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Thread: Winter services and service ideas.

  1. #1
    Member Qld myles5239's Avatar
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    Lightbulb Winter services and service ideas.

    Hi all. I've been in the industry for only a few months now. I'm situated in the hinterland area of the Sunshine Coast and as winter slowly sets in (and of course the annoying drizzle of rain), the mowing jobs have inevitably slowed down. I have been racking my brain to come up with ideas to see me through these financially dismal months with a little bit of success here and there. The town I am based in has an aging population so weeding, raised garden bed construction, and pruning have helped as services I offer, but are generally one off deals.

    This is some of the equipment I have:
    Ride on
    Push mower
    Whipper snipper
    Hedge trimmer
    Gurney
    Tiller (no good on clay)
    Chainsaw
    Ladder(s)
    General yard tools
    Auger
    And a few other bits and pieces.

    Has anyone got any ideas to help see me through this period? What services have worked for you?

    Cheers all. Myles.

  2. #2
    Member of forum SM MOWING's Avatar
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    Default Re: Winter services and service ideas.

    I was in the same boat a few years ago...

    Some of the things I do now that I didn't know then

    On sell when on the job, the more you onsell the more confident you get at it.

    Ideas include

    Mulching/Bark

    Winter weed spraying ie winter grass

    Winter pruning ie fruit trees (takes a little learning at first but once you get it)

    Weed spraying in general

    Rose pruning (really easy once you get the hang of it)

    Youll also find that youll get a some lawn mowing of weed lawns in winter, what was bare dirt in summer is now a weed lawn needing mowing/slashing

    Hope this helps

    Also spend some time to build up the business ...maintenance, marketing etc, tax season is almost upon us
    Independent and i know it

  3. #3
    Member Redeye's Avatar
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    Default Re: Winter services and service ideas.

    window cleaning / gutter cleaning




    http://curraronggardening.com/

    "All sin is washed away in the Holy goodness of Beer"
    Book of Redeye, Psalm 69

  4. #4
    Senior Member BeetleJuice's Avatar
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    Default Re: Winter services and service ideas.

    Snow plowing ?
    Attached Images Attached Images

  5. #5
    Senior Member djkgrounds's Avatar
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    Default Re: Winter services and service ideas.

    Quote Originally Posted by myles5239 View Post
    Hi all. I've been in the industry for only a few months now. I'm situated in the hinterland area of the Sunshine Coast
    We do get a really slow grow winter down here in Brisbane. I have been in the industry a few years now part time, through studying and working part time at a tafe as their Maintenance Man. I am in the same boat, not much is growing currently around our way.

    We are also being over run by Beer Bobs. If ya want Myles did you want to meet up sometime and we could go through a few ideas if ya want?? I am based in Deception Bay. It would be good to meet up with someone who is going through the same problems and get the ideas flowing.

    I am currently saving up for a good pressure washer to do driveways as well.
    DJK Grounds & Gardens
    0416 931 867
    http://www.facebook.com/DJKGrounds?ref=hl

  6. #6
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Winter services and service ideas.

    Tree and shrub planting, battery and light glob replacement( especially for the oldies), shed clean ups, hard rubbish removal etc etc . Think of anything you ever need or have needed to do around your own place and offer these things as additional services. Hope that gives you some help.

  7. #7
    Senior Member BeetleJuice's Avatar
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    Default Re: Winter services and service ideas.

    Quote Originally Posted by djkgrounds View Post
    We do get a really slow grow winter down here in Brisbane. I have been in the industry a few years now part time, through studying and working part time at a tafe as their Maintenance Man. I am in the same boat, not much is growing currently around our way.

    We are also being over run by Beer Bobs. If ya want Myles did you want to meet up sometime and we could go through a few ideas if ya want?? I am based in Deception Bay. It would be good to meet up with someone who is going through the same problems and get the ideas flowing.

    I am currently saving up for a good pressure washer to do driveways as well.
    I am currently saving up for a good pressure washer to do driveways as well.

    I'd assume that would need to be a sizable machine

  8. #8
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Winter services and service ideas.

    Quote Originally Posted by Cranbourne Lawnmowing View Post
    Tree and shrub planting, battery and light glob replacement( especially for the oldies), shed clean ups, hard rubbish removal etc etc . Think of anything you ever need or have needed to do around your own place and offer these things as additional services. Hope that gives you some help.
    Just an edit the batteries in their smoke alarms.

