2011 season is over.

[boats47]

We still have another month before I shut things down here in RI. It aint over till the ground freezes! I am ready for the winter break, been a long season.

[Norcal]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by Hedgemaster Man, if I started doing this when I was 20, I'd be sitting in Barbados, sipping a pina colada right now while my crews do all the work! Imagine the growth potential with that much time. It's tougher physically to start out when you're an old geezer like Ducke ( ), but with age, comes experience, and wisdom, and that helps to compensate in other aspects of the business. I also truly believe that a lot of people are more comfortable dealing with/hiring an older person. There are a gazillion "young kids" out there doing this work, but only about a half dozen of them appear to give a damn about what they are doing. I think your right on some levels start young get all the learning and mistakes and having to eat crow out of the way and as you get older you will be taken more seriously than when you first started. I am 36 and i think being a little older than say a 20 years old i am taken a little more serious the problem I have is if I shave I look like Im 15 and people hassle me like I don"t have a clue what Im talking about if I have a facial hare that has some grey in it people take my word as gospil. Moral of story start young but color your hair grey

[Ducke]

ell I finished putting all my summer equipment away for the season.
I drained all the gas changed all the oils and coated all the undersides with Fluid Film.

I then dug out the Snow Blower and got it all ready to go.
Just as I was getting finished we started to get some flurries.
The old Snow Blower looked ready to go.

[Hedgemaster]

I dropped off my $15 snowblower today to have it looked over and then I dug out my big, two stage from the garage and checked it over to see that it was ready - started right up.
I ran it around the yard and left it run for a while after adding some fresh gas.

That said, I'm still mowing some lawns and will be doing leaf work for at least the next month before we see any real snow here.

[Ducke]

Man I haven't mowed a lawn in two weeks.
I think I am having with draw symptoms.
Last night I couldn't sleep so I was down on the computer surfing Lawn Mower sites.
Am I sick or what
I really liked the stripped down models there was even a couple of videos.
man I really do miss the smell of fresh cut grass, The feel of its softness under my feet. Watching it blow gently in the breeze.
The movies were great there were ones on how to do a lawn properly and even how to do multiple lawns. Some guys were doing up to six lawns at a time
Oh how I miss doing lawns.
Now all I have to look forward to is Banging out one drive way at a time once or twice a month. Its just not the same , It is in someways just so cold and impersonal.

[picframer]

You need to take a drive through the South End of Halifax, there is tons of leaf clean up jobs, all you have to do is leave flyers, I drive through the South End every day on my way to Seaport and when I was doing leaf jobs we had over 60 clients in the south end alone.

[Ducke]

My problem is two fold
one I don't have the proper gear for that kind of clean up, (A rake a blower some bags and a strong back)
Two i have already taken on a winter job.
I hope to expand next year and get myself a leaf vac
the kind that you can walk behind.

[boats47]

Originally Posted by Ducke

My problem is two fold
one I don't have the proper gear for that kind of clean up, (A rake a blower some bags and a strong back)
Two i have already taken on a winter job.
I hope to expand next year and get myself a leaf vac
the kind that you can walk behind.

Truck mounted leaf vac, will save you big time. blow everything to truck and suck it up, done deal next property. You could pay for it with a couple properties that is the time you will save, no doubt.

[Ducke]

Well as good as a regular pay check is,
I do believe I may have pulled the plug a little two quick on the 2011 season.
I am already planning on moving my closing date til Nov 30th for 2012.
I was out tonight and bought a second hand leaf vac it a few years old but it runs and has fantastic suction, I think I may make a mounting bracket for the trailer and get a hose for it and rig up a vac trailer. Not sure exactly how I will do it but I will frig with it on the weekend.

[Steve]

I do believe I may have pulled the plug a little two quick on the 2011 season.

Were there more clean up jobs that came in or what happened?