United3dArtists Archive

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 24 Jul 2010, 03:17

I got a big weed cleaning job. I've been trying to do better on figuring the expenses and time need and give profitable estimates. If things work as I expect or close to it then I'll make decent money on this job.

Also having more 3 job days. Did three today and made $10.71 per hour before expenses which aren't too much. Could have charged more on two of those but I'm happy with today's money.

Getting occasional extra jobs from my regular mowing customers too. Plant a shrub, haul stuff, ...

bitkar · Post by **bitkar** » 26 Jul 2010, 08:24

great, soon you will be free and rich ;)

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 29 Jul 2010, 20:39

Had to take the truck to mechanics. The clutch has trouble. Manual shift. Sometimes pushing the pedal all the way to the floor isn't enough to disengage it so I can't shift into gear. A little pedal moving and grinding and it'll go into gear but it needs fixing. If it is not cheap to fix then doomsday has probably arrived. Can't do lawn care without a truck.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 30 Jul 2010, 00:17

About $30 to fix the clutch. Not trivial to my impoverished finances but not doomsday. It uses brake fluid for something and that had leaked.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 10 Aug 2010, 03:21

Things that do not go together: white towels and lawn work.

My borrowed mower is in the shop. It makes an odd sound when it stops and stops quickly. Probably expensive.

A new (weekly mowing!) customer has a mower that I got running and she will give it to me if I completely fix it. It just needs a spring to be completely fixed.

A guy who has two rental houses wants me to do various handyman work for him one day a week. We'll negotiate the details soon.

2.5 acre weed cleaning job going well. Borrowed a brush hog -- giant weed eater on wheels. Wildlife sightings: 1 snake of unknown type, 3 lizards, 2 hawks.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 11 Aug 2010, 16:22

Everything is breaking. Truck getting fussy about starting. Mower is in the shop. My nice big regular proportions computer monitor won't come on. At first I thought my computer was booting up very slowly but it was the monitor.

Hard to get a regular proportions screen now. They are all wide screen which is ok if you can afford one that is 23 feet wide so it might be 1 foot tall. I'll see if the local repair shop can fix mine, seems to be a power problem, or has a cheap old one. Should have kept my old CRT.

I've probably got another new customer. About 15 miles south of town so I'll have to charge extra for distance.

v3rd3 · Post by **v3rd3** » 11 Aug 2010, 19:31

If you need a CRT I will send you one if you pay the shipping. I think I have some 17" and 19" around here.

Lemme know.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 11 Aug 2010, 23:00

Thanks V3rd3. Would have taken you up on that but I already got an economical new one. Money I had hoped to save but these new customers are providing enough income that fewer things are disasters.

Got the mostly weekly handyman job.

bitkar · Post by **bitkar** » 12 Aug 2010, 06:27

sounds good - new customer from time to time and you are ok. Still keep it up by some adverts! One economics advice says, that half of the income should be invested into marketing/advert.

About that things. I have pretty bad luck too, from time to time. Things break usually when I buy them or after waranty :) everything is made to last short time. But I think its just a small period of time - as you fix it now, it should work then ok for a long time again, I hope.

I think its developing ok, overall.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 26 Aug 2010, 03:45

My office: While working in a rural yard I stopped to see if a storm would pass. Across the basin I can see clouds above the mountains, bright with afternoon sun, and the dark curtain of rain below them. A mile to the east I see the mountain's steep slopes and great cliffs rising two thousand feet above me. Clouds have formed there too. Rain falls in the canyons and on the mountains. There is a rainbow between me and the mountains. It has part of a double arch. Lighting flashes and thunder booms from the mountainside and echoes in the canyons. The smell of lightning is in the air. Birds fly and then settle and soon a light rain starts where I am. Lightning is close now so I get in the truck. Strong wind rocks the truck. Work will wait until tomorrow then. On the way home I see other storms in the distance. Sun rays shine among the clouds and between columns of rain.

