[lawnworker]

hello all

just wondering if anyone has had to borrow money in the wintor just to pay bills I know i need to increase my work load and save more for winter . it ssems each year i need to borrow 1000 are more just to pay bills this really sucks. what do you all do for winter income are do u just make enough in season to cover the slow times.

let me know thanks the lawn worker

 

[Lazer]

We plow snow. We make more money in the winter than the summer. Perhaps we'll need to borrow $ this summer.

 

[HOMER]

Hi, I would suggest beginning this spring, converting old customers and starting all new customers on an annual payment plan. Get away from per cut income. You need money 12 months a year so impress this upon your customers. Just average out over a 12 month period what you have been charging and learn to budget as best you can.

I don't know about Va. and the amount of snow you get but if I hadn't established at least 1/2 of my accounts this way I would have to borrow also.

Homer

 

[Lazer]

Homer, I guess if I could read, I could've seen he was from VA.

 

[HOMER]

I really don't know what kind of winter they have in Va. If it is fairly mild there he might convince his old and new alike to go year round maybe on a 28 cut schedule. I put all mine on a 30-33 mowing schedule and average out the per cut price into 12 payments. Last winter was pretty tough on us too, so I know where he's coming from!
Last spring as I began picking up new customers I convinced them to go yearly and gave them a monthly price. At the end of the 1st month of service I begin invoicing them and continue right on through the winter. I get the same amount from them if I cut them 3 times or 1 time like this month. I have picked up several customers this fall and winter and done them the same way so next winter should be easier again than this one. We don't have any snow to plow so we have to be creative.

Homer

 

[thelawnguy]

I do lawns in the summer and snow in the winter, when theres snow everythings fine, but the last two winters with no snow I have had to draw down my savings, kinda sucks to work all summer just to spend it all winter, but this year we've had a couple storms and I also switched my commercials to seasonal so that so far things are ok, actually I had leftovers so I had a new electric service put in the house and a large siver maple removed, ordinarily Id have to wait for spring to do those things.

Also got a call from the executor of the estate of one of my past customers, evidently I have a windfall coming. She had no family, left her estate to myself, the housekeeper and the mailman who used to help her out from time to time. Guess it finally paid out, putting up with her nitpicking for the past six years. So I must say, guess some of those senior citizen accounts can be good for something after all.

Bill

 

[Charles]

Thats why we stress so much on pricing on this forum. This is a seasonal business and more so for those who don't get much snow. You have to charge enough to get you through the winter and enough to invest in your retirement and health insurance. Too there will be those years when you have to buy new and replace old equipment. We have to make a years income in 8 months period of time. And the weather may even shorten that. Time is so valuable in the peak periods you need to have a minimum before you drive and unload your equipment.

 

[TotalCareSolutions]

This years been good, but winter still hurts.

 

[Evan528]

Money should have been put aside all summer to get you through the winter time. I will be living off of savings untill May (thats when Aprils payments will start coming in). I would rather have my earned money in my own bank account then charge over 12 months and let my clients keep my money in there bank account.

 

[mtdman]

Budget budget budget. And save. If you're not making enough to get yourself through the winter, you need to raise rates, get more profitable, etc. I do snow, but I hate it, and only do what I have to in order to keep those that want removal happy. I'd much rather work my butt off all summer and have enough to get me through the winter without doing a lot of snow.

 

[bobbygedd]

i always had another job, but, i'll tell u what i do besides. some of my clients are on a 10 month payment plan, first one due by 3/1. also, any just ferts, or just mow and ferts, have a pre paid fert bill due by march 15th. so, u send out the bills beginning of feb, and get some back quick, some not so quick. being home in the winter, with nothing to do, u tend to spend more money, by feb it can get tight, and my billing procedure is a life saver.

 

[quiet]

"I would rather have my earned money in my own bank account then charge over 12 months and let my clients keep my money in there bank account."


To each his own. But to me it's awful nice having the same income in January as July.

 

[Sean Adams]

40 billable hours in one week
30 weeks in a season (for example)
1200 billable hours
52 weeks less 30 weeks = 22 weeks left
no snow or no winter work
30 weeks of revenue needs to cover a lot

 

[kootoomootoo]

I found a great job using my 1 ton truck to deliver freight.
Doesnt pay great but $500 a week at least keeps me afloat until the spring. Now I also know I have a job next winter.

 

[hole in one lco]

I send out my fert program for the year in February. So snow or not its not to bad.


Also call your news paper. They pay 500.0 to deliver to quickie marts store

 

[proenterprises]

make out a savings plan for the upcoming season. make a certain dolar amount that you set aside each week from cutting. put that amount in the back and it can be your "winter" fund. now, when you have winter bills to pay-instead of borrowing just to pay back later-you can draw from that and make your payments honestly.

as far as the current situation-paper routes, oil truck drivers, snow, maint. on props.

 

[olderthandirt]

Originally posted by quiet
"I would rather have my earned money in my own bank account then charge over 12 months and let my clients keep my money in there bank account."

To each his own. But to me it's awful nice having the same income in January as July.

You can, its called a budget and unless its your first yr. its pretty easy to budget for the winter months IE make $12k profit in summer that leaves you with $1000 month budget.

Mac

 

[J&R]

I started back in 1982 full time. The first 2 years in the off months i took a job with a temp service to help.

 

[fga]

I just send out my last bills really late like late december to now. Anything before christmas I'd wind up spending on CRAP! The way I work it, I have checks coming in all winter. It's not alot of money at once, but it is an income. On top of snow, and little odds and ends landscape stuff, I usaully make it through.
It depends on your bills though. I try to keep a very low overhead all year, and my rent is cheap, and best of all my insurance plan for my trucks and car are the free months over the winter! I pay 7 months out of the year. You have to work out a system that fits yourself. First obvious thing is don't splurge this time of the year.

 

[chefdrp]

to me whats it matter if you spread the money 12 months. You still only have x amount of money made. Please help me understand how say 20,000 made in the summer is more when its spread out.