Pages: 1 2

 

2010-02-21 08:17:16
Mitch
16 more years
+877|7102|South Florida
Well im looking to start my own side business this spring and lawn mowing is looking like a contender.

I want to be realistic about the business i choose, i absolutly love running a business and would much rather put 12 hours/day of work into my own business than 8 hours into someone elses. (yes i have tried starting a business before but thats not the subject here.)

I have no problems going door to door in neighborhoods selling to people. Theres neighborhoods full of old people who simply cannot do it themselves, and my father owns a newspaper distributorship and has a huge following of older homeowners.

However, running the time/money made formula in my head im not getting very desirable numbers. It would seem that the speed and efficiancy of a riding lawn mower would be neccesary to cut enough lawns per day to make a worthy profit.

However i cannot afford the investment of a riding lawn mower at this time.

Please share with me your experience in this field.
15 more years! 15 more years!
2010-02-21 08:18:35
11 Bravo
Banned
+965|5814|Cleveland, Ohio

Mitch wrote:

i absolutly love running a business .
what business do you run now?
2010-02-21 08:20:05
Ultrafunkula
Hector: Ding, ding, ding, ding...
+1,975|7051|6 6 4 oh, I forget

Buy a load of robot lawnmowers and hire them for big dollas.
2010-02-21 08:20:25
jord
Member
+2,382|7255|The North, beyond the wall.
Seems like a bit of a dead end idea really, what's the goal here?

I do think working for yourself has it's advantages, and it would be pretty good driving a lawnmower getting a tan and listening to music all day, but the novelty would wear off, fast.
2010-02-21 08:21:46
whaaaaaaaaaat
><>
+215|5827

11 Bravo wrote:

Mitch wrote:

i absolutly love running a business .
what business do you run now?
lol
2010-02-21 08:23:55
Blade4509
Wrench turnin' fool
+202|6086|America
I smell troll.
"Raise the flag high! Let the degenerates know who comes to claim their lives this day!"
2010-02-21 08:28:59
DesertFox-
The very model of a modern major general
+796|7262|United States of America
Haven't you seen any of those other lawnmowing businesses jetting around? You've got to mow as many lawns in a day as possible. To do this, you usually hire a fairly good amount of people so you can quickly finish one house and move on, but when you hire a bunch of people, each additional person drags down what you would be making on your own. I don't think you really want a "business", but you should just go and offer to mow lawns for a few old people for a decent sum of cash. For instance, I mowed lawns for my grandparents, aunt, and another family over the past few summers with my brother, and we charged only $20 for front and back mowing, weed-whacking, and edging (which pretty much undersells a lot of actual businesses AFAIK). I'm sure you could charge more as well and give quality lawn care instead of just quickly giving it a once-over like a business would. Long story short, I cut so much grass you'd think I got a lawn service.
2010-02-21 08:29:25
Mitch
16 more years
+877|7102|South Florida

jord wrote:

Seems like a bit of a dead end idea really, what's the goal here?

I do think working for yourself has it's advantages, and it would be pretty good driving a lawnmower getting a tan and listening to music all day, but the novelty would wear off, fast.
Im not in it for the novelty im in it to make money and have a business year after year. Possibly, if successfull, i could make enough to also do snow removal in the winter.
15 more years! 15 more years!
2010-02-21 08:34:59
Mitch
16 more years
+877|7102|South Florida

DesertFox- wrote:

Haven't you seen any of those other lawnmowing businesses jetting around? You've got to mow as many lawns in a day as possible. To do this, you usually hire a fairly good amount of people so you can quickly finish one house and move on, but when you hire a bunch of people, each additional person drags down what you would be making on your own. I don't think you really want a "business", but you should just go and offer to mow lawns for a few old people for a decent sum of cash. For instance, I mowed lawns for my grandparents, aunt, and another family over the past few summers with my brother, and we charged only $20 for front and back mowing, weed-whacking, and edging (which pretty much undersells a lot of actual businesses AFAIK). I'm sure you could charge more as well and give quality lawn care instead of just quickly giving it a once-over like a business would. Long story short, I cut so much grass you'd think I got a lawn service.
Well yes, if each customer would be willing to pay 20 dollars per mow, which equates to 4 mows a week - 80 a month. I just dont want to hit the streets with a price so high they say fuck it ill do it myself or have my grandson do it. But, if i hit the streets with a price too low ill end up never making enough money.

