Just starting
- Thread starter Lohman mows lawns
- Start date
Ric
Lawn Pro
I don't want this to sound like I'm bashing you because I'm not. I can agree with you, Johnny red neck riding around with his riding lawn mower in the back of his truck and mowing lawns for $ 20.00 bucks can be looked at as a PITA, but on the other hand we know he will probably not hurt you because he's not really running a business. He's either trying to keep him and his family a float or he's working for beer money and either way when things change he'll be gone.
What you say about him not having a license, Tax ID # , no insurance on nothing is also probably true but again there are states and county's that required none of that to go out and mow lawns.
The thing is what you're talking about in reality are the terms and the pitfalls you choose for your business. By the sounds you're a bigger outfit and have employees and pay Insurance, workman's comp and all the goody's that go along with it and that's fine but don't blame Johnny redneck if you can't cover your overhead.
jekjr
Lawn Addict
Also Johnny Redneck might be just getting started as well. We all start some where. Laws for all of that stuff many times are put in place by people who are in business, that started that way, and then lobbied officials whether they be local, state, or federal, to keep somebody else from being able to get started and compete.
I know I bid on a job that I could have done by myself and made a decent income from it. Company doing it was doing a crappy job. HOWEVER the job requuired Workman's Comp Ins. As a one man show there is no way I could get the insurance they required and come out. All I would have been doing was working and paying for insurance. The other company got the bid. Job still looks crappy. The company doing the work had many jobs and several employees.
We are all in there trying to make a living. Times are hard and I know of some that cutting grass with what ever they can find to cut grass with because it is the differance between the lights being on and groceries being in the fridge.
There are always two sides to every situation.
jameshobbs
Member
Hey Ric , no bashing taken at all ! I see your point ,I forgot to say there are 2 Johnny's running around here that have 50 + lawns each and have been doing them for 3 + years I am told.
Here in Knoxville you are " so post " to have a City & County business licence, state and federal tax ID numbers & liability Ins. and the kicker is the state of TN. passed a law " last year" that ALL workers 1099 or employee must have workers comp. they do not care who pays for it the employer or employee but some one will ! If you get audited and do not have it they back charge you and fine you !
Please do not take this as whining, it is part of the cost of doing business ! I put it into my over head. My point is I am trying to run my business the " right & legal way " and want a level playing field ? Johnny is not a " Johnny come lately " he has had 3 years to make enough money to do it the " right & legal way " and pay for groceries & his beer too ?
did the same thing with my son when he was in 7th grade..........started with 5 yards ......he is 20 now and cuts 30 yards 3 schools and a couple of office buildings.......only job he has ever had.......word of mouth has gotten us more customers than any advertising.......be safe
exotion
Lawn Addict
I ran for two years with my equipment in the back of my truck yes it isn't as nice as having a trailer but I wanted a nice one. I kinda miss not having a trailer parking at some properties is nearly impossible sometimes and I find myself parking illegally more often no I did not have a riding mower but a toro a weedeater a edger and a blower plus a days worth of grass all fit nicely and its rather convienent. I do have a trailer now
djdicetn
Lawn Addict
jameshobbs,
I kinda sorta feel your pain!! In today's work-force every "occupation" has some type of unfair competition like you describe(a LOT in the masonry/home construction careers). I've been a Mainframe Computer support analyst for over 40 years and for the last decade or so I've had to deal with H1B Visa workers from India that will work for half my salary and have been the victim on several occaissions of the whole IT department being "offshored". My last employer had a solution center in El Paso, TX and hired programmers from across the border that again could work for half my salary and go home "living large" in that economy. Something is very wrong in the good ole USA with all of these scenarios wouldn't you agree. I know this sounds rather heartless(and I'm a devout Christian), but there comes a point where I would agree that maybe in your case "someone" needs to report the "Johnnys" anonymously to some type of authority that could/would initiate an audit/fine/etc. on Johnny to force him to play fair!! If I were having a new home built and my builder was using illegal immigrant workers.......I would "report him promptly" or fire him and hire a different home builder. Yet we all(including our government officials) wonder why unemployment and homelessness is out of control(I'll bet the percentage of homeless people who are illegal immigrants is pretty small). It just aint' right:0(
The other guys are correct about insurance and being organized.
The guy who suggested taking care of your customers has given you the most important advice.
My son and I started from scratch to make a little money part time. We did get insurance and business cards. We did free advertising on an area website and that is all the advertising we did.
If you do a GOOD job and always give your customers MORE than you promise, the money will take care of itself. In your situation, word of mouth recommendations will get you all the business that you can handle. If you do that GOOD job and treat your clients right, you will get that word of mouth business. My son and I took our ad down. We haven't needed it for quite a while now.
One other piece of advice. Don't mess around with deadbeats. If they don't pay, don't mow. If they owe you for one mowing, don't be afraid to ask for the money up front when you go back. No pay, no mow. Better to lose one cutting than 2 or 3.
Keep good records of receipts, expenses, and dates of service.
If you do this business successfully, by the time you get to the twelfth grade, you'll have learned more about making a living than most folks do their whole lives.
Good luck to you.
djdicetn
Lawn Addict
steve0853,
That sounds like some very savvy advice for this young man!!! Almost makes me want to start a lawn service business with my new ZTR when I retire at the end of this year:0)
lawn mower fanatic
Lawn Pro
You should!! :biggrin: