Rookie Lawn Business Mistakes

Things I Wish I Knew When Starting a Lawn Care Business:
Change what you don't like... Fast.
Be authentic.
Start small, but quickly get the best equipment you can afford.
Don't overbook. CREATE MARGIN in your life.
Don't stress... It's just grass. It will be ok.

[@jamesculbertson1746]

This is my sixth year in business. My first few years, it was ALL about making money. It was all about quantity, not quality. By the time August came, I was burned out & totally hated it. Instead of me running the business, the business ran me. I cut back on the number of customers, learned to say no, & offered more services to existing customers. Now I’m totally content & at peace with my business & the direction it’s going. This video is a must watch for anyone wanting to get into the lawn care business. Thank you!

[@Razrback]

Yeah the push mow yards got to me to so i bought a36 it totally changed my life

[@KeepItMowed]

I run 3 days a week for mowing. Leaves me days open for rain like this week and last. Also I get extra days for big jobs etc. If nothing is going on I enjoy the time off. Don't chase the dollars, chase the best clients you can get. I have built my business around the Toro Timemaster and a 22" Toro. I run everything from my truck, no trailer. I have trimmer racks etc. Everything organized. Plenty of room for debris takeaway if needed. It's all about building a plan, efficiency, great clients and comfort. When you're a one or two man crew, most clients hire you for that reason. Bigger lawn companies have a tight schedule and usually rush everything. The small guys can usually charge more, because you're going to be more particular about your work then a guy getting $7-$12. Sorry but it's the truth. Great video!

[@legendlawncare2957]

Time Margin is the single biggest thing I've learned so far. My business is only 2 years old at this point but I made that time change a priority. It gets outta hand FAST!! Gotta love the process guys!!!

[@cameronfitch9357]

You are a huge help to me man. May the Lord bless you.

[@MatthewSmith-uf6tr]

Captains vLogs it’s because he doesn’t have clickbait titles and stupid graphics and all that Bs

[@FloridaTurfPros]

Pay it forward, brother.

[@AdvancedLawn]

Overbooking. Number one tip here!!

[@RyanSmith-ye4vj]

Great advice 👍 im guilty of booking in too much work. Feeling burnt out at the moment and its winter here in Aus 😂 need to drop the less appealing yards and cut the schedule back a little before summer comes.

[@jessejodouin6729]

every time we get rid of a problem client, my days get so much better

[@user-dq2ym1nn9k]

agreed. I have No problem clients. I can't bare to tolerate it any longer.

[@cleangreenlawnservicellc2630]

More good stuff. They need to invite you to the Lawn & Landscape Society event in Hattiesburg MS. You’d be a great addition to the line up. Good event.

[@JonsDailyHustle]

Thanks for this advise. This is my first year in business so I know I've got alot to learn

[@Razrback]

You are absolutely right my friend

[@jamesmedlin9530]

Thanks for all the advice! Appreciate all that you do

[@diarrheasoupforthesoul]

All the right decisions are always made in hindsight

[@danieldewey615]

Awesome as usual Johnathon.

[@shanewillis4203]

Great advice, keep up the good videos. Thanks man

[@landmarkcreations1183]

This is exactly what I needed!Thank you!

[@user-dq2ym1nn9k]

Solid advice. Especially the first and last tip. Great video as always

[@justincrowe8176]

Solid advice man! God bless

[@bluecollarusa5396]

Great Advice! Thanks Brother! 💪👏

[@TopNotchPropertyServiceLLC]

Great advise thank you for sharing this . Glad you ironed out the kinks and tailored your business to your wishes. You are incredibly successful and I can’t wait to see more video’s!

[@marchughes9101]

Started my business this year and you have helped out a lot . I am in the Cantonment area

[@daniel1020443]

I really appreciate all the great tips you give out. You have helped me so much! You are making okay lawncare companies into great ones. God bless you and your loved ones.

[@johngenova9870]

Some great stuff in here man. Feels like such a sprint sometimes, and that I have to be a big company, this was reassuring!

[@SMHV_SQUAD]

We appreciate all the great and useful content you provide. Would love to see some more work footage and possible guitar footage. I play guitar as well. I went to GIT in L.A. many years ago lol.

[@a.t.miller9352]

This is one of the realest videos I’ve heard so far!