The math:

15 dollars per mow - $60/month
5 lawns per day - $75/day
25 lawns per WEEK - $375/week
100 lawns per MONTH - $1500/month

Obviously it would take some work to get a following of 25 customers but all in good time.
15 more years! 15 more years!
2010-02-21 08:47:33
DesertFox-
The very model of a modern major general
+796|7262|United States of America
I just don't think you'll want to be mowing multiple lawns a day for the entire summer. I don't know about NY, but around here it gets to be scorching hot here in summer and worsens when you're right next to a hot engine (so it's best to start before midday, which means waking up fairly early for summer). Also, don't forget about when it rains, that will usually fuck you up for that day, so if you've got 5 lawns a day and it rains, you've got to make those up in addition to the 5 for the following day.
I'm all for you doing what you want to, but I think you're looking on too much of a grandiose scale right now. I'd suggest you start with a few customers and see how that works out so if you want to, you can expand in the future if need be.
2010-02-21 08:59:46
DrunkFace
Germans did 911
+427|7258|Disaster Free Zone
Wouldn't you charge more for say 3 acres compared to say 150 square metres?

Also who mows their lawn every week?

Last edited by DrunkFace (2010-02-21 09:01:24)

2010-02-21 09:00:04
Mitch
16 more years
+877|7102|South Florida

DesertFox- wrote:

I just don't think you'll want to be mowing multiple lawns a day for the entire summer. I don't know about NY, but around here it gets to be scorching hot here in summer and worsens when you're right next to a hot engine (so it's best to start before midday, which means waking up fairly early for summer). Also, don't forget about when it rains, that will usually fuck you up for that day, so if you've got 5 lawns a day and it rains, you've got to make those up in addition to the 5 for the following day.
I'm all for you doing what you want to, but I think you're looking on too much of a grandiose scale right now. I'd suggest you start with a few customers and see how that works out so if you want to, you can expand in the future if need be.
Yes, rain is a huge factor...
Hmm...

See this is the reason im weighing out the options. Im trying to see if its a good business to start or not. If not, im looking for what is a good business to start.

DrunkFace wrote:

Wouldn't you charge more for say 3 acres compared to say 150 square metres?
of coarse, im just using average numbers for rough calculation

Last edited by Mitch (2010-02-21 09:00:52)

15 more years! 15 more years!
2010-02-21 10:31:52
RTHKI
mmmf mmmf mmmf
+1,753|7314|Cinncinatti
Like DesertFox- said, start out small and expand if/when you want to. I mowed yards for 3 years. Lucky for me I just took the yards from someone who was quitting the business. I mowed 10 yards for the first 2 years, last year it was 9 and now 5 this summer. Some yards you come to hate, others you learn to love.
As for a mower, I just used a walk behind. Basically the 36'' version of this: http://www.exmark.com/Metro.htm It's not as fast as using a big riding lawnmower but it gets the job done.
Didn't charge $20 per cut though... Prices went from 25-46.

Also who mows their lawn every week?
I cut almost every lawn once a week last year, it rained almost every weekend. Plus my dad waters our grass so much he cuts it about every 3-4 days at some points
https://i.imgur.com/tMvdWFG.png
2010-02-21 11:13:31
Flaming_Maniac
prince of insufficient light
+2,490|7284|67.222.138.85

DrunkFace wrote:

Also who mows their lawn every week?
We do.

You charge $20 a lawn and mow it yourself. If you're doing it right (read: edging, blowing, maybe an extra $5 for bush trimming) it's going to take 60-90 minutes. Should the motivation be there (as you claim it is) you could easily do 6 lawns a day. That's $120-$150 a day, minus whatever depreciation against investment your dad wants you to pay on the tools and gas.

A riding lawnmower is a luxury not an investment. They are for large tracts of land, not getting a small lawn done quickly.
2010-02-21 12:09:17
Mitch
16 more years
+877|7102|South Florida

RTHKI wrote:

Like DesertFox- said, start out small and expand if/when you want to. I mowed yards for 3 years. Lucky for me I just took the yards from someone who was quitting the business. I mowed 10 yards for the first 2 years, last year it was 9 and now 5 this summer. Some yards you come to hate, others you learn to love.
As for a mower, I just used a walk behind. Basically the 36'' version of this: http://www.exmark.com/Metro.htm It's not as fast as using a big riding lawnmower but it gets the job done.
Didn't charge $20 per cut though... Prices went from 25-46.

Also who mows their lawn every week?
I cut almost every lawn once a week last year, it rained almost every weekend. Plus my dad waters our grass so much he cuts it about every 3-4 days at some points
That gave me an idea, offer to water there yard right after its mowed
keep breeding business hah
15 more years! 15 more years!
2010-02-21 12:13:45
Brasso
member
+1,549|7208

what is this i dont even
"people in ny have a general idea of how to drive. one of the pedals goes forward the other one prevents you from dying"
2010-02-21 12:19:56
presidentsheep
Back to the Fuhrer
+208|6538|Places 'n such

Mitch wrote:

RTHKI wrote:

Like DesertFox- said, start out small and expand if/when you want to. I mowed yards for 3 years. Lucky for me I just took the yards from someone who was quitting the business. I mowed 10 yards for the first 2 years, last year it was 9 and now 5 this summer. Some yards you come to hate, others you learn to love.
As for a mower, I just used a walk behind. Basically the 36'' version of this: http://www.exmark.com/Metro.htm It's not as fast as using a big riding lawnmower but it gets the job done.
Didn't charge $20 per cut though... Prices went from 25-46.

