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How To Find Lawn Care Jobs

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How To Make Contacts For Commercial Lawn Mowing Jobs

Bidding Lawn Care Jobs – How Much Are You Worth??

If you are considering a lawn mowing business startup, you will know that the more clients you serve, the more money you earn. Establishing contacts involves creating advertising materials and networking with those who need your services the most. The most difficult step is establishing your first customers. You can then use your first customers to find further contacts.

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Create advertising for your business. Consider a professional printing company, which can produce smart and attractive brochures and business cards. Highlighting your professional licenses, such as your business license and fertilizer permits, will give your brochures and business cards more credibility.

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Distribute your advertising materials to the people who will benefit from a lawn mowing service the most. This includes the elderly, businesspeople who are frequently out of town, and those with a second home. Locating these types of people is not as difficult as you may imagine. An unkept lawn is a good indicator. Many towns have an area with a high percentage of elderly people. Young professionals tend to live more in the center of town, and those who buy a second home will opt for homes with scenic views.

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References

Osha Heat Safety Tool

The majority of your work involves being outside, especially in the summer months when the weather is hot. Being smart about how youre going to handle the heat is really important to your personal health and safety.

OSHA Heat Safety Tool tells you the temperature, humidity, and even the feels like temperature of the weather in your area. It also includes recommendations on how often to take breaks, drink water, and even gives you a list of heat-related illness symptoms.

No one wants to need a list like that but if you find yourself in a situation where you need that information quickly you wont have to worry about not knowing where to look.

Your 1st Goal: Meet With The Decision Maker

Right now, your 1st goal is to simply get your foot in the door.

For small and medium lawn or landscaping companies, networking is the only reliable way to get a commercial lawn care contract.

In other words, you have to approach them.

One solid strategy is to craft an email or a letter for each business you want to bid.

When you start sending these emails, try hanging them up in HOAs to get your name into the right hands and get them to respond to you.

Another option is to head over to the right local networking events:

  • Local businesses: You’ll get to talk directly to the owner , which makes sales and upsells easier.
  • HOAs: Talk to HOAs and other Real Estate groups. You can find these by searching HOA or Real Estate Groups in .
  • BOMA: Set up a meeting with your citys Building Owners and Managers Association.
  • Chamber of Commerce Meetings, CEO Forums, and other networking events will help you meet potential clients, especially if your town has a commercial district or sector with above average commercial density.

When all else fails

it’s time for some cold, hard knocks.

Drive around and look for properties that need fixing. When you see a business that could use your services, go knock on their door and introduce yourself. This one works very well if you are good at in-person sales.

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Dont Forget To Price Special Services And Materials Differently

Special services like mowing, mulching, and weed control and fertilization application should be priced accordingly, rather than lumped into one cost.

Jason explains that these are actually very different services because they require different types of labor.

Weed control and fertilization, for example, is typically a one-person operation, so your labor is cut downand that one person can actually generate a lot more revenue than one person can mowing, he explains.

But there are expenses in the weed control: the actual fertilizer, weed control product, labor, and drive timeall those things are factors.

The main thing Im concerned with is how big the actual yard is, and the actual amount of turf that Im going to be applying the fertilizer or herbicide to. The bigger the yard, the more of the product Im using. Thats my biggest expense, Jason explains.

So, Im pricing strictly based on the square footage. I need to get an accurate measurement of the square footage of the lawn so that I know how to price it. Then I use a pricing chart that shows square footage from 2,000 square feet all the way up to 30,000 square feet.

I can then look at my pricing chart and give them a price quickly. So as the square footage goes up, the price per square foot actually goes down.

Education Requirements For Landscaping Jobs

How to Find and Hire Great Lawn Care Employees

The great thing about the landscaping industry is the variety of jobs availablesome requiring horticultural experience and landscaping knowledge, others demanding sales background, and plenty that are open to someone who is finishing school and/or does not have formal landscape training. Education requirements for landscaping jobs depend entirely on the job title and role.

Heres an overview of the education requirements you can expect for common landscaping jobs.

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Check For And Identify Problems

Check your lawn regularly, so that you can find pests and other problems early. Make sure to identify lawn problems correctly, then decide whether action is needed.

  • Plant damage may not be caused by pests. Plants can be injured by poor growing conditions, poor maintenance, road salt, or dog urine.
  • A few weeds or insect pests in healthy lawns is usually not cause for concern.
  • Knowing about the pest and its life cycle will help you decide if and when to take action, and how to prevent further problems. See Pest control tips for more information about controlling specific pests.

Outline The Project Budget For The Client

After youve estimated all your costs, its time to prepare the bid for the client. Make sure you will be turning a profit on the project by subtracting all of your projected costs from the price you provide in the bid. This is the ultimate determinant of whether or not your project will be profitable.

