Rock 'N' G Enterpises IL

[mylawnwi]

Hello all. My partner and I started this buisness 3 months ago. My name is Michael, We both have our strong points in this buisiness. We are based in the subburbs of Chicago. The hardest thing for us now is pricing jobs and figuring out what to do on jobs that are unexpected. We have a customer that needs aeration & or Dethatching, but we need to rent one so we are trying to figure out what to charge to not loose money but get the job. the also need overseeding and some feed or compost in the yard to bring it back. Any advice would be awsome. I really didn't know what to put here.

[swstout]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by mylawnwi Hello all. My partner and I started this buisness 3 months ago. My name is Michael, We both have our strong points in this buisiness. We are based in the subburbs of Chicago. The hardest thing for us now is pricing jobs and figuring out what to do on jobs that are unexpected. We have a customer that needs aeration & or Dethatching, but we need to rent one so we are trying to figure out what to charge to not loose money but get the job. the also need overseeding and some feed or compost in the yard to bring it back. Any advice would be awsome. I really didn't know what to put here. Instead of renting the equipment, use bio-enhanced liquid organic products from Nature's Lawn. Aerify, And the liquid dethatcher work better and faster than mechanical methods. I would also add Naturer's magic. All three can be applied at the same time using a hose end sprayer available at Lowe's for unter $15.00. See http://www.swstout.com/organic_lawn_care.html and http://www.natureslawn.com/ Steve

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[CHEESE2009]

$1500.00+ = Real Mower
$300.00 = Homeowner Mower

$550.00+ = Real Trimmer
$150.00 = Homeowner Trimmer

$250.00+ = Real Blower
$0.00 = Straw

I recommend you work for a company & come up with some funds. You can start from scratch, but your looking at a disaster if you start from a tear.

And not to mention being a partner is going to limit how much you'll be making at first. If you manage to get 5 customers before the seasons up (give or take on the weather you have) you'll be splitting all the hard earned money.

You both need to set goals, personal & teamed. You both need to put money into equipment & need extra for repairs, fuel, etc.

If you start by renting equipment, there goes your 5 first lawns, no one will be getting paid. Unless of course you rent from a friend?

Advertising is key. What about business cards? Maybe you can advertise lawn maintenance & weeding, maybe even gutter cleaning?

I'd also recommend having a Q&A sheet for when customers call, make sure you can answer all their questions. When does your service begin & end? What does your service offer? Is it just mowing? Or do you edge & use the blower to cleanup the mess you might make after cutting?

Several things to think about, & you've found the gold mine!


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Don't mind me, I stayed up all night & read your post with squinted eyes!
You've been working for 3 months already? That's pretty sweet!

Just remember, always charge the customer more then the renting fee of any equipment. Don't forget that you need to be paid, as well as your partner!


If your doing a job, most of us like to at least make $40.00/hr, but that's totally up to you. In my opinion, a profit is a profit, my sweat & effort never seemed to catch up to me- YET.

Don't tell the customer you are working by the hour, it'll irritate them. Instead think of how long the job might take you, & multiply it by $40.00, then tell them the estimate.

If a customer interrupts you while your working on the project, & asks if you can soon do another one. Say, "I'm pretty booked, but I will let you know if I have time when I'm finished this one"

Once you are finished the first job, reflect & see if your profit was decent. If it wasn't, your customer is probably going to take advantage of you. This can happen!

After the first job, you may actually have time to think about taking on another job. Maybe you gave his yard a cleanup, now he wants you to paint a fence?

Step on the breaks & think before you say yes, you don't want to let him down, & you really don't want to say yes to something you can't do!

Customers like this can be a good thing, though you don't want to lose him/her from a simple mistake.

That's all the info I can offer now, I feel trashed! Time for a nap, doing hedges in a few hours! LOL

[Steve]

Hi Mike,

Welcome to our forum.

The hardest thing for us now is pricing jobs and figuring out what to do on jobs that are unexpected. We have a customer that needs aeration & or Dethatching, but we need to rent one so we are trying to figure out what to charge to not loose money but get the job.

It seems with the dethatching and aeration jobs, the best way to do them and make a profit is to line up a bunch of customers and do them all in one day so you maximize your usage of the rental machine.

[arthur712]

Welcome to the forum Rock N G!

I am sure you will find eveything you need right here on the G Forum.

Thanx!
Artie

Mike, welcome to an industry that can give you a great life! I just wanted to extend an offer to join our association. ALMA is a great resource for you and your partner. One of our specialties is helping contractors to understand their costs so they can acurately price out their work and maintain profitability once they get the work. But we will also help you in every other aspect of growing your business. Membership is just ten bucks a month...it's a no-brainer! I'll help you in any way I can. Your going to do great!

Tommy