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Thread: What would you do if you start all over again?

  1. #1
    Member VJinTownsville's Avatar
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    Default What would you do if you start all over again?

    As some of you guys know, I had a couple of years break and came back to the mowing game again.

    I am just curious at what you guys would do if you had the chance to start over again and had a desirable scenario.

    What things would you change?
    *Business structure
    *Marketing
    *Core market or area
    *Equipment

    Good luck lads and lasses

  2. #2
    Senior Member PaulG's Avatar
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    Default Re: What would you do if you start all over again?

    If I was starting again and had the cash reserves then I'd start with a website and flyers. Before I got too busy with work I also would have tried to do some training in landscaping and irrigation, these are the two areas I'm lacking. Oh yeah, and a hip replacement! A good vehicle and trailer combo. The basic tools we need for this job. The biggest change I would make, cash or finance depending would be to have a good quality ZTR/Walker etc right from the start so I could target larger jobs both residential and commercial and get through work quicker than I do now with SP mowers.

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    Senior Member djkgrounds's Avatar
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    Default Re: What would you do if you start all over again?

    +1 for what Paul said about decent equipment. I would also go back and do my Cert 4 in Small business as well, and a horticulture course to touch up on the stuff I didn't learn when I studied Agriculture.

    I need the help with building a plan and sticking with it.
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    Senior Member BeetleJuice's Avatar
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    Default Re: What would you do if you start all over again?

    What would you do if you start all over again?

    Depends if you have time in building a round all over again,if you need income from week one then you buy a round and build on it.

    It will depend on the area you live to what services are available to the public and to what time it takes,where i am 2 other mowing contractors live in my street so competition is there for the work and building a round takes longer

  5. #5
    Member mowbro's Avatar
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    Default Re: What would you do if you start all over again?

    Hindsight; 20/20 vision at its finest!

    If I could travel back in time, I would have spent less money on my ute and more on getting clients. Although it was a great looking ute, I would have picked up something much cheaper, that still looked professional and would still be practical, and then I would have spent the extra $6k on buying clients or doing some more advertising so that I could get some more momentum in the earlier stages.

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    Senior Member imoww's Avatar
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    Default Re: What would you do if you start all over again?

    I would change my name to Jim'S
    Everything looks good with a haircut.... ɐuıɥɔ ɯoɹɟ pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐl ǝɥʇ sʇɐɥʇ

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    Member courty's Avatar
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    Default Re: What would you do if you start all over again?

    I would take that initial investment and back up capital and get into a completely different industry hahaha
    "I'm not alone cause the tv's on yeah,I'm not crazy cause I take the right pills.... everyday" Jimmy Eat World

    http://www.dreamlawnsandlandscapes.com

  8. #8
    Senior Member imoww's Avatar
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    Default Re: What would you do if you start all over again?

    Quote Originally Posted by courty View Post
    I would take that initial investment and back up capital and get into a completely different industry hahaha
    That's what the bearded one did....
    Everything looks good with a haircut.... ɐuıɥɔ ɯoɹɟ pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐl ǝɥʇ sʇɐɥʇ

  9. #9
    Senior Member m287j's Avatar
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    Default Re: What would you do if you start all over again?

    Wouldn't change business structure - sole trader best for me
    Marketing - would have set up a website from the start. Wouldn't have wasted my time delivering flyers. Local newspaper advertising was popular when I first set up so that worked. Wouldn't do it now though.
    Core market - I guess at the outset beggars can't be choosers so you take what you get and then cull or re-think down the track when you have enough clients.
    Equipment - got that right, bought the starter pack from Dean when I was in Melbourne.

    The other thing I wouldn't do again is grow too quickly too fast like I did, turned into a nightmare.

  10. #10
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: What would you do if you start all over again?

    focus on more than mowing and upsell all aspects of gardening...mowing is good bread and butter but i would concentrate on gardening for the good dollars ....when i started my focus was too much on just mow blow and go....

  11. #11
    Senior Member AJD Mowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: What would you do if you start all over again?

    Rob a Bank......
    AJD Mowing Giving Back Your Life

    http://www.ajdmowing.com.au/

  12. #12
    Senior Member Arfa Brayne's Avatar
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    Default Re: What would you do if you start all over again?

    Quality control tester at a high class bar and brothell
    "Can't" is a dirty 4 letter word.
    If someone says "Can't" , take the "T" off the end and brew it.
    Sip on a mugfull, relax, and take a look at what you've got left to work with.

  13. #13
    Senior Member PaulG's Avatar
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    Default Re: What would you do if you start all over again?

    Quote Originally Posted by m287j View Post
    Wouldn't change business structure - sole trader best for me
    I like being a sole-trader too but if I'm going to continue in this business I'm going to have to grow a lot larger. I love what I do but my time is limited as I'm going to need a hip replacement sooner rather than later which will mean reducing my time behind the mowers and equipment. Ideally for me I'm looking at having 2 crews of 2 persons operating. It's going to take a hell of a lot of doing though to try to build up to that before I need the hip-op. It will require proper business plans - better than anything I've done so far, OH&S/Work Cover etc, leasing and finance, GST & BAS which I haven't needed to this point, sheds and storage etc. It seems daunting but it will have to be done if I am to keep going.

  14. #14
    Senior Member imoww's Avatar
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    Default Re: What would you do if you start all over again?

    Nice... me too
    +1+1+1
    Quote Originally Posted by Arfa Brayne View Post
    Quality control tester at a high class bar and brothell
    Everything looks good with a haircut.... ɐuıɥɔ ɯoɹɟ pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐl ǝɥʇ sʇɐɥʇ

  15. #15
    Senior Member imoww's Avatar
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    Default Re: What would you do if you start all over again?

    Same as the bearded one to a degree Dean.
    Quote Originally Posted by AJD Mowing View Post
    Rob a Bank......
    Everything looks good with a haircut.... ɐuıɥɔ ɯoɹɟ pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐl ǝɥʇ sʇɐɥʇ

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