Starting up in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia!

[HAMPTON ROADS LAWN CARE]

Well you see the screen name and thats my business.....lol I actually haven't bought my rig yet but I am getting all of the logistics out of the way first before making any big purchases. I have got my License and insurance out of the way and now im about to buy my trailer and mowers. Im kinda stuck between getting a small trailer with a nice 0 turn and have a 22" self propelled where the 0 turn wont fit and be done pretty quick except for the back yards were the 0 turn wont fit. or To go out and buy a nice walk behind that will fit everywhere and take a little longer to cut along with the big nice trailer that i can grow into that will be almost empty. Any advice will be appreciated as I am new to this and thats why I have come here!

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[willshome]

Lawn care business tips

both would work. what kind of yards are you going to do small,big, fenced? what way would cost less? Do you have any lawns yet?

[HAMPTON ROADS LAWN CARE]

Originally Posted by willshome

both would work. what kind of yards are you going to do small,big, fenced? what way would cost less? Do you have any lawns yet?

Thats what I have been lookin at I would like to get into the higher end jobs eventually but starting I want to do residential to get my foot into the door.

I was about to start handing out flyers and put a banner on my truck and see what kind of cliental I will be starting with I know the fenced yards I will loose time but will make up with the non fenced yards.

Thats what i am so torn in-between about is that the cost is about the same but I also in the future would like to upgrade to a 18FT enclosed and either the walk behind or the 0 turn depending on what I decide not to go with.

[willshome]

I would be careful spending money with no jobs lined up and around here the new guy gets the lawns with the gates no one wants to do. Are you buying new? do you have a blower, trimmer, hand tools, leaf loader....? There is no job you can't do with a 22" if you have more time then money.

[Steve]

Welcome to our forum!

What is your view on why not just start small and basic and scale up as needed?

[HAMPTON ROADS LAWN CARE]

Originally Posted by willshome

I would be careful spending money with no jobs lined up and around here the new guy gets the lawns with the gates no one wants to do. Are you buying new? do you have a blower, trimmer, hand tools, leaf loader....? There is no job you can't do with a 22" if you have more time then money.

Well the only reason I say that I wanted to buy a decent rig to start is because I have a full time job but this is what I really want to do once I have enough cliental and then the plan was to quit my full time job and do this full time. I do have rakes, shovels, blower, trimmer, edger, trash cans and etc.... but I do not have anything for the leaf season which I was going to invest next fall when that time is rolling around.

I want to look like a 1st class operation that is why I have been debating on doing a few different options and when I had everything i was going to start goin neighborhood to neighborhood with flyers and try to get started that way.

[HAMPTON ROADS LAWN CARE]

Originally Posted by Steve

Welcome to our forum!

What is your view on why not just start small and basic and scale up as needed?

Thank you!

in my ^^^ post I kind of explained that a little bit but do you think thats what I need to do???

[stevef1201]

For the most part people dont care what your 'rig' looks like, A clean good looking truck, a working mower, working equipment is whats important.

Remember thsi:

Your customer does not care how hard you work, what equipment you had to use, what they care about is does the yard look good, and is the cost reasonable.

[wandfsmall]

Originally Posted by stevef1201

For the most part people dont care what your 'rig' looks like, A clean good looking truck, a working mower, working equipment is whats important.

Remember thsi:

Your customer does not care how hard you work, what equipment you had to use, what they care about is does the yard look good, and is the cost reasonable.

I think that depends on the client. You show up to some high end neighborhoods with a tractor mower and you will loose jobs as appearances mater to some people.

[willshome]

If looks are what your thinking about (and I fully understand)
I would go with a bigger used trailer with racks (trimmers & blower) give it a fresh coat of paint and good signs
Most 99.99% of customer don't know anything about mowers. I would get a basic walk behind (they last long time) and you will want a backup mower later and this would be great