[@trmeriwether1216]

Awesome video , I wish I had this video before I started it would saved from making so many mistakes in the beginning.

[@trevorperez8520]

Big thanks for the advice I 🙏🙌👍

[@brandonwynn3965]

hey thanks dad, your channel had been a real help

[@edwardclark2695]

U are fortunate & keep givin it up man

[@blazinmitch]

This is my second year in the lawn business. I recently went to a 4-day work week and it's been great! Only issue I can't seem to fix is time off during the 7-months lawn season as I work alone. I could scale up 10-15% easily and pay for the help but afraid they will be unreliable and then I will be stuck with all the extra work. I find this delima a tough one to solve. Any advice I would greatly appreciate. Lastly, thank you for your youtube channel. I find it one of the best as you are concise and provide solid advice!

[@whiskeylies4221]

Christopher Mitchell it’s hard to find reliable help. All you can do is roll the dice and hope for the best. Good Luck Man. 👍

[@bluecollarusa5396]

I agree and see where you’re coming from as I have been there. The best advice I can give is to pay more. I know that can be difficult but a $15/hr guy had worked 10X better for me than the $10/hr guy. I know that’s a tough financial decision but I for one have dealt with that as well. Your accounts have to be close to each other to really take advantage of it. Mines not because I’m not perfect but on 2 of the 4 days it lines up perfect and we really hammer it on those days to compensate on the otter 2 so it evens out. It don’t have to be $15 either, a slight increase of what other companies are paying could pay dividends. Good luck!

[@jordanweaver3039]

My advice is to face growth relentlessly without fear. There were times I had a lot of work and only 1 guy and he was not very reliable and often I was stuck alone, but managed to bust my ass and get the job done well in almost the same amount of time. Make sure you aren't undercharging because when you want to grow you'll need the extra money to pay the help. Start with 1 guy. Pay him and tell him if he can be reliable and come every day he gets an extra 20 a day. He will make sure he gets there. And then when you get bigger get 2 guys so that if one needs a day off you can still do what you need. From there it's just growth and when people call off you think. Yay that's an extra 100 to 120 in my pocket. You need to be charging a minimum of 90 to 100 a month on mowing and if you are doing additional services raise your rates. That's just starting. As you get a lot of work, raise your prices without fear.

[@donnyhh313]

I do the “we.” And working on changing my company and trying to work on Route density. Great advice and definitely a huge help

[@damianpascual97]

Thanks for the tip

[@mitchfortson8398]

You helped me out so much man thank you I started out in 2020 and I'm up to 50 yards now

[@timharrison5500]

So much wisdom and knowledge in your videos 👍 Thank you for being so transparent and sharing your experiences with us. I am a new solo lawn care and window cleaning business owner and I get much from your videos! God bless you.

[@dextert8]

Working on getting the 4 day week Implemented. I still overbook On occasion but it’s made such a huge difference

[@eddieruiz5659]

You are awesome man down to earth upfront love your videos all your information is a big help thank you.

[@johncunningham3843]

Hey Johnathan, I appreciate your video. I am new to the industry as this is my first year. I wish that someone did a video like this, but talked about the behind the scenes parts to starting a business that doesn't have anything to do with cutting. What I am talking about is getting the EIN number, getting the best commercial insurance, how and what to do to bid on commercial properties, etc. I have not seen any videos on this type of things. Thank you for what you do share.

[@bazanslandscapemaintenance264]

You're the best 👌 I'm here at portland oregon saludos amigo!

[@AlbertoGonzalez-yu3pe]

Good video man, I only service my contract customers in the summer usually done in 3 days that way I have extra days if it rain and also have time for equipment maintenance with weekends off. You said it is your company don't do what you don't like and customize to your advantage.

[@rsphoto2490]

Just returned my Toro time cutter 50 inch with a Kawi from Home Depot. And went for a Gravely ZT XL 48 inch with a Kawi engine also. This time I got it from a local dealer, was that a wise choice to make? I also Bought an open trailer, blower and a Echo pas system with an edger and weed eater attachment. That’s my set up for my first 3 yards, wish me luck and thank you for all you’re valuable information on the business side of lawn care. You’re Channel is a gold mine for newbies like me. Keep the awesome videos coming. Much love from Naples FL

[@greentree6373]

Rs photo Good call on returning the toro to the big box store, the gravely might be more expensive (?) But the quality build of the gravely and having a actual dealer with parts and service, will pay itself off in the long run. The echo hand held equipment will make maintenance quicker saving you time and money. Nice first set up and I wish you all the best! ✌🏻👍🏻

[@chrisposada6221]

Hey I'm in naples fl too ! I work for a big landscaping company here , if you ever need help like a part time worker I'm open on weekends..