Write the proposal up in a clear, professional way so your client can see at-a-glance the total cost of the project, while being able to see a cost breakdown.

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How To Get Commercial Lawn Accounts And Landscaping Contracts

Landing a large commercial account is at the top of many landscapers wish lists.

But transitioning into the commercial landscaping market requires more than just buying larger mowers and trucks. You have to change the way you and your team manage projects to truly be successful.

Here are the dos and donts of bringing in commercial lawn accounts and landscaping contracts.

Bidding On Commercial Lawn Maintenance And Landscaping Jobs

How to Bid Lawn Care Jobs in 10 Minutes or Less

After youve laid the groundwork, its time to turn your attention to the bidding process.

If youre bidding commercial maintenance and landscaping jobs like you bid residential, you wont get the work, Schill says. Most commercial accounts are chasing the bottom dollar. Thats why its so important to have a good grasp on every aspect and expense of your business.Youre better off trying to take the scientific approach, Durden says. That includes taking good field measurements and knowing the number of man-hours the task will require.It costs time and money to put a bid in on a property, so make sure you truly understand the specs and the clients expectations, Schill says.When working on a contract, Delany says to add a clause giving you the right to pause work until you get paid. If you dont have that in your contract and you stop working, youve breached it first.One of the main numbers to look at when bidding commercial lawn maintenance and landscaping jobs is your profit. Since all landscape contractors are paying approximately the same amount for trucks, mowers, labor, overhead and fuel, the deciding factor is often how much profit do you want/need to make on this job, Delany says. Here are some questions Delany suggests asking yourself when deciding how much profit to add to your bid:

You may not be able to answer all of these, but the more you think about these, the better chance you have of winning the account, he says.

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How To Interview And Hire Your New Lawn Care Employee

You loved their application.

The next step is to call them.

Come up with a list of questions… Ask about their work history and experience in the industry.

Also, throw them them one or two curveball questions to give you a feel for their real, unscripted personality.

  • If you get a bad feeling on the phone call, its probably not going to work out.
  • When they show up late or look like they havent bathed in three weeks, you don’t want to hire them.
  • If the applicant does well on the phone, then do an in-person interview. Prepare a list of questions. Aim to get a feel for their personality and if they can act like a professional.

Never hire out of pity. Never hire because “you get along with them.” Hire them because you think they will help grow your business.

Making Your Career Move

Now that you understand a bit more about the industry and the wonderful opportunities that it can provide, you might be more seriously considering lawn care and landscape industry careers. It truly can be a rewarding career path.

If youre someone who loves the outdoors or is maybe just looking for a better life , then this just may be something you should seriously consider.

With all that being said, keep in mind that not all lawn and landscaping companies are created equally. As we mentioned, some offer better opportunities than others. After all, the misconceptions that were looking to dispel exist for a reason.

Some lawn and landscape companies really dont offer great pay or a positive work environment. But they dont represent the industry as a whole. There are many industry leaders that drastically differ from this misconception. If you do your research and pursue companies that treat their people well, you can be on your way to a successful career in which youll be truly happy.

If youd like to consider lawn care or landscape industry careers, we invite you to learn more about Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape by visiting our Career Centerand learning more about our open positions and learn more about our company culture.

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We Hope This Article Helped You Learn About How To Quote Lawn Mowing Jobs For Your Business

Are you a lawn care or landscaping provider looking to join the Plowz & Mowz fleet? Well handle the quoting for the lawn mowing jobs we send you through the app and youll instantly see what each mowing job pays you for your time. Visit our provider sign-up page for more information on how we can help you grow your business.

Have An Employee Handbook Ready For Your New Hires

How To Find The Best Professional Lawn Care Service

When you hire an employee, have some sort of document or employee handbook.

It should clearly state what your company policies are as far as the way they dress, what time they arrive, any benefits they may receive, and a chain of command. Everyone should be on the same page communication-wise.

Each employee should know what the expectations are, what the benefits for meeting those expectations are, and what the consequences for failing to meet those expectations are.

Make sure the employee has read and signed that document and kept it on file. This can also help you if you ever have to fire an employee if they somehow failed to meet the requirements that were laid out.

Jason Creel, Owner of Alabama Lawn Pros

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What Our Pros Have To Say

I went from 30 to about 200 clients in only a six month period with LawnStarter. And the pricepoint LawnStarter gives you is higher than what pretty much any other service will give you.

The billing is awesome. As someone who has owned their own business for 30 years I know what it’s like to have to chase down money. Now with LawnStarter, I get a ping on my phone each Monday and the money is just in my account.

