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Thread: Drought affecting business?!

  1. #1
    Senior Member Leon241's Avatar
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    Default Drought affecting business?!

    Ok, Here in Melbourne, (mornington) I'm getting killed by the drought (if it's called that-don't think it's properly rained here since before christmas).

    Out of my 11 regulars, 7 are postponed indefinately because there's nothing to mow and they don't need/can't afford gardening work done.
    The three others are (just) keeping my head afloat as 2 of them have half a day each week and one half a day a fortnight.

    My other clients are mainly casual jobs, so nothing coming through there at the moment either.

    My wife works full- time and while she earns a semi-decent wage we're constantly struggling. Credit card is dangerously close to maxed......!etc etc.

    I've only been going 12 months, and know that early days are hard, but not sure how long I can keep going, with 1 or 1.5 days work per week? I'm only able to work part time, but 3 or 4 days seems a long way away.

    Hopefully Autumn will yield some rain, but I'm not hugely hopeful and then we get to quiet winter.... Don't think it can be much quieter than I am now!

    Any tips from you gurus of the business? I have had advertising in the local paper and have good signage on car and trailer, but can't afford any more advertising at the moment.

    Keep praying for rain!
    The Peppercorn Tree

    Garden Services

    0418 520 319

    pascoe.leon@gmail.com

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Pe...92228544212092

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Drought affecting business?!

    Keep praying for rain !
    that's what I'm doing, hopefully some this week with cooler weather the last 2 years have spoilt us with the damper summer and growth most of the way through things should pick up as soon as we get consistent wet and winter shouldn't ( i hope) be any worse than now
    Anything Ian says may or may not be garbage, it may also be his own opinion or it may not be his opinion at all, it may just be something he felt like stating anyone following his advice does so at their own risk and may be doing something Ian would actually advise against.
    And if you don't like what Ian has to say use the ignore function if you don't know how ask i will gladly tell you

  3. #3
    Senior Member Lawn Mowing Professionals's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drought affecting business?!

    If you want customers and don't want to pay for advertising... go knock on some doors and introduce yourself, offer to quote them and maybe you will pick up some work.

    Go to the local real estates and see if you can get rental clean ups from them.

    Go knock on the commercial properties near you and introduce yourself (regular work here).

    If you got a few bucks to invest and a day spare... say $30 for 1,000 flyers and 5 hours to distribute them... go drop some flyers and pick up some more regulars and casuals.

    Alternatively, to save time and money and more importantly get paid... you can do some subcontracting work for local comrades that are busy to tie you through until the rain comes.

    I would also post regularly on the free advertising site to improve my chances of picking up more work.

    Some times you can't sit back and wait for business to come to you... but instead you've got to get out there and fight for it.

    It's crucial to have a strategy in place for when events like this (or worse) happen... another reason why a business plan is so important for any business.

    Good luck with it. just make sure you don't pray for to much rain or you will be in the same boat

    Simmo.

  4. #4
    Member Greenie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drought affecting business?!

    Mate I find flyers heaps better that the local paper, it's tough I know, when I first started I spend 3 day a week dropping flyers,
    If I had no work on I would still get up 7am and drive somewhere I wanted to work and drop flyers, sometime I was stopped and aksed what I do, then and there I was lucky enough to get the job and I woud do it strait away, finish he job and do more flyers, I did pickup work a litte slow but dropping flyers Is an on going thing, I never stop.

  5. #5
    Senior Member HPM's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drought affecting business?!

    Me too...I agree. If your not mowing then drop flyers. That's how I built up my run.
    Hunterpropertymaintenance@gmail.com
    Work to live, life's too short..
    Specialising in small and Large area collection mowing with Walker Mowers.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Lawn Mowing Professionals's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drought affecting business?!

    dropping flyers is easier to do than mowing

    Not sure why everyone thinks its hard work it's harder than an add in the paper or website etc... but you don't get as good results and they cost a lot more to do.

    I could do 5 hours a day easily if i had the spare time and needed more work... would be even quicker with a postie bike or even a bike with a small motor to push you along. I'm happy just walking.

    Simmo.

  7. #7
    Member geoff1969's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drought affecting business?!

    agree with you lawn mowing professionals , dont take long to drop a lot of flyers , i just used to ride around on a mountain bike and often my 2 youngest would come with me = i advertise and get excersise , and so would my 2 youngest , also it helped to teach them a bit of bike riding senses on quiet estate roads etc ...

