Lawn Care Featured Article

Simple Lawn Care Advice

Lawn care is a task that most homeowners must deal with, but similarly, many people don’t understand the basics of caring for a lawn, and thus deal with stunted, weed-ridden lawns. If you find yourself envying your neighbor’s beautiful lawn, you need to learn some of the tricks that will help you to have a beautiful lawn yourself. A little lawn care advice will help you identify some of the mistakes you might be making when you work on your lawn.

Watering

Your lawn needs water to thrive, but if you don’t follow simple lawn care advice and water properly, your watering will be ineffective and wasteful. Water in the early morning, when the sun won’t evaporate the water right away, and water enough to saturate the soil. Do not water on a regular pattern, but wait until your lawn has almost dried out again before repeating the watering.

The reasoning behind this bit of lawn care advice is to mimic the natural pattern of watering that comes from rain, large bursts followed by periods with no moisture. If you do this, then the roots of your lawn will grow deep and strong.

Mowing

Sound lawn care advice for mowing is to clip your grass so that it’s near the upper portions of its recommended height range (your local garden shop can help you determine this for your variety). The reasoning behind this bit of lawn care advice is that by growing your grass a little longer, you increase the amount of area exposed for photosynthesis, which means better growth, and it also helps the grass to choke out new weeds.

Taking proper care of your mower is also good lawn care advice. Make sure that your mower blades are sharp; a sharp blade will cut cleanly and prevent damage to your grass, which will also inhibit growth. Take your blades to be sharpened by a professional each year.

Thatch Control

Thatch is the material that comes from dead grass and other materials laying on the ground and inhibiting growth rather than decomposing. Good lawn care advice means recommending that you do your best to fight thatch. This is more a project to be handled yearly rather than week by week. Cutting grass at the recommended height for your type of grass will help reduce thatch, as will aeration of your lawn in the spring and fall. By following this and other good lawn care advice, you’ll be able to have a lush lawn that you can be proud of.

Permalink Print • 1 Comment

May 31, 2007

Cash Flow And Debt In The Lawn Care Business

Tip! Weed Control - This is really down to good lawn care management. With an established lawn, laid with good quality seed or turf, the rules for maintaining it include the following.

This article is prompted by a message from the wife of a lawn care operator we’ll call, “Sally” on the east coast. Unfortunately, it’s a far too common problem.

Sally’s hubby was just starting his lawn care business and went to town on the purchases. Nothing but the newest and the best.

Seems, some folks feel the need to buy brand new equipment, financed, a new truck, financed causing too much debt load.

When your business, (or ANY business) is in it’s infancy, positive cash flow is like oxygen. You die without it.

Don’t feel that you need the nicest, latest, greatest equipment to get started right. You don’t! Do everything you can to stay away from monthly debt payments.

Now I know, it is a necessary evil in some cases. But do you really NEED a brand new Ford F-350 Turbo Diesel Quad Cab with $800 a month payments?

A new business needs to be reinvesting it’s positive cash flow back into itself in order to grow. That $800 could go towards paying a part time helper to free you up to bid more projects so you can make even more money.

I know, it is difficult to resist the urge to look good I’ve been faced with the same challenges, trust me. But delayed gratification pays off big time.

Tip! Establishment lawn care - Whether starting entirely from scratch, or renovating and old, tired lawn, the following is the best way to proceed. Seeding - for a lawn to be created from a bare, grassless mud patch, it is easier to get professional help with the levelling, via a tractor and box blade.

Now, I’ve had to put weedeaters and lawn mowers on credit cards before. I did not OWN any equipment when I got started. I borrowed it from my brother. $1,000, $2,000 OK, but $45,000? Be real.

Remember, do everything you can to allow your business to feed itself, don’t feed interest payments in the beginning.

Once your business is big enough it will put you in the truck of your dreams. Just make sure your business gets big enough.

Tip! The best lawn care tip you can get is to start with a solid plan.

William Feller is a Past State Board Member of the Texas Association of Landscape Contractors as well as a Past President of the Austin Chapter of the Texas Association of Landscape Contractors.

Today William helps people start and operate their own Lawn Care Business through his site at http://www.MowingForMoney.com

Permalink Print

May 30, 2007

How Much Can I Make in the Lawn Care Business?

Tip! Weed Control - This is really down to good lawn care management. With an established lawn, laid with good quality seed or turf, the rules for maintaining it include the following.

I am often asked the question, “How much can I make in the Lawn Care Business”? and in addition, I also get asked the second part, “How long will it take me to get there?”

Well, those are both loaded questions for ME to answer because I don’t know so many variables about the person asking the question. So, let me just give you an example of what COULD happen, a real life example.

Earlier today, I received a call from John H. in Alabama. John is a former Pharmacist. I believe John is in his fifties and his lawn care experience prior to now was doing lawns in college and maintaining his own residence.

John was as excited on the phone as anyone I’ve heard from in a long time, here’s why….In less than 3 months of starting his Lawn Care Business, John already has $20,000 in MONTHLY contracts!

Not only that, but he is negotiating for a chain of 18 Service Stations in his city. I remind you, this has been in less than 90 days.

John relayed a conversation he had with a friend of his who is a doctor. His friend said that in short order John will be earning more than him (the doctor) and being able to enjoy the outdoors. Think of the power of that.

Tip! More and more people are flocking to the internet to find and research products and services, lawn care services included. Having a well-designed direct response website that captures the attention and contact information of your visitors will set you up for a windfall of new business in the coming months.

Can you envision yourself earning a strong six figure ($100,000++) income in Lawn Care? It’s there, and it’s within your grasp. Financial security, personal freedom, pride of accomplishment, and respect from your peers.

You need to sit down, develope some clear goals, believe those goals are attainable, then work on making them come true. At the very least, write down some goals. Make them as clear as possible and have the dates that you want them to be accomplished by.

How To Start A Lawn Care Business. Step By Step Instructions For The Lawn Care And Landscape Business.

Remember, you can’t hit a target you can’t see.

Let John’s story be an inspiration to you. If he can do it, you can do it.

William Feller is a Past State Board Member of the Texas Association of Landscape Contractors as well as a Past President of the Austin Chapter of the Texas Association of Landscape Contractors.

Your Lawn Care Business Marketing Plan. How To Double Your Lawn Care Business In The Next 30 Days.

Today William helps people start and operate their own Lawn Care Business through his site at http://www.MowingForMoney.com

Permalink Print
Made with WordPress and the Semiologic theme and CMS • Strawberry Cream, Classic skin by Antonella Pavese