My lawn care setup. What do you think?

[1955_Chevy_6400]

13 years old and new here to the forum. I have been doing lawn care this year with only three clients and have made over a $1000, but was into a sport called airsoft and spent nearly all of that on it. I did not realize how much I was spending until I added up the costs and could not believe my eyes. I have already sold all my airsoft stuff about six months ago and I am now putting together an expense report in a binder that will go with me to each jobsite to calculate my costs. I also have done resale of pre-1950's signs, knives, and pellet guns for about two years, and am about to start junk car resale. I have found a place to get them on a regular basis and a buyer that will do so. After giving my tithe, I will be putting half of my money into savings and the other half into investment in signs, pellet guns knives, and junk cars, but mostly into my buisness and equipment to keep it going. I will try to get these pics to work. Sorry in advance if they do not. I have a 10 foot long trailer and a 2005 Cub Cadet with a 24 HP motor and a 50 inch deck that belongs to my dad, but I did own a straight shaft cub cadet weed-eater that died just before grass season, so my only clients were my aunt, my great-grandmother, and my highest paying job, a flea market that dropped me because the owner got her teenage kids to do it for free. I have a two lawn mower trailers. The yellow one will be for hauling dirt, fertilizer, rocks, sticks, and whatever else my customer needs hauled. The red dump trailer that is pictured next to the 10 foot bumperpull will be made into a sprayer trailer and grass clipping collector. I also have a pull-behind spreader which I will try to get a picture of. I also have a sprayer with broadcast option, but it did not come with it and will cost about $10 along with a pump for $60. It was a store return becuase of the faulty pump and I got it for $10, but it was $110 new, so it saved me about $40. It is seen in the red dump trailer. I will try to put my savings into a commercial weed-eater and mower along with my own trailer and used truck that will all together cost me about $9500. The truck will be a 1994-1997 Dodge 1-ton dually with a cummins diesel which will be about 2000-4000 dollars which is common in my area and the trailer will be used and around $800, but I want the lawn equipment to be new so I know what it has been through which has already been included in that price. I do not expect this to come before the end of the year, but more around ATLEAST when I am 16. I currently have about $300, but ALL of that will be put into the buisness. We are moving to Lubbock, Texas this thursday and I will be starting a new customer base, but I plan on PLENTY Of advertising and work. I was wanting to know if this is a good game plan and if not, what changes should I make? Here is some pics, and the guards will be going back on the mower tomorrow. The yellow trailer that will have a new tongue this week: http://s1112.photobucket.com/albums/...tuppics001.jpg The current Lawn mower hauler and the sprayer/grass clipping trailer: (The toolbox, all the tools in it, the air tank, and the vise are mine that were bought almost entirely at flea markets and yard sales) http://s1112.photobucket.com/albums/...tuppics012.jpg The current riding mower with homemade bumper I built: http://s1112.photobucket.com/albums/...tuppics016.jpg And I will get a picture of the current tow-rig which is my 16 year old brothers 1995 Dodge 1-ton dually.

Attached Images

trailer.jpg (359.7 KB, 10 views)

---

Last edited by 1955_Chevy_6400; 10-24-2011 at 09:50 PM. Reason: Typo

[1955_Chevy_6400]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by Apex Lawn & Landscape Aim high little man! You seem like a hard working young man with his head on right. Your 13 years old, get that airsoft gun back! You have plenty of time to work later in life, enjoy your youth. Youlle be fine if you keep this ambition. I will say this, start out small, keep a low overhead ( google overhead ) and you do not need a dually when your just starting out. Maybe get a game plan set up for Texas. It's a whole new ballgame with the Texas heat! Best of luck to you buddy. I already knew what overhead was, but thank you anyway! The reason I want a 1-ton dually, is because after I get out of college, I want to expand my buisness and do pasture mowing with small tractors and maybe get a class in college about irrigation, a diesel mechanics class, and a small motor mechanics class. By taking these classes, I will have a career to fall back on if the lawn care does not work out. I just want to have a good sized truck for my future endeavors. And I have always lived in Texas my whole life, so I know about the heat. Sorry for not mentioning that earlier.

[1955_Chevy_6400]

And also, the reason I do not want to get back into airsoft, is because it is just more money for me to spend and more consumed time that could be used for helping clients. I want to make the smart financial decision. Does anyone else have input or ideas?

[element009]

Originally Posted by 1955_Chevy_6400

And also, the reason I do not want to get back into airsoft, is because it is just more money for me to spend and more consumed time that could be used for helping clients. I want to make the smart financial decision. Does anyone else have input or ideas?

