I have been in the yard business for 15+ years now and am yet to understand 90% of the individuals in the business...boils down to this....most "lawn Guys" go for the image instead of the money..I am no longer "Full-time" but have been in the past...Pure financials from my experience for maximum cash with least headache: 1 60 inch Rider, 1 weedeater, 1 edger, 1 blower, 1 6/10 single axle trailer and 1 used 4 cylinder truck (Physics say that you dont need a crew cab diesel duelly HD to tow a lawn trailer). Charge $60 per hour with 1 hr min. Spend 7 hours per day for 5 days a week mowing and 1 hour/day traveling. Income $2,100/week ($8,400/mth) - $900 expence yields $7,500/mth *7 = $52,500 for 7 months of work....leaves 5 months to landscape...etc....so ...to all of you $48k truck drivers have fun...
Congrats for you... It's not that EASY most places. $60 minimum? So any lawn, no matter how small, you got $60? That's about double what anyone else on here makes! 60 an hour I can see. As for having one 60" mower to do every lawn, well in most places that dosn't fly. Around here you need at least 2 sizes, if not 3 to work in every lawn. That equates to pulling a 16 foot trailer at least, and that dosn't get done with a 4 cylinder. If everyone was using the same rig you do, then yes, you have a valid point, but many are pulling multiple large ztr's and several crew around. Many are also grossing over 60 per man hour.
I no longer do it comaro, because I paid my way through college and now make 6 figures as an Engineering Manager making financial decision for a multi billion dollar corporation....and yes...I still have 6 yards as well as my own (5 acres) that I keep up...not a formula...making a point....chevy HD is not a requirement...
I gross into the 6 figures as well, working a solo op lawn service. We're not going to break down numbers, because it's nearly impossible to when you're talking business / pleasure. I'm sure that you're doing the yard work for the tax benefits, if nothing else, so congrats on that. To say you only need 1 of stuff, what do you do when you're working 60-80 hours / week, and the mower dumps on you?? You just drive to the rental shop and rent one?? Not hardly. You take the other one that's still on the trailer, and get to the shop either when your route takes you there, or after the work is done that day. I'd be completely HOSED if I only had a setup like yours. I run a 24' enclosed trailer that holds my main ZTR, my backup ZTR, a 48" walkbehind, 10-30 bags of fertilizer, my PermaGreen spreader, my Echo polesaw, my 2 trimmers, my brush cutter, my split shaft equipment, my 2 backpack blowers, my spare tire, my papertowel rack with GOJO bottle, my 3 bottles of 2 cycle mix, my 3 quarts of different motor oils for the equipment, my battery for the interior and exterior lights AND my garbage can. My trailer is my portable shop. I can do most anything that a customer asks when I pull up to the location, without having to go rent, or go back to my permanent shop. Also, it's fully lettered on the sides and back, so when I pull into my commercial places, I look like someone that should be there.
well the wife has the 38,000 envoy,i have a 42,000 truck and a 39,000 bass boat and have bills out the butt but i dont care as long as the wife pays the bills!
I agree that a Chevy/Ford/Dodge HD is not a requirement. However, there is another factor involved, that is appearence. When I see a lawn guy driving a junky looking little truck pulling a junky looking trailer, I don't really want that guy doing my lawn, that person stands out in a bad way. When you have a truck that blends in (your average used truck), and a trailer that blend in, no one notices you. However, if you have an nice shiny truck, and a nice shiny trailer, you stand out in a good way, you look like a top notch lawn care company, which brings in more customers. As long as you back up your looks with good work, you can make out really well. So while new heavy duty trucks are by no means necessary, if you run a good operation, its a good advertizement to have particularly nice looking trucks and trailers with your company sign on them. We don't have brand new trucks, but we have nice looking ones, and we have a couple of particularly unique, nice looking trailer setups, and it does pay off. People notice us, and they remember us and call when they need work.
That sounds like one jam up set up...i just got flustered seeing all of the wanna be's talking trash about emptying their 401k to start businesses...solo op is the way to go...what I was talking about was a way to start...not end....
To the normal person a 1999 C1500 ext cab with 100,000 miles for $7,000 looks no different than a 2007 HD...Image is important but not $41,000 important!!! Quality Dependeble Work gets more yards than you can manage. Customer word of mouth is much better than any HD with a little sign or some fancy trailer...
