Try doing a search for the SBA. That's the Small Business Assistance loans of the government. I can't remember exactly where on here, but, I just read a thread on it a couple of days ago. One of the members got the OK from the SBA, and went thru Capital One for the financial end. You could just go online to the SBA site and get whatever assistance you need. Then you just go to your bank for the $$$$$$. Of course good credit and a sensible business plan are musts. Keep us posted and let us know how you make out.
Email before going the SBA route. There are many things that the banks forget to tell you. I'm in a battle with a bank about their nondisclosureon my SBA.
The title of my post says it all. Same question as eddie06 but for the state of Alabama. I've found plenty of info. on the web for Utah, Michigan, Conneticut, etc. but nothing for Alabama. I called the local County extension service and they say all I need is a commercial landscape license for everything- one licenese covers pesticides, fertilizer, planting trimming, etc.? State Department of Agriculture informed me that they don't administer this license exam in the Mobile area till July. Come on! What do they want me to do for a living till then.
Also does anybody have a simple formula to figure out what to charge per project. For example for every hour of mowing, "x" amount should be charged or for other projects, material costs + "x"% Also any suggestions for adding extra income in the winter months.
Thanks
Robert
eddie06 said:
hi everyone i want to start my own landscaping and yard service co. will anyone tell me what i need to be leagle with the state.i live in flordia. thanks
Can anyone recommend a great computer program for identifying plants. I love the ones on the net in which you answer questions concerning type of leaves (shape, number per stem,serrated, etc.) and then they compute the type of plant you have. However all of those net programs have an extremely limited number of plants so I rarely find a match. I would like to find a program like these but with a much larger number of plants in its database.
My first post... This thread has been a terrific read for me. I have been lurking and reading. I am starting this Spring (April) providing basic lawn service. I am running the business from my home office. I am retiring from 25 years in the military and opening a one man lawn care show. I've already purchased equipment, gotten some legal advice from a friend (I have to start paying as soon as I open my company) and I begin advertising next weekend. I already had about half of my equipment. The place I bought the rest of my equipment from services all of my equipment including Craftsman. They will give me a 10% discount and return equipment in 24 hours or provide loaner equipment. My goal is to have 20-25 regular lawn care customers providing lawn mowing, weed eating and edging. I will provide additional services like aeration, gutter cleaning, fertilizing and seeding, leaf cleanup to them and other customers. I am looking to do lawn care for contracts. I will give seniors/retirees and deployed military 15% discounts.
What I've learned so far...This is a great site with alot of people sharing their knowledge and experience. Thank you. Besides what I've already done above I've started stocking up on Sun Screen, wasp spray, belts, blades, tools, fire extinguishers and pee bottles...etc....
I cut 2 neighbors yards this fall. I removed leaves from another. Free. I did this to help them out and to get the feel for what it was like doing someone else's lawn/yard. It allowed me to figure time, gas cost etc... It has helped me with figuring pricing. They know I am going into business and there are no more freebies.
This week I went to the Business Licensing Section of my local City to ask questions. It was slow there and they took alot of time talking to me. This was HUGE. I learned alot of do's and don't's for my local area without having to read the entire City Ordnance.
Some examples...I thought I could not apply fertilizer/ grass seed with out a license/certification. I can. In my area if I can buy it off the shelf and disburse it through a spreader I require no licensing. I need licensed if it goes under pressure from water or a tank or is a controlled chemical /pesticide.
This isn't going to be my primary business but it's nice to know that I can do it.
Local ordnance....I can't have my trailer in my front yard/driveway overnight if there is a business logo on it. I must park it in my yard behind the front edge of the house. On the weekends I can tell I am going to have to park my trailer in the driveway for extended periods to do maintenance on equipment.
Local Ordnance...If I have employees they can't come to my home to meet for work.
Local Ordnance If a customer asked I can spread topsoil and mulch without licensing. BUT...IF I do a single job charging more than $1000 then I am a Class C Contractor and have to be licensed. I can put mulch in an existing flower bed or I can create one. Locally IF applying topsoil and I change the grade of the property it has to have city approval and I have to have a contractors license. Again not my primary business but nice to know what I can and can't do.
