MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: cruisindub on September 20, 2013, 11:24:05 PM
-
At 38 and my job is not secure.
I don't have a trade, or any educational qualifications.
I'm now on casual. Supposed to work yesterday, cancelled. Tonight, cancelled. Booked for tomorrow, confirm lunchtime tomorrow for an afternoon shift.
I've always worked for someone, a company.
I'm thinking about starting a mowing business. I could then still work part time/casual for my current work/employer. That irregular income will help while trying to build up a business.
There's a few mower guys on here. I'd really appreciate some serious help and support. I'd really like to have some pointers and guidance.
I figure initial set up to be:
Self propelled walk behind mower.
Edge trimmer/whipper snipper.
brush cutter.
Hedge trimmer.
blower/garden vac.
Enclosed trailer.
I honestly dont know how to start a business. I honestly dont know how to price competitively.
A lot or research and learning to do.
Better now before I get too old.
Any advice.
-
We looked at buying franchise like Jims mowing and the fees were very high. We ended up buying a very small (1 day a week) mowing round that was advertised in the Trading Post. We went out for the day with the owner of the round to see all the customers and see if the work suited us. We bought it. It cost $2000 for the round.
The round just grew and grew of its own accord - word of mouth or someone seeing us in their street would come up and ask for a quote.
Those items you have listed would be a minimum and self propelled would ease the load. We never did have one but we did have Honda that never stopped.
Remember it is hard physical work especially in the summer and the customers can be very particular about how they want things done.
Good luck with your decision.
-
go for it. One of the cheapest businesses you can start up and make money right off the bat
buy good brands eg Honda mower Stihl etc
Study up on your gardening
I think the only hazard is disturbing the odd wasp nest. maybe spiders too but wasps are the worst
-
Well Done become a Mower man , make straight lines , clean lawns ,do what you say you will do & be reliable . When you start it will be all fingers & thumbs set your self a routine that makes it all 1 step anther the other . Beat the Feet .
lf you need a clue contact me . Your going to like this :cheers:
-
I would say start off small, save money where u can, use a broom for example instead of buying a blower, unless you have one.
also do rubbish removals, ya check ya prices at the local tip as theya re very expensive now days.
I did skip bins using a tipping trailer and skips I made myself, I had 6 bins, yes I had to be careful as to not over load the bins, so I had to tell everyone no more than a TON.
but that trailer cost me 10g to setup, but I could then use my 4wd to tow it. Business ran ok, but then the tip fees went from $35 to now over $100 so I stopped and got out before trouble started.
You will need an ABN, and business name, you can get them online easily.
you can then claim all your 4wd expenses on your business, but be careful.
go see an accountant and get advice.
a tandem trailer is the go, unless you have a strong offroad trailer that you can use for a few years.
keep it small and dont get a big loan to buy mowers etc, unless you can pay the payments with the job you already have.
I too am thinking about starting a mowing business up here, but I think there already are heaps of ppl doing it.
iPad with IOS7 using Tapatalk HD
-
I think the only hazard is disturbing the odd wasp nest. maybe spiders too but wasps are the worst
Snakes...don't forget the snakes. if he does rubbish removals there'll definately be snakes also, they love the piles of old grass clippings people pile up beside their sheds. i used to work mowing lawns 20 years ago, we'd get plenty of them in those grass piles.
-
When l started Mowing the local paper had 75 ads for Mowing . .Big Deal ,Get out there & Beat the feet . So whats the worst that can happen . You get a bunch of cool gear to do the lawns at home .
Get a name on a card & give it to every property manager in ever real estate office within a 10 km range of home . Put them in letter boxes of scruffy lawns . when you get a regular gig card 10 houses on both sides of the road . That will lead to more .
As this is your business you don't have to waste money buying a franchise but do have a look around for ( in Vic ) Lawn Mower Contractors Asoation . Independent operators groups .
l have done this twice set up a business & got Mowing . There is $ to be made if you want it :cheers:
-
by lambs hire them out on a daily rate then eat them - ;D
-
by lambs hire them out on a daily rate then eat them - ;D
or if the want their plants pruned as well goats, they will prune and eat the grass
iPad with IOS7 using Tapatalk HD
-
I have a good mate who used to be a mower man/pool man/etc...
