Hi all,
I know how you feel folks, I have the same drama in my area too as all areas would, blokes running around in old bombs towing an old rusty box trailer with an old mower and a few bags, rake etc, and they mow for $25 average for a quarter acrea block.
The same job my average fee is $66 AUD, 1 hour max, from start to finish, mulch clippings, clean up leaves, edges etc. And I use a Toro Z355, don't even use a push mower. I'm one of the dearest around, but the trick is speed, and neatness, and stay away from carting away from site unless the client is happy to pay for it.
These el 'cheapos still rattle my cage as naturally they are always busy, but their work quality isn't as good and many people don't know any better, e.g mowing is mowing isn't it? He is less than half my fee, how can I justify that!? Yeah, yeah, like every other who do this full time we hear this all the time, can only explain the differences, offer a guarantee, and see if you can break the nieve barrier.
Target the bigger jobs, ones too big for a push mower, but ones a cheap ride on won't handle, go for small acreges, this is where you lose a lot of the el cheapos, it's the only way I survived, find and create a niche, get known, this alone brings in work...people talk in these areas, townies don't as much and they are more blind about this industry than you think.
Commercial and Govn. work is more reliable and you need not think of these nutters working for beer money.
Quote: There is nothing as good for your business as good strong competition. It will make you grow as a business man and it will make your business stronger / wealthier.
A friendly comment to this statement....yes, you are right if comparing apples to apples, e.g pro to pro, this is good strong competition and once you get known by more collegues you find everyone is doing it as tough as you, take the good times with the bad, but if you offer premium services you can't be compared to a part timer who doesnt offer a complete lawn maintenance service, that's not apples for apples and I fail to see how these clowns can make you stronger, it means to get work you need to work cheap, doing so means you need to cut corners like them, do you really want to do this?
I say no, just target areas where you can stand out, up market areas, acreage, auction preperation, contracts.
At times these guys seem busier, only because they are slower.
They seem to flood the smaller job market of pensioners and low income, rental market etc, hey they can have em I say, easier work, better paying on the bigger jobs that they can't taint.
Just my 2 cents worth,
Tony,
Australia.