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Posted: 4/19/2007 9:21:35 PM EST
Thinking seriously about starting to take on some mowing jobs for extra cash.

Am I crazy?  or is there real money to be made?

Let's hear it all from you guys that have BTDT.  What to do/not to do.  The best equipment.  
How to bid jobs and not lose your shorts....  Anything the hivemind thinks one should consider before taking the leap.

BTW I'm in the Kansas City Mo area, and if you prefer send me a PM here.  Thanks in advance for what ever advice you guys can offer.
Link Posted: 4/19/2007 9:34:27 PM EST
[#1]
Link Posted: 4/19/2007 9:40:39 PM EST
[#2]
There's a lot of money to be made if you bid the jobs right. This is a one man operation? if it is, you can't bid on more than one or two jobs if you already have a full time job.
Link Posted: 4/19/2007 9:54:32 PM EST
[#3]
Get a good mower, and I mean good. Preferably with hydraulic steering, drive a couple and decide what is best for you.

Also get a good weed wacker, and use thick square line. And have a backup also. Have backups for everything, even get a push-mower to take along with you.

Get an ice chest, bring lots of drinks and some food. Get good shatter-proof glasses.


As for clients, word of mouth works best. Be consistent at what you do. Ask you're customers how they would like things done and go from there.


I did this for years and had around 30 customers. It pays well but it is hard work.
Link Posted: 4/19/2007 10:03:49 PM EST
[#4]

Quoted:
Get a good mower, and I mean good. Preferably with hydraulic steering, drive a couple and decide what is best for you.


When I mowed the neighbors lawns when I was a kid (for like, $5 and politely asking for lemonade/tea), it was with a PUSH mower (and often in the hot South Carolinian summer heat)...

Geez, had I had a riding mower, I could've made some serious cash.
Link Posted: 4/19/2007 10:10:48 PM EST
[#5]
I ran a lawn care business for a few years.  It's hard work, but the money can be good. $90k a year net with a three man crew.  In some places the work is seasonal, so you'll have to add other services for the winter.  I'm in Florida, so the work's pretty much year round.  

Some advice I can give is to get some good commercial equipment.  48-52" commercial ZTR mower, 3 trimmers, 2 edgers, back pack and parking lot blowers, a good enclosed trailer.  Expect to invest 15-20k on this equipment.  It's a lot of money, but you don't have to do it all at once.  With professional equipment, a job that would take you an hour, now takes 15 minutes.  Yes, its that much of a difference.  Also, the commercial equipment will hold up a lot longer, with less down time.  I recommend Stihl, Shinadiawa, Scag, Toro Pro Series, among others.

If this is full time, see a CPA about forming a S Corp.  Liability shelter and tax breaks.  Speaking of liability, get a good $1 million dollars umbrella policy.  Should run under $400 a year.  

Go after commercial accounts.  Home owners associations, condos, retail, ect.  You should have several property maintenance companies in the area, find out the jobs and put your bids in. (You'll need the insurance for this).  Above all, do a good job, don't cut corners.  You reputation will make you the money, down the road.  Within 3 years, you should aim to have 90% commercial accounts and 10% lucrative residential.  Also consider adding services such as sod laying, leaf removal, fertilizing (license required).  These are high dollar jobs and will supplement your income in the winter.  

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Mike.


Link Posted: 4/19/2007 10:28:23 PM EST
[#6]
In before the illegal jokes.
Link Posted: 4/19/2007 10:34:56 PM EST
[#7]
Mower
Weedeater
Blower

Simple

Get cash or check right when you finish, otherwise they will be deadbeats.

Easy job.

Wear a hat, avoid sun burns.

Put mower in high gear and get done faster, dont be an old fart, speed is key, faster you are, more jobs in a day.

Follow the law of "good enough"

Avoid single old women who have nothng better to do than WATCH you mow their lawn.  Try and complete the task while the homeowner is NOT at home.

Good money.
Link Posted: 4/20/2007 2:55:05 AM EST
[#8]
Appreciate all the input.  Have a couple of questions.  

Should you expect to be paid after each job or do you bill people?  Not to be a wise guy but how do you get paid when your done if you mow when there not there.  

Enclosed trailer.... None of the LSC around here use them.  Is this to prevent theft? Haul grass clippings? Keep them out of the rain?


Is there some surefire formula for bidding jobs like $x per acre?

BTW it will mainly be my son (16) and me to start.  I already have a straight shaft echo trimmer, a Dixon ZTR 7025 with 60" deck and 25hp Kolher and 6' x 10' trailer single axle with expanded metal sides and floor.  
Link Posted: 4/20/2007 3:28:08 AM EST
[#9]
A co-worker of mine runs a lawn care biz on the side.  He's legit, insurance & taxes and mostly commercial accounts in a small town.

His little make work scam is to use plenty of fertilizer (billed to cust) so the grass will grow & require plenty of mowing.

My B.I.L. has one as well.  Straight up cash, no biz license, no taxes.  Cut grass, trims hedges, weed whacker....mostly residential.
Link Posted: 4/20/2007 5:11:20 AM EST
[#10]
So, what's your business plan?
write it all down, on paper, then it will really start to see.
S Corp, LLC, single proprietorship, whichever, work with your accountant. (and get a good accountant)
You'll need a business checking account, along with a business credit card (although you have to open your S corp/LLC/SP and get your employer ID number first).

It's a great tax break the first year esp. before you make any money.

Get insurance
get the truck and trailer registered in the business name (which requires business car insurance, not regular insurance, do it with the same agent that does your liability)
if it's more than you, you'll need workman's comp insurance too.

Once you get customers, it's great, you keep most of them and add a few more thru referrals, etc each year, but it's getting that initial core group of customers that's hard.
What's your advertising plan/marketing plan?  (and it won't be cheap), the 2nd year you can cut back and probably by the 3rd or 4th year you won't have to have any advertising.
What's your ideal customer?  is it in one area?  age group? type of lawn?  small lawns, big lawns?  etc?  Then, how do you reach that person.

have a logo/theme, graphic designers work cheap.  I can put you in touch with an excellent small business advertising guy, who's very affordable.   Get signs on your truck.  Actually get vinyl for your truck and trailer, not those cheap magnetic signs.  Be professional.  You are professional, you are paying all these legal BS rules, you should advertise that.  And hey, it's the cheapest long term advertising you have.

Get a website.  yeah, i don't think it adds much, BUT it shows you are not fly by night, you are here for real and even  just a simple one page one, let's people refer to you.  A web page and name is pretty cheap for the first couple years (unless you do big bandwidth which is unlikely)

don't bother with the yellow pages, crazy expensive, nobody uses that anymore (they all use the web).  Direct mail?  classifieds, display advertising?  fliers?

BE AVAILALBE.
I call places and i get "oh, my husband Joe is out doing some jobs, can you call back?"
Would you call back?  of course not.  Use a cell phone for your business.  Be available all the time, even at your real job (or have someone else answer) and call back and set up appointments for bids after work.  (I do this all the time).

Dress nice, have a nice gimmick. (a shtick).  What's different about you than a 1000 other guys?  That's the key.

And yeah, illegals are a big problem.  They don't pay the taxes, insurance, rent a yard to run their business out of etc.   It brings the prices way down, they can always undercut you on price.  (NEVER compete on price)  So, how do you differentiate yourself?

BTW, that point about price is key.  You should know what you need to make on a 1 hour basis to make money.  Never bid below that.  What's the point?  you're losing money, why work to lose money?

HTH

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