Growing my Business People vs Equipment

[B-2 Lawncare]

So i want to continue to growing my business. I have mowed some of of my client but not all. Some of there lawns have yet grow any grass. At what point do i hire some one and at one point do i start buying more equipment? I am sure that i can handle the mowing in the summer. I have seasonal work that i need help with. And i am thinking that it would be nice to have some to call if i got sick to pick up my slack. My business is sound and i have a good reputation around town. what do you guys think?

[NewLeafca]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by B-2 Lawncare So i want to continue to growing my business. I have mowed some of of my client but not all. Some of there lawns have yet grow any grass. Now is a great time depending on where you are to add extra services if you can afford it. Fertilization, seeding etc. will get them going faster and get you back mowing. Originally Posted by B-2 Lawncare At what point do i hire some one and at one point do i start buying more equipment? I am sure that i can handle the mowing in the summer. I have seasonal work that i need help with. As far as the equipment goes if you have something that is working for you now and getting the job done then use it. I had the money when I started out and spent lots of money on equipment that I am not using. I am sure that as I grow I will use it but that money could have been spent on advertising and what not. Also if you have seasonal work that you need a certain piece of equipment for see about renting it. It can get expensive to rent but if you buy it for 3,000 - 5,000 dollars and use it only 2 or 3 times what good is that? Originally Posted by B-2 Lawncare And i am thinking that it would be nice to have some to call if i got sick to pick up my slack. My business is sound and i have a good reputation around town. what do you guys think? It would be nice to have someone else to call if you are sick. I have always worried about that since I started. But if I can't make it I reschedule the job. Most of mine are on contracts and so it doesn't matter if I am there on Monday or Friday as long as sometime during the week it gets done. As I add more clients I sometimes change their schedules around to make it convenient for me but I always leave them a note or send them an email to let them know what day their lawn will be done. Some of them look forward to coming home on a certain day and seeing their lawn shine. Just my opinions but I am new to this too. I have been doing the landscaping for a long time but new to doing it on my own.

[B-2 Lawncare]

Originally Posted by NewLeafca

Now is a great time depending on where you are to add extra services if you can afford it. Fertilization, seeding etc. will get them going faster and get you back mowing.


As far as the equipment goes if you have something that is working for you now and getting the job done then use it. I had the money when I started out and spent lots of money on equipment that I am not using. I am sure that as I grow I will use it but that money could have been spent on advertising and what not. Also if you have seasonal work that you need a certain piece of equipment for see about renting it. It can get expensive to rent but if you buy it for 3,000 - 5,000 dollars and use it only 2 or 3 times what good is that?

Good point. As of right now i am set up as far as equipment goes. And for most of my seasonal work i have what i need. With exception of this winter i am going to have to rent or lease a Tractor. I have picked up several clients who have large parking lots. This last winter i was able to cover all of my clients snow removal needs with my lawn tractors. And i could do so again this winter but not in a timely fashion.

It would be nice to have someone else to call if you are sick. I have always worried about that since I started. But if I can't make it I reschedule the job. Most of mine are on contracts and so it doesn't matter if I am there on Monday or Friday as long as sometime during the week it gets done. As I add more clients I sometimes change their schedules around to make it convenient for me but I always leave them a note or send them an email to let them know what day their lawn will be done. Some of them look forward to coming home on a certain day and seeing their lawn shine.

Just my opinions but I am new to this too. I have been doing the landscaping for a long time but new to doing it on my own.

That's a good point about rescheduling. But what happens when you get to that point where you are so booked that you cant move people around? I am not at that point yet but think I will be very soon. And this is why i was contemplating more equipment and hiring someone to run the stuff. I am the aggressive type, which comes from being a supervisor in the oil and gas industry for twelve years. There are several other lawn care businesses in town and i want their work. I know that at some point i am going to have to just do it and buy some equipment and hire someone i was just looking for advise as to when it's best to do that. Thanks for your input.

[NewLeafca]

I see I think I misunderstood your question. I would hire someone to help you out first. This way you can see how they work and if you like them. With 2 of you doing the job it will go quicker for the same amount of money. If you find someone you like then I would get equipment and send them out on their own while you are out getting more clients.

[jasonw]

Originally Posted by B-2 Lawncare

I have mowed some of of my client but not all. Some of there lawns have yet grow any grass.

I would say if that's the case its way to early to think about being "booked" or hiring anyone. I went through this same faze last year when I started. Its NOT an expansion faze but rather a lazy faze. I hired help to do everything I didn't want to do and it was a huge mistake. As far as equipment went I didn't buy what everyone ells was using, I am not a follower, I am also not a cheep a$$ and didn't but the cheapest thing I could find. I purchased what I liked and wanted. Thats why everyone is running around on there 0 turns and I'm on Clifford the big red TB lawn tractor. It actually sticks out and I get z lot of compliments about it.

[Steve]

As far as the equipment goes if you have something that is working for you now and getting the job done then use it. I had the money when I started out and spent lots of money on equipment that I am not using.

What kinds of equipment did you buy early on that you didn't need?

What would you have done differently if you could have done it all over again?

[B-2 Lawncare]

Originally Posted by Steve

What kinds of equipment did you buy early on that you didn't need?

What would you have done differently if you could have done it all over again?

I use all the equipment that i have, the one thing that i would have done differently would have been to buy a some bigger equipment when i started. I have taken on some bigger gov Summer lawn care contracts. I want to be able to take care of there snow removal in the winter for them. But i will need to lease or buy a tractor to do this. Not sure if it is the right move. But i want to keep growing, i was hoping to get some more advice from some of the bigger lawn care guys here.

[NewLeafca]

Originally Posted by Steve

What kinds of equipment did you buy early on that you didn't need?

What would you have done differently if you could have done it all over again?

I have a brush cutter, chipper, 2-1/2" and 3" diameter bulb and plant augers along with a 7" gallon pot auger, Gas-Powered Backpack Sprayer, Tiller/Cultivator to name a few. I may eventually use all these but as for now I don't.

What would I do different, well first I would wait to see what type of work I was getting. I got tools thinking that I would be able to do anything and everything. However I have been doing mostly lawn maint. and don't need the others right now. If the money was still in savings acct. then it would be earning interest for me until I needed it to buy tools.