New to the forum

Hey I am just started my business this year and I am starting it as a side business for now. So I would be grateful for some pricing sugestions and or any other helpful hint on making my business prosper.

jekjr said:

If you are starting small like that a hand held blower will more than likely do what you need. We have backpacks and a hand held. We use the hand held more than the back packs on most residential properties. A set of hedge trimmers would make you some money. Instead of buying just an edger you might look at buying a split pole unit where you can add attachments to it. We now use the Echo PAS system and have 4 units. You can use them for string trimmer, edger, hedge trimer, pole saw........ and use the same power head to run all.

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If you are small and go down this path, make sure you have at least 2 power units because in mid season when to workshops are all running at 2 weeks + you will have to buy another and will have lost 1/2 day and may not even be able to get another one at short notice.

smith701 said:

Hey I am just started my business this year and I am starting it as a side business for now. So I would be grateful for some pricing sugestions and or any other helpful hint on making my business prosper.

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Measure up a few yards your family's or some friends ring all the locals and ask for a rough estimate of the price range.
If they want to come around, make sure the don't go to your place so get quotes on friends & family's yards.
Then when the people who quoted see you there they will just think they were under cut.
However if they get wind that you were using them to establish your competing business they will get cranky and some maby even nasty.
You will be bumping into these people every day.
Some will be mowing properties next door to yours so you don't want to generate enemies.

To quote a sign that hung in my grandfathers factory.
"success comes to the man who looks for work after he has found a job"

So if you arrive after the trash has been collected, take the trash can in.
Little things like that make people think you have their best interest at heart.


If you are doing things part time leave 1 day free so if something bad happens you have a day up your sleeve.
If you are contracted to mow the grass every week then they expect you to be there every week.
Nine or 10 day intervals willnot cut the mustard.
Avoid a rigid timetable eg every Tuesday at 2 pm so as you build up clientielle you can amalgamate them into a logical run.
Time traveling between jobs is time wasted.

Have a good look at what equipment the other pros in your area are using because there is a good chance it will be what is best suited to the lawns in your area.