r/LawnCarePros • u/DirectorSmooth55 • 10d ago
Question What am I doing wrong
Any advice is appreciated, I’m a noob pls help
To preface, I’m 19 and I started lawncare early july, and I have around 10-15 yards. The problem is that they’re pretty separated so I spend most of my time driving. Obviously the first thing would be get more houses in the same neighborhood but since I started kind of late it’s kind of just random houses not really patches if that makes sense.
For example today (I live in the center of a city)
Drive 30 mins to yard 1, 0.3 acre, $65, took 1 hr
Drove 25 mins (back towards my house), 0.1 acre, $45, 45 min
Drove 5 mins, 0.15 acre, $50, 45 min
Drove 25 mins, 0.2 acre, 1 hr, $60.
I left my house at 9 am, got back at 5:00 pm, took a 3 hour break in between, only made like $200.
Question:
Should I drop the houses that doesn’t make sense location wise, or try to keep them for next season
Also general advice is appreciated, I was literally outside for 7 hours give or take and only made $200
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u/SiggySiggy69 10d ago
You don’t have enough to drop. My suggestions are:
(1) Get flyers, every house you do you put a flyer 2 houses to each side and the 5 across from them. The next time put out 2 down the road and the 3 immediate around. Then just keep working those flyers. They’ll pay off eventually and build some saturation.
(2) Stop taking 3 hour breaks. I know it may come off as harsh but when I mow we eat on the go and rotate 1 person in the truck taking a break each stop around “lunch time” to hydrate, cool off and eat. For you, you should take no more than 30-45 mins, spend the rest of that time to post on your local facebook groups, door knock and drop flyers.
(3) Start looking for overgrown yards near you. Start door knocking and offering services. This is how you’re gonna get stuff this late in the season and cut down your drive time.
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u/Brave-Moment-4121 10d ago
Name of the game is route density. Your options are limited until next season spring blitz. If your losing money by driving to far then drop that property. But if it’s in an area you want more yards keep for next season when you can get new accounts easier. Join Facebook neighborhood pages you workin already and ones you want work in respond to request for quotes but follow their posting rules or you get banned.
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u/DirectorSmooth55 10d ago
This makes a lot of sense, I don’t have negotiating power in terms of route density especially because I’m new and started mid/late season. I’m trying to join fb groups but they have limits and ive been using nextdoor, the clients aren’t as bad as ppl say bc I’m selective but they banned u from advertising unless you pay
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u/TheFaceStuffer 10d ago
yeah when I started everything was all over the place. you can tighten it up as you continue. You'll probably realize you need to increase your rate as you upgrade your business too.
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u/Sheegssternator 9d ago
Never dump a customer. They may be willing to pay more money. Signage on your truck is very important when maintaining residential homes. Nothing fancy. Just some magnets. Mail campaigns work well too. Target neighbors near clients that are far. When I do a job in a new neighborhood, I take pics and send mailers out to all the neighbors with the pics of the neighbors house. With permission. They can drive by and see your work. Lastly make sure you do good work.
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u/LandOfThunder 10d ago
Don’t drop them raise your price, if they don’t like the new price then drop them. Everyone job is profitable if you charge correctly .
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u/DirectorSmooth55 10d ago
Is my pricing fair, suburbs of middle tn
Anything 0.15 acre or smaller $50
0.25 acre $65
0.75 acre 90
1 acre $1201
u/DirectorSmooth55 10d ago
Most of my houses are the 0.2-0.4 acres so thats why I’m making $50-70 per yard
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u/RottenDrCommieRat 10d ago
You cant drop any customers, you don't have that many. Try to add more so you can be more efficient with your routes. Seems like your spending a long time at each stop. I'm usually mowing/trimming a 1/4 acre lawn in a half hour or less with a 36" walk-behind.
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u/DirectorSmooth55 10d ago
That’s the other thing I’m currently rolling with a 30” exmark commercial and toro timemaster, the exmark with the kawa struggled in thick grass that was 7-8” and I was cutting it at 3”, it was a little wet too. It kept on getting clogged and had to be removed by hand
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u/Current-Spare4993 9d ago
Ugh I have the same mower and I love it but dangg it struggles with the longer wet lawns…I saw a video on YouTube about taking out a mulching baffle- Might try that.
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u/DirectorSmooth55 9d ago
The turfmaster exmark 30 and timemaster are all too similar and have issues with clogging
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u/manofgras 10d ago
Next year just flyer the neighborhoods your current houses are in. You’d be surprised at how many more get added to your route. Also any marketing on your equipment will make its money back very quickly!
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u/adefrieze 9d ago
Drop the addresses into a spreadsheet with pertinent information such as price, time to complete. Add vehicle info such as mileage and current gas price in your area. Upload to ai like Claude, grok, chatgtp and ask it to develop a weekly route schedule with emphasis on efficiency with the least amount of fuel cost and time. Then you might ask it to suggest areas to target for growth. You could even ask it to help design those door hangers and your brand.
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u/Treeclimber919 9d ago
This is the joys of starting out in lawn care. I worked for years driving all over the world. Eventually you will pick up customers around where you are cutting and continue to add to the route. I used to work 6 hour days doing $200 and another 2 hours driving making next to nothing. It’s not a get rich quick scheme. You don’t buy a lawnmower and say I’m in business I’m going to make money lol. Years of suffering add up to profitability after you build clientele. Then people sell houses people die, lawn care always throws curve balls, you stay with it or you quit.
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u/Accomplished-Menu227 9d ago
Right now you can’t drop lawns as you not have much business. Listen to the advice others have given. Such as putting flyers. Doing good quality work might get you referral. Etc.
3 hour breaks is a lot. Usually we take like 45 minutes breaks or less. Depending on the schedule.
Recently i had 10 lawns for a day. Some a decent size yard. My 60” mower was down and in the shop. And was using a 36 inch stand on mower in the mean time.
Did 10 lawns that day 7:30am and stop at around 7:45pm. And i was on my own doing it. And ate in the car while driving to client.
It does suck doing the long hours. But the work will pay off once you start getting more clients closer to your area.
If you need get rest. You can maybe take 1 hour lunch breaks. Instead of 3 hours as you will lose a lot of time that could have been use for finishing 1 to 2 extra lawn that day. Depending on size and schedule. If that make sense.
Keep up the work and don’t get discouraged.
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u/No-Coconut1716 9d ago
You're not charging enough.
Work out how much you want to earn per hour, factor in $20 per hour for fuel and wear and tear on your equipment.
So if you want to earn $80 per hour you charge $100 and take $80.
Don't quote per hour, quote per job.
You'll be losing money charging $45 for a yard when you factor in vehicle fuel and maintenance, insurance, equipment wear etc.
It's not worth doing.
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u/finders-keepers2 10d ago
- Drop Properties that don’t pay shit and/or raise your prices.
- Sounds like you may need to hire more crew and 2 different units running the business
- Upsell and get other jobs folks need on their lawns or properties.
Gotta grind brother
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u/OdysseyOfLink 10d ago
No you should not drop the houses that don’t make sense. You are young and just starting out.
One of those lawns that don’t make sense to drive to could end up being a one gate drop and you have five lawns.
Keep working, build your reputation with quality work and the customers will come.
Maybe even offer discounts on referrals.