Going Full Time

[dwthomas]

Hello,

Here is my situation: In my current profession my annual salary ranges between $38-42,000. This last season I started a solo-op lawn service, 36 inch exmark, Echo blower and trimmer, 21 inch toro, 5x10 trailer, etc. I'm putting plans together to make the transition from part to full time next spring. My question is, is it realistic for my business to generate 38-42k in my first year. I appreciate any advice from those who have been in my situation. Thank you for all of your help.

[GrassMaster]

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<b>Welcome to the Lawnservicing Forum Community, dwthomas!</b> []

Hello:

It's not Impossible, but it will take some Very Hard Work.

You Need to Look at what you are Making Part Time Now & How Hard is it to get New Work in Your Area?

It Would Help a Lot if You could try to Eliminate Some of Your Debts (If you have any), Try not to Create any New Debts & Save Every Dime You can & Save Some More Bucks!

It's not going to be Easy, Just Figure What you made Part Time, Look at How Much More Work You Need to Make What You Want, is the Work Out There & Will you be able to do it!

I had a Years Salary Set aside when I went into the Business & I did it the Hard Way, I just Quit My Full Time job, then started cutting grass, I didn't have any accounts. It was very hard on me!

It Took me almost 3 years to get to about $50K a Year. I would have never nade it without extra Employees!

LOL, I had to Fall off a Roof of a House & hit the Corner of a Air Conditioner with my Hip, To Figure out I needed Help?

Laugh at me all you want too, but I Thought for a Few Seconds I had Broke My Hip. I watched all my Accounts go down the Drain in Seconds.

The Reason I'm Saying this, is I knew a Guy that had a Pretty Good Business & he Broke his leg in the Middle of the Growing Season, Playing Baseball one Sunday, He Had no Help & he Lost Everything in a mater of about 6 Weeks.

He had no Employees, No Back up Money & his Customers Needed their Grass cut... This is What I was Thinking While I laid there.

Then I got up & LOL Figure out I wasn't going to be Crippled the rest of my Life.

The Very Next Day, I started Looking for Help. It was the Best Move I made.

It will be very hard on you to being a One Man Show, Unless You never get Hurt, Never get Sick & Never need to do anything during the week. Then you will still have a hard time!

We all Started Somewhere, I was a Scrub at First, then I Slowly moved up the Ladder, I learned that I could make More Money if I Quit Doing most of the Physicall Work, Pay Others to do the Labor, Save yourself for Marketing, Bidding, Advertising & all the other Administrative Duties of the Business!

Please Remember this?
I always Expected the Worse at all Times, Then Nothing Surprises Me!

Always Do This:
Look Like a Pro, Act Like a Pro, Work Like a Pro, then You Will Get Treated & Paid Like a Pro! This is What will Make You a Success!

I Wish You & Yours the Best of the Best!
If We can Help You in any way, Give Us a Holler!

[Phil Nilsson]

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Admin brings up a great point about funds set aside to operate and fill in the gap of income. The biggest reason for bizz failure or having a rough time is lack of a bizz plan the <b>SECOND</b> reason for bizz failure is lack of working capital, can't put money back in, roll over and in the startup you really should figure on some extra help because sometimes jobs are just not a one man thing ... if the weather closes in on you, you'll need to catch up in a hurry etc.

Best defense in all of this is to try to start with a good customer count ... heavy duty selling & marketing but even then a startup drains those extra dollars, month after month of cash put back. I would suggest starting with the least equipment intensive work you can find to keep payments low. That's a problem because most expect to mow lawns. Many bizzes will take 2 to 3 years to get off the ground where you're at the pay level you mentioned. Problem is takes money to make money.

[grasshopper]

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I am right there with you my friend. I make the same as you right now with my full-time position and plan on going full-time next year with the landscaping. I don't know your whole situation, but I have been doing the landscaping part-time for 10 years now, so I have a lot of experience. I recently did 3 commercial bids and am keeping my fingers crossed. Personally I see myself making more my first year full-time with the landscaping than I am making right now. Just set your goals very high and do eveyrthing you possibly can and you will easily reach what you are making now. Best of luck to you as I am in the same boat.

[dwthomas]

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Thank you for the advice, I greatly appreciate it. I have someone who can help me out when the need arises, (sickness, vacation, or if my work load is too heavy.)If all goes well I'm planning on a start-up capital of $12-15K. Since I have the eqiupment to get going this money can be used for repairs, living expenses, etc. until I start generating cash flow. I live in Columbus, OH, the market seems to be strong for lawn and landscaping needs.
I do have another question: What has been the most effective means of advertising for starting out? Should I concentrate on residentual or commercial?
Thanks again, this forum has helped me trmendously.

[grasshopper]

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Concentrate on residential at first then move into commercial. Commercial is a totally different ball gaem and if you don't know what you are doing, they will easily take advantage of you. I have been in this business for 10 years and I am just getting into the commercial side myself. Use tons of flyers on (not in) mailboxes and supplement that with an ad in the local newspaper if you can afford it. Also, many local business have bulletin boards where you can advertise for free. Put a flyer up wherever you can for free. If it is out of your area of concentration for doing business, than advertise there anyway for one-time cleanup jobs. Those are worth going a little farther for, especially if it's only a one-time job.