froo · Post by **froo** » 26 Aug 2010, 04:08

That is a nice Office View Finis. I hope your lawn care business continues to grow!
Say, in the fall/winter, do you get snow at your location?
If you do you can make $$ plowing neighborhood roads, and esp. driveways and sidewalks.
Snow is fun but shoveling it sucks!

marcel · Post by **marcel** » 26 Aug 2010, 14:30

Finis wrote:My office: While working in a rural yard I stopped to see if a storm would pass. Across the basin I can see clouds above the mountains, bright with afternoon sun, and the dark curtain of rain below them. A mile to the east I see the mountain's steep slopes and great cliffs rising two thousand feet above me. Clouds have formed there too. Rain falls in the canyons and on the mountains. There is a rainbow between me and the mountains. It has part of a double arch. Lighting flashes and thunder booms from the mountainside and echoes in the canyons. The smell of lightning is in the air. Birds fly and then settle and soon a light rain starts where I am. Lightning is close now so I get in the truck. Strong wind rocks the truck. Work will wait until tomorrow then. On the way home I see other storms in the distance. Sun rays shine among the clouds and between columns of rain.

Finis: you are a dreamer and a poet!

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 26 Aug 2010, 15:26

Froo: There's some snow in the winter but it usually melts quickly and usually isn't much. So there's no real income available in plowing or clearing driveways etc. Good idea though and that is what many lawn care people in other places do in the winter. If I had a big pick up with a winch I could pull people out of the shoulder or median when they slide off the road during snow or ice. No one here knows how to drive in it.

Marcel: A poet! Thanks! A dreamer? Well I probably am but that really is a description of a day last week.

The German Air Force people who are here (they train pilots at the nearby AFB) are telling each other about me and I'm getting business from them. Aren't there any short German soldiers? I'm tall and they are all six inches taller than me.

Finished the 2.5 acre job. Not making much there, took longer than I thought, but I'm glad it is done. Now to do three profitable mowing jobs today.

marcel · Post by **marcel** » 26 Aug 2010, 18:44

You should create a dress style.

froo · Post by **froo** » 26 Aug 2010, 20:03

hahahahaha funny marcel!

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 28 Aug 2010, 00:43

Being my own boss means I don't have to wear a tie.

spacekdet · Post by **spacekdet** » 28 Aug 2010, 03:31

Finis wrote:Being my own boss means I don't have to wear a tie.

Probably not a good idea anyway around all that spinning machinery.

marcel · Post by **marcel** » 28 Aug 2010, 09:47

I hope this is not a person who wants to commit suicide because his lawn mower exploded!

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 07 Sep 2010, 03:31

I strained a muscle in my back. Not too bad but I keep turning the wrong way doing it again. Then I have to be very careful how I move so I don't make it worse.

I lost the keys to my P.O. Box. There is a $100 check in there. They changed the lock and gave me new keys. $17. Still can't get in. Hmm, maybe if I paid the fee which was due at the end of last month.

The dump would charge for dumping a load from my truck. I was taking my magnetic door sign off and not mentioning that the stuff was a commercial load -- private loads are free. Too many visits and they are getting suspicious. Now get this. The fee is based on the size of the vehicle you bring the trash in. One limb in my truck: $8.50. Same limb in big dump truck: ba-zillion dollars. I won't but I should: What if I had customers sign a form saying that they are giving me the stuff I remove from their yards? Then I could legally say it is a private load. I would be my stuff.

I go to the county dump now. They don't allow commercial dumping but they unofficially have "don't ask don't tell" when it is brush.

froo · Post by **froo** » 08 Sep 2010, 01:04

Two words:

Bonfire Party!

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 11 Sep 2010, 02:35

Golf course! I had a one time job removing some broken tree limbs at a house near the golf course. That area is a gold mine for lawn care people. I hope to get more work and referrals there. The guy across the street might be interested.

