Had all my jobs sorted for this week prior to school holidays and what do you know ... it rains ! Schedule out the window.
im trying to tell myself i mowed a lawn for free rather than that i lost a $50 dollar note. customer paid whilst i was mowing. i shoved it in my pocket. the same pocket my phone lives in. i would have pulled my phone out of my pocket half a dozen times before i thought "oops better check if that note is still in there" . it wasnt
Indy and proud
Yep did that about 3 weeks ago. Mowed a lawn for FREE too.
I have a mate who has a computer program that he uses to tell him which lawns to do on which day. What happens if it rains for 3 days solid ? It's gonna throw your schedule right out of whack. What I tend to do in those situations is mow the ones who pay me first and the other so and so's can wait !!
Everybody is entitled to MY opinion
It's late September, the grass is still not growing enough to justify 3 weekly mows let alone 2 weekly, the gardens are rock hard which counts out any weeding (without heavy digging), my $31 weekly ad in the local paper isn't even generating phone calls let alone work, half the jobs I do the clients don't even bother to pay me for, haven't even heard from many casuals since mid july, fuel prices are through the roof again so driving around tryin to pick up cash eats into the cash I am picking up. Just my regulars alone should be giving me 4 half decent days a week work. Instead I'm lucky to work 2 and a half. Bills are starting to add up pretty bad. Grocery prices have mysteriously jumped in the last 3 months (nothing to do with any carbon price though of course). If the coming summer is as dry as predicted, I'm pretty much done with this mug's game. Can't support a wife and 2 kids on this ****in ****! Really getting sick of it.
Jason Forrest
Fair Dinkum Lawn & Garden Care
Servicing St Clair, Erskine Park, Colyton, South St Marys
0407 435 642
fairdinkumlawns.com.au
facebook page
hang in there . it will rain. eventually. yesterday we had the noisiest thunder and i got all excited at the thought of rain and we got 1.5mm. thats it. i think it was in a rush to get to get to toowoomba.
ive only increased the frequency of mowing on 3 lawns so far. its not a good spring
Indy and proud
I hear you Jason, it looks like a pretty bleak and dusty Spring and Summer in Sydney, above average temperatures and less rainfall. I've noticed a lot of lawns around starting to look crispy already.
Perhaps you could start promoting mulching to clients (will help retain mositure in the soil) and water crystals for lawn and garden areas.
If you ever want to have a chat feel free to call me, i'm not that far away from you.
Matt - Colorscape Gardening
http://www.colorscapegardening.com.au
http://www.facebook.com/colorscapegardening
I'm hearing you too Jason; It's pretty much the same for me here still. I don't know how everyone here is making a dollar as there's so many start-ups/centrlink/pension top-ups etc. I have a busy week then a quiet week, pretty much only part time hours at the moment still. There is hope of a late season La Nina but that won't be here anytime before Christmas from what I've read.
Kathryn some parts of town here got around 10mm yesterday while some got only a couple. Bit of pea-size hail too while a couple of suburbs got golf-ball size stuff. You wouldn't know it from the couch lawn I did this afternoon though - I'm still rinsing my eyes to get the grass and dust out.
The other problem I/we face is that all the financial issues that effect us also effect the clients. We just got an electricity bill for $1100 which is $400+ higher than our biggest bill ever. Now if everyone is being effected by this and other fraudulent activity such as petrol, grocery and housing prices in the same way, I can understand why they wouldn't want to fork out to get their lawns mowed.
Jason Forrest
Fair Dinkum Lawn & Garden Care
Servicing St Clair, Erskine Park, Colyton, South St Marys
0407 435 642
fairdinkumlawns.com.au
facebook page
Sorry to hear that guys. Opposite end of the spectrum down here atm. Grass beggining to approach the armpits.
No sign of the rain slowing yet.
I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my Grandfather.....not screaming in terror like the passengers in his car!!!
I agree costs are definately going up (minimum 25% electricity increase across sydney from my research) and impacting somewhat on how many people get there lawns done by a professional.
I've done some local advertising this spring and my current heading that promotes value for money is getting the phones to ring... This indicates to me people are starting to look at cost cutting alternatives...
Problem is they want a premium service which needs to be done "yesterday" and haggling on price. I'll admit It is getting somewhat harder to quote $50 or more for a regular block (30 - 40 minute job). Some try to negotiate $5 - $10 off my desired price and then once agreed "some" throw in weeding, hedging and other small jobs This is when i just walk and laugh.
I've decided to now stick with my price and not negotiate at all... My theory is it keeps my business in control and if they don't like it they can use someone else...
I would hate to think how the Jimbo's and co's are going charging $80 a lawn around here... might be a slow slow summer once it does rain as many won't be able to pay that fortnightly or weekly!
Hey Jason, Is it just me or is there more lawnies popping up around here?
Simmo.
Value for Money
Lawn & Garden Care
Good heading for a flyer!