5 day schedule and 85 yards or so i have to get done every week all summer long.

I'm with you. Nothing worse than cutting every lawn for the week a day or more late. Plus, like Weeze said if we take off Monday with a full schedule it means we will be working Saturday and possible Sunday.

 

So for those that work on Monday, you show up and the client has the family over playing wiffle ball and BBQing....skip? or mow and spray fert all over everyone?

We normally start at 7 but will wait till 7:30 Monday. Will have 18+ done no later than 1. Nobody is cooking out etc before then so no problem.

 

I let my guys off but my son and I will be trying to catch up on some bush hogging this weekend and Monday.

 

I have found shrubs and mulch can be quite profitable. Home owner can for the most part mow the yard mulch maybe shrubs barely.
Add $10 per hour and cushion bids 30min.-1hr.
It works I've had trim ups for 180 that took less than 2 hours.
Mulch I charge cost of materials 1 hr per yard plus $5 per yard delivery.

 

it must be different in your area. they don't pay jack for trimming shrubs here. they want to pay you $10/hr. i talk them into a price that would be equal to $25/hr and they pay it but not willingly. if i priced it at $50/hr they just say no thanks. i only have about 4-5 customers that ask for shrub trimming anyways. some of them get out there and do that themselves. same with landscaping/planting. they like to do that themselves or they don't care enough about it to do anything. it seems to be one or the other. i've only done a few planting/landscaping jobs in 7 years. it's not a big thing here. a lot of them start a project and then never finish it so it stays halfway done all the time. :laugh:

also mulch isn't big here either. they do it themselves or most of them just don't put anything in the flower beds. i've had countless yards i go to mow for the first time and the flower beds are just grass and weeds. i just trim it down and spray it so it stays dirt all the time. flower beds are an afterthought here. people just don't care too much about that stuff. the ones that do care work in the flower beds themselves.

 

Here, 9 out of 10 people get mulch. And we do a ton of plants and tree plantings. Tons of softscapes here. I do 2 days if mowing, and only for full service clients. Lots of guys do just installs and what not.