He said it was great Spring and Summer but things really dies off the rest of the year. You also have to take into account days off due to weather etc... He gave it up because he worked like a dog during the warmer months to try to save enough for the cooler months.
I am not sure how much of a business man he was, perhaps he could have done it better. This was also in Sydney, if you are north of there things might be different.
Bunyip
-
The trick to it all is to be into everything , Hi pressure water cleaning , gutter cleaning pruning , irrigation systems . The possibilities are only limited by your mind . lf your in the door to mow the lawn 1 of the biggest parts of a garden what else can you suggest to do . That might not happen straight away but it seeds their mind for the future . l you run out of work its because you have stoped thinking , so Beat the feet it out there .
Getting paid to walk around & around in in circles in somebody elses back yard . ;D
Best Scam out ,,,,, you turn up do the edges , Mow the lawn ,then blow the pathway . Extend the hand , its filled with $$ then you shoot through ,in 2 weeks you do it all again . Been doing this for years nobodys twigged to it yet :cheers:
-
First thing is knowing your competition. What they charge and what they offer. Chat to body corp agencies to get contracts.
Keep your overheads down.
Do a business plan.
What income do you expect to achieve.
All the best for the venture.
Mark
-
Go and see your local Small Business Centre - it is free for start up advice.
-
Public Liability insurance is VERY expensive but you really should cover yourself. Mowers and edgers/brushcutters love flicking stones through windows. Who pays ? You do - What happens if that stone that might break a window actually hits a kid or pedestrian or neighbour? You pay through the nose! >:(
All the other advice works too, ask for work, let your customers know what else you can do.
ALWAYS be reliable or contact your clients if you have to change your routine. Keep your clients informed.
Have a go !
Enjoy
-
As a few have already said , firstly create a business plan and cost the startup this will determine you "payback period" ( how long in months t will take to exceed the startup costs). This will determine if its worth a shot. You also need to work out what your ROS ( return on investment) per month will be it will show if it has the potential to be profitable.
Send me a pm if you want to chat further.
Swannie
-
I reckon an earlier reply was spot on: once you have some jobs, show up when you say you will/are booked, call if you cannot and reschedule, be polite, just simple stuff that SOOOO many tradesmen etc fail badly with. You don't have to be cheap, on the contrary be prepared to bust your rear end and you may well find a higher price wil win u jobs(this statement is null when applied to councils or governments, who ALWAYS opt for the cheapest quote> its why Qld got stuck with a bungled health pay system and a water desalination plant that does not work,oops off topic) but generally speaking if you impress you will get word of mouth referrals and they are pure gold from my point of view. JC is sure to have some tips, or if nothing else some comical relief to add..
-
We looked at buying franchise like Jims mowing and the fees were very high.\
Mate had a Jims Fencing.. all the blokes that "taught" him suckered him in big time... He being a young bloke, he could work 3 days a week like the dudes that had been doing it 15 years.
he ended up pulling the pin - the clause he didn't read was if you don't sell it within 3 mths I think it was - you hand back the franchise for NO MONEY! All the time while your paying fees still....
-
Look at franchise /fees . Put that $$ into your start up costing , you will be so far ahead at the end of 12 months :cup:
As an independent you , yes , YOU make the decisions as to who you will work for . The bad payers slowly drift off to another bunny . Always go in smiling & depart the same way . :cheers:
-
Hi Cruisinclub.
I've been in business ( a different one from yours) for 35 years and here are a some other things that you might like to think about - in no particular order of importance.
State Governments and other places might have small business courses. That could be a good start.
Keep accurate spreadsheet records of every dollar in and out of the business and find out if you are going to have to charge GST.
Remember to keep your business money separate from your private money.
Pay yourself a proper wage as soon as you can and invest some of the rest into the business. Keep some rainy day money.
Put money away for tax as you go. Tax bills, particularly provisional tax, can send a lot of businesses broke.
Allow for labour overheads - injury insurance for yourself. superannuation, holiday and sick pay.
Budget for some kind of advertising - like letterbox drops, local rag and so on.
Ask for referrals as in asking customers: "Do you have any friends who might like my work?" Do something nice for old customers who send you new customers.
