I wanna quit my job!!!

wrottin

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I bought a JDeere LA 115, 3 years ago when my father had a stroke and started cutting his grass regularly. I had already been doing the same for my grandmother for the last 10+ years, and my push mower wasn't cutting it. With two young kids and a full time job, my spare time was limited. A family friend is the owner of a lawn care business, and wanted to be able to give a good reference to his residential callers that his crew didn't have time for. Long story short I get as much customers As I can handle with my time allotted. My mower is small and my customers are residential but I maintain it and I don't undersell myself. I got a union job and make $20 an hour with all my health benefits paid, 401k, paid vacations and holidays, and get off work at 1:30pm everyday, 5 days a week. This leaves me with a few hours a day to mow but leave myself a few days a week for my sanity. I want to get a crew together that I can trust will do a great job, not wreck my equipment all the time, and get my work done while I'm working. So I can grow to eventually quit my job and be financially comfortable.
Before I do that I want to become an actual "small business". My problem is I have no clue where to start. How do I become licensed? Do I need too? I have no clue what the first step is, or the next one and would greatly appreciate and help and advice.
 

Sprinkler Buddy

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I bought a JDeere LA 115, 3 years ago when my father had a stroke and started cutting his grass regularly. I had already been doing the same for my grandmother for the last 10+ years, and my push mower wasn't cutting it. With two young kids and a full time job, my spare time was limited. A family friend is the owner of a lawn care business, and wanted to be able to give a good reference to his residential callers that his crew didn't have time for. Long story short I get as much customers As I can handle with my time allotted. My mower is small and my customers are residential but I maintain it and I don't undersell myself. I got a union job and make $20 an hour with all my health benefits paid, 401k, paid vacations and holidays, and get off work at 1:30pm everyday, 5 days a week. This leaves me with a few hours a day to mow but leave myself a few days a week for my sanity. I want to get a crew together that I can trust will do a great job, not wreck my equipment all the time, and get my work done while I'm working. So I can grow to eventually quit my job and be financially comfortable.
Before I do that I want to become an actual "small business". My problem is I have no clue where to start. How do I become licensed? Do I need too? I have no clue what the first step is, or the next one and would greatly appreciate and help and advice.

Talk with the family friend in the business. This decision will require much more than a few post. Sounds like you got it good at your current employment. Lot of headaches running a lawn service. Good Luck!
 

KennyV

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.... I want to get a crew together that I can trust will do a great job, not wreck my equipment all the time, and get my work done

That is the MOST important and MOST valuable asset to any business....
Employees ... Good employees are the most difficult to find & keep.
Almost all other things related to operating a business can be honed to perfection with a good accountant, & some knowledge of the particular industry...
But recruiting and retaining great employees is where your scale of success is going to be defined... Good Luck with it... :smile:KennyV
 

Sprinkler Buddy

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That is the MOST important and MOST valuable asset to any business....
Employees ... Good employees are the most difficult to find & keep.
Almost all other things related to operating a business can be honed to perfection with a good accountant, & some knowledge of the particular industry...
But recruiting and retaining great employees is where your scale of success is going to be defined... Good Luck with it... :smile:KennyV

I have had two guys work for me in the past that are now the competition. Yes, we are still buds. Problem is, you train them good, they start thinking,"I can do this."
Kenny hit it on the head!:thumbsup:
 

twall

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I have had two guys work for me in the past that are now the competition. Yes, we are still buds. Problem is, you train them good, they start thinking,"I can do this."
Kenny hit it on the head!:thumbsup:

No YOU just did....:thumbsup:
 

