Happy New Year

It's been a little while since my last post with the holidays and all. This will obviously be the last of the year. It has been a challenging year with the horrible drought, but things are improving with lots of rain in the past week. Hopefully the rains will continue and refill our water supplies here in Georgia. I look forward to next year and improving my business and helping new Lawn Service Start ups with this blog. I have two things that I'd like you all to read while you have time before the busy season starts. One is The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand which is a fairly long book but a must read for motivation and inspiration. The other is a short read from Mark Cuban's blog about his early start in business. It is an inspiration to see hard work does pay off. Happy New Year.

Lawn Service & the Economy

Everyone I talk to lately says their workload is slow. No matter what business they are in they are not that busy right now. The economy is slow and has been for a while. Gas prices , especially Diesel ($3.40 here and was $1.50 only a couple years back), are a problem and the Drought in the Southeast has hurt this region. Landscapers have laid off crews due to slower maintenance accounts because of no rain and water restrictions have almost stopped plant installation. No one wants to pay a lot of cash for living things that need water and cannot be watered. Pressure washing companies cannot do anything in most areas unless using well water. I can only imagine the mower and power equipment dealers problems since it would be difficult to sell stuff that is not in use right now. Car washes are even suffering with Jefferson closing 4 car washes due to water restrictions. One company was even using 80% recycled water but the 20% regular city water caused him to be closed as well. What incentive does that give to anyone else considering doing something positive to save water? ZERO. Why would any car wash invest in equipment to conserve water when they could be closed down and not able to pay for the new equipment?
Things will pick up eventually but a storm must be weathered first. I have often read about the most successful companies are the ones that adapt to the environment the best. Now is the time to really adapt!

Vacation

Vacation is a good thing. I constantly think about my business.... ideas, improvements, problems, etc. And I may be worse than most because business is fun to me & enjoy reading about other businesses and current trends (inc magazine is a great place for this). I always have this grand ideas I am telling my wife about, which she patiently listens to, usually. Getting away from home a few days helps clear my mind and relax. So when I get back I can get rolling again with a fresh perspective. A great place to go is Destin, FL. The most beautiful place I have personally been. Even in a cooler season like now Florida is a good place to go to.

Late,
Shane

Drought Victim (Lawn Service)

Pike Nursery has filed bankruptcy , citing the terrible drought as a major reason. We did get some rain this week so every bit helps. Pike is just one business, all the small lawn servcie operations that have suffered this season are innumerable.

Complaining about low ballers (lawn service)

I see this all the time in forums I read.... lawnsite and thegrimescene.
Someone sees an ad in the paper or craigslist and cannot believe what prices are listed. I have to admit that my jaw drops sometimes when I see crazy pricing. Most of the time it is people just doing a bait and switch or just up selling a higher priced service. Or it is possibly some nut who hasn't a clue how to price hi / her work or they are just in a slow season and have free time that needs filling. Whatever the reason , you cannot get caught up in what the other guy is doing. Do quality work and find quality clients, who are appreciative of consistent service providers and you will not have to worry about low ballers. If you do find it necessary to compete with price cutters, be ready to deal with people who will not be ideal clients. They will usually be ready to drop you as soon as a better deal comes around, they will want an as "needed" service (not a consistent schedule), and they will expect freebies because they do not value your work.

Late,
Shane

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Books for your Lawn Service Biusiness

Books are essential to learning and what better to learn about than how to improve your business? I've mentioned Guerrilla Marketing before as it is an excellent read. It deals with advertising and marketing and shows different ways that a small company can market its services wisely. Another great book on business and freedom in general is Atlas Shrugged. This is one of the most important books I have ever read and ever will read. It is a fictional tale of business, government, and moochers. If you do not have the time to read either , I'd encourage you to download the audio book to your mp3 player and listen while working.

Late,
Shane

Competing with bigger and smaller companies

It can seem hopeless to compete with a big lawn service company or even so called "low ballers" who are smaller than your business. You think you can't be everywhere like the big boys or advertise as much as they do. Your prices can never match the guy with a push mower in the trunk of his station wagon. You are right of course so you just have to figure out what you can do that these other guys cannot or can't do well. The big guys cannot be as personable or accessible as you and the small guys cannot be as consistent or as dependable as you especially if they are working a full time job and doing lawn care in their spare time. Figure up your strengths and your competition's weaknesses and you will have a good battle plan.

Late,
Shane

Radio Advertising Lawn Services

Ever use radio to advertise your Lawn Services? I have yet to do so myself. It can be a little pricey but there are many benefits. Small stations are local so you can hit your favorite audience (people close to you). This keeps you from having people 90 miles away call you for an estimate for a small job. Radio also builds name recognition. If a person hears your business name over and over it is like a friend is telling them about your business all the time. And when they need a service that you provide they are likely to call you first. check with your local radio broadcaster and see if you can even barter (exchange services for radio time). This can give you a feel for it before jumping in all the way. A great book to help with this method of marketing and much more is Guerrilla Marketing.

Late,
Shane

Using google adwords

One new way to advertise is using google adwords. You log into your google account and set it up. i advise you to read any tutorials , as it is complicated at first. You pay for clicks to your website which is as fair a way to pay as I can imagine. I have gotten some work from this method and am tweaking it every week.

