Thank you for being more of a lawn care business channel and not a bs lawn entertainment channel. I wish there was more like you out for people to learn by with real information.
People don’t realize that there is a lot more than cutting grass in running a lawn care business. It blows my mind when I try to talk business with some of my local piers. They don’t focus enough on numbers and the actual business just toys and racks lol. Your vids are much appreciated
My 3 best pieces of advice/mistakes (learning opportunities) I’ve encountered in my first 2 years 1. Build a dense routes close to home, nice neighborhoods, using magnetic businesses cards placed in the newspaper box/website ASAP 2.. offer simple services(mowing, fertilizer and weed control)don’t take on projects just to get the work.Get your applicator’s license! 3. Hire an employee (reliable,hardworking,talented)pay them well, respect them, buy their lunch. They will love working for you. These 3 simple strategies can be implemented in year one and will put way more $$$$ on the bottom line. I’m looking forward to an awesome 2020. Best wishes to all.
Some people cannot afford to start off with commercial grade they may have to start off with residential grade me I did not know any better so my push mower string trimmers and blowers for residential grade and I kept blowing the motor up after a year and I did this for like 3 to 4 years until I realized what what commercial grade was it's basically saying another way of heavy duty
first year....thanks to advice from people like you i 1- started with a ferris fs160, great machine very comfortable , quality cut, 2- spent $600 on logo detail on my truck, looks great...get lots of compliments 3- although i did say no to certain jobs i was not comfortable with , and just didnt feel right, i did say yes to to many jobs that did not pay what i needed. Because of that, i am repricing certain jobs, which i will prob lose, and i also have much better idea about the type of jobs i want to go get. I learned partially from experience,but got a lot from guys like you .....thank you for letting me get off to good start....
Awesome. There is a bit of a learning curve regarding pricing in the beginning, but it sounds like you're making quick adjustments which is key. Good luck to you in 2020.
All good points. But at the beginning money dictates how much you can spend on equipment /truck wraps/... as for taking on customers ?? Take what you can at the beginning. Weed em out eventually.
@@FloridaTurfPros man if you weren't so far away, I'd stop and see you sometime. I have a place about 60 miles east of Tallahassee, but I live in GA. Good ways from you.
Yes sir! I totally agree! I was blessed with a residential z-turn that my mom bought for me to "borrow" all season. No joke, my tailbone still gives me pain from it and that was 2 years ago! You didn't even mention the speed (mph) difference between them (that's one of your previous videos). Thanks again!!!
Very clear concise vid that was simple and helpful. You are right on all points. Have found the same issues myself. This is my 2nd year, tough sometimes frustrating but still very rewarding. Thank God for a good woman to push me on to continue when it gets a little rough. Love the industry also. From a fellow traveller from Cairns Australia.
Thanks for the very helpful insight and sharing your business ideas trials and errors. I'm also in Florida. Started lawn service as a kid. Started my business with a push mower but immediately went to a commercial mower 36 inch Gravely Pro Stance with only 2 accounts.Experience working for large landscaping companies taught me the value of having the equipment needed. So I purchased all commercial equipment to start with because it was what I was used to using. I knew the difference it makes compared to working for someone that had raggedy equipment .I'm at about 70 accounts now .Still need to work on route density. Some accounts are spread out. I created a logo and wrapped the trailer before our first yr was up. This is the first year we have been blessed. I have taken on alot of jobs learned some tuff lessons.
Awesome man! 70 accounts is plenty to keep you busy as a solo guy! I would say work on shrinking your service area in 2020 as well as building up the density in your favorite neighborhoods. Good luck and hope you have a great season. Thanks for sharing.
Jonathan great video. I totally agree with all free and I wish I had this information 20 years ago because I'd probably be full-time in my business instead of part-time. Thank you so much.
