summer lawn care?

Question

is it worth the money of getting a student loan to buy the needed equipment for two people mowing and trimming people's yards over the summer? how much should i charge? By the hour or yard? Is this sucessful idea or a potential disaster.

Answer 1

if you reallly want to do this i warn you it is not easy work! also do not buy riding lawn tractors! you will be better off buying one zero turn mower! charge by the yard if you are making payments, buying gas and trying to pay someones wages you will need to make at least 60.00 per hour! if your heart isnt in it you are looking at a potential disaster! the rest is up to you ive done it for years now. once you start getting customers and do good work for them,they begin telling their freinds and soon you will be swamped with work! ggod luck!

Answer 2

By now most Landscape/Grass Service people and companies are already at work and have contracts for the full year. The likelyhood of you bringing-in enough customers to be truly profitable is dim. As a student - be one!
Contact the local landscape firms in your area for employment. You can earn money and observe how the operation actually works. Believe me, it is neither easy or inexpensive, and sole success depends on the weather and equipment. Cutting "a lawn" in a professional manner is not as easy as you think. Aside from dependable small and mid-sized mowers you will need weed-eaters, back-pack and full sized blowers, edgers, and an assortment of hand tools.
Trimming hedges is a tricky business. Most hedges are not trimmed properly!! It is an art form to know how, when, and why you trim a hedgerow or shrub. You and your friends may find a great hedge to trim and come in contact with Poision Ivy, Oak, Sumac, etc. For the next two to three weeks your business will be itching vs. performing.
Be advised that in the majority of the country the Landscape season(s) are either March to November or all year round. The competition you face is ready for that, the maintenance, the new equipment, and education updates. I again suggest you spend time with an established (more than five years) Landscape firm. The education will direct you in the right direction.
Good Luck.

Answer 3

There are a lot of people making good money at it, so is it a good idea? sure. You should estimate how long it will take you to do a yard from start to finish and include the time it takes to get there. Then figure out how much you want to make and include your overhead charges. If you find someone willing to pay that price go for it. The draw backs will be in the bad weather,or if your equipment breaks down, or someone calls in sick, if you have a full route and a limited crew you will sometimes have to do 2 days work in one day. Good luck.

Answer 4

No there's good money, in that sort of thing. The best way to charge is by the job. After you do a few, you'll know about how much you had to spend on certain size jobs. Just don't take on to big a job, right off the bat. Start small and try to stay in one neighbor hood for a while. Word gets around in a small town, so they say. Pretty soon people will be coming up to you asking for work to be done.Because they like what you did with their neighbors yard. You gotta pick the right neighborhood, though. Start with older people who can't or don't have the time to do it themselves. And don't be discouraged if yopu get a lot of "no thanks" in the beginning. Persistance pays off!