Idea for new Business

[CHEESE2009]

Imagine if you started a company who helped out every other lawn service company. Basically you will be "Backup", without any of your own customers (give or take) Your truck can have every lawn service logo plastered on it. Companies can hire you to take on lawns they are too lazy to do, or they are too behind & need help. I thought about this today while pulling through the McDonalds drive through.. LOL You'd have to really be a perfectionist. Maybe an idea for lawn service owners who are looking to "retire", you'll have all the necessary tools at hand. It would be neat, I'm sure many companies would rather hire a company to cut their customers lawns over training a new guy & wasting valuable time. I know if a company like that started, I'd have them place a logo of mine on their truck & send them out at least one week of the season, good for taking a vacation! Not sure how I would price their work, but I'm sure there is a beneficial way to do so. You can ask them to remove the logo at any time. But you have to think, it's pretty much free advertising for both parties. What is your take on this idea?

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

That is very creative! What got you to think this up? Any thoughts on how to implement it?

__________________
- 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.

[CHEESE2009]

Originally Posted by Steve

That is very creative! What got you to think this up? Any thoughts on how to implement it?

I have no idea how anyone would go about this. I'm sure there would be a ton of contracts.

Maybe to hire the "backup" service, you have to sign saying you WILL be hiring them to complete such & such tasks bla bla & they must be completed before "this date" weather depending bla bla.

You must hire this service a minimum of 8 times throughout the season starting XXX and ending XXX...

To ensure the backup service has & keeps work.

basically like renting equipment, "rent a worker" "rent an entire service" LOL

lawn service reserves, i dunno lol!

[Steve]

Do you think you would enjoy running such a business? How would that differ to you from running what you currently have going for you now?

[CHEESE2009]

Well I can't imagine lawn service companies looking at this "backup" company as competition. Your not necessarily stealing lawns, just making a profit on each mow.

Running a lawn service: You have to work & fetch customers, after awhile it gets better for sure.

Being a backup service: People have gotten customers already & are willing to let you maintain a few of them all season, not neccasarily by making 100% profit of each lawn, but a fair amount to keep the company from not profiting of their decision to hire the "backup" company.

It would be neat, if this "backup" company was hired by 4 different lawn service company, they could easily write a contract stating that the "backup" company is to maintain 12 lawns from each company, for 8 weeks. Right away you will have 48 lawns. The time frame can be negotiated, but they must hire you for 4 months+.

I can see some decent money coming out of this, it's not a perfected idea yet. Just imagine snow removal! Got your tractor team, assist other companies & charge by the hour. Who knows.

[Steve]

It seems as a back up service, you would have a lot of work potentially.

I think it sheds light on some of the difficulties of running a start up lawn care business in finding customers.

Do you think it has been difficult finding enough customers to fill your schedule to the point you felt it was filled? And would this idea alleviate that problem?

[CHEESE2009]

Originally Posted by Steve

It seems as a back up service, you would have a lot of work potentially.

I think it sheds light on some of the difficulties of running a start up lawn care business in finding customers.

Do you think it has been difficult finding enough customers to fill your schedule to the point you felt it was filled? And would this idea alleviate that problem?

In a way I could see it becoming necessary to hire the backup company in the future.

Like the other topic, imagine if you became swamped with phone calls & had to give estimates to tons of people. If you get those, you might still not have enough money to purchase new equipment etc. So you could hire the backup for a few months & see the money come in, as you slowly build a new team to take on the job. Or you can just keep the backup company hired all season long, really make a profit!

I think it's good for a growing business.

Though how to pay for their service is something we'd have to consider. Are they paid as your own workers? Or more/less?

Do you pay them for using their own equipment? (i think you shouldn't have to, it just makes sense not to, a selling point & reason to actually hire them)

I guess you'd pay for their gas. Maybe create a set payment.

Imagine if they advertised, "Let us cut 10 of your lawns, & we'll cut XXX sqft for free on other lawns!

Maybe I want a day off

I call the service and they ask the following:

How many men to hire, hire more than one & we'll do XXX for free

The bill should look like



Hired: 2 Man Crew - $24.00/hr
Hours: 7
Lawns: 20

Amount: $168.00
Discount for 10 extra lawns: $14.00 - $1.4 off/lawn
Total: $154.00


they could add in gas or other junk... hard to put real thought into this.

[FloridaBoy]

I think that is a great concept, for me the only problem would be trusting the company i used ( or rented if you will), will they do the work to my standards.

This would be the case on the other side of it, what are the chances of another company ( renting me and my company ) to do there work, would they be hesitant because they don't know what kind of quality work i do.

Maybe if you were friends with a few companies it might work, and there are always the companies out there that don't care how good you are, they are just desperate. I think it would work great as just an extra income type thing, just adding to your existing work load.