Concerning your comfort point, yes, that is why I run Ferris zero turns, with full spring/shock combination all around. Concerning wrapping truck, I don't because my biz is as large as I want it, and don't want to waste time answering dozens of phone calls. Also, if my truck does not have a wrap, I don't have to worry so much about un-wanted phone calls should I make a mistake (or a perceived mistake) in traffic. Blessings in 2020 to all
All good advice. I bought the new mower way back when, when I started and I was scared to death about doing so. Not much revenue at the time with just a small amount of clientele to keep me busy. But I jumped out on faith, and my determination , and made it worth it for me once I generated more annual sales. Now I'm glad I have that mower today lol. I absolutely agree with chasing coins is somewhat of a road block. As much as I thrive to help everyone, I have to say no from time to time and stick to my business goals and scheduling. I would say my worst mistake thus past year would be being to kind hearted. Man I do certain things for certain people and not charge anything for my time. It's cost me man hours, money, and time and I noticed the more favors I had done, the more the request came in every other week. I want to help anyone I can, being if its taking away from our schedule, costing me more in labor, and our all around productivity. Its just not worth it. Thats one thing I have decided to change this year, it may tick of Mrs Jones lol when I tell her no, but I'm prepaid to make that judgment call lol. Thanks Jonathan, awsome video
When I first started my business I had a lot of friends and family and people in our church as clients... I made the mistake of being too kind hearted as well... prices were too low, I did extra work for free, rearranged my schedule etc... It's just something I had to work through, but there came a point when I just started to respectfully decline ANYTHING that was not BEST for ME. It may seem kinda cold, but it made a dramatic impact on the profit and reduced stress in my business.
@@FloridaTurfPros well said I agree,, although I don't have the exsperance in the lawn game yet as looking to start I do know from other trades how important charging for every min of your time if very important, go the extra mile on quality but get your time payed for - what helps me not feel bad about it is we don't go to the clients job and ask them to do 15 or 20 min of extra for nothing.
You say and use whenever way too much.... when I started.... when I wrapped truck.... when I chased the all mighty dollar.... whenever I watched this video whenever I started counting the whenevers! Haha 😂
Great advice! Definitely need comfortable equipment with shocks so your back and legs don't get destroyed, especially here in Pennsylvania where I live where only about 10% of the yards are flat. And it's definitely important to be visible and have your business name and number on your truck and trailer, stack them close together and knock em out! Thanks!
I did some traveling the last two weeks and all I could think about was how difficult hills would be to manage with a lawn business. Be safe out there!
It's definitely tricky but after awhile you learn some tricks for cutting on slopes, it's not fun but what are you going to do?.lol I try to save the real hilly yards for afternoon after the morning dew has gone away! Keep the good vids coming! Thanks!
Thank you.. I tend to put out more content during our down time in the winter, but I am trying to get on a more consistent posting schedule for 2020. Thanks for commenting and watching the videos.
If you are solo or just 1 crew then supply of spots on your route is low. If you are reliable then demand for your services are high. Charge way more than you think and be willing to have 70% of your prospects say no you are too expensive. Reply to them by saying yes it is 20% more than the competitor but for that money they are on an exclusive list of people who get a great quality reliable landscaper.
Thanks for the tips !! I'll be starting part time this spring . I plan on growing it slowly until I retire & then pick up just enough to keep me busy , but not too busy !! Lol . Good luck to you this season .
And by the way I've been doing law for 20 years like I said and working a full-time job for 20 years so I've been doing Lawns full-time for 20 years and my day job for 20 years it's all about scheduling
How much did it cost to put that flat bed dove tail on the ranger? One of my work trucks is a ranger and I'm considering doing the same thing. Thanks man
Really Enjoying your videos, Im wonting to start to do some lawns and garden matance part time to compliment my income a little but having a hard time deciding whether to buy a larger mower or not and weather to collect clippings or not.
Thanks for the advice. Your videos are always helpful, you don't add useless filler. I wanted to ask though as I started my business last May. Are you saying no to additional work from your current customers or only to new customers that don't fit your criteria, location, size, etc...