Canvass the neighbours of existing customers.
Hire staff only as a last resort.
Decide whether you are going to need to accept credit cards.
Have a contingency plan in the event of a protracted dry spell - like offering other services - as has been suggested earlier.
Present yourself well - always be personable and in a clean uniform with clean equipment and a clean vehicle.
Put your business name and logo on your uniform and your vehicle and trailer and have plenty of business cards
Find a way to handle all incoming calls as they come in - remember that, for a business like yours, the telephone is your shop window. If prospective customers can't find you straight away, they'll go to the next bloke in the queue.
Make sure you have a decent accountant. That does not mean an expensive one.
Being self employed can be lonely. Find an old head who you can talk over business problems with.
Don't go out trying to be the cheapest. Offer the best total value - service, reliability, ease of dealing with, quality work and so on.
Be prepared to work your tits off.
Good Luck!
Keith
-
Wow.
I really can't write to express the feeling of how great it feels to have so much great advice and offers of help.
Some really great help and information, the support and encouragement, and offers to talk me through any queries or questions I have.
It's quite humbling really.
The time taken to reply on the forum, rather in depth replies, and sharing your knowledge and experience.
Thankyou.
-
Always buy quality reliable machines. Honda is good. You can't afford the down time while the machine is getting repaired.
-
KeithB, that is great advice not just for a new business but everyone in a small business..
thankyou..
iPad with IOS7 using Tapatalk HD
-
My brother in law did this about 6 years ago after want a change from track riding race horses. Started working for a landscaper and noticed how many clients asked for their lawns mowed. Landscaper wasn't interested in doing it and eventually my bil started offering to do it. Within months he had a small customer base thanks to the landscapers clients, friends and words of mouth, all while using an old Victa 2 stroke that I fixed up for him a few years before and a $99 Talon whipper snipper from Bunnings.
Started working part time for the landscaper and then got serious and invested heavily in some quality gear, Honda, Shindaiwa, Sthil.
12 Months later found a local mowing business for sale with about 60-70 clients. Bloke was retiring, so they struck a deal and now his business is booming!
One thing he has learnt when starting out is never say no. Be prepared to do any job, clean the gutters, wash the windows, clean the BBQ, because 80% of his new clients come via referrals.
Good luck!
-
Becoming mates with the local landscapers could be a plan, word of mouth is the best form of advertising, but the landscapers could feed you new customers particularly if you feed them a few beers!!
-
Can you come & Mow my lawn as lm over it by the time l get home , Anyway l want to see the house again ::) :cheers:
-
I use to do it as a kid. My old mad use to drop me off in town to do my aunties house. Use to drop the trailer with the mower and whipper snipper in it and come back at the end of the day. I use to do my aunties house and five of her neighbours. All because they use to see me mow my aunties place they asked me to do theirs. The coin I made paid for me to keep my motorbike running and also ended JP with enough saved to buy a new bike.
Now I HATE mowing. Word of mouth is the key IMHO, the mower man my FIL uses does 8 lawns in his street. Started with doing next door to FILs place and spread from there.
Good luck mate.
-
I wish you well, hard work should win out in the end, ,but whatever you do DO NOT BUY A FRANCHISE!!! Having been in one for the past three years (not a Jim's, it was in the beauty industry), all I can say is that there is only one winner, and it won't be you. Franchise's should be illegal in my opinion, the highest form of pyramid selling and can be cult like. No matter what the perceived benefits are, do not sign up!
-
I dunno if its such a good idea...
To be competitive it needs to be cheap and the other bloke comes in cheaper and cheaper.
Look in local paper see how busy it is.. in ours theres about 15 people mowing lawns. Just playing against each other for the work...
-
I work in a botanic gardens full time and have a gardening business on the side,imho u should keep main job while u start up ur business. Besides the great info u have recieved u need to think what happens if u get crook or injured, holidays or unforeseen circumstances keep u from work for extended time.it doesn't matter how many r doing it in ur area there is always work if ur willing to have a go. GOOD LUCK
-
To be competitive it needs to be cheap and the other bloke comes in cheaper and cheaper.
I dunno about that totally, the guy that does our lawns isn't the cheapest but he does a great job. For the $48 a month he charges it saves me half a day on the weekend which for me is worth it.
