If you had the chance...

[kendrick]

Where would ya'll locate your lawn business(city/state), if you had the ability to move anywhere in the US?

Thanks,

Kendrick

[Phil Nilsson]

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Lots of choices for the "hot markets" ... almost any big city or center with high population counts, high growth like ... Atlanta, Charlotte, Boston, Columbus, Houston, many, many markets ... or choose a smaller market where plans are on the table to expand transportation systems (like airports) in next 5 years.

Phil Nilsson
Nilsson Associates Consultants
Visit Lawn Service & Landscaping Book Store

[kendrick]

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Thanks for the advice, Phil. I am in Nashville, TN right now, but I was thinking of moving to FL so that my mowing season would be longer. This has been a dream of mine for many years and I'm now in the financial and personal situation to make it happen. Do you think moving south is a good idea for this reason?

Thanks again

PS: I was reading back through all the other threads and "Biff" is not just a Harvard name and given only to rich people who break off sprinkler heads I was given that name at birth and I'm as country as they come. If you're thinking "A boy named Sue" by Johnny Cash, you're right on the money.

[GrassMaster]

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<b>Welcome to the Lawnservicing Forum Community Kendrick!</b> <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

I'm Really Striking out on Name Comparisons & Job Descriptions here!

I reckon I need to Come up with Different Comparisons!<img src=icon_smile_question.gif border=0 align=middle>

I will Try to choose my Wording more Carefully, It's a Hard Job to do most of the Time!

OK, I'm trying to get back on Track!

I think you might need some input from others, I think there's several Pro's here from Florida!

I here that the Competition is Fierce in Florida, lot of Folks Lowballing & Just making it harder for the True Life Dedicated Professionals! But that's going on Everywhere Now!

I had a Friend that went to Pensacola, Florida. He wasn't in the Lawn Service Business, but he had a very Hard Time Finding a Job. He said the pay wasn't that Great because so mamy people wanting a job & wanting to Live there!

Then again I heard that you could go to Orlando, Florida & Get Rich there doing anything. But that's to big of a Place for a Redneck like me from JawJa. LOL, I heard they have roads with 3 lanes on each side? How does Folks Know where to go?

Yes, I have the Florida Dream too & I hope one day soon, I can Move Near Destin, Florida. I think it's the most Beautiful Place there is? I've Been going there at least every July 4th since 1975. I love it there & the People there are The Best Folks I've Ever Met in My Life! I have more Friends there than I do where I live at Now!

<b>I think the Green Giant is From Florida & he could give you some Good Advice! Also Mr. Stone spends his Winters in Florida! Both of these Forum Members are Seasoned Green Industry Professionals & I think they could point you in the Right Direction!</b>

GrassMaster
Lawn Care Service Business Resources
Click here PM to the Forum Administrator

[kendrick]

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Thanks Phil and Grassmaster for ya'lls comments and input. I'd also like to thank ya'll for this forum. It's a huge advantage to be able to talk to so many guys already in the biz and all the guys just getting started and share all the info that everyone has. I'm pretty sure I'll move to FL, but now it's down to finding the best city. I love competition, but I also have contacts down there in the new homes biz and the green industry biz. All your input is appreciated and hopefully I can return the favor one day.

Thanks,

Biff

[kendrick]

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Hey guys,

I was wondering if anyone else has any good feedback for me and others on the one place you would locate if you could put your lawn service in any city and state?

All input would be appreciated. Just trying to get a feel from some of the veterans. Green Giant, where would you put yours? Mr Stone? Any others?

[Green Giant]

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C'mon down to the #1 state to do lawncare.There is enough here to keep you busy. Lots of growth. Year round mowing and lots of time off during our dormant months while STILL making good money. I put in 40 really tough weeks out of 52. 12 weeks to either make a lot more money or take it easy. (I do both!)
Yes there is a lot of comp here BUT most do not last. If you don't know the business,you will not survive.
People here look for and hold in high regards...reliability. You show up,do what you say you will do,and things will only get better.No secret. Just be consistant.

Dennis E.
Grasshopper Lawn
Mulberry,Fl.
(Green Giant is my truck!)

[lawrence stone]

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If YOU want to make the same $$$ working 8 months in the Northeast then go to FLA and work 12 months of the year.

I spent 6 weeks working for another LCO in SW Fla this winter. The market in FLA is the pits. If you are not an established company with a pest licence you will be just another lowball scrub cutter.

