Starting from scratch.....

[fishingjay]

Well let's see...Here it is the third week in June and I want to start up lawncare service. I just got laid off from the biggest nursery in the country(Metrolina...a.k.a. Plant Partners). I've been wanting to do this for a few years now. I'm starting with a push mower and a weedeater with different attachments. I don't have a truck or trailer to haul all the equiptment so, it will be put in the back of our minivan for now . I have already spoken to a few realtors and they "may" have something for me next week. I have handed out about 500 flyers door to door. I also put an generic ad in the local Shopper here which has a circulation of 34,000. It was free first the first week and $10 every week after that. Money is very tight in my household(pretty much there isn't any since laid off). I hear about people starting their own lawncare business with little money. I want to be very sucessful. I have to stay positive here . I have been a member on this forum since last year and have learned a lot from all the advice given here. Everyone has an opinion. I really love Phil's advice. He makes it sound so simple and exciting to read. I wish I could get his book for the steps to become as much as sucessful as he. Unfortunilty, not at this time. Anyway, any advice on what else I can do that doesn't require money? Thanks, Jay

[csm]

First of all 500 flyers in not nearly enough, especially in the middle of june. Talk to some of your freinds at the nursery and have them throw your name around. you worked in the nursery so you should be knowledgeable about installs. I would have more flyers printed and hit all the the wealthy subdivisions in New Bern,

[BCSteel]

I wouldnt turn down any work until you have a full schedule. Even if you are only breaking even on some of them. You have to get your name out there that you do good work. Once you get into the swing of it with a full time schedule, then make sure to hike up all your new quotes so that you are making enough money.

If you go to church that can be a really good place to get it known that you are looking to do some good quality yard work. Make sure to always be promoting your services where ever you go. You dont want to sound like an annoying telemarketer but if people dont know about you, you will never get any work. From 4-6pm is prime time to be working in a residental neighbourhood. Thats when people are coming home from work and the last thing they want to do is work on their yard after working all day. I have got a lot of work from simply working in those hours.

It will be tough to project a professional image from your minivan but remember, its the finished product that counts. Do excellent work at fair prices and you cant help to be anything but sucessfull.

Good Luck!

[First Cut Poppa]

With only a push mower, I'd suggest you look for yards you can do in 45 minutes, more or less. Look for $30-$50 yards that can be done in that time frame. Give a very good trimming, edging, and blowing; you want referrals.

Look for "likely targets" meaning yards that are growing up a little and where it looks like the owner doesn't have time to keep up. It's getting HOT. Some people will be tiring of doing it themselves.

You don't have to get into the upscale neighborhoods, most of those folks are already set for the year, but you will be able to pick up some that lose their current service provider, or fire them.

One idea is to take those flyers and simplify them for posting.

Sample:
Jay's Lawn Care
Phone Number

(That's all.) Have it laminated and post it at an intersection entering a neighborhood that you want to work in. Nail it to a tree or pole that is right at the stop sign (people have to stop and it gives them something to read while they wait on others to pass), or put it on a stake like a political sign.

One, or a few, signs at the entrances to a neighborhood will get lots of looks, including people that don't live in THAT neighborhood, but are just visiting.

[Elwood]

I have already spoken to a few realtors

You are on the right track! Networking with EVERYONE is the key. Talk with other business owners and use the connections gained from your nursery work. You probly know many landscape companies that do NOT have a maintenance division. Talk with them, see if you can get referal business or be a subcontractor for their plant or lawn install maintenance.

"Rubbing elbows" will get you further than ANYTHING else!!



At this time of year, it is a good idea to send letters to commercial sites. Inquire about current satisfaction and ask if they are ready to change to a quality provider. Given your equipment, I would naturally stick to smaller properties.

Your quality of work performed will speak volumes too. Referals from your quality work will help as time goes on. Also, fall is around the corner, fall clean ups are coming soon and you can gain new clients by offering leaf removal/clean up and upsell for the next season from their.

Good Luck!

[Ric]

fishingjay

Since you have Nursery experience try shrub trimming. Contact as many lawn guys as to can find and sell them on sub-contracting shrub pruning. Most grass guys hate shrub work in summer. A leaf rake, loppers and a pair of hand pruners is all the equipment you need and a box of leaf bags for the trash-man. You can add a small trash trailer later on.

You may find this is a better business than Lawn Mowing and end up with quite a nice business. You can expand it first to plant replacement and then landscape install.

Hopefully your Nursery experience has taught you many of the common plant names. This is the biggest thing you need to know for that type of business.

Good Luck if you try it and let me know if it works.