-
I dunno if its such a good idea...
To be competitive it needs to be cheap and the other bloke comes in cheaper and cheaper.
Look in local paper see how busy it is.. in ours theres about 15 people mowing lawns. Just playing against each other for the work...
ln a early post l had 75 ads in the paper to compete with , then there are those that don't do anything but word of mouth . l asked my clients do you know anybody eles l can help . My best was 5 deep on recommendations . At 1 stage l had 2 Bridge club tables as a client base , them 1 Dropped her hand , shell we say . Get out there & Beat the Feet :cheers:
-
I dunno about that totally, the guy that does our lawns isn't the cheapest but he does a great job. For the $48 a month he charges it saves me half a day on the weekend which for me is worth it.
lt would take you that long to winch the mower into your Eagles Nest >:D
-
Mate I have a Jims, fees are about {msg} me and ill tell you be in 7 years work as little or as much as u want if you cant turn over $145000 to $210000 a year then ur not trying but it does depend what part of the country you are in to
-
Quoting figures will vary be so much as to depend on where you are located . In citys where the houses are close together travel time to the next job can be reduced . A compact round is a productive time on the ground . No matter where you are you will be as busy as you want to be .Turn over is good , the real test is profit after expenses. That's what left to go to the pub with at the end of the day :cheers:
-
Mate.
I've been mowing lawns for nearly 30 years now.
Buy the best gear you can afford. The Honda mowers last around 2 years which is 6 months more than the next best.
Whipper snipper/brush cutter. You only need 1 that is not too big for lawns but big enough for brush.
Although it would be 10 years since I've cut any brush.
Husky's or Kawasaki's.
I did use Stihl's but got tired of having to replace the clutch every 6 months.
Blower and hedge trimmer.
But go cheap with a little $100 chainsaw from the big green shed.
It will cut stuff that the hedge trimmer won't. Get to know 1 of the local tree loppers and recommend him for the bigger stuff.
Should pick up some lawns from him after a while.
I have only advertised in the local free rag. And it works well.
Put a landline number in the add. Most of my "retired" customers have told me they have skipped passed the adds that only had a mobile number.
I don't deal with real estate agents. Long story and a few can tarnish the whole. Bad luck about that.
Their calls are not returned.
Be careful with body corporates. Make sure you are clear on which part will be paid by the corporation and which is the individual residents responsibility.
Government departments. All tiers. They will eventually pay but you can go broke waiting for it.
Have fun. Work to your own hours. Be aware of the winter slowdown. Gives me time to do more fishing.
Do it "right" the first time.
Rod.
.
-
We should compile a list of toys to get now or a bit later
Honda 21in mulcher/catch 3 speed , great kit
Straight shaft brush cutter ,Honda , Still , at least 25cc
Chain disc Makes chainsaw out of brush cutter , handy for trimming up to 3m in the trees
Weedwacker Google the steel blade for long grass great kit
Diamond cut 2.7mm trimmer cord
Blower , don't get too excited about the vac bit
hand tools secretes long handled choppers rakes you know the drill
Wool pack as a bag to carry waste to trailer
A good bench grinder to sharpen you blades , change them at least every few days . Sharp blades , clean cut = faster growing grass ,
You dont have to have all the gear to get started . The list will get longer as you hang around the mower shop .
Establish a mower shop that will let you watch any repairs done so you can learn to do it yourself So grab what ever you have now & Beat The Feet :cheers:
-
I work for myself (not a mowerman ;D) and it all depends where you want to go with it. I didn't want to grow a business, I just wanted some flexibility and to work at my own pace.
When I started almost 3 years ago I worked for my old boss on a part time basis but that didn't last long as I had enough work to keep going on my own pretty quickly with the contacts I had.
I never advertise, not even at the start, my business name doesn't even come up in Google searches. I had a few contacts that wanted me to do some jobs and I couldn't fit it all in on the weekend and it just carried on from there. Haven't been out of work in 3 years and sometimes turn down jobs from random callers or jobs that sound like they will be crap, I just make sure I keep my regular clients happy.
As others have said, never say no when you start out, always be polite and neat, do what you say you will, return phone calls, call when you say you will. I have gotten many jobs just by returning calls, they don't even ask for a price because they are glad that someone finally called them back!