Plus the amount of materials=fert. and insectide is 3 to 4x as much for sand based soils vs. clay based soils. Most of the year it is dry as a bone and in the summer it rains about 50 inches with 90+ temps and humidity around 90%.

The market in central and south FLA is mostly cheap azz old farts that complain and try to knock you down on price. Since these people have nothing to do all day it is a game for them and a nightmare for you.

One more fact is that 40% of those who retire to FLA with be back up north in 3 to 5 years. The whole state is based on cheap retirement and the state wants to keep all the services the oldsters buy at a cheap price to attract more land development. Also the public school system is the pits and is trying to bump Arkansas out of 50th place in the nation.

FLA is a great place to spend the winter for a snowbird.
Put is the pits for any time of young working folk.


"The Frugal Agronomist"

Edited by - lawrence stone on May 20 2002 7:57:55 PM

[Scaper-S2k]

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Nashville should be a fairly decent market. I'd say another good choice would be Georgia or South Carolina.

Personally, I think Cincinnati has one of the best markets out there. No one can keep up with the the properties that need work. Profits are very very good here compared to many other places. Year round work too.

Don't Fear the Green!

[Green Giant]

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Larry
Just maintenance for me. No chemicals. Too tough to make any money there.
How long did you work doing maintenance here? Just chem.applications?
6 weeks?
Man! Kinda' hard to compete against that much experience with my 14 YEARS HERE!!
I did maintenance in Wisc. also. That's the place I had problems with people being CHEAP!


Dennis E.
Grasshopper Lawn
Mulberry,Fl.
(Green Giant is my truck!)

[kendrick]

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Green Giant and Mr. Stone, thank you both for your facts and thoughts. I've had experience working for a company in the late 80's and early 90's during the summer in New Port Richey, FL. We only did commercial accounts and one was huge, Gulf Harbors. I have family in FL and have lived there for 8 years of my life in Ocala, Gainesville, Spring Hill, and my dad currently lives in St. Augustine. I was hoping to get quite a bit more input from others here on the forum about their respective experiences, but just from ya'lls two posts, I can deduce the separation and distinctions from the north and south factions and I appreciate both sides. I'm more of a southern boy and I plan on heading that direction. Now for the city. How do you pick the best city? Phil gave some good advice, what do ya'll think? The highest pop.? The lowest ratio of lawn care biz's to pop? The highest rate of growth and new home sales? How many of ya'll work more than one county?

I truly do appreciate all the input for everyone on this thread, it has helped me make a decision.

Oh yeah, Green Giant, what did you do in those other 12 weeks?

Biff

[Scott]

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Wherever you decide to go in FLA don't come to Panama City. Every other pickup has a murry lawn mower hanging out of it. I've even seen a guy towing a walk behind with a weedeater straped to it from his bicycle. Talking about lowballer. I've had a little old lady tell me that there are so many lawn guys around that they don't use the same guy for more than a month. Her yard looks like,, well I'm sure you can image.

[kendrick]

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I hear ya. I won't come there. I'm looking for an epicenter of growth and development. People that have money and not older people on a budget. I'll get those that truly care what their lawn looks like, what the people mowing their lawn looks like, and what the rig sitting in front of their house on mowing day looks like. I think this is a good strategy, very idealistic, but I'm not going to start looking to mow old folks yards and try to beat out the lowballers. There are plenty of professionals moving in and living near the larger cities, Jax suburbs, tampa burbs, orlando burbs, etc.

Appreciate that input too. There is so much to think about when starting a business and ya'll are a great help.

Biff

PS: I've found in every business that I've ever been in that there is competition, it's inevitable. I've also found that the most successful companies in every industry are never the least expensive and always a higher quality.

[Phil Nilsson]

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If I had to single out just one market, one major city to locate it would be Boston. Nine month regular season and three months of winter, usually decent snowfalls ... the north shore, south shore and west of Boston continue to expand and property values have been soaring for many years. Easy to develop and expand a business in the Boston area. Other advantages ... on the ocean ... not far from skiing ... major sports ... and of course Boston Baked Beans. There's money in Boston.

Phil Nilsson
Nilsson Associates Consultants
Visit Lawn Service & Landscaping Book Store

Edited by - phil nilsson on May 21 2002 07:12:10 AM

[kendrick]

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Thanks Phil.