[fishingjay]

Thanks for the advice!!!! This has come in handy. So far I have had three calls....two from the ad and one from a realtor. I went to do an estimate on a brush hauling job and told the man $200.00 flat. to remove tree limbs and branches, do some trimming of shrubs and remove some trees that have grown in the shrubs. I have a friend who i will split the money with due to he has a truck and trailer to haul away the brush. The customer beat me up on the price...i feel raped..haha. He wanted the job done for $100.00. I tried to negotionate but i almost lost the job so I am going to do it for $120.00. I figure that $60 each for around 3hrs work. Still $20.00hr. Did i do the right thing? I feel that I could have made more money if I tried harder. Please let me know. Thanks, Jay

[perenlawn]

Jay,
Here (in OH) that is too low of a price. The average cost of labor is $35-40/hour (40x3 = 120) and if you add on the price of hauling away the debris... (do you have a place to discard the debris.. if not, you have to pay to have it disposed of if you take it to a yard)... add that factor in, then factor in cost of gas, mileage, etc.. I bet you will not come out ahead at $120. Most people tend to think that this type of service is cheap, but if you even contact a local service that does tree removal/limb removal, they charge a phenomenal price for these services.

I would suggest that if you can eliminate your "friend" somehow or pay him a small fee for use of his truck to hopefully cut you some slack there. It sounds like there is quite a bit of brush/trimming if you must need a truck and a trailer to haul it away... if that is the case, 3 hours may not be reasonable for the job... especially if you have to go it alone. And certainly, if 3 hours for 2 people to do the work @ $20/hr seems low to me. But that is again here in our part of the country. Not sure about NC. Perhaps contact some local services and ask them what their going rate is for tree/brush removal is.. most of them will have a standard rate over the phone or a per/hour cost they can quote. At least it will give you an idea.

Best of luck,
Perenlawn

[csm]

He who makes the most mistakes wins in the end as long as he learns from his mistakes. Don't let people beat you down on your price, atleast not $80.00, maybe a few bucks. After all he didn't want to do it himself, why should you do it at his price?

[BCSteel]

Really, it all depends on how badly you needed the work. If you couldn't afford to pass it up then you did the right thing.

[fishingjay]

If anyone knows about the eastern part of NC.....customers are cheap!!!!!!!!!! Not to mention they will get a crackhead off the street to do the job sometimes. Not alot of people do it but I know a few. Keep the comments coming. Thanks, Jay

[fishingjay]

To go back to my one job that i just finish, where the customer beat me up on the price. I did it over the weekend. Oh yea, He also wanted he yard cut for an extra 30.00. I said ok. So that is up to 150.00 now. My friend who I split the price with helped me on Friday with all the hauling. Yes, I borowed his trailer and truck. I told him i would finish the rest up on Saturday by myself due to he had to work. Anyway, to sum it up. I paid him 75.00 out of my pocket on Friday. Finished the rest on Saturday. I guy was really happy with the work so he paid me the 200.00 i said at first. I did not mention to my friend about the extra 50.00 due to i had to do the rest of the work. I felt pretty good about that. I have done some estimates for a realtor and I feel that my price is fair. However, He is telling me that my prices are too high. I figure at least 25.00hr plus material which is less expensive to others. I'm I doing this right? Thanks Jay

[Easy Way Lawn Care]

Too Low

Jay

You are starving or work and being taken advantage of and they (your prospecting customers) know it. I admit I don't work in your area but I contract out at 45 per hour, 25 per hour is too low. I know now that seems like good money but if you grow and get more legitimate (insurance, taxes, expensive equipment, trucks, trailers) you will see how 25 per hour wont cut it, heck 45 is a bit on the cheaper side. Also be leary of the realtors they are always looking for a sucker to stiff (no offence intended). My advise get another job and do this on a parttime basis and build it up slowly. You just don't seem to have the finacial resources right now to go at it full time, and odds are if you don't have the finacial backing you will be broke before the season is over. You can be successful you just need to slow down a little develope a business plan, and understand that this is not a get rich quick business. Good Luck.

[fishingjay]

I know that this is not a get rich quick business....For starting late in the season the last 2 1/2 weeks have been busy for me. Between the realtors and customers calling from the ad, I have gotten every job so far. Not to mention that one of my customers hooked me up with 6 other houses to do lawncare for. I am geting about 4 calls a day this week. There are some jobs that I can't do for lack of equiptment reasons but most of them I can do such as trimming shrubs, mowing, basic stuff. As for the hourly, yes i have under estimated myself but some customers have given more money without me saying a word. I'll gladly take more money. I think for just starting I'm not doing to bad. I have a cash flow coming in daily and I'm putting some money off to the side to buy more "toys". A freind of mine who helps me is wanting to do about $1.00 min=$60.00/hr. I think we may lose some customers that way but we tried it on someone today and they did not really have a problem with it. Anyway, that is what I have been up to....staying busy! Jay

[Elwood]

It is very hard to give you a base price on the internet, but if you are landing every client, your prices are probly too cheap. Being a little cheap to start will probly be OK, but too cheap will lead to an early end.

Provide quality work, gain those referals and raise your prices along the way. As your schedule becomes fuller and fuller, you don't want it full of underpriced or cheap work. You need some better paying gigs.

It sounds like you are off to a good start with good response, just remember ,you are in this to make money, not provide a cheap service for others.

Good Luck and keep after it. Stick around here and read often. There are a lot of good people here and the archives are FULL of great information.