Ric

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I bought a JDeere LA 115, 3 years ago when my father had a stroke and started cutting his grass regularly. I had already been doing the same for my grandmother for the last 10+ years, and my push mower wasn't cutting it. With two young kids and a full time job, my spare time was limited. A family friend is the owner of a lawn care business, and wanted to be able to give a good reference to his residential callers that his crew didn't have time for. Long story short I get as much customers As I can handle with my time allotted. My mower is small and my customers are residential but I maintain it and I don't undersell myself. I got a union job and make $20 an hour with all my health benefits paid, 401k, paid vacations and holidays, and get off work at 1:30pm everyday, 5 days a week. This leaves me with a few hours a day to mow but leave myself a few days a week for my sanity. I want to get a crew together that I can trust will do a great job, not wreck my equipment all the time, and get my work done while I'm working. So I can grow to eventually quit my job and be financially comfortable.
Before I do that I want to become an actual "small business". My problem is I have no clue where to start. How do I become licensed? Do I need too? I have no clue what the first step is, or the next one and would greatly appreciate and help and advice.

There is a couple of ways you can run a lawn-care business and either way you will or should be licensed which you can buy at your local county tax collectors office. Be warned if you select to buy the license you'll need to maintain records of all equipment expenditures, Like mowers, trimmers, blowers, all parts etc. and don't forget gas, oil, and vehicle mileage and the list will grow and grow.
You as an employer will also have to supply Insurance and workman's comp Ins. for ever employee you hire (not cheap) so I hope you have a ton of clients because you'll have a ton of overhead you'll have to cover. If you want some advice Mow lawns with your JD or what ever, stay small and self employed. Owning and running a Lawn - care Business isn't a simple thing to do and manage to make enough money to make a living, especially when gas is $4.00 a gallon. Don"t Quit your day job.
 

LandN

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nicely said ric,he's right, keep it small by yourself......sounds like you have a nice job with good bennies,lots of people would trade with you in a minuite. Put your time in and retire. you have health insurance if you buy that on your own its high as the sky.with getting off at 1:30 leaves you time to knock a few close yards out and spend some time with your 2 kids, their only small once.don't overspend your paycheck to have to rely on grass cutting money. good luck:smile:
 

Bumblebee

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Sprinkler Buddy said:
I have had two guys work for me in the past that are now the competition. Yes, we are still buds. Problem is, you train them good, they start thinking,"I can do this."
Kenny hit it on the head!:thumbsup:

Just a bit of friendly advice. Figure out exactly what it is you believe is "good" training, then just keep the details to yourself. Example, don't say exactly why you mow in different directions or don't show them how you do the taxes for your business. It's sounds silly, but the details are in fact your trade secrets and in this economy it behooves you to not create your own competition. After all, you are the boss (and owner) and your employees don't need to know the ins and outs of your business. It's none of theirs.
 

SeniorCitizen

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With two young kids and a full time job,

I got a union job and make $20 an hour with all my health benefits paid, 401k, paid vacations and holidays, and get off work at 1:30pm everyday, 5 days a week.
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Do you know there are people, lawn care included, that would die for your job with those benefits.

The first thing to do is look in a mirror to see if someone wrote DUMB-DUMB-DUMB on your forehead in caps with a felt pen.

If you pass that test, research this idea long and hard and maybe, just maybe, if you research long enough this thought you have of a lawn care business will eventually fade away. I hope so for the kids and your eventual social security check.
 

LandN

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Just a bit of friendly advice. Figure out exactly what it is you believe is "good" training, then just keep the details to yourself. Example, don't say exactly why you mow in different directions or don't show them how you do the taxes for your business. It's sounds silly, but the details are in fact your trade secrets and in this economy it behooves you to not create your own competition. After all, you are the boss (and owner) and your employees don't need to know the ins and outs of your business. It's none of theirs.

I Agree with you on 'sharing' the financial side of the business, but you have to have your employees know the...... 'why'... 'when'... 'where'... part of the business.I would never send an employee out to do a job and the employee not know whats fully expected of them and how to do the job the right way whether the boss is right there or not. A good employee has to be on the same page as the boss.That is essential no matter how you slice and dice it. A good quality employee is an extension of the the boss and the business.Most any business is going to have competition,thats the way it is in the business world:smile: it is trickey getting good employees though, and to retain them.:thumbsup:
 
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