Stuck in a rut

[swampfox]

48 years old , started in June (90F+)(lost 20 lbs), I know I will be in Darn good shape next season, I ain't going anywhere, I love this crap. Steve, Thanks for the lawn school, even if school sucks this one works!

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JAY WOLFE LAWN AND HOME SERVICES
ST. CLOUD, FL
407-334-0445
60" EXMARK & 32" LESCO WB

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

It doesn't make much sense because this is not my first business venture and I have never had this feeling before but this is the first business venture that is service oriented so maybe that has something to do with it. I think this is a great topic. How does it being a service business effect things than it being another kind of business? I am getting closer and closer with each day yet I feel I am falling farther and farther back each day. Why do you feel this is the case? Especially when you feel you are getting closer at the same time? Steve, Thanks for the lawn school, even if school sucks this one works! You are welcome.

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I think you guys think way too much about this. Its this simple really. Make money or get out. Either you like having extra money or you don't. It does not take a brain surgeon to do simple math.

[jasonw]

Make money or get out sounds like something someone working under the table would say. There is a lot more to it if you want to be legitimate.

Steve. Its hard to explain for some reason. My last venture was breeding exotic snakes which started out as a hobby for me. I was fairly successful for several years but sold the business after getting bored with it business and hobby end of it. IMO turning a hobby into a business is the worst thing you can do for your hobby. It soon becomes a drag and not a hobby anymore. Once its not a hobby you find yourself cutting corners because you loose the passion. The other point is equally hard to explain. I have a list of invoices and enough numbers to give me a profit and loss statement. so clearly I am moving forward however at the same time I feel I am further from success than I was a month ago.

Breeze A fast food manager is just as much a man as a Firefighter. Clearly you have not worked in fast food. My first job was at a Taco Bell. After a few more dead end jobs I moved on to fighting fires at the county level. I have to agree the work was more demanding but I eventually moved on to mill work and then implementing entrepreneurship. I saved my badge as an item I worked very hard to earn however I learned a lot of about teamwork and "getting er done" working in fast food. Now I am mowing lawns. I don't lift weights, in fact I don't like pushing a mower so I wuss out and get a tractor. I love my spring assist start on my weed eater and my blower will never allow me to touch a broom again. Hmmmm it seems like I am less of a man mowing lawns than I was serving up Tacos or fighting fires lol. Now that I am done playing on words I understand your analogy, I just never agreed with the "be a real man" frame of thought.

[Steve]

These are all great insights.

I wonder if this is a matter of finding happiness. If it is a question of, am I happy doing what I am doing now?

You have tried many things. Is it possible at times you feel this business is not as mentally stimulating or challenging as you would like it to be? Maybe that is part of why it's not potentially really lighting your fire? Maybe as you were out for your drive you were thinking, there has got to be something bigger out there for me. Something better? Something I would enjoy more?

[jasonw]

Originally Posted by Steve

These are all great insights.

I wonder if this is a matter of finding happiness. If it is a question of, am I happy doing what I am doing now?

You have tried many things. Is it possible at times you feel this business is not as mentally stimulating or challenging as you would like it to be? Maybe that is part of why it's not potentially really lighting your fire? Maybe as you were out for your drive you were thinking, there has got to be something bigger out there for me. Something better? Something I would enjoy more?

That is very very possible. I am cured that at any given time my mind is always going a million different directions. Normally it works in my favor as I have the answer before the question.

Well since your my business attorney you would know I pay my taxes and claim my income and file accordingly to my state law. All my advertising and receipts I can write off. I advertise alot in my area. In fact i just threw down another $1300 for next year in advertising. I probably spend more in advertising then I should but, its my money. I don't owe you any explanations but since you threw your words at me I thought id tell you. Nobody is here to start flame wars or try to one up everybody ok. Just to let you know. Im beyond that and do not have the time for it. If you have any personal attacks against me then hit me up in personal message and we can settle our differences there. Not on a public forum where people are looking to learn new idea's and share whats working or what isn't. There is alot to learn and I will never learn all of it but, i do enjoy reading what others have been doing that is working because truth is, nobody has to share. And i am curious. I have been mowing lawns for people for a long time I just didn't get into it this year. I enjoy the forum I enjoy people's opinions and there struggles and triumphs. So hopefully, that will be the last time you make a comment like that to me again. I saw you made a post I know you work a full time job. I simply said if you do not like the extra money then it's not for you. I am here to make money and alot of it. And there is some people here that know how to make alot and I want to know those people. It has nothing about working under the table, it is not about accepting cash instead of a check its not about having 3 million dollars worth of insurance. In fact, that is nobodies business except the people involved. You have to start somewhere and there is alot of people out there that are starting this sort of business. I would care less if they worked under the table because I know for a fact not everyone has claimed a $55.00 cash in hand. Money is money. So please in the future do not point your finger at me about any of that when you have your own issues to deal about, as we all do. Sorry for the rant

"Successful people do what unsuccessful people do not do."

[jasonw]

Originally Posted by MikeO

I think you guys think way too much about this. Its this simple really. Make money or get out. Either you like having extra money or you don't. It does not take a brain surgeon to do simple math.

You came into this thread with an attitude. Get over it or don't post. The questions are asked to get incite from others not remark from jerks. I assume you are the type who must get the last word in so I expect you to reply but I will not play the game by keeping it going so any reply's will fall on def ears. Thanks for the incite.

well not trying to be a jerk jason. You make alot of money doing this kind of work and when you posted that your not feeling it anymore i guess most people are motivated by money so i was just trying to make it a realization of keep making money. you can only make so much money working for someone. someone tells you you are worth x amount a year, month, week, day. Well mowing lawns and doing whatever else you dont have that mindset anymore of i am only worth 300 a week. I guess i wake up and say i want to make 500 today what do i have to do to do that? Maybe if your not feeling connected with this type of work anymore maybe keep mowing lawns and offer other services to get you out of mowing lawns so much. I guess thats all i meant in my response sorry you took it the wrong way. I didn't mean any harm. Your at the stage of this and we all go thru it at some point. Do you like cleaning gutter's? How about foundation work? pest control? just some options. I dont know what your capable of doing or what equipment you have to do things with. I get bored mowing lawns and trimming. I can't do that everyday, my mind is always moving might be ADD dunno. foundation work i make alot of money doing that but it gets me out of mowing. Same with gutters or tree trimming.
Maybe thats what you need to focus on and it's time to expand more of your services that you can offer to keep everything more diverse instead of the same thing daily? Just trying to be helpful jason nothing more...

[jasonw]

I'm not sure its all about making money for me. I make way more than I need. I am one of the rare over paid, under worked Americans left. I could more than likely walk away from all work right now and be perfectly happy for the rest of my life. I am not sure if I have lost interest in the work or what the deal is. I jsut got this overwhelming feeling the other day that is for the most part unexplainable. I don't know what brought it on.