Also who mows their lawn every week?
I cut almost every lawn once a week last year, it rained almost every weekend. Plus my dad waters our grass so much he cuts it about every 3-4 days at some points
That gave me an idea, offer to water there yard right after its mowed
keep breeding business hah
What about different sized lawns??
Are you still gonna charge tha same for different sizes of lawn? seems like you may just end up mowing a fuck load of massive gardens to me.
I'd type my pc specs out all fancy again but teh mods would remove it. Again.
2010-02-21 12:47:55
DesertFox-
The very model of a modern major general
+796|7262|United States of America

presidentsheep wrote:

Mitch wrote:

RTHKI wrote:

Like DesertFox- said, start out small and expand if/when you want to. I mowed yards for 3 years. Lucky for me I just took the yards from someone who was quitting the business. I mowed 10 yards for the first 2 years, last year it was 9 and now 5 this summer. Some yards you come to hate, others you learn to love.
As for a mower, I just used a walk behind. Basically the 36'' version of this: http://www.exmark.com/Metro.htm It's not as fast as using a big riding lawnmower but it gets the job done.
Didn't charge $20 per cut though... Prices went from 25-46.


I cut almost every lawn once a week last year, it rained almost every weekend. Plus my dad waters our grass so much he cuts it about every 3-4 days at some points
That gave me an idea, offer to water there yard right after its mowed
keep breeding business hah
What about different sized lawns??
Are you still gonna charge tha same for different sizes of lawn? seems like you may just end up mowing a fuck load of massive gardens to me.
I believe Mitch lives in a suburban-ish area as I do, in which case the lawns are pretty uniform in size, so there's not too much fluctuation, but if he found a big yard, I'm sure he'd charge more.
2010-02-21 13:04:31
=NHB=Shadow
hi
+322|6943|California
I pay a mexican to mow my lawn for $50/month
but your white so youll probably get more money
2010-02-21 13:05:28
wah1188
You orrible caaaaaaan't
+321|7037|UK
I think you are being naive bromosexual
2010-02-21 19:29:38
loubot
O' HAL naw!
+470|7155|Columbus, OH
I hired a guy who uses a push-mower. Before he started, he checked the front and back yard to see how big of a job it would be. Also  checked out the lay of the land to see what things he has to cut around. His estimate was based on these two things.
You have time to kill, which I am pretty sure you do, start out with a push-mover just make sure all of your clients are within the same area....under 10 minute drive. The land scaping bidness is srs. Ppl and companies always look for a cheaper landscaper who will do more for less.

You will probably need to invest in a weed-wacker (not referring to your hand) too.

What is the name of your company??? ""Mighty Mitches Machines"" like that?? 
If you are srsly committed to this gig, you will have to register your small business adventure to the city/state. Taxes baby then you will get a  taste of govt. butt s3x.
2010-02-21 21:05:44
wah1188
You orrible caaaaaaan't
+321|7037|UK
Look dude start out small with a push-mower. Not much of a loss if shit doesn't work out. You don't need a fleet of people, see how it goes play it by ear. Put some hard work in reap the rewards. If there is room for expansion and it's actually feasible then think about hiring people. I mean seriously bro you look like Zac Effron take your shirt off mow some lawns fuck some bitches.
2010-02-21 22:13:31
Sisco
grandmaster league revivalist
+493|6921
What about winter? What do you do then?
https://www.abload.de/img/bf3-bf2ssig0250wvn.jpg
2010-02-21 23:16:26
DrunkFace
Germans did 911
+427|7258|Disaster Free Zone

Flaming_Maniac wrote:

DrunkFace wrote:

Also who mows their lawn every week?
We do.

RTHKI wrote:

Also who mows their lawn every week?
I cut almost every lawn once a week last year, it rained almost every weekend. Plus my dad waters our grass so much he cuts it about every 3-4 days at some points

I'd be lucky to mow the lawn 5 times a year, not 50...
2010-02-22 06:07:57
Flaming_Maniac
prince of insufficient light
+2,490|7284|67.222.138.85
Every week during the summer.

 

Pages: 1 2

Board footer

Privacy Policy - © 2025 Jeff Minard