Surviving the droughts.

[Zack]

Here's a few ways I continue to make money of the res. props we service during severe droughts.
Allways cut 3.5" or higher.
Allways have razor sharp blades.
Keep the trim around the edges high as well.
Never bag
Never cut if the grass looks severely stressed. Better to let it bounce back than kill it further.
Cut only fronts or backs if part of the lawn is burned out & give customers a slight discount. Explain to the customer why & you will have a customer for life.
Offer a weekly blow of hard surfaces for a deep discount if there is not much drive time.
Keep your customers happy & their lawns green & try & nickel & dime them through the dry spells.

[Bryan]

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Same here.
Move to 3.5" and lighten up on the trimming.
I couldn't agree more on the sharp blades. The other day I saw a Cigartte smokin while he was mowin Scrub, that had such dull blades that 90% of the grass he was cutting was just rolling over instead of being cut.
It was the worst site of Scrubizm I had ever seen. I don't even want to tell you what his truck and trailer looked like.

Green is good !!

[Phil Nilsson]

reply

Fixed price mowing for the entire season based on average number of cuts ... spread them out to comply with total cuts ... if it goes dry ... cash flow is there regardless.
Equal mnthly pymts makes billing much easier.



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

[Zack]

reply

Since each lawn is different that would be impossible. Some without irrigation can go 2 to 3 weeks without a cut while others need it weekly. There is no such thing as an average.
LCO's have to know their lawns & their customers & know what is reasonable to squeeze from each one.

[Scaper-S2k]

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It works and works well. Virtually all large companies do it with equal billings. You CAN average anything. So you have 2 averages one for irrigated and the other not. Or you can base you number on the irrigated lawns and just end up mowing the dry ones less often than the average during a drought. We do quite well at it. We have 3 plans.....24 cuts....28 cuts....30 cuts. Most shoot for the 28 cuts, but we rarely will get that many in.

Never had a problem with it.

Don't Fear the Green!

[Zack]

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<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
It works and works well. Virtually all large companies do it with equal billings.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

& that's why virtually all residentials, over 90%, are done by smaller LCO's who understand the needs & expectations of residential customers.

[Scaper-S2k]

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And that's also why the people that DO residentials are "smaller" as you say.

Know what I mean?

Big companies that pull down good $$ do it the way listed above. And do commercial.

You're right, smaller companies DON'T do it that way, and may stay small and residential. Commercial? Should be Equal paid monthly bills.

Don't Fear the Green!

[Phil Nilsson]

reply

Some LCO's are not aware of the needs of the properties they care for as to frequencies. With commercial most prefer the total fixed price and equal pymts which facilitates payment/cash flow consistency ... many props are leased and also subject to equal pymts, no ups and downs ... known in advance budgeted amounts.

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

[Zack]

reply

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
And that's also why the people that DO residentials are "smaller" as you say.

Know what I mean?

Big companies that pull down good $$ do it the way listed above. And do commercial.


<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

Big companies that go under also do it the way listed above. Many more failures than success stories by bigger companies using your "commercial" method in the residential market.

[Scaper-S2k]

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We do 98% commercial.

No biggie, I will continue this way for that is what they ask for. My accounts are quite nice, and they like my billing methods, and many ask for it. Keeping track of accounts with over 48 locations each and six figure $$ amounts would run their accounts payable dept. nuts. Instead of sending 48 different invoices to one company per location with different amounts and cuts for each, I send only one at the first of the month. They LOVE it.

I will argue about 'more failures than success with bigger companies'. I don't believe so. I also don't believe there are very many 'big' companies doing residential.

Oh well, I'm not going to argue this matter. One way is easier and better, and I have not lost a client yet because of it.

Don't Fear the Green!

[Bryan]

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Scraper, I have several Commercial accounts with the same company.
Each lawn varies in size. This season I had a very long meeting with the area manager and tried to get HER to go with a one price aross the board fits all deal (average it out) that would make it easier on every one. She would not even consider it! I have to bill each store and to that store. Yes it is an Accts. payable nightmare, but I have reason to believe that each store needs those exact numbers for there year end costs.

I would say you have a great situation! I will try again next season.

Green is good !!

[Scaper-S2k]

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That's okay, you give them a price sheet per store per location. But you can still just send them one bill per month for $10k or whatever. Let them divide it all out per location. Either way, one bill per month, it shouldn't be that difficult for them that way.

Don't Fear the Green!

[lawrence stone]

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In my world every account is on the same cycle. Right now it 9-10 days going to 11-12 days next cycle w/o any good rain.

Right now at 2:34pm in the eastern Penna mountains it is 89 degrees and 60% humidity a falling barometer with only 3 mph wind.

But where I sit right now it is 72 degress with low humidity and a two speed fan for wind.

Being on a 8 month equal instalment payments in July I work the least and net the most. This gives me some quality beach time.
Puts less stress on the turf and cuts down on the skin cancer exposure.

Just showing up and putting tire tracks down on the turf is for scrubs.

"The Frugal Agronomist"