Late
Shane

Gopherhaul

Great software for lawn service biz and great marketing ideas for you. Do a search for "gopherhaul on youtube.com
Gotta get some sleep.....we got some goo rain btw. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Late,
Shane

Bushhogging

Any of you all get calls for bush hogging? Or is it a steady service that you offer already? I get a few calls per year without ever mentioning it in my ads. I have thought about offering it for a while now. I could use a tractor for stuff around my house anyway. I could also let my grandfather use it for his garden every year. So it definitely would be worth the money. You also have to think about hauling it around though, which requires a good truck and a heavy duty trailer. Things I thought of that a tractor would be useful in: bush hogging, light grading, plowing gardens.

Late,
Shane

Finance or Pay Cash for Equipment

Cash or finance large equipment? This debate comes up often in the lawn service business. If you can pay cash I say great. If you can manage your money and get a good rate (sometimes even zero % financing) financing is great as well. It just depends on your personal preference and situation. Lots of people take out loans even if they have plenty of cash on hand. Using the bank's money to make more for yourself is fine, just make sure you do not get too far into debt. A friend of mine who is as good with money as anyone I know still buys things when they do the zero % financing for 1 years even though he could just as easily pay cash. He just prefers to do it that way.
If you do get a loan for a mower or other equipment try to pay it off faster than the loan is scheduled for to save some interest $$$ and you will feel good about doing so. Shop around for the best rate also. My first mower was financed through a local bank & I got a bad rate even though I have good credit. I just did not shop around. Sheffield Financial
is a great place and they specialize in mower financing as well as 4 wheelers and other equipment.
If you pay cash for your toys (i mean equipment :) ) everything is simpler. No payments to worry about or keep up with , etc. Either way you need to plan for your next purchase whether the plan is to add another mower or to replace the mower you are using. If you do not like to work on your stuff I suggest buying new every 2 to 3 years.

Late,
Shane

Fire Ants

I hate fire ants. No joke right. If ever a creature needed to be endangered those would be it. I have developed a keen sense of feel when it comes to ant mounds. I feel my feet step in some soft ground I immediately start stomping to get those things off my shoe before they get to the skin. I have found a good product for them. I use it on my own lawn and a few customers. It is guaranteed to work all year and it pretty much does. The weather has some effect on the ants also. I have to put some extra stuff on some mounds during the year but not many. The product is "Over & Out" and you can get it at Walmart & Home Depot. You can spread it with a spreader as it is in Granules. What products have you all used for fire ants or even other pests in your lawn service business?

Late,
Shane

Leaf Business

Most lawn service providers do some leaf removal in the Fall. In my area it is not a popular service, as most people just leave them on the lawn until spring (not a good idea). I just mulch my few accounts that do want leaves handled. I don't have enough leaf business to justify buying a bagger attachment for my mowers. In the event of a large amount of leaves I just blow them together and tarp them up. But I do all of them on a regular basis so unless they all fall in a short period of time mulching works fine. I don't do "one time" leaf clean ups since it takes too long & no one is willing to pay for that amount of time. Leaf work is a dusty aggravating ordeal with wind blowing th opposite way that you are mowing or blowing but it does provide some money in a slow period for grass growth. And this year in my area the plant installs are going to be slow because of the intense watering ban even on businesses. I don't do any installs but many depend on them in the fall & early spring.

Late,
Shane

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Government mistakes on Water Supply

As posted a week ago, we are in a deep drought and that is all the news is about now. An article in the AJC
reported on some huge amounts of wasted water by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. One case last year was from a faulty gauge that resulted in over 22 billion gallons of water released from Atlanta's main water source, Lake Lanier. Another case involves an endangered species (mussels)
that needs a certain water level to survive. So some water is set aside for them. No doubt they have a role in the environment but to try to save a species with water that humans need is ridiculous. No one would ever miss them (the mussels not the Atlantans :)). Everyone makes mistakes but with a company there would be someone held responsible. With the government screwing up no one will be held responsible.


Late,

Shane

Finding Dealers for Lawn Service Equipment

How do you choose your lawn service equipment dealer? I chose mine by word of mouth and have been pretty satisfied, but not as much lately. I rarely have a problem on pricing so that is no problem. I like good service. Lately I have had a couple of repairs on my old mower and when I picked it up I had another problem so I had to bring it right back. I am looking at another dealer that supplies me with another mower in the event I need to leave mine for repair. Unheard of around my area.
I do recognize price when it is a big difference. Blades for instance are expensive at the dealer. But I have found them online much cheaper but lower quality. So I then found Express Mower Parts
which is about 30% cheaper than the dealer and offers free shipping with $100 + orders. The products from them have been great quality and shipped fast to me. Bottom line is price is the main difference to most people but to me customer service means more. If I think I have been jacked up on a price I just do not go back to that dealer ($67 belt at a dealer I never used before or after that!).