We offer a set list of services provided for clients who buy lawn mowing/maintenance from us. I do not do "extras" like hedge trimming, mulch, flower bed maintenance for people who are not our mowing clients. And yes, I am very deliberate on the type of new client I want regarding the neighborhood, the yard size, etc.
So now all my weed wackers or should I say string trimmers are Echo and that's commercial grade and my push mowers and riding lawn mowers Arturo I've always had commercial grade riding lawn mowers and I've been doing my business for 20 years now
I’m out knocking on doors right now up here in Ohio looking to get started in the spring. Any tips for me to get people thinking about lawn care right now? Thanks for the tips
Yes. I am going to be dropping a video regarding this topic on Saturday. It's called "Direct Mail Sucks". I think it will provide you the info you want.
Okay Jason this is Ron I'm from Ohio to a few tips when you get started ride solo for the first few years when you buy your equipment go to Home Depot start with Echo and coral those are the best two combinations of machines and tools to have the best one-two knockout punch on the market don't try to take on everybody only take one with you can manage by yourself and I stress ride solo don't take one no helpers no one is going to treat your equipment the way that you are going to treat your equipment some people say you should use far as advertisement go door hangers business cards that's okay too but for me it's spread it like wildfire By Word of Mouth yes I did what you did I went knocking on doors and your business will take off
Awesome video!! Thank you for sharing. One question? Do you still only service small residential properties or has that changed for you over these past few years in your business. God bless and hope you have a fantastic 2020!!
We still focus on small residential properties. I have added a few HOA's to our client list to help with winter time income, and that has been great. But yes, I've just found there to be the best margins in smaller properties.
I have a question for you I'm a landscaper up in mass. I want to see if I could email you a my business card and see if I could get you input on it. See if I need to change anything.
Ya man.. pricing can have a real ripple effect across your entire business. Make adjustments to your underpriced clients early in 2020. It's better to not have a client at all than have a client that is underpriced. Good luck!
Your hindsight has skewed your perspective. A more comfortable mower and truck wrap were outside your budget the first few years. You needed to earn a buck quick, your truck was a beater, and you didn't have ten (or twenty) grand in the bank to get the best bells and whistles. Reality means valuing yourself, your service and your rates, busting your a** 6-7 days a week for the first few years, constantly upgrading equipment, and always paying with cash. Ideal equipment and fancy advertising are goals for years 4-5 after you've built a reputation for super service.
Okay I disagree with this guy on some things again like I said I've been doing laws for 20 years. Time and not once did I ever put a sign or logo on my truck or trailer when they see my truck and trailer on the street they see me pushing a more or riding a lawnmower they know what my business is about
Thank you for being more of a lawn care business channel and not a bs lawn entertainment channel. I wish there was more like you out for people to learn by with real information.
Hey thanks a lot... The channel definitely grows a lot slower by not entertaining, but I enjoy just giving advice on the things that have helped me.
People don’t realize that there is a lot more than cutting grass in running a lawn care business. It blows my mind when I try to talk business with some of my local piers. They don’t focus enough on numbers and the actual business just toys and racks lol. Your vids are much appreciated
My 3 best pieces of advice/mistakes (learning opportunities) I’ve encountered in my first 2 years
1. Build a dense routes close to home, nice neighborhoods, using magnetic businesses cards placed in the newspaper box/website ASAP
2.. offer simple services(mowing, fertilizer and weed control)don’t take on projects just to get the work.Get your applicator’s license!
3. Hire an employee (reliable,hardworking,talented)pay them well, respect them, buy their lunch. They will love working for you.
These 3 simple strategies can be implemented in year one and will put way more $$$$ on the bottom line. I’m looking forward to an awesome 2020. Best wishes to all.
All this is really good information. Good luck to you in 2020.. hope you have a great season!
Great advice!
You actually give real information versus someone like Mike Andes who just fills his videos with a bunch of fluff. Thanks for being real.