  8. #8
    Member Rye Victoria great nature's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drought affecting business?!

    Quote Originally Posted by HPM View Post
    Me too...I agree. If your not mowing then drop flyers. That's how I built up my run.
    +1
    im on the MP too. i dont mow but ive been working 5 days a week gardening.
    with nothing to mow i would drop flyers letting people know you weed, spray, prune, hedge, water, do clean-ups, etc. the work is definitely out there.
    most importantly. keep a positive attitude. things will get better, but you have to make your own luck.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Drought affecting business?!

    Simmo while your suggestions are all good and i also think dropping flyers of is a good idea the problem here is that most of the lawns need mowing less now than they did 2 months ago and I mean the ones that haven't been mown in that 2 months I'm turning up to lawns and even the dandelions are now dead.
    as for rental cleanups i did a rental last week for the 1st time since the last tenants moved out at Christmas and new tenants are moving in this weekend,if i was moving it i wouldn't have cared if the lawns hadn't been mown that's how slow they're not growing last year at this time it was a 2 weekly mow.
    But we have now got rain and when the grass grows people will be looking for someone to mow it and some of the spring startups will have pulled the pin so more work for those who haven't so i say follow Simmos advice and letter box drop so that your name and number are out there when people are looking
    Anything Ian says may or may not be garbage, it may also be his own opinion or it may not be his opinion at all, it may just be something he felt like stating anyone following his advice does so at their own risk and may be doing something Ian would actually advise against.
    And if you don't like what Ian has to say use the ignore function if you don't know how ask i will gladly tell you

  10. #10

    Default Re: Drought affecting business?!

    Quote Originally Posted by Lawn Mowing Professionals View Post
    dropping flyers is easier to do than mowing

    Not sure why everyone thinks its hard work it's harder than an add in the paper or website etc... but you don't get as good results and they cost a lot more to do.

    I could do 5 hours a day easily if i had the spare time and needed more work... would be even quicker with a postie bike or even a bike with a small motor to push you along. I'm happy just walking.

    Simmo.
    Its hard work because of the "headspace" It can be boring, slow, tedious work for seemingly little reward BUT if you are doing it yourself it does not cost much except for your time. What you must remember about leaflets is that it is very much like exercising - you often don't get a quick result but consistency in your approach with the proper form will reap rewards.

  11. #11
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drought affecting business?!

    Quote Originally Posted by ian View Post
    Keep praying for rain !
    that's what I'm doing, hopefully some this week with cooler weather the last 2 years have spoilt us with the damper summer and growth most of the way through things should pick up as soon as we get consistent wet and winter shouldn't ( i hope) be any worse than now
    Must of prayed bloody hard. Raining so hard in cranny that I wont be doing any work today.

  12. #12
    Senior Member AL73's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drought affecting business?!

    Quote Originally Posted by Cranbourne Lawnmowing View Post
    Must of prayed bloody hard. Raining so hard in cranny that I wont be doing any work today.
    Thats a sweet sweet sound Glenn. Laid up today recovering from yesterdays vasectomy could probably start a thread on that!!! Any way enjoy the day off I see us all getting very busy soon.

    Cheers
    Al
    May's Total Garden Care
    www.maystotalgardencare.com
    Ph: 0400556979

  13. #13
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drought affecting business?!

    Quote Originally Posted by AL73 View Post
    Thats a sweet sweet sound Glenn. Laid up today recovering from yesterdays vasectomy could probably start a thread on that!!! Any way enjoy the day off I see us all getting very busy soon.

    Cheers
    G'day knackers, You timed it well. Take care mate.

    Leon, I see your getting this rain aswell. Should be a welcome relief for you and many others.

    cheers

  14. #14
    Senior Member sterlo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drought affecting business?!

    Quote Originally Posted by Cranbourne Lawnmowing View Post
    G'day knackers, You timed it well. Take care mate.

    Leon, I see your getting this rain aswell. Should be a welcome relief for you and many others.

    cheers
    Not sure u can call him knackers anymore

    Sterlo
    I spend most of my money on beer and horses, I just waste the rest....


    http://www.sterlinggardenservices.com/

  15. #15
    Senior Member Scooby Steve's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drought affecting business?!

    Was the drought affecting biz you bet but maybe not after todays rain. Yeeah!

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