  9. #9
    Senior Member djkgrounds's Avatar
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    Default Re: Winter services and service ideas.

    Quote Originally Posted by BeetleJuice View Post
    I am currently saving up for a good pressure washer to do driveways as well.

    I'd assume that would need to be a sizable machine
    http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/onl...d=327045#Cross

    http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/onl...d=327046#Cross

    http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/onl...d=340534#Cross

    Haven't quite decided which one I want yet out of the 3 above. I do get a small discount on them as I have an insider lol. I'm thinking the 6.5 or 5.5hp would be better for all day use if I get into cleaning driveways/patios/decks etc with the Patio cleaner attachment

    And the 2.5hp would be good if I get into external house cleaning/windows etc
    DJK Grounds & Gardens
    0416 931 867
    http://www.facebook.com/DJKGrounds?ref=hl

  10. #10
    Member Qld myles5239's Avatar
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    Default Re: Winter services and service ideas.

    I picked up my petrol pressure washer from ebay as a bit of a hit and hope as to the quality. It cost around the $400 mark but goes like the clappers!!! I would get a better one if I were to use it more often though...

  11. #11
    Senior Member edbeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Winter services and service ideas.

    I'm doing firewood again this winter. It's not a huge earner/hour, but keeps the cashflow rolling over nicely and keeps you trim over winter.
    Have also got as much lantana poisoning as I want for the next few weeks until the frosts start.
    I keep my mowing/gardening advertising going over winter and get just as good results as over summer. The beer bobs mostly disappeared as soon as things slowed down.

  12. #12
    Member Qld myles5239's Avatar
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    Default Re: Winter services and service ideas.

    Quote Originally Posted by edbeek View Post
    I'm doing firewood again this winter. It's not a huge earner/hour, but keeps the cashflow rolling over nicely and keeps you trim over winter.
    Have also got as much lantana poisoning as I want for the next few weeks until the frosts start.
    I keep my mowing/gardening advertising going over winter and get just as good results as over summer. The beer bobs mostly disappeared as soon as things slowed down.
    I'd like to do firewood but don't know of any properties that would allow me to take it from... How would I approach this?

  13. #13
    Senior Member Mow And Go's Avatar
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    Default Re: Winter services and service ideas.

    Quote Originally Posted by djkgrounds View Post
    http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/onl...d=327045#Cross

    http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/onl...d=327046#Cross

    http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/onl...d=340534#Cross

    Haven't quite decided which one I want yet out of the 3 above. I do get a small discount on them as I have an insider lol. I'm thinking the 6.5 or 5.5hp would be better for all day use if I get into cleaning driveways/patios/decks etc with the Patio cleaner attachment

    And the 2.5hp would be good if I get into external house cleaning/windows etc
    not to be rude mate, but I have a 13hp 4000psi aussie pumps machine and when doing really heavily soiled driveways, even with a whirlaway, I want more power ...maybe see if you can get a demo of a comparable machine to the ones youre looking at (hard task I know) or consider hiring a unit for the jobs to suit ...you may find in some cases the money you'd spend hiring the unit you'd make back in the quote from how much quicker a big machine will do it compared to a littler one. ymmv
    I dont break things ...I just use them beyond their operational limitations
    www.mowandgogardening.com.au

  14. #14
    Senior Member edbeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Winter services and service ideas.

    Quote Originally Posted by myles5239 View Post
    I'd like to do firewood but don't know of any properties that would allow me to take it from... How would I approach this?
    Most times, it's just a matter of finding the wood then finding the owner of the property and asking them.
    I got the place I'm cutting on now by doing some gardening for an elderly lady in town. I knew she owned a lot of country, so after I earned her trust, I asked her about firewood and she said to see the manager and arrange it with him. Been there 3 years and still plenty of easy wood there.

  15. #15
    Senior Member BeetleJuice's Avatar
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    Default Re: Winter services and service ideas.

    Quote Originally Posted by myles5239 View Post
    I'd like to do firewood but don't know of any properties that would allow me to take it from... How would I approach this?
    VIP had a wood service called "EZYWOOD"we would get the wood delivered to us and pack it into 44 gal drums and deliver it every few weeks to home owner over winter.
    The guy (merchant) gathers the wood from country areas paying a fee to the landowners and transports it back to a holding yard,it gets sold to public and discount price to trade (contractor).

    Getting free wood maybe a little hard to come by to service customers for a whole winter,will depend too on how far you have to travel.

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