Some people cannot afford to start off with commercial grade they may have to start off with residential grade me I did not know any better so my push mower string trimmers and blowers for residential grade and I kept blowing the motor up after a year and I did this for like 3 to 4 years until I realized what what commercial grade was it's basically saying another way of heavy duty
first year....thanks to advice from people like you i 1- started with a ferris fs160, great machine very comfortable , quality cut, 2- spent $600 on logo detail on my truck, looks great...get lots of compliments 3- although i did say no to certain jobs i was not comfortable with , and just didnt feel right, i did say yes to to many jobs that did not pay what i needed. Because of that, i am repricing certain jobs, which i will prob lose, and i also have much better idea about the type of jobs i want to go get. I learned partially from experience,but got a lot from guys like you .....thank you for letting me get off to good start....
Awesome. There is a bit of a learning curve regarding pricing in the beginning, but it sounds like you're making quick adjustments which is key. Good luck to you in 2020.
All good points. But at the beginning money dictates how much you can spend on equipment /truck wraps/... as for taking on customers ?? Take what you can at the beginning. Weed em out eventually.
One of the best lawn channels on TH-cam that I've seen!
Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoy the videos.
@@FloridaTurfPros man if you weren't so far away, I'd stop and see you sometime. I have a place about 60 miles east of Tallahassee, but I live in GA. Good ways from you.
Yes sir! I totally agree! I was blessed with a residential z-turn that my mom bought for me to "borrow" all season. No joke, my tailbone still gives me pain from it and that was 2 years ago! You didn't even mention the speed (mph) difference between them (that's one of your previous videos). Thanks again!!!
Very clear concise vid that was simple and helpful. You are right on all points. Have found the same issues myself. This is my 2nd year, tough sometimes frustrating but still very rewarding. Thank God for a good woman to push me on to continue when it gets a little rough. Love the industry also.
From a fellow traveller from Cairns Australia.
Thanks for the very helpful insight and sharing your business ideas trials and errors. I'm also in Florida. Started lawn service as a kid. Started my business with a push mower but immediately went to a commercial mower 36 inch Gravely Pro Stance with only 2 accounts.Experience working for large landscaping companies taught me the value of having the equipment needed. So I purchased all commercial equipment to start with because it was what I was used to using. I knew the difference it makes compared to working for someone that had raggedy equipment .I'm at about 70 accounts now .Still need to work on route density. Some accounts are spread out. I created a logo and wrapped the trailer before our first yr was up. This is the first year we have been blessed. I have taken on alot of jobs learned some tuff lessons.
Awesome man! 70 accounts is plenty to keep you busy as a solo guy! I would say work on shrinking your service area in 2020 as well as building up the density in your favorite neighborhoods. Good luck and hope you have a great season. Thanks for sharing.
@@FloridaTurfPros I have 2 employees helping me
Jonathan great video. I totally agree with all free and I wish I had this information 20 years ago because I'd probably be full-time in my business instead of part-time. Thank you so much.
Concerning your comfort point, yes, that is why I run Ferris zero turns, with full spring/shock combination all around. Concerning wrapping truck, I don't because my biz is as large as I want it, and don't want to waste time answering dozens of phone calls. Also, if my truck does not have a wrap, I don't have to worry so much about un-wanted phone calls should I make a mistake (or a perceived mistake) in traffic. Blessings in 2020 to all
Perfect thanks for confirming what I already knew. Going into year # two and that is exactly what I'm doing.
Thanks,
Lawn & Order
Special grass unit.
All good advice. I bought the new mower way back when, when I started and I was scared to death about doing so. Not much revenue at the time with just a small amount of clientele to keep me busy. But I jumped out on faith, and my determination , and made it worth it for me once I generated more annual sales. Now I'm glad I have that mower today lol.
I absolutely agree with chasing coins is somewhat of a road block. As much as I thrive to help everyone, I have to say no from time to time and stick to my business goals and scheduling.
