Lost my biggest contract yesterday WTF

[jasonw]

Can it get any worse? If business was not bad enough I lost my biggest contract yesterday. This was my bread and butter, darn it. Now I am down to $200 per month for the rest of winter GRRRR. I lost it because the county had a GJ Indictment for favoritism and since my father works for the county and I am a Sub for the county they said no more. I was told top let the BOD and GJ thing calm down and I could go back to work no problem in a few months but damn, I need it now not in a few months.

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White Company

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

Is there any way you can get the contract in someone else's name while you handle the actual work?

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[jasonw]

Originally Posted by Steve

Is there any way you can get the contract in someone else's name while you handle the actual work?

I think the BOD wants 2 other bids as well. I don't even think they knew we were related, A disgruntled employee who is on her wait out of a job is the one that complained to the BOD. Apparently she wanted her son to do the work then shortly after I got the contract her son got fired so she went crazy.

[Steve]

I am sorry about that happening. Keep us posted how it goes in the future with this.

[jasonw]

Yeh they keep telling me "dont worry dont worry" but they dont seem to understand how business is right now. Lucky for me I am still paying my bills with savings and unemployment should finally be worked out soon otherwise losing 2/3 of your business is one swoop would be enough to say F it I quit.

[TheGoat]

Originally Posted by jasonw

Yeh they keep telling me "dont worry dont worry" but they dont seem to understand how business is right now. Lucky for me I am still paying my bills with savings and unemployment should finally be worked out soon otherwise losing 2/3 of your business is one swoop would be enough to say F it I quit.

It seems like now would be a good time to focus on diversifying your client lists so your service does not rely so heavily on one client to remain in operation.

don't put all your eggs in one basket and all that...

[jasonw]

Oh I agree totally, I am working on that now. I dont know if you have followed my business woos but work just started drying up all over the place. This client was my only year round one and the pay was good which is why they are so much of my monthly revenue now. All my summer clients are done for the year and I am doing one normal winter property but other than that this account with the county was the only other work I had right now. Its not that hard to find work in the summer time, We all normally reap the rewards of our work during that time, winter is what hits us hard so I am working double time to increase my market share during the winter via new services. Hopefully it works out. I just got my first new job in months today from a local person who wants some leafs picked up and a flower bed built so that gives me a lot of hope.

[Yard Elements]

You really have to remember our work is seasonal no matter how many clients you have plan on being slow in the winter. I save all year for Dec. to the end of FEB. I plan on getting no work at all I generally stay busy until Feb but if you are planned seasonal then there is no worry in the off season I go through re-organize plan marketing, sales projection etc.

[jasonw]

I totally agree. My problem is I have always been employed so winter time has always been like a vacation to me because I always had a paycheck coming in anyway. The other thing is this contract that I lost was not a seasonal contract, it was year round. I have no doubt it would become seasonal after a year or so but there is so much work and they want it done so its guaranteed work during the winter. The rain is not why I lost it, I lost it because of a Grand Jury Indictment for favoritism within the county office and it just so happens that I have a family member that works for the county so they said to stop work immediately. I have since been told that I still have the contract and dont worry about it, just let things cool down then I can go back to work but I want to work now lol.

[Yard Elements]

Totally understand, I have been trying to get jobs done, but it has been frozen solid here for a while now. Not a whole lot can be done when the ground is solid.

Make it through this off season and plan for next winter!