hello and help

[JRojas]

Hi hows everyone? I am trying to start a new lawn care business. I currently am doing a few small jobs and am trying to go into commercial lawn care. I have 4 kids and have been married for 15 years. I am wanting to start my own business so I can spend more time with my family. I want to put a bid on this job for a church retreat. It has 2 soccer fields, 1 baseball field, swimming area with flower beds, irrigation systems that I have to maintain, 10 cabins, 2 houses, a road that is about 1 1/2 miles long that I would have to mow and weed eat, weed eat around a 5 acre lake, pruning trees around the 4 trails as needed, it would take me and 3 guys around 2 days to complete this. 64 hours more or less. Any help on trying to bid on this??? Any help would be appreciated.

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

Hi JRojas, Welcome to our forum! WOW Now that is some bid you are working on putting together! That seems quite big as you are just getting started! Good for you! Do you have an overhead image of it from google maps so we can break down the services? it would take me and 3 guys around 2 days to complete this. 64 hours more or less. Can you tell me a break down of how you came up with this number?

__________________
- Subscribe to my Lawn Care Marketing Blog Feed and get daily tips sent to you. Free!
Download your Free trial of Gopher Lawn Care Software.

[JRojas]

I was working for the company who did the lawn care for the place because of a disagreement, so I know the job and how long it takes, I managed the crew who took care of the property. I dont know how much he was charging or anything, but shortly after I quit I decided that I wanted to start my own business and asked the manager of the ranch if I could put a bid in. So here I am.

[JRojas]

I went to google earth trying to find a picture and it being a new build, it wouldnt show up. It is a retreat and was built last year. I am trying to give them a fair price because I know they are being way over charged. Do you all think I am doing something wrong trying to bid against an ex boss? The reason I left the company was because he was trying to pay us salaried wages instead of hourly, in other words, he wanted to pay us 40 hours weekly and work us over 40 hours a week. I am not trying to be ugly about it, I just thought this place deserves a fair bid. Thanks and I would appreciate any advice or help.

[Steve]

I think you are in a really good position to know the amount of time it will take.
Have you played around with the estimate calculators yet to see what kind of bind you can come up with based on your expenses and the time you feel the job is going to take?

http://lawnchat.com/?page_id=341

Let me know how that works.