I would say my worst mistake thus past year would be being to kind hearted. Man I do certain things for certain people and not charge anything for my time. It's cost me man hours, money, and time and I noticed the more favors I had done, the more the request came in every other week. I want to help anyone I can, being if its taking away from our schedule, costing me more in labor, and our all around productivity. Its just not worth it. Thats one thing I have decided to change this year, it may tick of Mrs Jones lol when I tell her no, but I'm prepaid to make that judgment call lol.
Thanks Jonathan, awsome video
When I first started my business I had a lot of friends and family and people in our church as clients... I made the mistake of being too kind hearted as well... prices were too low, I did extra work for free, rearranged my schedule etc... It's just something I had to work through, but there came a point when I just started to respectfully decline ANYTHING that was not BEST for ME. It may seem kinda cold, but it made a dramatic impact on the profit and reduced stress in my business.
@@FloridaTurfPros well said I agree,, although I don't have the exsperance in the lawn game yet as looking to start I do know from other trades how important charging for every min of your time if very important, go the extra mile on quality but get your time payed for - what helps me not feel bad about it is we don't go to the clients job and ask them to do 15 or 20 min of extra for nothing.
One of the 1st things I did when I started my Bussiness 7 years ago was fully wrapping my trucks great investment.
I feel like this guy is a motivational speaker and i dig it. Great vieo
Best lawn care channel hands down , thank you so much for sharing this information with us
You say and use whenever way too much.... when I started.... when I wrapped truck.... when I chased the all mighty dollar.... whenever I watched this video whenever I started counting the whenevers! Haha 😂
Great advice! Definitely need comfortable equipment with shocks so your back and legs don't get destroyed, especially here in Pennsylvania where I live where only about 10% of the yards are flat. And it's definitely important to be visible and have your business name and number on your truck and trailer, stack them close together and knock em out! Thanks!
I did some traveling the last two weeks and all I could think about was how difficult hills would be to manage with a lawn business. Be safe out there!
It's definitely tricky but after awhile you learn some tricks for cutting on slopes, it's not fun but what are you going to do?.lol I try to save the real hilly yards for afternoon after the morning dew has gone away! Keep the good vids coming! Thanks!
One of the best channels with lots of potential I hope you put out more videos this year
Thank you.. I tend to put out more content during our down time in the winter, but I am trying to get on a more consistent posting schedule for 2020. Thanks for commenting and watching the videos.
If you are solo or just 1 crew then supply of spots on your route is low. If you are reliable then demand for your services are high. Charge way more than you think and be willing to have 70% of your prospects say no you are too expensive. Reply to them by saying yes it is 20% more than the competitor but for that money they are on an exclusive list of people who get a great quality reliable landscaper.
Thanks for the tips !! I'll be starting part time this spring . I plan on growing it slowly until I retire & then pick up just enough to keep me busy , but not too busy !! Lol . Good luck to you this season .
Thank you. You as well.
And by the way I've been doing law for 20 years like I said and working a full-time job for 20 years so I've been doing Lawns full-time for 20 years and my day job for 20 years it's all about scheduling
How much did it cost to put that flat bed dove tail on the ranger? One of my work trucks is a ranger and I'm considering doing the same thing. Thanks man
Really Enjoying your videos, Im wonting to start to do some lawns and garden matance part time to compliment my income a little but having a hard time deciding whether to buy a larger mower or not and weather to collect clippings or not.
Awesome tip thanks for the info. Hey Johnathan, what's your opinion on magnetic signs to stick on your truck?
This will be our 2nd season. We plan on having lettering before the season begins. Invest in yourself, learn and adapt.
Ya, it will pay for itself within the first month of having it on your truck.
Thanks for the advice. Your videos are always helpful, you don't add useless filler. I wanted to ask though as I started my business last May. Are you saying no to additional work from your current customers or only to new customers that don't fit your criteria, location, size, etc...
We offer a set list of services provided for clients who buy lawn mowing/maintenance from us. I do not do "extras" like hedge trimming, mulch, flower bed maintenance for people who are not our mowing clients. And yes, I am very deliberate on the type of new client I want regarding the neighborhood, the yard size, etc.