The week before last I called my insurance company. (Highly recommended that you call and discuss insurance before hand to get an idea of what you will need and who will provide it). As long as my trailer is attached to my truck it is considered part of my vehicle and covered under my present car insurance. The trailer and it's contents are insured. If I disconnect the trailer or take it out of the trailer it is no longer covered. My insurance company does not carry equipment insurance but they will arrange it through a different company.
My Liability insurance covers any damage incurred while I am operating equipment. IF I get off a riding mower to move a bird bath, bench, chair, trampoline and drop it/break it...Not covered. I need different insurance to cover that. I may need to get three different policies. I'm still sorting this one out.
Currently I am waiting for my registration as a LLC to come back from the State. Being in the military I have kept my legal residence in Nevada (no state income taxes, cheaper car tags and drivers licensing). Before I can register my company locally I have to change my state of residence locally. I have to re-register all vehicles, drivers license and I become immediately available for the Jury pool.
I created my own logo and slogan. I made up my own flyers and business cards using power point and microsoft publisher. I went to a local company to get quotes for signs and vehicle magnets and my logo is not usable because of software differences and they want to re-do it. I am shopping around to find someone who can use my design. I have grown to like my design and don't want it changed.
These are some of the many things I learned locally. The point is to go to your local City/State and insurance company and find out what you can and can't do and what the rules are for your business. Look in this site for answers from work experience. I am sure one day I will have a long list of "lesson's learned". Thanks to all who have posted. I hope to be a contributor
i use only scagg eq,and i have insisted my employs to engage/disengage my eq at low rpms,now some situiations dont allow for this,thats when well greased eq will slow some wear and tear
my guys are not allowed to leave the shop with out, a walk arround theire truck ,trailer, ect,i agree that spills on streets and cutomers lawns is just un proffesional. i git-r- done fast,reliable,and most of all professional, good habits makes for a good living,and better customers.
i ve only be in the bussiness a while but here's a few tips i learned quickly
1 us glasses, i like the yellow tint, makes the green stand out, (have the wrap around cause it hurts bad when you get beamed in the bottom eyelid)
2 even if ur good mower breaks ALWAYS mow the dang yard anyway cause u'll lose bussiness FAST
3 always think before you act b/c stuff can go really wrong really fast
make sure ur a master w/ the trailer before you head out b/c if u dont u'll be tryin to back a trailer somewhere and the only thing u'll get are weird looks and kids laughin at u lol
How about the website, Lawnsuccess.com? I am new to the business, and have so many questions and issues that i want to know about. I found this tool which has tons of topics and information for around $70. Has anyone used this or something like it? And if so, what do you think? Need some advice. www.lawncaresuccess.com/lawncare
knowledge is everything in this business. go buy some lawn books on disease and plant insects. years ago, i had a ortho problem solver book. most nursery's used to have them. cost 250.00. the best book out there for our kind of business. it a huge book with colored photos of the lawn disease and of insects. once upon a time, i used to spray but eventually quit.
Now adays, a potential client will be showing me around their property for an estimate on mowing and i'll stop and show them the spider mites that are destroying their azaleas. i'll explain what this insect does etc and that they need to let their chemical spraying company know so they can know what to spray. this kind of knowledge quickly gets you hired because the homeowner doesnt just see a guy who only cares about just mowing but cares about the healthiness of the whole landscape.
Hi folks! Im new to this site and I think its great. It appears to me that everyone on this site seems very helpful towards one another, it has a real community feel to it. On that note Im wondering if anyone can help me on some thing? I recently purchased a new 36" Wright Stander mower and Im starting to feel that I under size myself. Im new to the buisness so I dont want to make to many mistakes where it ends up costing me alot of money. I also bought me a new enclosed 8'*16' trailer. Im open to any advise you may have to offer. Thank You.