Late,
Shane

Drought (continued)

I had blogged a little about our drought earlier in the year and it is still here. We got some rain in August but it did not come close to catching up for the year. One city near me has run out of water in its reservoir and is buying water from a nearby city and they have doubled the water rates to pay for the extra cost. It is really bad and some older folks I talk to say it is as dry as they EVER remember. The grass is dismal looking in most areas but I am surprised it grows at all and it has been growing just enough to keep a 2 week schedule going. This drought is bad on a lot of people especially lawn service providers. Hopefully next season will be better.
One problem I have is the side service I depend on (pressure washing) is slower than normal. The water restrictions do not apply to that service but I think homeowners assume it is restricted for everyone not just homeowners. So that has quieted my cell phone considerably. If you are getting a lot of rain and feel like you never can catch up because of the rain, don't complain..... the alternative is bleak.

Late,
Shane

Estimates

Ever get the feeling you are wasting time on estimates? Sometimes I do. You hear the potential client ask over & over about pricing and dread the drive to look at their property. But you never know when you might miss out on a great customer so you have to treat them all like gold. Some people don't mean to waste your time, they just have no idea what you charge and expect a "boy next door" price. I always show up when I say I will because that is the right thing to do and you do not want someone telling their friends about the lawn guy who never bothered to show up & give an estimate.

Late,
Shane

Doing overgrown lawns

Normally I do not do one time mowing in my lawn service business. Usually it is not worth it to wear out your blades and mower on knee high grass. I did one last week though as it was a simple lawn that was flat with nothing much to weed eat. I got the customer to prepay since it was an empty home and the lawn was overgrown (good recipe to get burned on payment). I may reconsider the one time stuff with the prepay rules in place and making sure it is not too bad (head high brush !) I can charge a high price not caring if they take it or not since it is not my normal business routine. Some people sound sketchy from the start so it is best to avoid work that your instincts say run from. This one worked out for me but I'll post some signs of sketchy client phrases below.
"I want to see how good your work is before I sign up for regular service".
"The last lawn guy just quit showing up" (usually means they just stopped paying)
"Cut it as low as you can"
"I will get you more customers, just give me a low price" (give a discount AFTER you see all that work)
"I need my grass cut today" (I don't sit by the phone all day waiting on a call to come work)


Late
Shane

Season Winding Down

Well the growing season is coming to an end and the dread of slow(er) work is setting in. I hate that feeling as I expect most guys in the lawn service biz do. I don't like being at home and being at home for several days with no work and the weather outside being too cold to really work on my own property. Don't get me wrong, I love being at home especially with my family but being at home when normal people work is no fun. This year's drought has really made the dread worse since the normal burn out from all out working during the summer has not happened. A winter time break is normally welcome at first but not this season. The drought is so bad in some areas around me that all outside watering is banned! Some reservoirs are seriously low. So I should have plenty of time to work on this blog in the next few months. This season is going to be one to forget.

Late,
Shane

Dusty Conditions

Dusty Conditions

With the severe dry weather this year, dust hast been awful for me & others doing lawn care. I am covered up with dirt & grime by time I get home. I, unlike most guys I see out mowing, wear a dust mask and still get dirt all up my nose. I do not see how anyone makes it with no protection from the dust. By the way I see most guys without any ear protection and most important of all no safety glasses. That is plain dumb. I get hit in the face area a lot and without my glasses I would have been injured. Goggles are even better because they keep dust out as well. I got some good ones off ebay once and I need to order some more (just don’t leave them on the dash of your truck in the heat or the liner will melt.) I may try a respirator next season to see if that helps block more dust while not making it too hot to stand it on my face. All this dust we are inhaling is obviously not the healthiest thing imaginable so we need to protect ourselves.

Late,

Shane

Georgialawncare.com

To order weed killer email me tinman23@alltel.net (2.5 gal. concentrate for $60) Will deliver within 30 miles of 30558.

Working on Trucks

Man I hate working on vehicles. I hate it because i suck at it. It seems like simple chores like oil changes end up being a great undertaking. My 2007 Dodge was due an oil change, the first one ever, and the oil filter was on so tight it took my destroying it and hammering it with a screw driver and 3 hours of my life to get it done. I don't know why the factory would have the filter on so tight but i would have loved to meet the guy who put mine on. And I may have broken my hand in the process... I will have it checked tomorrow. Moral of the story is for knuckle heads like me should seek mechanics even if it is only to change out wiper blades.

Getting paid

It seems I hear more & more business owners (not just lawn service companies) complaining about slow paying clients. I even read an article the other day about one of the risks of doing commercial lawn maintenance is the slow payers and the possibility that you may not get paid at all. I don't know why the trend is going this way but I'm sure the economy slowing down has something to do with it. But there just seems to be a lack of pride with a small percentage of people who really don't think it matters if they pay you or not. I have been very fortunate to have 99% of my clients pay on time and less than 1% beat me out of any money. There is always a risk when you don't get paid each time out to cut someone's lawn but when you require that you obviously miss out on some business because it is inconvenient to leave a check "under the mat" or prepay and frankly some folks need a little extra time to pay. I just set a limit of how far I will go before cutting off the service. It is hard to do that because if you stop service and then they pay right after you have messed up your route and if you stop service and they finally pay you after 2 weeks you don't want to go back and cut an overgrown lawn for the regular price when it was their fault you could not keep it neat and on schedule.
There is one outfit in Texas that required a credit card on file and at the same time each month would run it through and get paid. That is a great way to do it and the client is more likely to not worry about it & keep you on longer since you have made it easy to pay. There is another company in my area that won't service the lawn if a payment is left for them each visit. That is a safe way to operate but there is a percentage of lost business because of it also. Contracts are good if can swing it. No one uses them in my area much. However I may start using a simple agreement that does not lock them into the service but just acknowledges there is an agreement for service so if there is ever a need to collect a debt from them you have something to work with. Have a great week!

