Dont let your equipment be an excuse to not do a great Job!

[Polaraco]

Another thing

Your time is money. Figure out a realistic cost for your time per hour. Remember not to sell yourself short either. Calculate your cost of operation too. Fuel, insurance, maintenance, new equipment, vehicle, trailer, tires, payroll, taxes, rent, everything. You know what your costs are. If you haven't, it would be good info for you to figure out what it costs you per hour to operate.

As I recall, when I sold my company 2 years ago, it was costing me $16,000 a day. Or $1000 a day per employee in my case. Not bad for $100 investment after 23 years.

Who ever said your time is your own when you own a business, should get a head exam at their proctologist.

We're getting off topic. Sorry

 

[Ric]

Another thing

Your time is money. Figure out a realistic cost for your time per hour. Remember not to sell yourself short either. Calculate your cost of operation too. Fuel, insurance, maintenance, new equipment, vehicle, trailer, tires, payroll, taxes, rent, everything. You know what your costs are. If you haven't, it would be good info for you to figure out what it costs you per hour to operate.

As I recall, when I sold my company 2 years ago, it was costing me $16,000 a day. Or $1000 a day per employee in my case. Not bad for $100 investment after 23 years.

Who ever said your time is your own when you own a business, should get a head exam at their proctologist.

We're getting off topic. Sorry

Being realistic about the cost of your time per hour is hard for some to do. Calculating your expenses is something that needs doing but not by you, that's what you have a support staff for and you should get at least a monthly report on the business and that's another place these solo operations end up failing, nobody to answer the phones and keep accurate records.

 

[exotion]

Being realistic about the cost of your time per hour is hard for some to do. Calculating your expenses is something that needs doing but not by you, that's what you have a support staff for and you should get at least a monthly report on the business and that's another place these solo operations end up failing, nobody to answer the phones and keep accurate records.

This has been a constant struggle to keep prices low but not lose money. It's different with every single person, every lawn is different figuring price is hard and takes a long time to get a good system. Just don't start by under selling your self how long does a lawn take, how many lawns per hours can you do how much over head per hour and how much profit you want per hour is what you need to figure.

Using cheap equipment will only raise your overhead when you replace/repair. And losing money with down time.

 

[Lawnboy18]

Being realistic about the cost of your time per hour is hard for some to do. Calculating your expenses is something that needs doing but not by you, that's what you have a support staff for and you should get at least a monthly report on the business and that's another place these solo operations end up failing, nobody to answer the phones and keep accurate records.

Answer to this: good accounting system and answer your phone (get a secretary once things get too out of hand)

 

[Ric]

Answer to this: good accounting system and answer your phone (get a secretary once things get too out of hand)

Tell me how do you answer the phone when your running your mower or running your trimmer and you can't hear your cell phone ring or your not at home or your place of business to answer the phone? Are you going to take the time to stop you mower or the piece of equipment your running to answer the phone every time it rings? If you don't you may be losing clients which can cost you money, OTOH if you do your wasting time and losing money.
A good accounting system is fine if you have the time to mess with it. Keeping the records you need to keep and the monthly billing you need to do for the business is a full time job in itself.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

Tell me how do you answer the phone when your running your mower or running your trimmer and you can't hear your cell phone ring or your not at home or your place of business to answer the phone? Are you going to take the time to stop you mower or the piece of equipment your running to answer the phone every time it rings? If you don't you may be losing clients which can cost you money, OTOH if you do your wasting time and losing money. <img src="http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/attachments/commercial-residential-lawn-mowing/24535-dont-let-your-equipment-excuse-not-do-great-job-icon_scratch-png"/>
A good accounting system is fine if you have the time to mess with it. Keeping the records you need to keep and the monthly billing you need to do for the business is a full time job in itself.

Good point. I check my phone at lunch and at the end of the day, but I'm not going to pick up when I'm in the middle of a lawn. If I lose a customer because I didn't call them back within the hour, I don't think I want them as a customer.

 

[LoCo86]

Tell me how do you answer the phone when your running your mower or running your trimmer and you can't hear your cell phone ring or your not at home or your place of business to answer the phone? Are you going to take the time to stop you mower or the piece of equipment your running to answer the phone every time it rings? If you don't you may be losing clients which can cost you money, OTOH if you do your wasting time and losing money. <img src="http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/attachments/commercial-residential-lawn-mowing/24535-dont-let-your-equipment-excuse-not-do-great-job-icon_scratch-png"/> A good accounting system is fine if you have the time to mess with it. Keeping the records you need to keep and the monthly billing you need to do for the business is a full time job in itself.

Which is why the owner needs to get out of working in the field and hire people to take his or her place, so the owner can focus on growing the business and making more money.

 

[Ric]

Good point. I check my phone at lunch and at the end of the day, but I'm not going to pick up when I'm in the middle of a lawn. If I lose a customer because I didn't call them back within the hour, I don't think I want them as a customer.

I don't answer the phone when or if it rings when I'm mowing because 99% of the time I don't here the thing over the mower. I do have the answering service if they would like to leave a message I'll return there call at the end of the day. The thing for someone who has a good client base, they can afford to miss a call now and then but for someone who is just starting a business or hasn't been in business long they can't afford to miss a potential client.

 

[Ric]

Which is why the owner needs to get out of working in the field and hire people to take his or her place, so the owner can focus on growing the business and making more money.

That's one good way or having a good support staff as I said is the other.

 

[exotion]

I'll return calls between jobs not during. If I was paying someone to do my lawn and I look outside they are on the phone I would be annoyed even if we pay by job it looks bad it means you on their lawn that much longer