Hi folks! Im new to this site and I think its great. It appears to me that everyone on this site seems very helpful towards one another, it has a real community feel to it. On that note Im wondering if anyone can help me on some thing? I recently purchased a new 36" Wright Stander mower and Im starting to feel that I under size myself. Im new to the buisness so I dont want to make to many mistakes where it ends up costing me alot of money. I also bought me a new enclosed 8'*16' trailer. Im open to any advise you may have to offer. Thank You.
OK, the trailer seems to be a nice size. Now the mower...why did you purchase a 36" machine? Are your yards all small, or was it a bargain price? You can make your customer list fit your machines...OR...you can make your machines fit your customer list. Either way...it is your business to run. Maybe keep the machine for awhile...get your money's worth out of it, then trade up for your next purchase. Hold onto it...it is collateral for your next move. Remember...small backyards require a smaller machine.
Well, as many people have indicated on this message board, I am new to this business as well. I appreciate people being straight forward about many of the do's and don'ts. I know that knowledge is very important, especially if you want your business to grow substantially. I have been looking into some information out there that goes over many details of starting and operating a landscaping company but am not sure which of them are really providing the best information. I wanted to ask if anyone had any recommendations? I have been seriously looking at the Phil Nillson books found at www.nillsonbooks.com. Again, I am looking for recommendations-help please.
Alright you guys. Everybody here is real nice and happy with each other sharing all kinds of nice information to help. This is really great stuff and I know all of us "newbees" really appreciate the great advice. But the first thing we need to know is, what are the pitfalls and mistakes not to make. What are the "look out's!" to watch out for? Ya' know, you guys made a lot of mistakes and paid for those mistakes with time, money, sweat, and in some cases blood. So, what's that bad news? What are the things that all of us new guys (and girls) should look out for?
For example: 1. what equipment brand, size, and pricing 2. trailer size 3. commercial vs residential (both or what mix percentages) 4. and the mysterious stuff we just don't know to ask about.
Let's have the dirt on this business as well as all the great hype about how much fun you are having working for yourselves. For example, I talked with one guy that I managed to stop while he was "on the job" and one of the things he talked about was hydration and diet. Some times the sun can be a killer if you're not prepared, and if you've not worked outside before, this might be a real dangerous issue to be surprised with when you come close to passing out.
When making an estimate, if you really mess it up, there is nothing wrong with giving a revised estimate after you've mowed it. I have done this a few times and there were no complaints. Customers understand it can be tough to come up with a price without seeing how long it will take. This is often the case where a customer forgets to tell you that a large area is part of there property. So if you give the wrong price, don't be afraid to correct it.
Also, for bills get order some envelopes with the windows in the front so you don't have to do any addressing.
I want to start in business, only have one client, 0ne push mower,weed eater, etc., not too much money, but I'd really like to start in my own small business, so I'm trying, seems as if blindly, to do so. Any help appreciated yet I come not empty handed:
small tip, especially for the small ops--freeze either 20oz or 2 liter plastic soda bottles, and try not to forget to do so like I did this morning, to save money shelling out for bags of ice. It works really well, when the water is gone, or if they are in your lunch cooler, you'll have cold water to drink.
What I did was(considering i was in ur position) is go to the people who look like they need it. For instance... fat joe w/ dinky mower and sweatin like crazy.. an older couple people like that. they see that ur a small businiss but want thier yard done. the reason i say small yards is b/c, w/ ur small push mower, work on small yards get money flow. Then after a month or two u have cash to by a big mower(buy biger than u think u need when possible but not somthin out of ur bugget). When getting your mower figure up what u are makin with what u have now. Then set a resonable goal(say an additonal 5-10 yards) if you are going to want to get bigger than u are. with that figure decide on what is best for (do u have the time to care for this mower/equitment, how big are ur yards, is the equitment up too the job, etc.). now ur ready for some big stuff. send out advertisments, (if u can afford it) flyers, door to door, and as an added bounus ur new equiment can bring custmers to u.(or not)
181 - 200 of 753 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
A forum community dedicated to lawn care and landscaping professionals and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!