Hey Reader If your week is packed but your bank account still looks thin at the end of it, that's not a working-harder problem. That's a running-the-business problem. I see it all the time. Great mowers. Clean edges. Happy customers. But the cash just doesn't add up the way it should. Usually it comes down to a few things: — Pricing that covers the job but not the drive time, the admin, or the equipment wearing out — A route spread across too many suburbs eating fuel and hours between stops —...
7 days ago • 1 min read
Things can change People can move on, have a change in circumstances, Anything can happen. And that's when you get the breakup email, text, or call. Normally we ask, "Just for our records, can I get a reason for the cancelation?” The way they answer this question will dictate what we do next. If it's a money thing, we say we are sorry to hear that. call us back anytime and we ask for a review If they are moving, we wish them the best with their move and ask for a review. If we don't hear...
21 days ago • 1 min read
The robots are coming. You know, when I think of a cruise-y retirement, I used to think of sitting in a rocking chair, having a beer, and watching someone mow my lawn. Now that is the life…Nowadays I think a bit differently. The way the future is heading, I can probably look forward to a self-driving car among other wonderful things. But lately I have been thinking of a cunning PLAN… When I give up mowing lawns, I might just buy a bunch of robotic mowers and rent them out. That way I can just...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
I have seen so many mistakes with this. Buying or selling a lawn care business When I started mowing lawns, it was shortly after engines were invented. I wasn't just a lawn guy. I also had a sign-writing business, and I loved marketing. Z After I built my first lawn business, I got board. I liked the thrill of the chase and the building part, but when I was full, I couldn't do this anymore. So I started selling my excess lawns. I then began selling the whole lawn business and building new...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
I started my business in a simple way, as a lot of lawn guys do. With a cheap station wagon and a mower. Hell, I didn't even have a blower for the longest time. It was the late 80s, and a lot of us guys just tipped our trimmers on their sides and used those. However, one thing that I bought as soon as I could was a trailer. It was a necessary piece of equipment. I was doing lawns, garden cleanups, and a bit of tree work, so it was necessary. In the early days, I did get stuck a few times in...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
I was a bit late this year. Just in time for the session at least. I have a post on the lawnmowing101 blog about the best startup mowers, and I like to update it once a year. Mowers change; one of my favorite mowers (the Honda 217) was discontinued So it's time for an update Out with the old and in with the new. So to speak This year I have some new additions and some golden oldies that are still going strong. However, a list of mowers is not the be-all, end-all. It depends what you want the...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
The clouds are rolling in again. You’re sitting in the truck, looking at a lawn that’s starting to look like a swamp, and you’ve got a decision to make. Do you push through and get it done? Or do you pack it in, head home, and watch your schedule (and your profit) for the week go up in smoke? It’s one of the biggest headaches in the game. If you mow, you risk clogging the deck, tearing up the turf with ruts, and getting a call from a pissed-off homeowner. If you don't mow, you’re staring at a...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
It’s the most common question I get from guys in the game: "How much should I actually be paying myself?" Most owner-operators fall into the same trap. They work a massive week, watch the invoices get paid, and then just take whatever is "left over" in the bank account to cover the mortgage and groceries. If that’s how you’re running things, you’re just a "mower" with a job. To build a business that actually supports your family and grows over time, you have to stop taking the leftovers and...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
You’ve had a massive week. You’ve put in the hours, mowed the lawns, and dealt with the heat. You’re back at the house, the mower is in the trailer, and you’ve got that "good tired" feeling from a hard day's graft. But then you open your bank app. The money came in, sure, but it seems to leak back out just as fast. Between the fuel, the equipment maintenance, the insurance, and that unexpected repair that cost you half a day’s profit on Wednesday, the "win" feels a lot smaller than it should....
about 2 months ago • 1 min read