I've never done this before... Until today. I started woring with other lawn care businesses in 2018 ... And it's been a great way for us all to learn and share. If you've been following me for a while... You know I don't recommend many products. In fact... In all my time running Lawnmowing101, you may have noticed that I have NEVER recommended any specific lawn care software. I've always felt that most of them were either too complicated... or too expensive... Or just didn't understand what...
2 days ago • 1 min read
Subject Line: rubbish piles have a strange habit of growing overnight Body Copy: When you're starting out on your lawn mowing adventure... You'll do pretty much any job. In the early days, cash flow is king. You'd rather do something than nothing... So you end up accepting work you don't really want. I remember in the early days I did anything and everything. Rubbish removal was my biggest bugbear. I learned one thing the hard way: You need to photograph rubbish piles when you quote...
4 days ago • 1 min read
A while ago I was talking to a lawn mowing contractor who told me a lot of his quotes were going nowhere. He was getting out and doing plenty of quotes... But he wasn't getting a lot of business as a result. After we worked out that it had nothing to do with the standard of his work... I started to look at his method of dealing with quotes. I discovered that he was not asking questions with his incoming calls. This lack of data meant he had no idea what kind of lawn jobs he was quoting on...
4 days ago • 1 min read
When I had five, one person operated vehicles on the road... I took the opportunity to do a bit of research. I timed all the vehicles for around three months and worked out standard times for mowing a lawn... Travelling time between jobs... And the amount of lawns cut in a day. It wasn't a very scientific study... But at least I knew that all the core information I was pulling in was consistent. We were working in an area of 10 square kilometers... And gaining some efficiencies by splitting...
5 days ago • 1 min read
If you love dogs... One way to get more lawn mowing customers is to advertise as "dog friendly." If you're not opposed to the occasional customer forgetting to clean up their dog's little pressies... It can be a great way to stand out in the crowd. Just remember, just because you may love dogs... But that doesn't mean they all love you back. I've got a few scars from dog bites over the years. I remember mowing a lawn once... And a dog bit my leg while mowing out the back. It was a bad bite......
6 days ago • 2 min read
When you're busy with your lawn mowing business, it can seem like it's go-go-go all the time. Lawns to mow... Quotes to do... Days to plan. Who has time for a breakdown? It's certainly never something that can be planned or scheduled... And it always seems to come at the worst possible time. My number one tip here that can save you hours of running around is a simple one. I used to pack up and take my machine straight to the mower shop when it broke down. Then after a few years (yes I'm a...
7 days ago • 2 min read
There is an old Chinese proverb that says, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." This also applies to starting your own lawn mowing business. You may be thinking that the economy isn't that great right now... And maybe you should wait for a better time. Honestly... If you keep waiting for that perfect moment, it is never going to happen. Even if you're working part- or full-time at another job... There's nothing stopping you from creating a side...
8 days ago • 1 min read
All too often I drive past a job and wonder what the lawn guy was thinking. The edges are poorly done... And there are random chunks of grass on the lawn. It looks horrible. I often walk my dog past a local business, and I've commented to my wife about the state of the lawns. I figured that it was because the business got a worker who didn't know much about lawn mowing to do the lawns. I was shocked to walk past the other day and see one of the largest landscaping companies doing the lawn....
9 days ago • 2 min read
Let's say I had to start my business all over again today. No equipment... No vehicle... And no money. I wouldn't even bother chasing mowing jobs straight away. Why? Because mowing requires gear... And most of it isn't cheap if you're starting from scratch. Instead, I'd go after garden cleanups. Most garden jobs can be done with a pair of gloves... A shovel... A bucket... And a bit of effort. You can tidy up weedy gardens... Remove green waste... And make things look good without spending a...
10 days ago • 2 min read