Get Organized

Everyone hates clutter and disorganized lives, but it seems that most everyone has these problems. What can we do about them? For clutter the only thing to do is set aside certain days and times to straighten up your desk, work truck, computer files, etc. Slow times are a good time also, but it is hard to do something like that when you feel like you are “off”. So a set time is the best way to go. I despise cleaning out my box truck so it is always a mess. I even offered my kids some cash to clean it each week. They must hate it more than me because $$ did not work. But when I do clean it out it is always refreshing, just like a clean house is more relaxing to live in.

Now organizing your schedule for work is different. It is vital that we keep our schedule tight and show up to estimates when we say we will. One of the best things I have ever bought is Gopher, which is a scheduling and invoicing program specifically for the Green industry. It has made my business much simpler to operate. I recommend Gopher but there are many others to choose from. I use Quickbooks Pro for my accounting but there are some open source programs out there for free that you can grab if you like.

Late,

Shane

Georgialawncare.com

To order weed killer email me tinman23@alltel.net (2.5 gal. concentrate for $60) Will deliver within 30 miles of 30558.

Biz Names and Logos

What is in a name? Plenty if you ask some. Others think it does not matter if you pick Razor Lawn Care or M&M Lawn Care. I’m in the latter camp. The thing that makes the name recognizable is the company’s consistency, customer service, dependability, competitive pricing, etc. Reece’s Buttercups aren’t loved because they picked a great name, but because they taste great and have been around a long time. I would say that a catchy but not too gimmicky name or logo will help jump start a lawn service business or any business. There is a pest control company in my area that uses Volkswagen Beetle’s as company cars….get it Bugs … Pest Control? And I have seen stories about company cars being hot pink or bright green to catch the client’s eye. These ideas work well to get initial attention but if the work is not good it will only be easy to point out which service sux. I do think that having a nice clean logo on anything you advertise on is a good plan. It may not lead to direct calls, but people will get your logo in their mind over time. It may even take a few years, but I assume you plan on being in business 4 years from now so have patience. I get very few calls from people who see my truck (rolling billboard) and want service right away. But most everyone knows who I am by that truck & signage. So when the need arises they are likely to call on me for help with their lawn or house washing. Logos should be simple and easy to put on shirts, signs, letterhead, postcards, etc. You can even get a logo made on ebay!

Late,

Shane

Georgialawncare.com

To order weed killer email me tinman23@alltel.net (2.5 gal. concentrate for $60) Will deliver within 30 miles of 30558.

Lawn Care Equipment

When I first got into the lawn service biz (part time) I used a crappy home owners riding mower that lasted about a year and a half. I rarely sharpened the blades and never changed the oil or air filter. That may be why it did not last long! Not really, things just broke on it as it was made to cut one lawn ever week or so, not 5 or 6 each week. I finally got a commercial ZTR (Dixie Chopper) and man what a difference. I cut my work time way down and my body felt better using good equipment all day. I was still part time at this point so the mower did not get used as much as it was designed to. I did sharpen the blades every 10 hours and changed the oil regularly but neglected the air filter. The reason,,,, I did not know where it was! Knuckle head! It finally bit me one day when it would not crank and we had to wench it up on the truck. The carburetor needed adjusting, I assume from the filter being totally clogged. Needless to say I am a little better now about maintenance. You learn by doing and it is hard to forget how to change a belt when you have done it in 95 degree heat close to a fire ant mound! I would recommend anyone getting into the lawn business to take a small class on small engine repair etc. Or they could just work with a friend a couple days to get the feel of things. It will definitely pay off. Oh yeah and don’t forget to grease the spindles and other grease points on a timely schedule.
Interesting lawn stories
robot mowers , .
mower burns down home
organic lawn care

Late,

Shane

Georgialawncare.com

To order weed killer email me tinman23@alltel.net (2.5 gal. concentrate for $60) Will deliver within 30 miles of 30558.

Multiple Streams of Revenue

It’s a good idea to have more than your main service bringing in some money for your lawn service business or any business. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket as they say. This year’s drought is a good lesson in that. My mowing revenue has been down for the first time since I went full time into lawn care. Actually it is about even with last year but by the end of the season it will likely be a bit lower. The extreme heat in the last 2 weeks has crushed the fescue lawns with no rain to help. I offer pressure washing which helps out when things are slower in the mowing department. But the pressure washing is not as reliable as the mowing, hence the fact that mowing is my main business and not pressure washing. I make much more per stop & per hour washing houses but it is hit or miss and the customers are likely only to use that service once and at best every 2 or 3 years. Mowing is done weekly or bi weekly and the client base returns for the most part every year if your service is up to par with them. I do some pine straw sales and installation with does well in the spring time. I also mulch leaves in the fall although it is not a popular service in my area (I hate doing it also!).

