DAY in the LIFE of a Lawn BUSINESS Owner

HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT INCREASING YOUR LAWN CARE BUSINESS IN 2024? MOST LAWN BUSINESS OWNERS ARE LOOKING TO ADD CLIENTS, AND THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE. BUT MARKETING IS EXPENSIVE. AND GAINING LAWN CARE CLIENTS MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST THING FOR YOU IN 2024. MAYBE A BETTER WAY TO GROWING YOUR LAWN CARE BUSINESS IS TO INCREASE THE VALUE OF EACH OF YOUR CLIENTS. A SIMPLE MULCH JOB, WEED PULLING, GUTETER CLEANOUT, PLANT INSTALL, SOD PROJECT, OR EVEN A FEW HEDGE TRIMMING JOBS CAN DRASTICALLY IMPACT THE VALUE OF YOUR LAWN CARE BUSINESS. AND HERE'S THE REAL MAJIC... WHILE IT MAY TAKE YOU AN ENITRE YEAR OF MOWING A CLIENT'S LAWN, YOU CAN EASILY INCREASE THE VALUE OF YOUR LAWN CARE CLIENT WITH JUST A FEW ADDITIONAL LABOR HOURS FOR ONE OF THESE BASIC LAWN CARE SERVICES. IN 2024, YOU MAY BE BETTER OFF FOCUSING ON INCREASING YOUR CLIENT'S TOTAL REVENUE RATHER THAN FOCUSING SOLELY ON GAINING NEW LAWN CARE CLIENTS.
My Story:
In 2016 I had been in law enforcement for almost 7 years.
I was not in control of my schedule, I was hardly making any money, and I was away from my family working nights and holidays. I was capable of more,, and I was silently suffering. I knew I was selling myself and my family short.
I started Florida Turf Pros as a side hustle in 2016 before going full time in 2017.
My lawn business changed my life. I control my own schedule, my own income, and I am proud of what I have built.
On this channel you will learn the steps I have taken (and am still taking) to have a lawn care business that serves ME and my family’s needs.
We are a small owner operated company (2 full time mowing trucks/crews, and now a sod installation division).
If you are interested in starting a lawn care business this channel will provide the direction.
This really is a great industry to be in…
And I hope that by documenting my journey it will help you too.

[@grassman8684]

I just did something similar the other day but a bit differant. I mow a lawn for a client at 150.00 per cut that takes 1.75 hours. I did a small shrub removal and replacement for 450.00 which took 3.5 hours. She bought the shrubs and had them delivered.

[@FloridaTurfPros]

This is a great example of upselling... great job!

[@floridalawncareexpertsllc2817]

This is the lawn care company having the typical landscaping epiphany realizing there good money in landscaping. lol just kidding, all of us lawn care guys love the recurring revenue that’s why we do it and it’s scalable. We are about 50/50 lawn care and landscaping. I believe that’s the way to go. Have a couple lawn care crews then have a landscape/landscape maintenance crew to support all of your lawn care customers that need other projects.

[@brandonrickbornponyexpress6574]

When the GOAT drops a video I watch ! 👊

[@mattpahuta]

Nice! 😉

[@chriswest8147]

F#$% yeah 😂

[@FloridaTurfPros]

I appreciate the feedback! 😊 thanks for hanging out. I appreciate it.

[@TopNotchPropertyServiceLLC]

I am so genuinely happy for your success! I love your casual videos where you are crushing it and showing your super nice equipment. I did a job for a mowing client this season running a mini kabota/backhoe digging window well. I worked in the pouring rain and got it done. I earned, in one day what would have taken me a week in my old 9-5 job! I love it.

[@FloridaTurfPros]

Thank you so much!! Yes, you can definitely out-earn a 9-5. I also think one of the biggest benefits to owning a business is there's always room for financial improvement... just sell more work. You got a big expense coming, or a vacation you want to take? Just sell more work and earmark that money for those items.

[@chriswest8147]

John, good info brother. I went and passed out door flyers in my neighborhood and got a call for a one time winter cut. Customer had a large downed tree in the front yard. I asked the customer if she wanted it removed, to which she agreed. Provided her an estimate to which she gladly accepted. A 45 dollar winter cut turned into a tree removal and property clean up bid for $600 for 5 hours work. The customer said she'll be calling in spring time for lawn service! Winter is an awesome time to sell other services, and solidify leads. Thanks for another awesome positive video.

[@FloridaTurfPros]

This is a great example of getting out there and looking for upsells and opportunities... well done, sir!