Johnathan, happy new year. I think your spot on. I enjoy your insight. Grace to you!!
So now all my weed wackers or should I say string trimmers are Echo and that's commercial grade and my push mowers and riding lawn mowers Arturo I've always had commercial grade riding lawn mowers and I've been doing my business for 20 years now
I personally like Brian’s Lawn Maintenance more than Brian’s Lawn Service 😉.
Oh gosh... you just reminded me I need to call him back... thanks lol
I’m out knocking on doors right now up here in Ohio looking to get started in the spring. Any tips for me to get people thinking about lawn care right now?
Thanks for the tips
Yes. I am going to be dropping a video regarding this topic on Saturday. It's called "Direct Mail Sucks". I think it will provide you the info you want.
Okay Jason this is Ron I'm from Ohio to a few tips when you get started ride solo for the first few years when you buy your equipment go to Home Depot start with Echo and coral those are the best two combinations of machines and tools to have the best one-two knockout punch on the market don't try to take on everybody only take one with you can manage by yourself and I stress ride solo don't take one no helpers no one is going to treat your equipment the way that you are going to treat your equipment some people say you should use far as advertisement go door hangers business cards that's okay too but for me it's spread it like wildfire By Word of Mouth yes I did what you did I went knocking on doors and your business will take off
Awesome video!! Thank you for sharing. One question? Do you still only service small residential properties or has that changed for you over these past few years in your business. God bless and hope you have a fantastic 2020!!
We still focus on small residential properties. I have added a few HOA's to our client list to help with winter time income, and that has been great. But yes, I've just found there to be the best margins in smaller properties.
I have a question for you I'm a landscaper up in mass. I want to see if I could email you a my business card and see if I could get you input on it. See if I need to change anything.
Happy new year from Navarre. Good video as usual.
Thanks! Hope you have a jam up 2020 year over there!
Thank you for this great info.
Wouldn’t mind me asking how much it cost to wrap the trucks. Thanks
It cost about $1,500 per truck. I made the design myself as I was not happy with the businesses designs.
Great advice! Have a Happy New Year !
Thank you. Happy new year to you as well... hope you have a great 2020 season.
Are you still on a mower daily or more on the office side of the biz now?
I still mow on a crew.
Are you still doing door hangers or flyers ??
Absolutely. I use oversize post cards. I put them out in the neighborhoods that we work in.
Great video, kid. God bless you!
How you like the ford ranger set up?
Sold it... it was too small as our business continued to grow.
Great video y'all are the pros FTP
Do I need a lisence to start my lawn care business
Yes!
What month do you start mowing every year?
Bronson Bonner
Late April or May.
We usually start bi-weekly mowing in March. Mostly providing cleanups and preseason scalps.
Hey man! I just posted a comment under your community section. Let me know if you'd like to chat about what I have.
you said dont start out with a lot of debt....................in another video
Worst mistake, too cheap in the beginning. The problems from that are endless and multiplying
Ya man.. pricing can have a real ripple effect across your entire business. Make adjustments to your underpriced clients early in 2020. It's better to not have a client at all than have a client that is underpriced. Good luck!
Your hindsight has skewed your perspective. A more comfortable mower and truck wrap were outside your budget the first few years. You needed to earn a buck quick, your truck was a beater, and you didn't have ten (or twenty) grand in the bank to get the best bells and whistles.
Reality means valuing yourself, your service and your rates, busting your a** 6-7 days a week for the first few years, constantly upgrading equipment, and always paying with cash.
Ideal equipment and fancy advertising are goals for years 4-5 after you've built a reputation for super service.
Is enough to spend 40.000$ for a legit business can you please provide a list of equipment needed Thank you in advance
Okay I disagree with this guy on some things again like I said I've been doing laws for 20 years. Time and not once did I ever put a sign or logo on my truck or trailer when they see my truck and trailer on the street they see me pushing a more or riding a lawnmower they know what my business is about