Saving money

[Steve]

Ok so get the work first and then consider buying the equipment. That is a very good point.

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[lxarth]

Lawn care business tips

Ok, I'm not trying to be mean, but damn CHEESE2009, you just go and go! Your writing style is pretty difficult to read, because you only use sentences, and not paragraphs...it's all good though. One of my first customers, who is himself a small business owner, told me to only by stuff that my business forces me to by. What I got from that is that if my business doesn't need a bigger mower, don't get it. If I don't need a $300 trimmer, don't buy it. Truth be told, I'm using a $70 WEEDEater Trimmer, commercially, for a year now, with NO problems. I'm saving for a slightly bigger trailer for a couple reasons. One is that the one I have now is one that can be found at Harbor Freight/Bi-Mart. It only holds 1,000#, and doesn't have DOT tires. I think it's wise to upgrade if only to something DOT approved. Also, I would like something that can handle more weight for those customers who have requested mulch/bark/gravel. Because, currently, I can't deliver that sort of product. I don't have a limit in my savings right now, but that's because I'm still very new, but I have been good at holding on to money since I was very young. My brothers would all blow their allowance, and I would save mine. So far my 21-inch Toro walk-behind works for me. If I upgrade, it will only be to something that is just better. Because currently I can't really mow wet grass, and I have heard of mowers out there that can, and here is rains...a lot.

[robgee05]

Originally Posted by lxarth

Ok, I'm not trying to be mean, but damn CHEESE2009, you just go and go! Your writing style is pretty difficult to read, because you only use sentences, and not paragraphs...it's all good though.

One of my first customers, who is himself a small business owner, told me to only by stuff that my business forces me to by.

What I got from that is that if my business doesn't need a bigger mower, don't get it. If I don't need a $300 trimmer, don't buy it. Truth be told, I'm using a $70 WEEDEater Trimmer, commercially, for a year now, with NO problems.

I'm saving for a slightly bigger trailer for a couple reasons. One is that the one I have now is one that can be found at Harbor Freight/Bi-Mart. It only holds 1,000#, and doesn't have DOT tires. I think it's wise to upgrade if only to something DOT approved. Also, I would like something that can handle more weight for those customers who have requested mulch/bark/gravel. Because, currently, I can't deliver that sort of product.

I don't have a limit in my savings right now, but that's because I'm still very new, but I have been good at holding on to money since I was very young. My brothers would all blow their allowance, and I would save mine.

So far my 21-inch Toro walk-behind works for me. If I upgrade, it will only be to something that is just better. Because currently I can't really mow wet grass, and I have heard of mowers out there that can, and here is rains...a lot.

For the most part with lawn care I would say buy what you can afford. If you can stretch for a better trimmer and especially better blower if your doing clean ups it will turn in dividends. Clean up and mulch, and other landscape jobs you can use to designate for these items. When it comes to large ticket items I would definitely say buy what you use. If your in business and you can cut all your lawn with a push mower in 2 days, then do other jobs the other days. There is no need for a $8000 z turn. You should always be putting money aside for new equipment and not just living week to week, hence paycheck to paycheck. Hopefully by the time you have a large cutting base, you can scale up to say a decent hydro with a sulkey, then so on. I think it really depend on how much your cutting. Some guys focus more on landscape and the cuts are just to keep customers happy and draw a base from for bigger jobs. So if your making good money on the big jobs buy the big mower with profit so u can knock out 40 cuts in a day or whatever.

[Steve]

One of my first customers, who is himself a small business owner, told me to only by stuff that my business forces me to by.

This is a very interesting piece of advice. Can you tell us your thoughts on why he suggested this?

[lxarth]

I think he was just trying to tell me not to be frivolous, and not to buy things that are just for fun.

Sure, upgrades are nice, and will payoff, but I'm sure most of us can agree on the difference between a tool and a toy :-)

I do want to upgrade my equipment, which will help me become faster, and therefore more profitable, but I don't need a $300 backpack blower when my residential lawns can be cleaned up with a $170 hand held blower.

Now, on the same line, we should also plan ahead. I did recently purchased an $18 2-gallon hand held sprayer, but I use it so much I could have spent $80 on a backpack style, 4-gallon, sprayer, and been better off...but then where would I put it? I still need to upgrade my trailer :-)

I think another way of saying it is to not go too big too fast. Grow slowly, and be smart with your purchases.

[Steve]

Why do you think people in general have such a hard time saving money? Why is it that as soon as we have a few bucks in our pockets, it's like it is burning a hole in them and we just have to spend it?