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Thread: Whats the one reason stopping you from growing your business

  1. #16
    Member of forum Stump's Avatar
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    Default Re: Whats the one reason stopping you from growing your business

    Yes Kakegc, I have had long thoughts about that, but I have just forked out all of my cash to kit up for residential, and I have 5 young children to feed, so parting ways with megabucks for a commercial machine is just about out of the question, and I think the residentials seem easy enough to juggle around my family at the moment. I really want to make my residential business a good profitable one, and think long and hard about how I am gonna do it. Things hopfully should get easier on me when wifey finishes her accountancy qualifications if things work out. Starting things off from scratch with morgage etc etc has been a hard lesson, but still very satisfying. Definately no regrets so far.

  2. #17
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Whats the one reason stopping you from growing your business

    In my book commercial is scarey. I had a crack at it and it has it's draw backs. Too much time and lots of money resting on one contract....if you have one. My foray taught me quite a bit....not sure if that is the way I want to go. I know some will say nothing ventured nothing gained but is it really worth it. Commercial contracts tie you up and if they go west in a sh*t carters hat then your butchered. But then again they are big bucks...if you quote right which I didn't
    Cheers

    Bluey
    Adelaide Home & Garden Solutions
    http://www.ahgs.com.au


    "Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching."

  3. #18
    Member of forum Stump's Avatar
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    Default Re: Whats the one reason stopping you from growing your business

    Yes, Bluey, I do a couple of small commercials, but I was asked to quote one through a residential job of mine today. The guy said just a bit of grass out the front, so went for a look. It was a huge corner block with a furniture warehouse on it with at least a couple of thousand square metres of grass. No place for a push mower anyway, so passed it onto my local lawnie mate with a toro. Would have loved to of been able to take it on myself though.

  4. #19
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: Whats the one reason stopping you from growing your business

    Commercial , the right ones are a gold mine if you can get them....as long as you dont put your eggs in one basket they are or can be a good money spinner....my commercial are regularly upgraded by 10 % per year and you dont have to see anyone as long as it looks good you can manage the time well ..in out good job done thats it.......as long as you can get the payment right ie pay on time then they are pretty good to have in the stable....you very rarely get the oh it doesnt need mowing this week , or oh i havent picked up the dog turds or pick up the kids toys.....dont knock the commercial as your achievable top dollar is often gained....but you have to get into that market and it is hard to do sometimes....

  5. #20
    Senior Member RSM-Gazza's Avatar
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    Default Re: Whats the one reason stopping you from growing your business

    Commercail clients has been a huge part of any success I can toast too since starting out 10 mths ago. It could not have been achieved without a rideon, multitool hedger and pole saw along with some good luck + hard work. I maintain commercial clients with straight vertical edges, lawns, gutters, paths and weed control to the same standard as residential clients.
    It has lead me to maintain the commercial owner's private properties and other large unsignaged commercial properties that the clients own that know one would ever know they owned.
    Whilst my commercial client base still remains quite diverse. ie, factory, mega multi car dealership, dental surgery with full cottage gardens, church grounds, furniture store and two farm ranches.
    Some of this involves weekend work which poses no problems to me as it only takes a partial amount of the day.

    But to have some type of weekend time to myself, I have knocked back further commercial clients that encumber weekend work, ie a very nice child care centre recently, storage sytems warehouse and 6 chalet style resort village.
    You don't need a large amount of commercial clients but they're much higher paid than the equivalent amount of time spent on residentail unless your've secured large mansion properties which equal commercial for dollars. Realising that higher grade equipment is used and petrol usage increases. But the profit margins our way higher provided equipment damage is tightly controlled and that comes with experience as I've found out.

    Edit; Also the fortnightly spring cycle of servicing remains the go all year round with quality commercial clients as they want a tidy shop front at all the times. So sustainable income flows through across winter.
    Cheers Garry

  6. #21
    Senior Member 4 Gardens's Avatar
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    Default Re: Whats the one reason stopping you from growing your business

    I have a handful of commercial jobs - all I can say is fantastic.
    Fixed price per month for the whole package - do it quicker and still get the same $ , the price paid is for the outcome and end result.

    I would be reluctant to have any that take more than 8 man hours per fortnight though.

  7. #22
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Whats the one reason stopping you from growing your business

    Back to the original question. Whats the one reason stopping you from growing your business?.......ME. But I do have plans and when I'm ready I will take that leap.

  8. #23
    Member of forum johnnie5's Avatar
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    Default Re: Whats the one reason stopping you from growing your business

    Quote Originally Posted by Stump View Post
    Yes Kakegc, I have had long thoughts about that, but I have just forked out all of my cash to kit up for residential, .
    you could always finance new gear if you are going to have the work

    Quote Originally Posted by Stump View Post
    and I think the residentials seem easy enough to juggle around my family at the moment. I really want to make my residential business a good profitable one, and think long and hard about how I am gonna do it. Things hopfully should get easier on me when wifey finishes her accountancy qualifications if things work out. Starting things off from scratch with morgage etc etc has been a hard lesson, but still very satisfying. Definately no regrets so far.

    as mentioned above commercial is where the good money is

    plus they are less likely to whinge about what it costs and they will be able to accept an increase in price far easier than a residential job would , there will be a point where you cant make any more out of the residential market for mowing lawns as people will get someone else or do it themselves

    commercial will always get someone in to do it and if you provide the decent service then they are unlikely to change to someone else

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