Should I Start My Own Lawn Care Business?

Starting a lawn care business can be easier than you think. Really the difficult part is deciding on how you want to operate your business. I've had my own business for about five years now, and look forward to helping someone who is interested in getting in the field. So I have put together some questions that you should ask yourself before you start your business.

Decide whether you want your business as part time, or a full time venture?

I attend college while I run my lawn care business on the side. If you're just starting out and don't have a job already you're going to have to remember "Rome wasn't built in a day." If you have bills you need to pay, at least get a part time job doing something else. You could even work for another lawn care company. The goal Is to get enough clientele until you can branch out on your own, and still support your needs. I have a friend who works 40+ hours at a local landscape company, and on the weekends he runs his own lawn care route. You have to remember lawn care is seasonal, so having a second job can save you in the winter.

Do you want to eventually have someone running day to day operations?

Sometimes people think because you're the boss you can just sit back and relax. This is not true, if you want to be able to just sit back and put bids on jobs, you are going to need to get employee's that you can trust. You have to have someone that can make decisions on your behalf and who will please your customers. You are going to have to mold these employees' in your image.

How are you going to manage your profits, and expenses?

During my business I had pretty much no expenses other than food, insurance, and taxes. So it wasn't hard to budget because as long as I could cover those expenses I could spend as much as I needed. You also need to keep a record of your expenses and mileage for the IRS.

Are you going to do without equipment until you can afford it, or will you finance it until you can pay it off?

Living with my grandparents I was able to purchase a residential Hustler zero turn in cash. If you have too many bills you have two options. You can buy a push mower, and use it until you save enough money for a zero turn, or you can finance a new zero turn on payments. If you buy your equipment on financing, you need to pay the bills monthly. You can use this formula below to calculate your monthly income stream for each yard. (Mows per year*Charge per cut)/(12 Months)

Is working outside something you enjoy doing?

If you don't like working outside, lawn care is not for you. Here in Florida its hot, muggy, and humid. Don't feel bad working outside is not for everyone.

Do you want year round contracts, or are you just wanting summertime work?

The biggest difference between the big companies, and the small ones is the way they do the payment system. Bigger companies will require new customers to get on a one-year contract. This is so that they can have a fixed payment plan throughout the year, regardless of the amount of grass that they cut.

My last and final point. Do you enjoy it?

There is more to lawn care than just mowing, and weed eating. You have to enjoy it. I can say first hand that no one lasts very long that does it for the money. Running a lawn care business, I found that sometimes you're spending as much as you make. If you work hard, and treat people with honesty, you will prosper. Just start small like I did, and work your way up. It won't take more than a year to realize if this is something you want to do full time.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. If you're interested in the field I hope this may have given you some insight on starting your own business.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Colby_Sullivan/2384037

Mental Health's Negative Attitude Toward Marketing

Recently, a board member of a state counseling association to which I was about to present a day-long seminar on practice management and marketing said she was uncomfortable with "advertising" my books and with my "attitude of self-promotion." If I am guilty of "advertising" and "self-promotion," so be it. I am not ashamed.

The mindset of many mental health providers is that we are too good for "advertising," "self-promotion," or "marketing." Somehow these activities are beneath us-even unprofessional. For example, the American Psychological Association until recently did not sponsor continuing education credits for seminars specific to "practice development." I have one word to describe clinicians with this negative view of marketing: "Poor!"

I fervently challenge this negative attitude. The old adage "Build a better mouse trap and the world will come to your door," simply is untrue. You may design a new and better mouse trap, but if no one knows about your invention, you will not be able to distribute it.

You cannot help the client you don't see. You may be an excellent clinician. Yet, if only a few persons know of you and your skill, you won't be successful and many prospective clients will not get the benefit of your services.

Ph.D., Psy.D., EDD., MD., NP., MA., MED, MC, MSW, MFT, LPC, LCSW, etc.. Psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, analyst, clinician, counselor, marriage and family therapist, family therapist, social worker, coach, etc.. Therapy, counseling, psychotherapy, CBT, DBT, psychoanalysis, analysis, EMDR, family of origin work, solution-focused treatment, medication management, life coaching, etc. Above, are the credentials and titles of professionals who offer private mental health services and the types of services that can be provided. Obviously, the average client/patient cannot differentiate among all these providers or comprehend the various forms of treatment. They likely well be lost in the "alphabet soup" and will be incapable of appreciating one provider over another.

Unless you promote yourself, deserving clients will likely not find you in the morass of initials, titles, and services. Providers of mental health services must promote themselves to rise above the "alphabet soup." We need to let potential clients know of our training, experience, and expertise. Why would any client select a therapist unless that client believed that professional was distinctive and special in some way?

To stand out from the crowd mental health providers can and should do things that "brands" them as an "expert"-such as write articles, speak on the radio and/or TV, speak professionally, or write a book, etc. By engaging in such activities you are advertising and self-promoting-all in a professional, ethical manner. If you won't promote yourself, who will?

Larry F. Waldman, Ph.D., ABPP is a licensed psychologist who practiced in the Paradise Valley area of Phoenix for nearly 40 years. He continues to speak professionally to laypersons, educators, corporations, attorneys, and fellow mental health professionals, particularly on practice development. He teaches graduate courses for NAU. He is the author of numerous articles and six books. His contact information is: 602-418-8161; LarryWaldmanPhD@cox.net; http://www.TopPhoenixPsychologist.com.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Larry_F_Waldman/1188293