I used GPTchat the other day to help me find a cord to connect my PC to a second monitor. Gave it the make and model of both. It told me exactly what I needed and where to get it. I was feeling pretty smug… especially since my wife was about to order a different one and I told her she was wrong. Turns out, she wasn’t. I got home. Plugged it in. Didn’t fit. AI had given me the wrong information, and my wife had been right all along. The thing is, it was a good reminder: AI and local search...
1 day ago • 1 min read
Starting from scratch? Trying to build up lawns from zero while juggling a day job? Feels like pushing a rock uphill. You’re ready to go and nothing’s happening yet. That early grind? Totally normal. Especially if you’re counting on organic growth like Google My Business. That stuff takes time. Months, even. And that’s where a lot of people tap out. But slow doesn’t mean broken. It just means you’ve got to balance the long game with some quick wins. That’s why I always tell new operators to...
3 days ago • 1 min read
I spoke to a lawn guy a while ago who was struggling with cash flow. Not because he wasn’t working. He had plenty of lawns. He just wasn’t getting paid. One guy owed him for 3 months' worth of mows, and he didn't even realise until we went through his books. Another swore he’d left the money out, and someone must have nicked it.Not his problem, the customer said — he did his bit. He tried to bill people monthly, but sometimes he forgot. He had the working part down pat. Turned up on time. Did...
4 days ago • 1 min read
I used to think you needed a big setup to run a real business. Ride-on. Trailers. The works. But I’ve made more money with less stress using a van and a push mower. No trailer. No parking hassles. No tools out in the open asking to be stolen. Everything I need fits in the back of my van. I can park anywhere. And when I’m done, I lock it up and head to the next job. If you’re working in high-density areas, this setup is perfect for doing small lawns and lots of them. You don’t waste time...
4 days ago • 1 min read
In my early days, I thought my work would speak for itself.Tidy lawns, nice edges, job done. That’s what being “professional” meant to me. But here’s the truth: Nobody brags about a guy who just mows the lawn. They remember the one who communicates. Who smiles. Who remembers their dog’s name. That wasn’t me. Not at first. I kept things short. In and out. No small talk.Never wanted to “bother” anyone. And I paid for it. Jobs dropped off for no real reason. Customers didn't really know me I was...
5 days ago • 1 min read
I was working with someone the other day — let’s call him Dave. Now, Dave’s not real. But he might as well be. Because I’ve met him a dozen times. He’s been running his own lawn biz for a few years. Started off excited. Wanted freedom. Wanted to make good money and live the life. Instead? He’s working 50 hours a week. Chasing late payments. Mowing for clients who always want “just one more thing.” Weekends off? Not likely Time with the kids? Not unless he finishes edging that jungle on Willow...
13 days ago • 1 min read
There’s this guy I worked with once—good lawn mower, hard worker. But every week, he was chasing new jobs like a golden retriever after tennis balls. Lots of one-off jobs. No system. Just constant hustle. He couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t getting ahead. Here’s the truth: most guys in this industry stay stuck because they treat every one-off mow like a one-night stand. They don’t follow up. They don’t plant the seed for repeat work. They just mow, smile, and hope the customer calls back....
20 days ago • 1 min read
One thoughtless moment killed the sale. We’d been using the same tyre shop for years. But the service had been slipping. Jobs that didn’t quite get done right. Prices creeping higher. Little things adding up. So when one of our tyres needed replacing, I decided to try somewhere new. This new place looked promising friendly staff, great smoko room, fire going, coffee on, the works. The worker checked the tyre. “Want to replace both or just one?” I asked if it would pass the warrant. “Yeah, it...
21 days ago • 1 min read
We had no work, no money and Christmas was coming. At least we had $1,000 on a credit card that was going to get us through. Or did we? I spent the last $1,000 we had on a mower, a trimmer, and a blower. I pulled into the driveway, opened the trunk, and started unloading. My girlfriend (now wife) came out. She looked at what I had bought. Then she looked at me. Her face said it all. “What... is that?” I told her I’d spent the last of the money. She just stood there.Silent. Then came the...
23 days ago • 1 min read