Selling Out

[Steve]

I'm tired of pretending to take an interest with my clients, to stop and say, "Hows it going, enjoying the weather?"... I used to be great at sounding 'real', but now I'm pretty sure I sound careless. Is there anything that would get you more interested in this? What if you made more money with it?

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[CHEESE2009]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by Steve Is there anything that would get you more interested in this? What if you made more money with it? It's not necessarily about the money, it's actually just the clients who bother the heck out of me. At first, they all come off as invasive by being over friendly - only to become a prick and screw me over. You'd think that a client who offers you a beverage every time you show up, or makes small or even big talk with you about their lives and yours would be a good thing... It's not. You get stuck so tied up with their own events, and you have to act on them to show that you're a good person and not ignorant. They basically force me to make things awkward when they don't play by the rules. EXAMPLE of a crappy situation involving payment; Me: I'm here for the money. Client: Oh good. I just got back from 100 funerals, found out I have cancer, I'm dying, I'm too old to do anything and I'm very depressed about it.... I will have your money next time! . ......... How do you get away with saying "No, it's now or never". A TON of clients put me in situations similar to the one above. "Here's a beverage, now I don't have to respect you."

[CHEESE2009]

Another story, but I'll keep it in this thread.

I left my house today, only to be stuck doing the following;

Trimming 7 large plants.

Removing 4 large gardens and everything in them, and replacing them with sod.

Building a river stone garden.

Fixing concrete stairs.

2 Dethatching jobs.

Cleaning gutters, and replacing gutters.


^ All that crap, I never asked for it. I never wanted to do spring work, unless it's LEAVES on the LAWN only. Everything else gets me unorganized.

This is what I get for saying, "How are you doing today" to 6 clients.

Not a big problem though, I can't really be upset about this, but I just prefer to do work where I'm in and out, without being in the same spot for too long.

Work where I'm stuck in the same spot for too long makes me feel rushed, like I need to be somewhere else and I'm not going to make it on time.

[Johnny_boy02]

I dont know where you live but look into property preservation companies. In Nov I got sick of all the non payers, bounce checks and other BS. I dropped all my clients except for 1 crazy old lady I feel bad for, and went strictly foreclosure/ property preservation.

So for the lawn part of my business I work only on foreclosed properties. No homeowners to deal with. It is not perfect I still have to do things I dont like changing locks and traveling a bit.

But I worked all fall and winter and in February the turd really hit the fan, I worked everyday (some days only half a day) and brought home about $4000 after my expenses.

[Chaz]

Originally Posted by CHEESE2009

^ All that crap, I never asked for it. I never wanted to do spring work, unless it's LEAVES on the LAWN only. Everything else gets me unorganized.

This is what I get for saying, "How are you doing today" to 6 clients.

Not a big problem though, I can't really be upset about this, but I just prefer to do work where I'm in and out, without being in the same spot for too long.

Work where I'm stuck in the same spot for too long makes me feel rushed, like I need to be somewhere else and I'm not going to make it on time.

I'd be stoked if i were in your shoes. this is where you make your money, or at least where i make mine. I make money on mowing and all but the one time jobs are premium.

[Steve]

Do you think you will feel like you are in a better spot once you get a fulltime employee? Or no?