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Careful how you handle that weedeater Reader When I lived on the Hibiscus coast, the lawn guys were careful with their weedeaters. Some of this was learned behavior, and it was necessary. If your machine broke a downpipe, you were in trouble. All downpipes were connected to water tanks. If the pipe were cracked, the customer would start running out of water. You needed to fix it quickly, smart. However, when I arrived in Hamilton, I was shocked. Every other house I looked at had a broken pipe. I guess people thought it wasn't such a big deal because everybody was on town water. By the late 2010s, it got so bad that some builders started putting reinforcement around those pipes so they were protected. I never touch the downpipes or anything else, for that matter. The technique is simple, and over the years, I have trained many contractors in how to do it. The secret is where you focus. You need to get very Zen-like and focus on the cutting point at the end of the cord. It takes a bit of getting used to it, but paying attention to this point of the cord when you can get fantastic results. The bad news is that you are more likely to hit your head on low-hanging objects, clothes, and branches. However, you only need to pay attention to these things on your first cut, and then you know where they are. I'm still sporting a bruised head from a close encounter with a low-hanging branch on a new lawn last week. Be really careful using this technique when weed-eating around trees, too. I have, on occasion, accidentally ringbarked the odd tree. I carry Vaseline in my van in case this ever happens. My little tub is over ten years old and is still more than half full. It's not the ring barking that kills the tree; it's the water getting in. Apply a layer of Vaseline around the tree, and it's good to go. Vaseline is also good for larger cuts doing tree work. It's much better looking than paint and just as functional. Anyway, that's me for the week. If you enjoy learning like me, you can find plenty more in the membership. Anyway, get out there, mow lawns, and have fun Stuart |
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I see this all the time. Someone starts a lawn care business with a hiss and a roar. Brand-new mower. Decked-out trailer. A truck that screams money to burn. And then? They sit back and wait for the calls to come in. Here’s the hard truth: That hardly ever happens. Because it’s not the gear that gets you work. It’s the hustle. You could have bare-bones equipment — just a decent mower, a blower, and an edger — and still grow way faster than the guy with the $15K setup. Why? No big repayments....
Mistakes happen. And sometimes, things break on the job. I’m not talking about your mower this time. I’m talking about the customer’s stuff. Windows Cars Houses Gate hinges A fire. (ok, that was my mower that time.) In 30+ years, I’ve seen it all. When it was just me out there, it was simple:Knock on the door.Own it.Let the customer know we’d fix it. That’s what insurance is for. If they weren’t home, I’d call.If they didn’t pick up, I’d text. The goal was always the same:Let them know before...
Hi Reader Have you ever wondered “How much does it cost to run a lawn mowing business?” And more importantly, how much do you pay yourself? It’s one of the most common questions, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The truth is: it depends. On your location On the tools you use On how big your service area is And even how long you’ve been in business With the lawn businesses we’ve worked with, we’ve found a simple approach that works really well for managing finances in a lean lawn care...