The best option is having a side business that requires little time & effort (too good to be true right). That way you can run the main business and not get bogged down in being everything to everyone. You could keep an ad running for pine straw delivery only (no spreading) and deliver a certain day every week or weekend. That would require little planning and not much work. Just have plenty of straw on hand and you are good to go. Unfortunately seasonal businesses like lawn care need to have extra ways of making money since the winter is generally slow at least a couple months in most regions. Here are few things that you can offer in addition to your mowing services: Pressure washing, painting, junk hauling, mulch / pine straw sales, mower maintenance and blade sharpening, etc. And you just might have to get a (ugh) job for the slow times. So be prepared to do what is necessary to keep the bills paid in the slow season. Most of all save your money when times are good!

Late,

Shane

Georgialawncare.com
To order weed killer email me tinman23@alltel.net (2.5 gal. concentrate for $60) Will deliver within 30 miles of 30558.

Entertainment at work

How do you keep from getting bored while mowing? I listen to my mp3 player all day everyday. I rarely listen to music, which I have plenty, instead I listen to podcasts (google it if you do not know about it). Basically podcasts are talk radio without the radio. They update daily or twice a week and can be downloaded with a pod catcher (software...free ones are available) automatically. I like music but hearing the same things over and over get old. I could not listen to the radio long since I hate commercials also. I have satellite radio in my personal truck & love it. I wear hearing protection with my ear phones in my ears & have no trouble hearing my equipment in case there is a problem and the sound is very clear from my ZEN (mp3 player I have). It has been a while since I mowed a full day with no player in my ear. I would be bored to tears! Some lawns I have mowed for several years and could almost do blindfolded (don't try it) so I need something to keep my mind busy. I listen to a few podcasts and the links are below. All are free except Rome's. What are some you all listen to??
Free Talk Live
Jim Rome Show
HDTV
Geek News Central
Dave Ramsey Show
DSC (sometimes)
Jersey Todd (sometimes)

Need weed Killer? email me at tinman23@alltel.net. I deliver within 30 miles of 30558.
Late,
Shane

Trends in Lawn Service

Have you seen the articles about the bikini Lawn Services? Google it & you'll see how big it is getting. It is hard to find men that will cut grass much less women, much less young good looking women. I can't imagine they do much weed whacking or those pretty legs would be cut up. About every 4th blog alert I get emailed to me involves some version of this service so it is getting amazing run (attention).
Another trend that I see is organic lawn care. Check these links if you like , , . Organic ,
natural lawn care .
These companies use all natural fertilizer and weed control. It is not as effective as the normal methods but over time it is said to get good results and that is good enough for those concerned with chemicals on their property. So called "Green Companies", companies that are planet friendly, are gaining popularity everyday. Inc and Fast Company magazine have profiled many different green companies and some are very cool. If you can spot the trends in this or any other business you have a step on your competitors. Better yet just set the trends yourself!

Late,

Shane

Georgialawncare.com

Lawn Store

Beat the Heat!

Man it is hot. 98 – 99 here all week. I start as early as possible & it is still hot by 10 am. I start at 6:30 pretty much everyday,,,,, well not from tomorrow on as school is back & I am the school bus for my kids. I drink nothing but water all day & keep a wet towel around my neck when I feel really hot. I usually pour cold water inside my cap & that helps a little while. It also seems like the hotter it is, the dirtier I get. I guess since my clothes are soaked the dust sticks to me more! Anyway…. Keep cool…. if you feel like you are getting too hot just stop and at least take a break in the shade or go home for the day. If you die you can’t do the lawns anymore so one day late is better than nothing. All for now. Comments below. Also let me know what kind of articles you would like to see linked to here each week.

Late,
Shane
Georgialawncare.com
Lawn Store

Pet Peeves

What are your pet peeves about your lawn business? I have a few, but they are nothing major. I don’t like sharpening blades. This is not a bad task; it is just the fact of having to do it after the real work is done and on the weekends. So it is more inconvenient than hard to do. I have even thought of offering a a blade sharpening service because I know everyone hates doing it and I am very fast at it now after sharpening hundreds of blades over the years. Another pet peeves is cleaning out from under the deck on my mowers. It is nasty stuff & draws flies & yellow jackets. It needs to be done though because the quality of the cut goes down if it is full of clumped grass. I am always thinking of a way to do it without scraping. I’ll hopefully invent a product for that & retire from cutting grass! The last thing is greasing the spindles and other points on the machines. This is not as bad now since I got an air powered grease gun but the old way was awful. The grease gun would never pump out consistently without taking it apart and getting it primed again.
I am going to be posting more frequently with the main blog still on Wednesday & Sunday. The new posts will be mostly links to relevant articles and maybe even some message board threads. Email any thoughts to tinman23@alltel.net. And leave comments below.

Late,
Shane
Georgialawncare.com
Lawn Store

Selling your business

I got a call from a guy I know this week wanting a price for my business. He does it part time & wants to jump to full time. It was easy to price my equipment, but the accounts were more difficult. I have zero under contract and most are residential. So this makes it harder. There is great risk for the buyer as there is nothing stopping the clients from dumping him like an annoying girlfriend after he takes over. So this gives the appearance of little value in buying clients. But if I can make the transition seamless & make sure all the work is done the same I believe it could work. I would work with the buyer for a few weeks until he was able to take over & serve my customers exactly like I had. There would be a few drop simply because they did not choose the new guy, like a new GM firing a Coach whom just happen to be there when he arrives.
I had read a few posts about selling accounts for 2 months gross, which I found ridiculously low. I would just end the business with no one buying them before I did that. We work hard to get & keep good clients so we should not just give them away. Now some have suggested that the buyer could pay some at the start then a percentage for each client that stays for a year. This moves the risk to the seller. If the buyer does not do a good job or goes crazy & runs off with his high school sweetheart the seller has been screwed. I priced my biz high to the guy because I am in no hurry to get out. When I get in a hurry I will get a decent price or I will let someone work it while I get the work and basically run the business. We can’t sell ourselves or our business short.


Late,
Shane
Georgialawncare.com
Lawn Store

Unique Marketing

I was just reading some threads on a message board about some different ways to market our business. Everyone knows about yellow pages, door hangers, direct mail , etc. But how can we stand out from the competition or show up in ways the others don’t know how. It takes a creative mind to do things out of the box so if you can’t think of many good ideas talk to people who are creative. Or read message boards like lawnsite.com. I have tried all the normal ad types and a few abnormal. Yellow pages have done ok while classified ads got me the most work early in my business life. Direct mail has been a complete bust for me. They say repetition is the key, but I’d go broke waiting on it to kick in. Too much money for very little return. Flyers have are cheap and I have got a few good accounts from them. Word of mouth has been the best for me as I’m sure it is for many established businesses. But a new business can hardly rely on just word of mouth.

Some different type of marketing I have tried: ad space on a local map ($250 wasted), business cards dropped on driveways inside a bag with a rock to hold bag in place (unprofessional looking I admit & no return on doing it), referral program (ok… most will refer just because they like my work). Some ideas I have not tried & don’t think they would work : ads on backs of store receipts, ads on benches, service magic type services (they send leads for $xx per lead… works for some but I don’t see it in my area.

Leave your comments as to what ideas you have to do some unique marketing. Some ideas I am going to try: contest driving potential clients to my website, this blog (mainly to sell landscape products), volunteer at charity charity, biz card dropped off with a Frisbee or other small gift.



Late,
Shane
Georgialawncare.com
Lawn Store

Fatigue

Ever get tired? Dumb question right. Ever feel tired for a full week and not want to move from in front of the tv after getting home? After trimming hedges all week that is how I felt…. Feel that is. Hedge trimming is one of the most labor intensive services I offer. And I have really felt it this week. Shoulder pain sux! There are a few things I do to hold off weariness. I start very early so the heat is not on me all day long. Most days I start at 6:30 and finish by 2 or 3 pm. I try to do the hardest or biggest properties first thing if possible. Also having a helper do the weed trimming is the best thing. I could ride a mower for 12 hours a day if I never had to touch a trimmer or blower.
Some days I think, “there has got to be an easier way to make a living. And I am always trying to expand into different areas and try new businesses. If you can run one business it is likely you can run many if you have the knowledge in that field. Any job business that involves me staying at home in the air conditioning is a plus. I have also thought about a delivery service where I could basically ride in the air conditioned truck a lot. Fatigue has really got me to thinking. Not that I am going anywhere. I will probably always run a lawn service whether I am working in it or not. It has allowed me to quit my full time job and given me a flexible schedule so I doubt I could just drop it all together. What are some physically easier businesses you have thought about doing?


Late,
Shane
Georgialawncare.com
Lawn Store

Customer Loyalty.

How to create customer loyalty.

This is a challenge for any business. I assure you that it costs a lot more to get a new client than it does to sell to an existing one. So you best keep your clients happy! Is it possible to never lose a client? No, of course not. There are too many other options for them and many will only think of cost and drop you as soon as a cheaper competitor comes along. All we can do is provide dependable quality service and try to find the clients that fit our particular business model. Getting referrals from current clients breeds loyalty…. Make sure you ask for referrals or even start a referral program that gives incentives for getting you more work. Lawn care is a business that most anyone can do so the new competition starting up each year is tremendous. This makes it a buyers market in most parts of the country. Many new start ups don’t last long but the next season finds new eager start ups every time.
I have some customers who never even ask a price on extra work they want me to do. They know I will be fair and they are not price shoppersThey are loyal. But a good percentage of people are price shoppers. Why do you think Wal mart has lines backed up all the time at the register despite their poor customer service, lack of cashiers, etc? Low Prices Everyday is tough to beat. I sell weed killer (check the ebay link) at a great price and mentioned it to one of my best customers last year and he did not even ask a price because he got his from a store he had dealt with for a few years. He could have saved quite a bit but he was loyal to his original supplier. On the flip side, I have had a couple of ladies drop my services because I went up $2 per cut for a fuel surcharge after the Hurricane Katrina a few years back. $2….. I couldn’t believe it. I have one client who will not ever run his sprinkler system, fertilize his lawn, put out any mulch or pine straw for his $400 property in a subdivision. He just chooses not to spend his $$$ that way.
One thing I have had trouble with in the last 2 years is losing clients due to the fact that they have a family member who wants to service the lawn. As more and more LCOs (Lawn Care Operations) start up this gets worse. It is hard to compete against, a grandmother letting her grandson cut the grass. Leave your comments as to how we can promote loyalty. Thanks

Late,
Shane
Georgialawncare.com
Lawn Store

Zero Turn Mowers vs. Walk Behinds.