[@michaelm1573]

yeah good call on returning the Toro, I was planning on getting a snapper 360z but they didn't have any in stock so ended up spending twice as much on a ferris f60z and man am I happy! at the end of the day having a commercial machine is the way to go if you rely on that machine to make you a living.

[@mikeoconnell4399]

@@michaelm1573 I always had issues with snapper maybe it was a blessing in disguise for you they didn't have any that day.

[@clevercloverlawncare5066]

@@michaelm1573 Ferris💪

[@jooseyjoosecounter-strike8617]

I really appreciate the video! Any way you could explain the process of moving from cash/check payments to cc on file? Sort of a how to on charging & filing them? Thanks

[@jonesey1981]

Best one so far, thank you. Cards on file, do you use yardbook?

[@tonywood942]

Thanks FTP my number one rule was Monday through Thursday Fridays and Saturdays rain delays and special projects on it

[@denziljohn182]

Real talk appreciate your vids and input I was on my firing client tangents in my head and came across this and started pulling triggers thanks

[@richardmercado6285]

One of the greatest joys for me was firing clients my 4-5 year in lawncare. Really cleared my schedule and enabled me to find BETTER clients to fill the gaps!

[@michaeldaniels5584]

Great video again. I will implement 4 day work week for 2022. What time do you guys usually start getting and end your day. Thanks Mike

[@shannonlambert8826]

Johnathan I couldn’t agree with you more !!! Damn good vid . Today is July 29th and I been sitting idle for 7 days now cause of hurricane Hanna . I’m in south Louisiana , we been getting rain everyday since last Friday . It is what it is . I just bought my 2nd mower 2 weeks ago , come to find out it has a bent frame . I’m waiting on scag to send me a new mower . I’m getting enough accounts to buy a new mower and trailer . I recently bought some yard signs , business cards and a sign for my trailer . Hopefully that generates some business .

[@FloridaTurfPros]

Awesome! Good luck!

[@shannonlambert8826]

Thanks . Between you and Brian’s lawn maintenance I’ve learned a lot from y’all . Thanks for all the help .

[@nwarner22190]

Would you consider making a video on payroll and hiring your first employees? Thanks for the great content!!

[@josegutierrez9113]

Muy bueno thank you

[@bigsargelawncare9154]

Guilty of #3 for years!! JUST started adding margins this year!

[@FloridaTurfPros]

Man we’ve all be there. Good for you on fixing it.

[@carlossilvajr6102]

GREAT CONTENT MAN, REALLY APPRECIATE IT, WHICH TOO YOU USE FOR CARD ON FILE OPTION PLEASE? I HAVE SO MUCH PEOPLE OWNING ME MONEY... THANKS IN ADVANCE

[@alfons2399]

Are there any books that’s about lawn care all the grasses how to cut professionally etc?

[@freeportlawncare5997]

Good stuff

[@kendavisbiz]

Debt can be your best friend if used properly

[@chancecooper4006]

I would love to know what you do in the winter. You dont talk enough about this. Theres no way you sitting idle for 5 months and then i am sure you have to lay off your crew. Who wants to work for a company if you laying them off every 8 months. Do a deep dive into Winter routines.

[@krunostublic3818]

Thank you for this video, it's really helpful... Can you maybe make one video for the problem "how to make a good price list of my lawn services" for the beginers like me. I mean, other firms of course won't tell their price list, and here in Croatia the hour work is 10 euros (very low yes).... Thanks

[@FloridaTurfPros]

Great suggestion!

[@natemoore5238]

Wondered your thoughts on if a switch to this career would be manageable to get into if you have student loan debt.

