tell the truth or tell you what you want to here.

[rockymtnnut]

When it comes to what equipment to buy ,People often want you to tell them what they want to here and not the truth. I find this to be true with beginners when they post for advice. I was a beginner once my self. If a guy that has made it listen to him. I try to model myself after people who are successful I don't anymore take advice from people who are not successful or if I do I take it with a grain of salt. oh how I wish I would've listen to people who knew what they were talking about when I was younger. I guess it's all about growing up.

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Last edited by rockymtnnut; 03-18-2013 at 01:04 PM.

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

Lawn care business tips

we get this a lot with newbies post about homeowner equipment. When you tell them get commercial grade equipment they get pissed off. I tell them go used its cheaper then the newer homeowner garbage. They want something shiny and new though. Somehow they figure a new mower designed to last a 150 hours is better then a used mower designed to last 1000s. We see this with business stuff too. I make 60k a year, im gonna quit my job and get rich doing this. Well good luck with that buddy. Then the guys that charge $20-$25 a lawn and cut 20-30 yards. You tell them raise your prices work less for more money. Then they tell you its impossible, it only takes 10 mins or I have low overhead so I'm fine. I dont think people see how many are just part timers or own a job. Theres very few that really own a business here.

__________________
South Eastern Connecticut Landscaping /Lawn Care /Pressure Washing /Snow Removal /Gutter Cleaning
52" Brutus/52" Super Surfer/44" Pro Line/60" ZMaster
EB630/EB802/EBZ7150/EBZ8000/BR400/Billy Goat 8Hp
FS55&90/FC95/km110/L322&326/TR2350S
HC150/HC155/CHTZ2460
CS440/MS290
Case 1816 Skid

[wat5150]

Too many people with too much time on their hands and lame info is my take on this. If your a big shot big time landscaper then great, but beating on your chest about it and saying listen to me is lame. Just saying there are ways to give advice without sounding like a tool.

[Cashin H&P]

Originally Posted by SECTLANDSCAPING

we get this a lot with newbies post about homeowner equipment. When you tell them get commercial grade equipment they get pissed off.

I tell them go used its cheaper then the newer homeowner garbage. They want something shiny and new though. Somehow they figure a new mower designed to last a 150 hours is better then a used mower designed to last 1000s.

We see this with business stuff too. I make 60k a year, im gonna quit my job and get rich doing this. Well good luck with that buddy.

Then the guys that charge $20-$25 a lawn and cut 20-30 yards. You tell them raise your prices work less for more money. Then they tell you its impossible, it only takes 10 mins or I have low overhead so I'm fine.

I dont think people see how many are just part timers or own a job. Theres very few that really own a business here.

Couldnt agree more.

[rockymtnnut]

[quote=wat5150;123658]Too many people with too much time on their hands and lame info is my take on this. If your a big shot big time landscaper then great, but beating on your chest about it and saying listen to me is lame. Just saying there are ways to give advice without sounding like
I agree

[dpld]

Originally Posted by wat5150

Too many people with too much time on their hands and lame info is my take on this. If your a big shot big time landscaper then great, but beating on your chest about it and saying listen to me is lame. Just saying there are ways to give advice without sounding like a tool.

i think the people with the biggest gripe about taking advice are the newbies and all too often follow the advice of the newbies instead of swallowing a little pride and accepting it.

i get that response from people here from time to time and some young kids starting out think that i can not relate to them because i am already established and because i had some success that i can not feel their pain or understand where they are coming from.
but what gets lost in it all is that i started from there too and one day not too long ago i was a young dude plotting making my mark on the world.

the only difference between me and say some 18 year old kid on here is i am older and have been at it longer and had a head start due to being older but if they stay true to the course they set and stay at it they too will be in my position one day.

you also got to realize that sometimes a particular person might not be beating their chest at all and that may only be how the reader perceived it.
after all none of us including myself are professional writers or astute educated people, i am not saying any of us is stupid or nothing like that but it sometimes can be hard to convey your thoughts articulately in this format and maybe if you were hearing the words straight out of our mouths in person you would understand where they are coming from a little better.

lastly, as in any subject in life if you put a question out there in a public format such as this you are gonna get some replies that you don't want to hear.
but maybe the answer is not so much the wrong answer it is just what you don't want to hear.
humans by nature will ask questions hoping to hear the answer they want to hear and not the the answer they really need to hear.

[JLM]

I find it odd that the busy companys who post on Gopher daily...Would even have the time to do so....Just sayin....Most are dreamers others are full of it.

If you want to know... learn don't ask.

I have my way you have yours....Others just make it up as they go along.

This will be my last post... When this thread is done so am I......We are growing at a rapid rate and I just don't have time....
Good luck in your venture!

[Cashin H&P]

Originally Posted by JLM

I find it odd that the busy companys who post on Gopher daily...Would even have the time to do so....Just sayin....Most are dreamers others are full of it.

If you want to know... learn don't ask.

I have my way you have yours....Others just make it up as they go along.

This will be my last post... When this thread is done so am I......We are growing at a rapid rate and I just don't have time....
Good luck in your venture!

So becuase its winter and not all of us live in areas that dont get snow means us guys up north dont run busy companys? I come on her daily. On lunch breaks on my phone, at night after work, on rainy days in between paper work. I would rather talk on here then on facebook. I can at least learn some thing here.

With your attitude im glad you are done here.

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

Originally Posted by JLM

I find it odd that the busy companys who post on Gopher daily...Would even have the time to do so....Just sayin....Most are dreamers others are full of it.

If you want to know... learn don't ask.

I have my way you have yours....Others just make it up as they go along.

This will be my last post... When this thread is done so am I......We are growing at a rapid rate and I just don't have time....
Good luck in your venture!

Its early I'm still bidding commercial properties. Thats a good thing because I have a few days free as of now.

Still cold here too its actually snowing right now. Might have to put the plows back on. Luckily I left a sander on one truck.

I see it the other way when I was solo. I didnt have time for nothing. Now with 3 trucks and 2 crews I can take a step back and enjoy myself. In a few years Ill be sitting in a office the majority of time and just doing QC checks.

[SNethercutt]

Sect how long have you been in the business. Good to hear another success story. I have to agree a lot of people new to something are quite hostile. I was that way when I first started.I worked at a dirt yard, in a medium sized town. Landscapers were in and out all the time. I have been around business people my whole life, so I understand a lot. I would talk to them about their business not getting too personal. I one day said I can do that. When I talked to them about starting they told me "the work is easy, and with your knowledge you won't have any problem running it. Getting customers is the hard part with all the competition." I thought whatever so I started mowing yards part time.... got a few accounts, quit my job and went to college full time mowing. I went back to work at the dirt yard for a few months, still mowing and in school. I wore myself out, I had no choice I found out I had a baby on the way. Then it all just started coming together. Last August, which was 2 years to the month since I started this endeavour I had my most profitable month, over 10,000 profit. I know to some people that isn't a lot and to me it isn't but to make it own my own feels great.

I grew up with a silver spoon ( something I will never do to my son no matter how much money we have) I ended up with a drug addiction in high school and did some stupid ****. Now I'm 22 and still facing that music, but I will be done with that the 25th of this month.

The biggest advice I have for any new guy is listen to those experienced guys. I am still wet behind the ears. But I will tell you the guys that have been doing it for 10 15 or 20+ years aren't still in the business because they loose their *** off every year. I'm all ears for free advice. Especially from someone who has been there done that.