Annual

[SNethercutt]

So I went from 1 annual contract ( mowing water retension pond) and I was just mowing but do to the fact is was an HOA they paid monthly, and I have interested three customers into doing this. All three have very nice homes but they didn't know I did full maintenance but I don't until now. I would like you guys to check my math. $40 x 36 mowings 60 x 5 fertilizations 60 x 13 yds mulch 70 x 1.5 hours labor each month I closed the deal at 322.xx plus tax each months for 12 months. Sound about right?

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

All three have very nice homes but they didn't know I did full maintenance but I don't until now. That is fantastic! How did they find out you just recently started to offer full maintenance? Could you be doing more to market yourself to this area? I would like you guys to check my math. $40 x 36 mowings 60 x 5 fertilizations 60 x 13 yds mulch 70 x 1.5 hours labor each month I closed the deal at 322.xx plus tax each months for 12 months. Sound about right? $40 x 36 = $1440 $60 x 5 = $300 $60 x 13 = $780 ($70 x 1.5 hours) x 12 months = $1260 ($1260 + $1440 + $300 + $780) / 12 months = $315 per month

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[SNethercutt]

Well, I didn't. But I talked to a fellow maintenance company owner who lives to houses down from one of my account ( the lawyer ) and she said you should try it. This was last week. So I got some advice from her by walking through the lawyers yard. I went to my biggest clients yard 2 days later and closed the deal.

This lady's maintenance company manages 291 properties weekly, she has been in business since 1983 renting garage apartment from a friend she started with a push mower a trimmer and blower.

I took her advice and ran with it. Now I am working on my 4th account with customers I already had. I have turned my profit into this.

Williams was 160 a month during growing season, I contracted that to 322.xx per month.

Wooster was 200 a month ($50 each cutting) I reduced his mowing price to 45 for contract. Contract price is 290.00.

Hoeler was 100 a month. I contracted it up to 242.50. She was EOW and is now every week.

All of these are 12 month contracts. One months payment will cover all materials for the year, except probably $125 on the Williams. I am not worried about the williams screwing me. They have been paying me almost 900 a month for the past year and a half for mowing all of their properties.

I still have a couple of high end customer to target.Wooster and Joy live in the same neighborhood as George Foreman, and the Williams live on the same street as Andy Pettite, the guy who plays in the MLB. So I'm in the right neighborhoods. Just have to be able to upsale my business and provide quality work. Lots of low ballers in those areas. I'm not lowering my price though. I would rather not make the money at all then work for nothing.

[Steve]

It sounds like these are higher earning areas. Are you wearing some sort of uniform? Is everything on your truck and trailer looking clean? I bet you win over more clients the better you present yourself to them.

[SNethercutt]

Never had a uniform but do require shirts that have our logo screen printed on them to be worn. Also, my truck is my baby. Its brilliant black and it stays waxed. I have big signs on my little trailer. Its a 14 ft with signs from the front all the way to the wheel wells. I ordered them as banners off vista print, put them over a piece of chloroplast and made a stained wood frame around it. Looks clean.

[Steve]

What color shirts? Are you keeping a consistent theme possibly with the color of your truck?

[SNethercutt]

No, my truck is black. I'm not making anyone wear black shirts.

I do plan on getting some sick graphics on my truck when my friend isn't so busy.

[Steve]

I look forwards to seeing all that when you are done.