[@richardmercado6285]

There’s nothing like new equipment, makes life amazing. Honda commercial lawnmower $1,400 TMC 27 weed Wacker $500 Echo pb770 leaf blower $500 TMC trimmer $500 that’s $3 grand new, if you go to your local swap meet you can cut that price in half. Don’t go with subpar equipment EVER... this will make you think that this biz isn’t for you

[@ridgehall1612]

What do you do about getting through fences with your zero turn mower if it doesn’t fit?

[@banksboy6806]

The push mower is the way to start

[@roadstar499]

All good points...i did this business on a small scale for many years... now at 61 i am thinking of getting back into it... i want to have maybe 15-25 properties... which i can push mow... i like the new 30 inch mowers... i am thinking many people would prefer smaller less heavy duty equipment... any thoughts?thanks.

[@robsweeney7028]

Why when you could get a commercial stand stand on 36' mower for around 150 a month.

[@charlesstillsonjr.1000]

That was pretty enjoyable but I do all them things you do and I have brand new equipment I have a brand new 2019 Hustler x one stag and a grasshopper for back up

[@charlesstillsonjr.1000]

And I am also here in Florida Daytona area

[@charlesstillsonjr.1000]

I also have a four-day week I do 50 accounts by myself done Thursday night service equipment Friday morning mist of the weekend mine I do not go in people's yards on a weekend that's their time in my time unless it's an emergency something that has to be done easy to get along with and all my customers pay thank God I had food customers I've been doing this down here 14 years up in New York all my life

[@BobbyBowker]

0:38 LOL!!!

[@hunterwalters5975]

You may have answered this question in the past, but what do you do if you realize you priced a lawn too low

[@MatthewSmith-uf6tr]

If you weren’t in Florida , do you think you would be just as successful? Would you start it if you only had 7 months of cutting at best?

[@SMHV_SQUAD]

I’m not tech savvy so pardon my question lol. How do you reschedule clients on yard book without doing each individually? Maybe there is another tutorial you know of you can refer me to. For example: I would reschedule due to rain, then have to repopulate them all back to their regular service date. Not sure if I am being clear with my question.

[@FloridaTurfPros]

I'll do a video on this.

[@Grassology-vs1hn]

Great video 👍🏿 what percentage of your business is just mowing? How many yards do you mow in a 4 day work week ? Lawn care Is Pt for me I do 15 yards a week after work. I would love to do it FT just to have freedom but i carry health insurance for my family.

[@whiskeylies4221]

Grassology4610 keep hustling man. You’ll get there. Good Luck👍

[@Grassology-vs1hn]

Whiskey Lies , thank you so much for the encouragement it goes a long way 👍🏿

[@eddiemanrique8316]

Im really guilty of saying we instead of I cuz im usually solo. But im tired of people thinking my truck and equipment doesnt have to pay itself off

[@parkerbest1575]

What size trailer do you use

[@FloridaTurfPros]

6x12 with one ft sides. Bye-rite. Super light gates and affordable.

[@willsturdivant3516]

Is there any insurance needed to start a single person side job operation?

[@ultragreenllc]

I have Commercial General Liability Insurance that costs me approximately $49 a month through Hiscox. the caveat to that is, I have a registered LLC business within my state and believe I would rather have insurance than not.

[@cacyjack]

I just started my lawn business & i did business cards & door flyers & it’s not moving much . Any advice ?

[@MatthewSmith-uf6tr]

Google, yelp, Facebook etc... make an online presence. It’s late in the season too.

[@lisamccarty4674]

Take pics of you and your best lawns. Put them on your free google business page. Get some good reviews and your phone will ring. Here it is late July and I'm getting 2 to 4 calls a day. No marketing I've ever done has been as effective.

[@cacyjack]

@@lisamccarty4674 thank you very much.

[@whiskeylies4221]

Keep after it man. You’ll get there. Good Luck👍

[@Razrback]

I made 56000 a year on just Saturdays and I couldn't say no and at the end of the day I got burned out

[@damianpascual97]

I need help I’m from Florida too and I’m 16 years old I have 6 accounts and I don’t know how to get more people

[@whiskeylies4221]

Damian Pascual keep hustling man, you’ll get there. Good Luck Man👍

[@thelawnbutcher4674]

No way y’all only mow 4 days a week. No wayyyyy.

[@FloridaTurfPros]

We mow Monday through Thursday.

[@AdvancedLawn]

I’d like to pick ur brain. I’m thinking of adding a two man mowing crew. Do you have email