New from SC

[niceandeasy]

Well i have been talking about starting a business and this some what fell in to my lap. I work now full time at a cemetery doing grounds keeping so i learn the in and out of lawn care. Im starting this as a part time business for the fact i have my family to take care of and bills to pay. I have 3 lawns so far in a week and trying to get more but I have some things i need answered if yall can. 1. should i run out and get a business name and a county license 2. There is a guy in the same county as me asking 25.00 to mow, edge, weed eat, and blow a 1/2 acre lot how in the world can i keep up with that.

[MountainViewGreenskeeper]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by niceandeasy 1. should i run out and get a business name and a county license 2. There is a guy in the same county as me asking 25.00 to mow, edge, weed eat, and blow a 1/2 acre lot how in the world can i keep up with that. You cant. Just advertise you fix the problems that come with using a $25 company. And get a business name asap! Ive only been doing this for about a years but in my eyes havent lost a customer yet(lost 2), cause I charge what I need to so that I can work hard for them.

__________________
Colton
Mountain View Greenskeeper proudly offering yard care in the East Valley of Arizona.

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Last edited by MountainViewGreenskeeper; 08-18-2010 at 08:37 PM.

[Steve]

Welcome to our forum!

1. should i run out and get a business name and a county license

The sooner you get your license and go legit, the sooner you can build your business further. These are simple steps you will be glad are out of the way once you get them done.

2. There is a guy in the same county as me asking 25.00 to mow, edge, weed eat, and blow a 1/2 acre lot how in the world can i keep up with that.

Know your costs and know what you need to make a profit. Market your services at the price you need. If you find it difficult, you can always look into more niche markets that aren't as saturated. You can find these by asking your customers if there are other services they need taken care of while you are there.

Since you work at a cemetery, can you tell us a little about what you have found about working on them? What's the best way to go about estimating how long they will take to care for? There are many obstacles and I am sure most lawn care business owners, underestimate the time needed to mow and service them properly.

[niceandeasy]

Well its all in how fast you can weed eat!! If you are working by your self you need to start weed eating first (You know where you can fit your mower). When doing head stones i find it alot faster walking backwards hitting only one side the back down the other side and the middle between them to! Your walking that way why not hit it. In the end it will help you mow faster. OK now pricing mmmm thats a hard one. You have to look at how much crap that people keep out there that you have to work around. Next is the foot stones if they are above the ground then charge more. I will see if i can get some pictures up soon of my work.


What i would charge on a 1 acre lot that is....... (1 acre is on the big side of normal)
1. Very clean and foot makers flat and in strait rows is... 100.00 (10mins mowing and 20 mins weed eating)
2. Not clean with flat makers in strait rows is ...... 125.00 (10 mins mowing and 20-30 mins weed eating)
3. (Most) Not clean with foot makers above ground..... 200.00+ (10-20 mins mowing and 40-60 weed eating)

But your dealing with a church and there want the cheap or the cheap to mow.

[Steve]

Do you think you will be looking for cemeteries in your area to bid on them since you have had experience dong that or will you focus more on residential customers?

[niceandeasy]

for me i will try to get what ever i can get for now but i talked with a cemetery down the road they have 1 acre and they will only spend 4000 a year for there lawn.

[Steve]

Is there a way you can make that work? Maybe cutting back the amount of mowings per month?