back to the 9 to 5

I jumped in with both feet in lawn care. Now I'm pulling 1 foot back out. Went down to the local job service and started filling out applications. A tough decision to make, but I gotta put food on the table somehow. I'll still have time to service my accounts, being I have so few to service.

 

jason--tell us what happened...?<p>GEO

 

It's ok Jason, sometimes its tough starting out. My first year wasn't all roses the second was really good and so far in the third it has been great. Just do your best and make money however you can even if it is working for someone else. Good luck.

 

jason good job your familys first. there will be a time when you will know to jump back in .

 

Jason I`ve been there. You`re doing what`s right to take care of the family and I`m sure we all support you on that. Hope things work out and you can get back into mowing full time again.<p>----------<br>gus....<br>

 

Geo,<p>Well, I didn't research my market well enough is what it boils down to. 40 miles from me is a market of roughly 3-400,000. Lot's of competition. I gave a lot of bids and got only a very few. Most potential clients told me I was too expensive. I did see a flyer by some competition advertising $16 a cut in a neighborhood I was targeting. I was bidding those same lawns in the $30 range. I did get quite a bit of cleanups and hedge trimming jobs. Most of those were referrals. And the people were happy with my work. But now those are over, and I'm down to lawn maintenance. I have one day a week filled in the town 40 miles away. And I have a few accounts in area where I live. But where I live is the second poorest county in the state. Most people cut their own lawns. Been stopping at every place I see where grass hasn't been cut, and offering my services, only picked up one account this way. What I need to do is concentrate my marketing efforts earlier next year, and target more commercials. Lot's of the commercials I've talked to were interested, but already had somebody signed up. Only one other lawn care provider in my area, and he does some shoddy work. So I'm hoping people will change to me. <p>But I'm definitely not giving up. I love this biz, I just need to pay the bills. And that requires me going back to work for somebody else for now.

 

I know how you feel Jason, I have bid lots of jobs and got quite a few but I have been alot higher than some of the guys who got the bids. On one job that was 2 acres the lowest bid was $45, I bid $110 and the next bid was $80 It is almost 15 miles from any other jobs I do so I bid high. I work full time in a factory and was planning on quitting soon, my boss found out and now he is sweeting the pot and I can't go fulltime lawn cutting until I get enough work to cover it off. Maybe next year.. Do what you have to do to pay bills but keep on looking for more lawn work and make sure you make money at it. Don't price jobs just for the sake of having something to do, it will make it harder to get them up to reasonable amounts later. Sign yourself up with a temp agency and do odd jobs until you can get enough work on your own if you can.

 

Jason, keep marketing. Customers will drop other co's who overbook or do a poor job. Just do a good job and it will come. Good Luck!

 

jason--glad to hear you are not giving up. sounds like a better plan for next year is in the works. good luck.<p>you can't get 'em all. I gave a bid yesterday and got hee hawed at. I knew my price for the trouble, but someone out there is giving it away. I hope he's eating well at the end of the month when the bills come due.<p>GEO

 

Well i started my new job today. Working for a pre-cast concrete company.<p>To my surpise when I got to work today, my boss told me I was in charge of installing his new sod and irrigation system. Kind of ironic i thought. Going to work for someone else, and installing a lawn for him at laborer rates. Kinda funny. But great experience. I'd never worked with irrigation systems before today. Plus I picked up another mowing account. He's gonna pay me to mow for him now since he has no mower for his new lawn.