Zero Turn Mowers vs. Walk Behinds.


I see the debate all the time on message boards (lawnsite.com). … Which one is better, a walk behind or a zero turn rider. Obviously it depends on your need. A part timer with only a few small yards can get away with only a walk behind. They are cheaper and easier to work on generally. If you are full time and have several huge lawns I’d say a zero turn is a must. They are faster and much easier on your body. They are more expensive but it is well worth it. I have 2 Ztrs(zero turn radius) and one walk behind. I mainly use the WB (walk behind) as a back up and use the riders daily. The WB leaves a great cut and is about as fast on a small lawn that is landscaped correctly so you do not have to back up (not fun with a WB unless you have a hydro drive). But the riders will easily outpace them on a big property. Two years ago My main rider was in the shop & I used the Toro WB for 3 days and my body felt it too. I’m sure I would have gotten used to it and not been sore after using it regularly but I did not want to try it.
On the flip side of all this is a push mower or most likely a self propelled push mower. Most people don’t use them especially a business. But there is an opportunity, as some homeowners do not want a heavy duty mower used. So you could find a niche to service. The benefit would be low cost and easy maintenance and easy training if you had a crew. Before you laugh, I have read about a guy in Texas with over 2000 accounts using nothing but Self Propelled push mowers. It seems to be working for him.

Late,
Shane
Georgialawncare.com
Lawn Store

starting a lawn care business, starting a lawn service business, lawn care, lawns, grass cutting, grass mowing, weed killer, lawn care tools, chaps for weed trimming,

Networking (meeting people)

I think a lot about networking or meeting new people. The obvious purpose business-wise is to get more business. Now, just going to ball games and church and spewing an advertising campaign will not work and that crap makes people sick. One lady that was an acquaintance of my wife was awful about that stuff with whatever MLM “business” she was in on that given day. It seems to me the most successful people in small businesses are the ones who have lasted for a while and over the years just met a lot of people and of course did good work. Bad quality work will get you nowhere even if you are friends with 10 million people. Also people who are just friendly and outgoing seem to do well in business because they are generally good salesmen.
I am not that outgoing so I don’t really meet too many new people. So I rely on advertising more than networking. My wife can talk to anyone about anything so she would be a great salesman for me or anyone. She has started a small photography biz and I know she will do very well because she will not hesitate to tell people, “Hey I am in business, buy from me”. I am way too subtle for my own good, but it is just the way I am. We all have things we are good at and things we suck at, so we need to find those things out and get help when possible for areas in which we need the most help. The more people you know the more you can grow.

Late,
Shane
Georgialawncare.com
My ebay stuff

Making Mistakes

Mistakes happen right? Right. Nothing can be done about it right? Wrong. We can be careful and pay attention to detail to minimize mistakes. Also the biggest thing we can do is be honest when we do make a mistake and try to rectify it then. I recently had a client who was unhappy with a couple of things about their lawn. One of the problems I was aware of and doing my best to correct it each visit. The other was just an oversight on my part. Some grass clippings were left in the pine straw bed. Now of course there should not have been thrown in that direction in the first place (helper was mowing), but it was my fault for not blowing it out good enough. When my customer emailed me about the problem I was mad at myself of course because I do take pride in what I do. I offered a credit for that mow and apologized for the error. The client understood and refused the credit. Now everyone is not that understanding, believe me! But all we can do is be honest and fix what we may screw up.
I’ve been fortunate to not have too many complaints over the years. The one that sticks out is a lady about 9 years ago. There was some kind of wildflower popping up right in the middle of the lawn. Everyone who has ever had them told me to just cut them. Well she had other ideas. She called up on the following Saturday and said she had planned to put them on her grandson’s Birthday cake!!!! Craziest thing I have ever heard. That was the end of that relationship.

Late,
Shane
Georgialawncare.com
My ebay stuff

Lawn Guy Vacation / kinda

Going on vacation in the summer, which is the busy season for lawn care providers, can be rough. I have to catch everything up so I can go, then I’m gripping on the way home about all the work ahead. We just got back from a 3 night trip to Tampa for my youngest daughter’s gymnastics meet. It was a National event and a pretty big deal. She ended up getting 3 first place medals so we were very proud. We spent the last couple days there at the beach (nice) and at Busch Gardens (nice but Theme parks are not for me anymore!). The kids had fun but got tired like me of walking around in the heat all day. The animals were neat to watch also. The beach was surprisingly good and not crowded at all.
Anyway back to the point. Vacation is possible in the summer but you need careful planning and a lot of luck. I’d like to just plan vacation for the winter when I am slow anyway, but the beach is too appealing right now. It’s nice if you can just let your lead man take over until you get back, but if you don’t have that you have to be creative. I have done some accounts a couple days early and then a couple 2 days late. As long as you let you clients know what is going on there should be no problem. That’s all for now, gotta rest from “vacation” BTW, we stayed at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Tampa and it was super nice.

