Hello From Michigan

[Ethan]

Hello my name is Ethan And im the owner of Gage's Lawn and snow in harrison MI with the help of my dad i started my business last fall and made the choice to work full time for myself this spring and it has paid off. in my spare time i like to hunt and fish and i am a fire fighter here in harrison so i try to stay active in the community which is always a good way to get new business.

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

Hi Ethan, Welcome to our forum! I think there a many members on here who are part time but haven't found a way to take their business fulltime. It can be quite an accomplishment to do that. What kind of advice do you have for those trying to do this?

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[Ethan]

Well i was told by several other business owners in the area that in order to grow i had to take a risk. at first the risk was a really hard choice but the more calls that i recieved for work the easier it got because i was turning down work for my business to go to work and so in was hindering my own business from growing and expanding.

[Steve]

What do you feel is the best way to maximize your mowing time when you are still working a fulltime job?

Did you mow everynight after work? What about weekends?

Do you feel a part time lawn care business owner should have a certain amount of money saved before they quit their fulltime job?

[Ethan]

well i would get home from work at six and then mow untill about nine so it allowed me to work three hours a night and then a day and a half and the weekends and i had 32 yards last year averaging 1.5 hours a piece so on my weekend i Was killing myself trying to get all of my work done. Yes i would diffently tell people to make sure that they have all of there ducks in a row financially before they quit there job and to have some extra money saved up in case of a dry spell as far as a set amount my was enough to cover my operating cost for 3 months but it really depends on your own situation.

[Steve]

When you were doing it part time, you were able to max out at 32 customers? How many customers do you feel you could max out now with as a solo operator?

Also, do you feel that anything about going fulltime with your business caught you off guard? Were there things you felt you could have prepared better for that others reading this need to look out for?