I need help on Estimates

I just started my business this year and i have everything except how much exactly to charge the customer i have an ideal but i would like to get some feedback from the experts

Lawn care business tips

You first really need to figure out how much you want to make per hour. Also you need to figure out your costs per hour. After you have figured out those figures, then you have a starting point.

First off, figure out how long your season is in weeks.

You have fixed costs like payments for the mower, truck, trailer, trimmers, edgers, liability insurance for the business and truck, business cards, other print shop stuff, uniforms, blade sharpening, scheduled maint costs, gas for mowers, trimmers, truck, and so forth. Add up everything you can think off you will have to pay for or buy for the season. Don't forget gas cans, spools of line, spare blades, spark plugs, and lots more.

Take the total fixed expenses and divide it by the length of the season and that will get you in the ball park what you need to make just to cover expenses each week. Add 15% because everybody forgets something. Break that down by the number of days you intend to work to give you a daily figure.

How much do you want to make that sticks to your pocket by the end of the week? Break it down by the number of days you will mow and add that to the fixed expenses. Now you have figures to work with.

If you are just starting out, count on a loss. Seldom does anybody get the week filled up right out of the gate. You have competition to contend with and rates that may not get you where you want to be.

Don't be afraid to ask around what people are paying for rates. Good place to get answers is the mower shop where you buy or get stuff serviced. They are pretty good about being in the loop. Ask a neighbor who is currently being serviced. Ask the competition you are friendly with.

Don't be afraid to time yourself at jobs to see how long it takes. Try it with your own yard. Won't take long to figure out how much you can trim or edge in 15 to 30 minutes. Ditto for the mowers.

Figure travel times for getting there, going to the next lawn, lunch, disposal, etc., and you have an idea how many lawns per day you can do. By yourself I would think 6 to 8 lawns a day is easy enough provided they are average size and not too far apart.

The clients in my neck of the woods don't blink at prices from $35 for a typical suburban yard, $75 or more for a bigger one. You will probably find it holds true for you too.

thanks ya'll this is very usefull information. i really apriciate it.:rock:

[Steve]

Hi Total Green,

What types of things are you doing to promote your business this year?

i have doorknob hangers, flyiers, yellow pages ads and the old style word of mouth. but i dont know if they are going to work.