Just Mowing?

[chehalemmower]

Hello all, I'm new to this forum. I've got a day job but I moonlight as a, well heck I'll do just about anything to bring in extra money. In the spring and summer I do small engine repair and that keeps me pretty busy. I also do some lawnmowing in my spare time but I don't really advertise hard for this because I've found people want the whole shebang, mowing, tree trimming, edging, weeding, etc. I'm don't really care to do anything more than mowing. I don't have that sense of finesse when I do trimming, weeding, etc. and I wouldn't be comfortable getting paid for it and perhaps disappointing because I did a poor job. I do enjoy getting out and mowing however. I find it very relaxing after a stressful day at work. Do any of you guys simply do mowing and nothing else? How does it pay and how busy are you? Thanks!!

[mhoward92]

Lawn care business tips

Most people on this forum have businesses that will do any of it. If someone wants just mowing and not edging or weed eating they'll do it. But other then that i would say NO most people on this forum don't JUST mow.

[musician/lawnman]

Our minimum service is mow, line trim, edge, & blow off.
We will not "just mow it". If that's what a customer whats & that's all they will pay for, they are not a customer we want anyway.

The neighbors of such a customer will never watch you do a half-assed job & think.... wow that looks like crap, must be cheap? Let's hire him.

The place will look like crap & the client is unhappy, your underpaid & thus your unhappy, you'll never get refferals from this customer & neighbors will not approach you while your there. It's just not conducive to building a good business.

If they want "just a mow" for $10-$15 bucks, tell em to go buy a push mower & hire a neighborhood kid to do it.

[legendlawn]

Very well said...While this guys intentions are all good, It is people like him that are detrimental to our "professional" industry. This is just one of the scenarios going through my head. This guy mows joe blow's yard for 20 bucks his neighbor calls me for an estimate and I tell him our price is 40 for the "real deal." The prospect is flabergasted by "our outrageous prices" because his neighbor gets a $20 half *** mow.

[legendlawn]

Very well said...While this guys intentions are all good, It is people like him that are detrimental to our "professional" industry. This is just one of the scenarios going through my head. This guy mows joe blow's yard for 20 bucks his neighbor calls me for an estimate and I tell him our price is 40 for the "real deal." The prospect is flabergasted by "our outrageous prices" because his neighbor gets a $20 half *** mow.

[chehalemmower]

Well from my perspective, I'm that neighborhood kid, with my own mower. I don't go around advertising that I only mow lawns, I do this on the weekends and some evenings in the summer. This is by far not my full time career as most of you are doing. I'm not going for the professional look although I do have some common sense customer service skills. The only place I advertise is on craigslist and I get a few customers from past customers but my customers are not calling me because they want a manicured lawn, they are the ones with all weeds that just want them knocked down once a month or so, some a little more often. They don't have the money nor do they care about their lawn enough to pay high dollar for such a service. Hell they don't even water it because it cost too much. I fill a particular niche in the market that you refuse to service and I make a little pocket change in return for my time. I don't care how you look at it, $25 for a half hour worth of work ain't bad.

I don't think I'm taking anything away from your prospective clients. Your clients have money, mine don't. Mine call me up when they need it done and I tell them I'll be there in the next 7 days or so. Definitely not the clients you want anyways.

I hope this helps clarify who I am. I'm not a target, I'm just a guy like you that is trying to pay the bills, exploring many different trades to find the one that best fits me. I was just asking if any of you do the same thing but its overwhelmingly obvious that you don't.

Huuuum maybe I should create my own forum for guy that only mow lawns.....there's my inner entrepreneur thinking again!!!

[mhoward92]

theres no need to get offensive about any of the responses. I mean as I said. Most people on here own commercial lawncare businesses. So yeah they are not gonna do a loball job for 15-20 bux. They consider their work professional and expect professional pay and profit. Because you can take the "pocket change" as you called it but when running a professional business you have to make more money then that. otherwise why even take that kind of client. you might end up losing money.

you are not thinking of our perspective on this. I understand you might have not got the answer you were looking for but I guess it goes to show you your answer....No...most people here don't just offer mowing. what kind of professional business would that be? as you said your business is not "professional" and you don't care. So thats totally fine. but as someone stated before. what if someone drove past and you were loading up your trailer with your equiptment after you just mowed. and they saw that you just mowed and the rest looked like crap. is that a good reputation for your business?

[Little's]

These guys absolutely fill a need in the market. I mean even people with just weeds in their lawns need it mowed every now and then. If the "pros" arent going to do it, then I see them as seeing this as a business opportunity and going after it.

Sure it makes the pros look even more detailed and I dont see how that can be negative to the business. People know what they want and will pay for what they want. I personally do both types of customers. I have a few little old ladies that call me every couple weeks to just mow, and trust me, they have plenty of little old lady friends that they refer.

I aint to proud to mow!

[musician/lawnman]

1st of all I am not downing anybody here, Everybody's gotta start somewhere, some never decide to make it a legitimate business & for those weekend warriors out there don't really take much a dent from our overall marketshare. But they are usually unlicenced, uninsured & don't pay any taxes. That is aggrivating when you give an estimate for $30 & the client comes back with " I found a guy that will do it on saturdays fo $18 bucks!?"

I tell em "well give him a shot & hope he does a good job, & pray he never gets hurt on your property or throws a rock threw a sliding glass door. If he gets hurt your getting sued, if he damages something you'll never see him again...." "Hold onto my card & call me when you'd like to hire a professional".

I shake their hand & thank them for calling.

It's not that I am too proud to just mow a lawn, I've just found it counterproductive & I'm trying to move up, not down so yeah, I pass on these customers.

[Team Gopher]

Hi,

Welcome to our forum!

I do small engine repair and that keeps me pretty busy.

How do you like offering small engine repair services? Do you service the mowers at the customers property or do they bring them to you? How do you promote this service?