Late,
Shane McLendon
Georgialawncare.com

Introduction

Well, this is the first post I'm making on this subject, and there will be many more to follow. For now twice a week will be my schedule. I will determine the days of release very soon. I know consistent dependable posts are the life blood of blogging. If you readers cannot depend on me adding new content regularly you will not be back. The object of this blog is to inform, educate, help, entertain, and maybe even amuse you. The target reader is anyone involved or interested in the lawn care business. I 'll be discussing and posting links to articles that interest me and hopefully you.
I have run a small lawn service for about 12 years. The first seven were part time and the last five have been full time. It is what puts food on our family's table :) . I don't run a fleet of trucks with a crew of 40 men. I have a couple of part timers helping me and a box truck carrying 2 Dixie Chopper Zero Turn Mowers. I like my work and feel like I make a good living doing it. I worked in a couple of manufacturing plants before I went full time and they were pretty good jobs, but I don't miss them. I don't miss staring at the same walls and people everyday or punching a time clock. Most of the people I have worked with over the years were good people, which I liked, but listening to the same thoughts and ideas and stories everyday got old for me. I feel more free now because I can listen to the music / podcasts I choose at work. I can make my own schedule. I am off 99% of weekends. I still have a boss....... a lot of them.... they are called my customers :) . If my kids have a ball game, I can leave early to get there, even if i have to start the day earlier. Do I work harder now than at my "jobs"? I sure do , but don't mind it at all, because I am building something for myself & my family. I feel more in control of my income & job security. If I want a raise I just attempt to get more accounts or add more services. I don't have to worry about plant managers screwing things up and costing jobs in the form of layoffs. If screw up & lose an account then I only have myself to blame. There are many things that I don't like about lawn service (dust, heat, machine problems, sharpening blades, fuel prices). But the good (all the things previously mentioned and meeting new people) far outweighs the bad for me.
There is one website that has been very helpful to me since I have went full time and that is http://www.lawnsite.com. It is a community of lawn service providers sharing thoughts ideas, etc on a giant message board. I get no kick back from them by the way. Any links I post that I do receive some compensation, I will be sure to mention. That is all for this post. The next one will be out on Sunday Night. There will be 2 posts a week Sunday nights & Wednesday mornings. Wow I decided on the days in the time it took to type this out. Have a great week. Happy Independence Day!


Late

Dry weather / Scheduling 2007

Here in Georgia, 2007 has been a dry year thus far, but the past 2 weeks has seen a good bit of rain (thankfully! & raining right now!). This is by far the driest season I have seen since I went full time into the lawn service business. We have been blessed with above average rainfall in 2003-2005 and 2006 was a little dry but average overall I'd say. I do mainly maintenance (mowing) on residential accounts with no contract. That is standard for my area, you like us , we like you. It would be nice to have a contract but I do not see it in my area. There are too many options (service providers), and many are part timers who can be very flexible in pricing and scheduling. So homeowners have the advantage of picking and choosing the options they want, which is good for them. Were I doing a business, a contract would be necessary to make sure all the basis were covered, especially if I were doing a year round service deal.
Of course different regions will require different schedules for maintenance. I have 3 different options.... weekly, every 10 days, every 2 weeks. The 2 week schedule is for "country yard" that get no fertilizing or sprinkler watering. The 10 day is a good "in between schedule" for lawns that get some watering and some fertilizing but not from a regular fertilizing company. The weekly schedule obviously works best for me since it is easier to maintain and produces more income. Any lawn that gets regular fertilizing needs weekly service in my opinion. A lawn with a lot of rain and fertilizer on a 2 week plan can make you have a long day!
When it is raining regularly I have had no problem getting new customers and keeping old ones. This season has been different, a few dropping off and not nearly as many new clients calling. Homeowners who want a super nice landscape will stay with the service, but some that see us (LCO - lawn care operations) as a necessary evil. And when that necessity runs out in the form of a drought they might drop you. They just want their grass cut and when it is not growing as much they don't see paying someone to cut what little growth they have. However that is a double edged sword. When it rains 2 or 3 time weekly and you have to double cut some of the grass to spread out the clippings, you can't charge extra can you? I can't. So I see it as a trade off. I will skip a weekly client's lawn if it is too dry and move back a 10 day plan to 2 weeks when needed. But a lawn on a 2 week plan has to be REALLY DRY to skip it. It is vital to explain this to the client when you first get them on board, especially if you don't have a contract. So at least when you have to drop habitual skippers from your schedule they will have been told the deal from the start. In short let them know that you are the decision maker when it comes to skipping because of dry weather not them. If it were left to some people they would let it get 3 ft tall then just call you up on Saturday and say , " the grass needs cutting now". Most people I deal with are great, really good people but you will run into people (& I have :) )who will take advantage of you. Without customers we are nothing, but there has to be guidelines or your business will fail.

Late,
Shane
http://www.georgialawncare.com