Sounds like your light years ahead of where I was when I was 13. Your idea sounds good, and I encourage you to pursue your goal.

I will say that in my experience, I changed my mind about what I wanted to do with my life numerous times between the ages of 17 and 23. So, don't be surprised if you decide you want to do something else in the coming years.

That being said, whether you're still doing this 10 yrs from now or not doesn't mean you shouldn't pursue it with determination. If nothing else, it will be a great learning experience for you in finance, client relations, and all other aspects of running this business.

[CHEESE2009]

Great age to think about starting a business. You have so many years to invest that by the time you are 18+, you'll have everything you need and more!

Right now, I think you have more energy then everyone on this forum - use it!!!

[racerdude711]

I think you have a great game plan ahead of you. I was about the same way. I started when I was 12, mowing for my handicapped neighbor. At that point, it was just something to do that made me a little money. When I was 13, I noticed the money was good, and that I could be making a lot more, and I also liked the work. So by the time I was 15, I think I was up to 7 or 8 clients within my neighborhood. When I turned 16, and was able to get my license, I did some advertising and grew to 15 weekly clients. When I was 17 I was up to 20 per week by word of mouth, no advertising at all. I am now 18 and this last spring I did some major door to door flyer advertising and was able to grow my clients base to around 38 weekly mows. The first two weeks, it was just me doing all the work. I quickly figured out that I would need to hire help. So I got a couple of my friends together, bought another truck and trailer, bought more equipment, and finished off the year a week ago with 44 weekly mows. Of those 44, 3 of them are small commercial mows. I'm now trying to prepare for the snow.

Advise for you.

Keep dreaming big! Strive to do more, make more, work more. You won't get anywhere without a TON of hard work, and it seems like your on the right track with that. Also, get your name out there the cheap way. Use craigslist ads, and flyers. Best way for sure. If you have the opportunity to find a good piece of commercial equipment for a CHEAP price, jump on it if you have the money. Buying as much good used commercial equipment while your young and have almost no overhead is a great way to do it, that is if your dedicated to keep the business going for a while. I bought a good majority of my equipment when I was 16, and still have and use it. Also, for about the first 3 or 4 years, almost every penny you make needs to go back into the business. Keep some for yourself to get by with, but if you keep feeding the company with money, it will grow. You'll go through the good times and the bad, but don't let the bad times get you discouraged with your dream. Keep at it, work hard, it will pay off. When your in high school, driving a nice truck, have money to spend, you'll be a happy man. Goodluck, lemme know if you have any questions for me.

[Steve]

Welcome to our forum!

Is airsoft another word for paintball?

[Ducke]

Sounds like you know what you want and how to go about getting.
This is all good but there is one thing I think you may have over looked.
Something that at 13 your not really thinking about and that is GIRLS..
Its only one word but its an awful life altering word . Keep your head srewed on and avoid all the side distractions that the next 7 or so years are going to send you and you just might make a name for yourself.

Good Luke.

[element009]

Originally Posted by Ducke

that is GIRLS..
Its only one word but its an awful life altering word . Keep your head srewed on and avoid all the side distractions

Well....we can't advise him to avoid all the distractions that girls bring.....that would be no fun at all...

instead, run your business, make money, and use the confidence you get from that to help you in your quest for chicks.

[1955_Chevy_6400]

Originally Posted by Steve

Welcome to our forum!

Is airsoft another word for paintball?

The short answer is no, paintball is basically simialer, but not by a whole lot. Paintball is, obviously, a sport that involves shooting balls of paint out of Co2 or spring powered guns. Airsoft is a sport that involves guns powered by Co2, Green gas (Google "green gas"), or a spring within the gun, that shoot plastic BB's, but if you had a high-powered rifle like I did, they can actually make you lightly bleed. The rifle I had was around roughly 400 FPS (Feet Per Second). One tip though if you plan on doing this, ALWAYS were eye protection! You can get by with airsoft goggles, but I strongly suggest a full face mask. I have had an airsoft BB hit my tooth once, and it did not hurt much more than a small pinch, but the BB broke in half inside my mouth, and it is a wonder I did not accidently swallow it.



Getting back to the topic, thank you all for the kind words, storys, and advice! And I also got those three customers by just word of mouth, and I made over a grand that year, but I blew almost all of it on airsoft, which was a stupid decision. I am only putting my investment money on things I already have a buyer lined up for, which is usually auctions and flea markets. I do not gamble on something if I am unsure of it on it's value unless I get it dirt cheap.