From starting with 0 customers to having almost more customers than I can handle, the growth has been great, it’s just been really fast.

I went from 30 to about 200 clients in only a six month period with LawnStarter. And the pricepoint LawnStarter gives you is higher than what pretty much any other service will give you.

The billing is awesome. As someone who has owned their own business for 30 years I know what it’s like to have to chase down money. Now with LawnStarter, I get a ping on my phone each Monday and the money is just in my account.

From starting with 0 customers to having almost more customers than I can handle, the growth has been great, it’s just been really fast.

Start With The Size Of The Lawn To Be Mowed

The biggest factor for quoting lawn mowing jobs is obvious the size of the lawn that needs to be mowed. The size of the lawn is essentially the lot size, minus the house size and any patios, driveways, walkways, landscape beds or other large obstacles. You need a minimum cost to show up to a property and then be able to determine the lawn size and an associated cost. Simply put, larger yards will take longer and cost more to mow.

Length of the grass can not only result in a much longer mow-time, but it will also put more strain on your equipment. Youll need to sharpen your mower blade more often when mowing 10 inch grass vs 5 inch grass. Longer lawns also are notorious for causing clogs in certain mowers and machines, so account for that time before it happens!

If a property has too many obstacles, it will affect your time and efforts. Some obstacles like sprinkler heads can also increase your risk of damaging the homeowners property, resulting in costs to you for damages. Its best to price it out to ensure you have enough time to be cautious of these obstacles and replace them if something were to happen.

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What Do American Lawn Care Workers Get Paid

Believe it or not, there are people out there paying close attention to what American lawn and garden employees are getting paid. The US Bureau of Labor and Statistics does its homework on US lawn maintenance employees, and finds that, as of 2011, the average lawn care worker made about $25,650 per year, or $12.33 an hour. The Bureau projects that a quarter of a million jobs will be added to this industry by 2020. They also note that there is a lot of variation in worker pay, depending on job and location.

Here are some of the details about who’s making the most, and why. Check out where your company fits into the national picture:

People who work on government- and school-owned lawns were the highest paid. These employees saw higher pay than those who worked for private contractors.The Northeast and Pacific coast had the highest paid lawn care workers while workers in the South were some of the lowest paid.Employees who specialized in skills like pesticide application were better paid than those with more general skills like lawn mowing. The average pesticide specialist was paid $31,690 per year, or $15.85 per hour. Some reported rates as high as $17.83 per hour.Trimmers and pruners were the highest paid of all, earning $32,970 per year or $15.85 per hour. A high portion of those polled received $18.74 an hour, or more.

S To Compensate Attract Great Employees

How To Earn COMMERCIAL Lawn Care Work – 6 Tips That Have Worked For Me!

The best employees need to be paid more BUT they can also make you thousands more in pure profit every year.

The problem is, most owners think they can’t afford to pay their best employees what theyre worth. As a result, they settle for the cheap guys and pay them dirt.

Good news…

It only takes 5 steps to pay your lawn care employees what they deserve:

  • Make sure you price your services right. Dont be cheap, just because everyone else is.
  • Figure out theaverage wages of your market. For top talent: you will have to pay over the average to keep them happy.
  • Pay them! In general, your overhead should make up about 12% of your sales.
  • Incentivize them to stay. This is a seasonal industry, so you need to find a way to keep your best team members around. Bonuses for consecutive years worked, pay raises, and other incentives will encourage the best guys to return.
  • Pay attention toOvertime Laws. Especially if you are using a unique pay for performance model … .
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    Factor In Overhead And Equipment

    Once youve got labor sorted, its time to add the cost of general supplies and overhead.

    Overhead can include phone bills, office space, internet, vehicle payments, and gas. But, one of the most overlooked costs is maintenance and equipment.

    Equipment should be factored into each job as an expense. Its expensive to purchase and maintain equipmenteven a basic mower needs its engine repaired, spark plug replaced, and oil changed. If you have more expensive equipment, then costing this into your price is critical.

    Edward explains, the fact is that equipment has to drive revenue. It could cost you $20,000 to buy, and thats $20,000 to replace down the line, plus maintenance. We include all this in our final price.

    So, how do you cost that into your lawn care pricing?

    Edward explains, I think of it this way: I need to be making $100 an hour to use expensive equipment to make it worthwhile for commercial and residential work.

    Youll want to buy something new again eventually, he says, so you do need enough profit to do thatmaybe its a couple dollars a job over the course of a year. Maybe its a percentage of all jobs, or the jobs you use that equipment on. The rule of thumb for me is that I charge two times the hourly rate of labor just to have the equipment on the site.

    Pro tip: some professionals tack on an additional 15%-20% on top of their estimate to account for overhead costs.

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