-
Also make sure you have all your insurances in place $10 - 20 Million public liability is a must as well as income and equipment ins.SAFETY gear is a must also you must have msds for all petrols/oil/poisons all documentation the work place health and safety mob are very savage well in QLD they are cover your arse with ll the paper work and govt requirements and your good .
-
Public liability , equipment cover , when you get to that l have a contact :cheers:
-
I honestly dont know how to start a business. I honestly dont know how to price competitively.
Any advice.
Have a look at NEIS - New Enterprise Incentive Scheme. My brother did it and thought it was alright. Basically the gov will pay you an allowance whilst helping you start your first business and helping you get training at the same time. You take classes with other people who are all doing the same thing.
http://www.business.gov.au/Newsandfeatures/2013/Jul/Pages/New-Enterprise-Incentive-Scheme-%28NEIS%29.aspx (http://www.business.gov.au/Newsandfeatures/2013/Jul/Pages/New-Enterprise-Incentive-Scheme-%28NEIS%29.aspx)
http://deewr.gov.au/new-enterprise-incentive-scheme-neis (http://deewr.gov.au/new-enterprise-incentive-scheme-neis)
-
My suggestion would be keep it simple, register for your ABN as a sole trader,( saves getting a lot of printing done) opt for the simplified tax system, no GST (you can turn over up to 75K ) Claiming the GST quarterly will probably work out as expensive or even more than what it's worth. (At the end of the year it's still all deductible) Before choosing what kind of business to register as, find the one that has the most deductions. Advertising is good, sandwich board out the front while working signs on the trailer and vehicle cards flyers. IMO Papers generally pick up people that have bad history
so unless free I wouldn't bother. Word of mouth is best. Public liability is a must, there are some good deals around you just have to look."Elders" was the cheap when I was looking a while back.
-
Google independent mower mans forum and you'll have more info than you can poke a whippersnipper at.
I started mine from zip and its going well. Don't buy an existing run, save ya money and run some good ads etc in your area.
I tell ya what, i'll send you my batphone number and give me yell after lunch tomorrow.
-
Elders is also my Public Liability and equip. insurer.
-
Hows the mowing going???
iPad with IOS 7.02 using Tapatalk HD
-
Hows the mowing going???
iPad with IOS 7.02 using Tapatalk HD
Growing :cheers:
-
I'm another one who is doing the mowing caper. A temporary thing thanks to better half and her cancer, I needed the flexible hours.
There is some sound advice already here for sure, I know you said your not a trady but I am sure your good at something out doors.
I have been making 60 % of my money from NOT mowing, for eg:
Did an hour in the gardens for a lady the other day, she couldn't open her shed door, then I was back for 6 hours of shed repairs. The only tool I took was a battery drill.
I also take rubbish away, then sell half of it on Gumtree, charged a rich guy $160 to take away 2 of 3 x 3m garden sheds, I pulled them apart neatly, sold them on gumtree for $110 each.
Another lady I help out, I noticed the timber fence was a bit dodgy, then at a garage sale 1 day, scored a good nail gun cheap, with heaps of nails for the timber fence, so when I went back next, took it all along with me and suggested to her that I fix the fence whilst I was at it. Bit cheaky I know, but when prompted politely, she said she was not aware of it falling apart like that.
My tips
Take good weed sprays around with you, and know how well they work. Use the type where you make the dose.
Have a water blaster as well, with a long pressure hose, I do a lot of clean ups, use CT 18 truck wash as the soap, and get good results.
When your on the job, make observations of other things that may need doing and point it out, a lot of people don't notice things out doors.
Check your work before you leave. On a mowing job 1 day, Mr Franchise shows up across the raod and set a land speed record whilst there, my customer and lady over the road were talking as I was packing up, I noticed the poor job across the street and seen how disapointed the lady was. Without asking for anything from her, I draged my mower over and fixed it, now I do 3 x homes beside each other when I arrive.
All the best with it
Cheers
Dave
-
lts amazing how fast the day is filled with " Walk Ups " l have had 3 this week in a town of 1500 people not bad for a blow in .
Build it & they will come , &tell their friends & they will come
Thank You Walt Disney :cup: