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Thread: Advice for new Lawnmowing business owners

  1. #1
    Sheedys Mowing
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    Default Advice for new Lawnmowing business owners

    So you have brought your equipment quite your day job and placed an add in your local paper, time to sit back and let the money roll in right, wrong, let me tell you that as a lawn mowing contractor I would strongly recommend that you start up part time while still maintaining your current employment or you have at least 3 months saved up that you can use on expenses, it is important to have a steady source of income comming in, even if you have a wife or husband and she/he works part time you should not rely on this completely because she/he may lose it and then what?

    You just can not expect to start up and make the $800- $1,000 per week that you hope to make at a later stage. You will be lucky and I mean lucky if you bring in $300- $400 a week and that is before expenses and this will be you working 7 days a week just about every possible hour, if your not mowing lawns you should be dropping of flyers etc. you need to live and breath the lawn industry.

    As Dean has said before the lawn mowing industry is a "growth" industry this means that it needs time to build it up, and also if it's not your cup of tea, nothing's lost you now have new equipment that you can use for personal use.

    It is important to start up slow & save on cost's and keep your round as compact as possible and please don't rush the jobs you get, if it takes you 2 hours to mow a 45 min lawn (who cares) if you do the best job you can your business will grow a lot faster throw word of mouth than if you rushed the job and saved 1.15 mins .

    It is also important to note especialy in this industry that if you have taken a personal/business loan, that you should get it protected it only cost's a couple of dollars a week but it is good insurance if you get injured and can not work, also public liabilty is a must talk to dean, become a life long member of ILMCOA for only $145 and get world wide competive liabilty insurance, it is a small price too pay for peace of mind.

    This type information is given because everyone here on this forum wants newcommers to do well we all see new members join up daily, we value your input in the forums everyone has a story too tell & everyone has differen't skills and knowleadge that they can pass on to other's, so it is a mutally benifitcal that everyone is respected equally. The info I have provided is not meant to scare you but to prepare you for your business success, and please if you have any questions, that is what this forum is all about helping each other. cheers

  2. #2
    Member Born To Mow's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice for new business owners

    Good post Life Style. I have to agree with you, however I started with $10,000 which brought a ute, Honda pushie, brushcutter and blower. I think I had $4,000 over. Started with no customers and my wife was and still is at home looking after our two sons. I don't know how we survided but we did.

    Advertising cheap cuts from $10.00 at the time got me a lot of cheap jobs and a lot of time wasters, but at least their was $$ coming in. That was 2 1/2 years ago, now I average 12 lawns a day. Plus I maintain a retirement village. I now have a new ute, trailer, s/p mower, ride on and so on. Don't be afraid to take a risk if you really want something bad enough, bust your azz to get it, only good can come of it.

  3. #3
    raemac1
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    Default Re: Advice for new business owners

    started in 2005 part time with all the equipment still doing part time with full time job it does help a great deal with expences but now starting to get bord not enough clients spent thousands on addvertising to many out there doing it on the cheap i,m sorry if any one takes offence but that;s the way it is i did;nt get into this to push a bloody mower around to get payed penuts i do a bloody good job and i charge pretty good and my clients think i do as well but it is hard trying to compeat with cowboys mowing for beer money not paying tax;s and rippin people off and theres people bustin there ass and getting treated like dogs i;m sorry but i;m angry
    rossco

    see Lowballers thread
    Last edited by administrator; 28-11-2007 at 12:40 PM.

  4. #4
    Senior Member just john's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice for new business owners

    Quote Originally Posted by raemac1
    started in 2005 part time with all the equipment still doing part time with full time job it does help a great deal with expences but now starting to get bord not enough clients spent thousands on addvertising to many out there doing it on the cheap i,m sorry if any one takes offence but that;s the way it is i did;nt get into this to push a bloody mower around to get payed penuts i do a bloody good job and i charge pretty good and my clients think i do as well but it is hard trying to compeat with cowboys mowing for beer money not paying tax;s and rippin people off and theres people bustin there ass and getting treated like dogs i;m sorry but i;m angry
    rossco
    I agree with you whole heartely i have been mowing on the coast / peninsula some 18years now ,had a full time run during this time for about 10 years but found it difficult to compete on price because every doley seems to have a station wagon with a mower in the back doing lawns for $15-20 to subsidise there welfare plus the old people up here still think that $20 is still a fortune.Dont worry Raemac i really know were your coming from its frustrating when you are doing an a1 job and next door is been done at half the price by some cowboy ,no edges done ,grass clippings everywhere in half the time GOOD LUCK

  5. #5
    Senior Member Mrs HMS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice for new business owners

    Whilst I understand the frustration, hey we ALL have to compete with the cowboys, what it all boils down to is customer freedom of choice.

