Duuuuuude!

[CHEESE2009]

I went out around 11am or 12pm.... just got home, 2AM... LOL Time for a big steak, some tv, then I'll sleep until the next snowfall! How did everyone else manage?

[Clays Landscape]

Lawn care business tips

Dr. Scott, It seems as if you are very knowledgable of this industry so I want to pry your mind of a quick question. How much should I charge for an acre lot that has 10-12 large oaks that had not been touched all year until I got to them today? There were thick enough my blower would not blow them much so a great deal of raking took place. I was there for 3 to 3.5 hours. The good thing is, there was no traveling, as it was my next door neighbor.

[Steve]

Scott,

Have you changed the way at all you do snow removal from the past years? Are there any ways you are handling it differently?

[CHEESE2009]

Originally Posted by Clays Landscape

Dr. Scott,
It seems as if you are very knowledgable of this industry so I want to pry your mind of a quick question.

How much should I charge for an acre lot that has 10-12 large oaks that had not been touched all year until I got to them today? There were thick enough my blower would not blow them much so a great deal of raking took place. I was there for 3 to 3.5 hours. The good thing is, there was no traveling, as it was my next door neighbor.

In your case, maybe charging a travel fee would have been better regardless if it's your neighbor or not. A part of me thinks that all clients should bring in the a similar kind of value.

A lot of bigger companies with efficient equipment usually charge $100 per shot when it comes to picking up leaves (my area). A lot of new companies that aren't as equipped will be doing more work with less profit until they become well equipped.

Here's an example;

Bigger Company
Time per job: 1 hour
Charge: $100

Smaller Company
Time per job: 3 hours
Charge: $300 It just wouldn't work....

At this point, you aren't exactly getting "killed" by your competition, you just aren't making the right amount for your time spent (not a big deal yet).

If you don't have a lot of clients, time isn't really a big issue yet. Make sure you put money towards better equipment, so you spend less time, while making the same price

********-

You don't need a tractor right now, you can do a fantastic job with a self propelled (rear wheel drive) lawn mower that can mulch and bag.

I suggest going over the piles of leaves with the lawn mowers front wheels off the ground, and cutting "half-deck";



Once the leaves are mulched, attach the bag to the mower = success!

[CHEESE2009]

Originally Posted by Steve

Scott,

Have you changed the way at all you do snow removal from the past years? Are there any ways you are handling it differently?

Well, I've got approx 150 walkways to shovel all over the city. The gps I had bought last year (or the year before) has come in handy!

It's very difficult, as it's hard to see addresses in the dark, and the gps doesn't give me an exact location and often lies to me... "Coming to location in 20 meters, on right" usually means it's on the left...

So it's good to understand how addresses work, so that you aren't wasting time;

One side of a street may go for example: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.
While the other side of the street will go: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9.

So with the Gps and the order of the house numbers go, it's been great.

//

Other than the work itself, which is very tiring and time consuming and leaves me feeling as though I'd been hit my a train, I just don't know what would happen during a bad storm. Scary to think about.

I have two and half sheets of clients, each full page takes me 6 hours. The complete route will cost me $70 in gasoline. Should be interesting to see the final results of the season.

In all of the time working, and rushing, and sweating. I took only 20 minutes to relax, and that was only to pick up and drive my girlfriend home. She fed me while I would drive, it was the perfect system. She had to leave though, because I was too grumpy. I would shout at every car infront of me, not to mention the damn schoolbuses that stop for 10 minutes letting kids off (can't pass those, gotta wait). I got stuck at every light too, sucks.

Here is a song about me, and my customers;
ahahahaha

I also got pulled over by a cop, "How come you are circling around the area constantly" LOL.

//

I have yet to get out of bed, it's 2PM the next day.... Soar as heck...

[Ducke]

Well I had a great start to the snow season .
Tuesday on way to work truck started acting funny , want to stall out at traffic lights etc.
Wed I was on way to work and the black smoke was just pouring out of the tail pipe so off to the dealer. While I'm sitting waiting to find out what was wrong the snow started but that's OK because Environment Canada said it would be mostly rain here in Halifax. HA! It snowed and it snowed and then it snowed some more. Here I am 8 clients to do snow removal and no truck to get my snow blower around.and to top it my trailer is in for some modification work so I didn't have that either, so last night I went out on foot with two shovels and started to dig my clients out by hand then we got the rain (doom on me) well I got 4 driveways dug out as the snow got heavier and heavier I was dead on my feet soaking wet and cold. So I call my remaining customers and told them what was happening and they were alright with my delay one even said don't worry he could handle it this time(very Nicely not mad or upset) so this morning I went back to the 4 from last night and cleaned out the frozen chunks of ice and snow the plow left behind and then did the other 3 driveways, To say I am tired is an understatement. I got a call from the dealer today the truck will be ready Friday it was an Oxygen Sensor that went but when they were trying to get it out it broke off so that was why the delay.
Overall they are saying we got 30cm here in metro and some inland areas got up to 40cm which isn't all that bad in its self . It was the freezing rain afterwards that made it all so miscible. Oh ya got my snow blower out to do my yard and the snow was so wet that I brunt out a belt, what a stink.
well off to bed got Christmas lights to put up tomorrow.

[CHEESE2009]

Originally Posted by Ducke

Well I had a great start to the snow season .

I could cry reading your post. Reminds me of my first year doing snow removal. Frig that was brutal!

I can't even fall asleep after work, my body is so full of adrenaline because I need to get everyone done at a decent time... it sticks with me for hours once I finish work. Not to mention, it's hard to shake off the "chill" from outdoors that stays with your body. This stuff gets me wired, I come home beat up, but my brain wont relaxxxx.


pictured above: How I feel at work

[Ducke]

Originally Posted by CHEESE2009

I could cry reading your post. Reminds me of my first year doing snow removal. Frig that was brutal!

I can't even fall asleep after work, my body is so full of adrenaline because I need to get everyone done at a decent time... it sticks with me for hours once I finish work. Not to mention, it's hard to shake off the "chill" from outdoors that stays with your body. This stuff gets me wired, I come home beat up, but my brain wont relaxxxx.


pictured above: How I feel at work

Yes Cheese but this is what we really look like.

Old, Rusty and Beat up

[Steve]

I just don't know what would happen during a bad storm. Scary to think about.

What could make your life easier with this? What would be the next steps to improve it. Whether it be this year or next?

[FaccLndscpng]

You guys got it right, after running a storm your body is soo tired its like you are numb but your mind is running a mile a minute and you cant sleep, and if you think about bills or hear your phone ring (which happens all the time, I get a message like this… its like mid January and I get a call “can you send someone over to plow my driveway? I have to go to work and cant shovel myself out… I really don’t care, its been snowing for like 2 months now and you now decided to ask for help? And you want me to come out right this minute so you can go to work in which you are already late for?” people are crazy). But anyway, sorry to go off on a rant like that, what does everyone do to get to sleep? I’ve had storms that when I came home I tried to sleep and after 20 mins thought about a bill, then I was done I would end up setting up Invoices all day then go straight to salting later that night. Then when you finally get done you sleep for like 3 days.