[@grassman8684]

Not meaning to hog this Post. Back in the spring I got a call for a mowing estimate which I gave. Went to the back yard and there was a tree blown down. Ended up getting that job plus the new fence installation caused by the tree falling on it. Don't get many opportunities like this.

[@chriswest8147]

@@grassman8684 awesome work !

[@curbappeallawncarellc4263]

in florida to man that torpedo grass is crazy.

[@curbappeallawncarellc4263]

the passenger front tire on the trailer looked like it had a nail or screw in it. and ive had the gate come open and thought it was latched. I do the same. complete walk around the truck and trailers. Id love to know where you get your sod from when you do sod? I see people advertise sod install for what seems so cheap.

[@TylerFoster3810]

Great video man keep up the hard work. I am a new subscriber on the channel so welcome me in. I like your videos man. Really informative. And I like educational stuff that I like to learn new things.

[@FloridaTurfPros]

Welcome aboard!

[@mattpahuta]

Great videos here! You won't be disappointed! Always great informative content!

[@pahutalawncare]

Yes! Great videos here! 😉

[@ricksanchez2425]

U ever do any plumbing thats good money to been certified for 4 years now commercial and residential

[@Hillsidelanscapemanagement]

Great advice. Up selling is an old tactic that works well. Let me ask you this, have you, or would you, ever do a small job at a loss in order to gain more lucrative, contracted work? (I have done work for zero profit in order to gain contracted work but I've never tried the ' loss leader' strategy that works in retail As for torpedo grass, I hated that stuff in Tampa, almost as much as I hated skunk vine. When I first started in the industry over 30 years ago, there was a selective herbicide called POST that worked wonders on torpedo grass. It was pulled from the market

[@FloridaTurfPros]

I would probably not use a loss leader, UNLESS there was a guarantee of a bigger job... meaning I would comp a small hedge trimming job IF the client was paying for a large sod installation. Even then, that's a slippery slope.

[@Hillsidelanscapemanagement]

@@FloridaTurfPros agreed. I just wanted to hear your thinking on that. I've had this discussion with other contractors (outside of the green industry). I would never do anything for a loss but, as stated, I've done things at cost knowing that bigger and better things were coming. I've only been burned once in ten plus scenarios like that over twenty plus years

[@xxKURTMANxx]

Solid video. Question though do you really only cut 9 months out of the year? Here in Tampa I don’t stop. Do you go to as needed in winter or what?

[@FloridaTurfPros]

The grass completely shuts down in my area of florida... we can't mow dec-feb.

[@Gambit8121-i7v]

Same in GA no mowing in Dec Jan Feb. To stay busy in Feb We usually contact all lawn clients and get all the mulch and straw in Feb so in March we have plenty of time for new start ups/ mulch straw.

[@xxKURTMANxx]

Interesting. It slows down a ton here for sure but the healthy yards still do biweekly. The bad yards could go monthly on most.

[@Gambit8121-i7v]

How do you price out mulch per cubic yard?

[@FloridaTurfPros]

On average 125/yard and we go down from there based on volume

[@Gambit8121-i7v]

Damn wish $125 was the market here! Mulch is very competitive in GA. Some dumb dumbs doing it for as low as $65 per yard. Average is $85 though. Pinstraw here is $8.50 to $10 per bale. What's the straw price at in Florida?

[@cristobaldelacruz142]

I get a lot of torpedo grass hard to control once it overtakes the bed. Monkey grass it’s ok not the best.

[@chancecooper4006]

Just curious…You talk about raising it by 55%, but you spent three hours there. I’m willing to bet your on and off that yard while mowing on 11 mins. I’m not a math guy as you are but does it still mathematically work out?

[@FloridaTurfPros]

Profit on this job after materials and pickup was $390. Took 2 hours and 5 mins, so 125 mins. 125/60 = 2.08. Then 390/2.08 = $187.50 man hr. This is higher than my normal mowing rate. It would take quite a few mows to profit 390 on this yard.

[@chancecooper4006]

@@FloridaTurfPros nice!!!!

[@paulslawncare1403]

Changed up your stance on bagged mulch vs bulk, eh?

[@FloridaTurfPros]

Good eye! Actually… no. =) I had a couple yards left over from a huge job that I didn’t want to go to waste, and it’s impossible to get a color match with bagged. I was wishing all day today I had used bagged! 😂

[@paulslawncare1403]

I've definitely been there before!@@FloridaTurfPros

[@AlbertoGonzalez-yu3pe]

I do hate that torpedo grass the meticulous you are the more you hate it