I wasnt sure how to word the title, but you get the idea.. 08 and 09 have been pretty bad for me in both personal and business..Although my personal life is much better, my business didnt do so well..Clients went with cheaper lco's, started doing it them selves etc...So I started working for my Step Dad this past winter installing propane tanks in the ground. The pay sucks and very seldom a full 5 day week. But I look at it as its helping with the bills and Im learning the business(which I enjoy)..He makes anywhere from 80k to 100k a year doing this work...He had throat cancer and its came back 3 times(hopefully gone for good this time). I know Ill get the business if he decides to give it up or something happens to him..
So anyways, the lawn business sucks and work for my dad has been good. I only have 2 clients left who are doing very well financially.. But working with my Dad 5 days a week, Ive had to mow them on either Saturday or Sunday.. One client said to give it a break and He's mow for September.. The other said NO mowing on Sunday..So for the past week Ive been doing alot of thinking what I should do.Lawn business is sucking, Ive had to move into an apartment, so My trailer stays at a friends untill I can find a place to keep it. My equipment stays in storage a few miles from home and a few more miles from my trailers location. I finally decided I should give the lawn business a break and see how working with my Dad goes..
After talking with my neighbor about what I did(he thinks I made a bad move).. Im having second thoughts...
Here are the negatives for working for my Dad..
1. Its a 100 mile round trip from home to his house.
2. The pay is daily pay and it doesnt matter what time we are done.
3. I leave at 5am and alot of the time I dont get home till 8 or 9 pm.
4. He's very moody and doesnt seem to give a shizit if we fall over dead or not..Its very hot down here and water from the spicket doesnt help much.
Now for the Lawn Business side..
Ive been in and around this business since 1986 and went on my own in 1995.. Although from 95-00, I didnt care about being successful.. I did alot of partying and skipped work for sleep and play..I ended up getting really sick and was in the hospital for 2 week's with pneumonia.. I had no one I could count on to take care of my clients.. My wife called most of them, they either stayed or left.. Well most left.. So after I recovered we were forced to move in with her parents.. I kept the few I had and got a part time job with her step father.. That job ended up being full time..Until I became a manager.. Long hours and crappy pay.. I got into a fight with my boss and got fired.. So back to the lawn business I went..I was out of it for almost 5 years and didnt know how the business would do in the county we now lived in..I made 1000 fliers.. Passed them all out in the area I wanted to work in..Got a few calls, landed about 1/4 of those calls...Problem was.. high priced..Well crap, Im using the same pricing I was using 10 years ago..But anyways a few months go by and I do another 1000 fliers in some new areas close by.. I got a few more accounts.. The most I had was 18 in this area.. Still pricing too high.. But i refused to lower my prices as thought they were low enough. My price range was from $85-$110 a month for 1/4 acre lot including hedges and weed control yearly..
The downfall this time.. It started on Holloween of 08.. I fell through a window and cut up my arm pretty bad.. Had to have alot of stitches and could bend my wrist..But this time, My brother helped me out(when I could wake him up.. LAZYYYY) I lost a few from that injury due to not being able to depend on my brother..I had enough work to keep me busy for 2 full days.. The other days, I either worked with my Dad or looked for a part time job.. I had 0 luck on the part time job..Then working with my Dad one day, I injured my knee.. Had to wear a motionless brace for 3 weeks.. But I only used it for a week.. I had to get back to work..So I bought a decent brace and went mowing the next day.. Took me forever to mow, but I got the job done..During that time, I lost more clients...
This is pretty much where I stand now..IM not mowing anymore, but working with my Dad isnt a full weeks work.
One day a week I go out job hunting, but thats getting tough as well with the gas prices hovering around $2.50 a gallon. I still want to do the organic fertilizing, but dont have the start up funds..
Im kind of stuck right now, not knowing what to really do..
I hope all this makes sense..
Thanks
Chad
So anyways, the lawn business sucks and work for my dad has been good. I only have 2 clients left who are doing very well financially.. But working with my Dad 5 days a week, Ive had to mow them on either Saturday or Sunday.. One client said to give it a break and He's mow for September.. The other said NO mowing on Sunday..So for the past week Ive been doing alot of thinking what I should do.Lawn business is sucking, Ive had to move into an apartment, so My trailer stays at a friends untill I can find a place to keep it. My equipment stays in storage a few miles from home and a few more miles from my trailers location. I finally decided I should give the lawn business a break and see how working with my Dad goes..
After talking with my neighbor about what I did(he thinks I made a bad move).. Im having second thoughts...
Here are the negatives for working for my Dad..
1. Its a 100 mile round trip from home to his house.
2. The pay is daily pay and it doesnt matter what time we are done.
3. I leave at 5am and alot of the time I dont get home till 8 or 9 pm.
4. He's very moody and doesnt seem to give a shizit if we fall over dead or not..Its very hot down here and water from the spicket doesnt help much.
Now for the Lawn Business side..
Ive been in and around this business since 1986 and went on my own in 1995.. Although from 95-00, I didnt care about being successful.. I did alot of partying and skipped work for sleep and play..I ended up getting really sick and was in the hospital for 2 week's with pneumonia.. I had no one I could count on to take care of my clients.. My wife called most of them, they either stayed or left.. Well most left.. So after I recovered we were forced to move in with her parents.. I kept the few I had and got a part time job with her step father.. That job ended up being full time..Until I became a manager.. Long hours and crappy pay.. I got into a fight with my boss and got fired.. So back to the lawn business I went..I was out of it for almost 5 years and didnt know how the business would do in the county we now lived in..I made 1000 fliers.. Passed them all out in the area I wanted to work in..Got a few calls, landed about 1/4 of those calls...Problem was.. high priced..Well crap, Im using the same pricing I was using 10 years ago..But anyways a few months go by and I do another 1000 fliers in some new areas close by.. I got a few more accounts.. The most I had was 18 in this area.. Still pricing too high.. But i refused to lower my prices as thought they were low enough. My price range was from $85-$110 a month for 1/4 acre lot including hedges and weed control yearly..
The downfall this time.. It started on Holloween of 08.. I fell through a window and cut up my arm pretty bad.. Had to have alot of stitches and could bend my wrist..But this time, My brother helped me out(when I could wake him up.. LAZYYYY) I lost a few from that injury due to not being able to depend on my brother..I had enough work to keep me busy for 2 full days.. The other days, I either worked with my Dad or looked for a part time job.. I had 0 luck on the part time job..Then working with my Dad one day, I injured my knee.. Had to wear a motionless brace for 3 weeks.. But I only used it for a week.. I had to get back to work..So I bought a decent brace and went mowing the next day.. Took me forever to mow, but I got the job done..During that time, I lost more clients...
This is pretty much where I stand now..IM not mowing anymore, but working with my Dad isnt a full weeks work.
One day a week I go out job hunting, but thats getting tough as well with the gas prices hovering around $2.50 a gallon. I still want to do the organic fertilizing, but dont have the start up funds..
Im kind of stuck right now, not knowing what to really do..
I hope all this makes sense..
Thanks
Chad
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