    I suppose that some people what a good quality job done and don't mind paying what that job is worth...these are the customers worth having. Then there are those who are prepared to compromise on quality to get the job done cheaper. It's like that everywhere, in every industry. Everyone wants to hand over less of their hard-earned....it's human nature.

    Just got to keep telling ourselves that the quality clients count, don't take it personally when someone chooses cheaper over better...people have to work within their budgets and yes...to an elderly person on a limited income like the age pension $20 IS a fortune.
    ~ Joanne ~

  6. #6
    Senior Member just john's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice for new business owners

    THE FUNNY THING IS IM SERIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT GETTING BACK INTO IT FULL TIME AGAIN ---DO I NEED MY HEAD READ OR WHAT

  7. #7
    Translawner administrator's Avatar
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    Question Re: Advice for new business owners

    Listen i shall only say this once HELLO HELLO

    Give three quotes
    1 Rough job mower only no catch no blow no brushcutter drop grass walk away

    2 Neat job nice tidy up make job look respectable

    3 Rolls royce job the works just the way u like to do it MIGHTY FINE EDGES LOOKING A PIC


    Easy Customer has three quotes knowes exactly where they stand jobs right

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    Carrum downs Dandenong Doveton

  8. #8
    Mellors
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    Default Re: Advice for new business owners

    Hi all

    I've been having some success recently with the strategy of always quoting at least two prices to prospective clients - the price for my "standard service" (whippersnipping and mowing - nice job) and for a "budget cut" (mowing only, single pass, no catching of clippings). The "standard service" quote is also divided into a quote for the first time, then for subsequent on-going service at specified interval (1, 2 or 3 weeks). Written quotes, on a standard form that I have composed.

    In this way, you can be your own "lowballer", as well as looking professional.

    I am still fine-tuning my system - I have lost a few for quoting too much, and had to do a few jobs where the effort was hardly worth the reward, when the client went for the low option, but in general, I think that this strategy is a goer.

    Much of my inspiration came from the entry on "pricing" in Wikipedia, and related articles. I particularly liked the idea of "Goldilocks Pricing" (look it up ...).

    Brrm brrm ...

  9. #9
    Mellors
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    Default Re: Advice for new business owners

    look at the times on the last two posts! I was writing mine while the boss was writing just the same thing!

    I guess that something must have sunk in when I first read the bible*

    Brrm brrm


    *for those who don't know, "Lawn-Mowing - Fast Track to Success" by Dean

  10. #10
    Translawner administrator's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice for new business owners

    Mellors brainwashing you are under the Indy spell lol

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    Carrum downs Dandenong Doveton

  11. #11
    Translawner administrator's Avatar
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    Talking Re: Advice for new business owners

    Just John

    Just do it

    Great life

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  12. #12
    Translawner administrator's Avatar
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    Exclamation Re: Advice for new business owners

    Mellors glad you joined in the posts youre even enjoying it

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    Carrum downs Dandenong Doveton

  13. #13
    Senior Member m287j's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice for new business owners

    I see a few lowballers around but very few. I can't even say i have had to compete with them on price in my area.

    When i advertised in the local paper for 2 months i got a few people looking for the best quote. These days i don't advertise and all my work comes from word of mouth and referral so price never seems to be an issue. LEts see how how long that lasts.

  14. #14
    Senior Member m287j's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice for new business owners

    I see a few lowballers around but very few. I can't even say i have had to compete with them on price in my area.

    When i advertised in the local paper for 2 months i got a few people looking for the best quote. These days i don't advertise and all my work comes from word of mouth and referral so price never seems to be an issue. LEts see how how long that lasts.

  15. #15
    Member Born To Mow's Avatar
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    Default Re: Advice for new business owners

    Quote Originally Posted by Born To Mow
    Good post Life Style. I have to agree with you, however I started with $10,000 which brought a ute, Honda pushie, brushcutter and blower. I think I had $4,000 over. Started with no customers and my wife was and still is at home looking after our two sons. I don't know how we Survived but we did.

    Advertising cheap cuts from $10.00 at the time got me a lot of cheap jobs and a lot of time wasters, but at least their was $$ coming in. That was 2 1/2 years ago, now I average 12 lawns a day. Plus I maintain a retirement village. I now have a new ute, trailer, s/p mower, ride on and so on. Don't be afraid to take a risk if you really want something bad enough, bust your azz to get it, only good can come of it.
    Just thought I should clarify something. Just because you place an ad. for Mowing from $10.00 does not mean you low ball - the ad. is to attract more calls and quoting a job is quoted appropriately.

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