I got a call from a guy in California to get the limbs from his rental house here. Turns out he owns several rental houses around the golf course! He is interested in having me take care of the yards between renters and do things like the tree limbs. So I go there and a pretty 6'1" valkyrie answers the door. German of course but she spoke English with hardly an accent. The husband appears and has a wish list of more things for me to do. I'll give a price to the owner and maybe get more work there. Later a semi-retired old timer in landscaping was working next door. He gave me advice and a saw. He charges much more than I have been for various things so I'll raise prices for some things.

spacekdet · Post by **spacekdet** » 11 Sep 2010, 02:42

Golf courses smell like money.

froo · Post by **froo** » 11 Sep 2010, 14:37

Well that's great Finis! It's always good to get referrals, and also, a plus, to meet with others in the profession. Good that you got some tips!

bitkar · Post by **bitkar** » 13 Sep 2010, 08:02

or lend money and open some golf course ;D .... later

anyway, its getting better i think... its interesting to watch your business grow and develop.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 14 Sep 2010, 03:11

Not business but: A knock on my door about nine last night. A policeman is there. My truck is close to the description of one that a guy drove over a kid's skateboard. He implied that the driver almost hit the kid or kids. I was with hang gliders on the mountain and then at a restaurant when the crime occurred and my truck hadn't moved since that morning. Hearing that he left.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 10 Oct 2010, 00:26

I went to the dump. I needed a jump start from the dump guy. Then I only got a few miles down the road before I ran out of gas.

It has been cold at night, around 50, so the grass will go dormant soon.

Steinie · Post by **Steinie** » 10 Oct 2010, 13:23

You need to start selling some stuff online for the Winter!
Your in a tough situation, needing money to make money. Also the
area you live in is struggling right now. (like many many other places)
Splinters finally made a break through selling his books using a different
market.
Good luck and keep going.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 20 Oct 2010, 01:57

Yep to all of that Steinie.

I have two clean up jobs. Just finished one and made OK money on it. That guy went fishing today and gave me some trout. Have to gut 'em and freeze 'em. Too tired for cooking tonight. The other clean up job is not going so well. Taking much longer than I thought. I'll see about getting some help for that one. I'll make no money but that'll get it done so I can get to more profitable jobs.

Denny's restaurant hired me to clean their rocks. $15 for 10 to 20 minutes work. That's an occasional thing.

I've been thinking that if next season is good I could hire someone but I'm already taxed and regulated out of creating that job. The cost and complexity of having an employee is just too much and it is probably going to get much worse.

A bunch of bills are due soon. Other than the truck insurance it is mostly tax.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 27 Oct 2010, 03:31

By local regulations a home based business can only employ immediate family members who live at the home. So if I try to grow and hire people I would have to have at least an office in a commercial/business zone for the business location.

That means I can't legally hire a guy and pick him up from his house and go to work sites unless I have the expense of renting an office somewhere just to get the non-home non-residential address. Regulations stifling business and jobs.

v3rd3 · Post by **v3rd3** » 27 Oct 2010, 05:17

There are rules in just about every jurisdiction intended to push us to keep our business records outside of the home.... (easier for certain agencies to cease said records if required).

One thing you might consider is whether or not you can get access to a serviced office facility...

These places will set you up to use their address as your business address... they will train their receptionists to answer your business phone... provide office space etc.

The outfit my wife rents her office space from will set you up with a mailbox for a small fee then rent you desk space or storage space (like a file cabinet) for a pretty small amount... around $100/mth in our neck of the woods. Try to find a couple near you and price them out... Yes it is an expense but it does not have to be that big.... also ... it is deductible from your business taxable income being a pure business expense.

bitkar · Post by **bitkar** » 27 Oct 2010, 09:11

isnt it possilbe that you find a guy that "has company" like you have. Just working on his own and cooperate? Instead of hiring him, you will pay him like you are his customer - he would give you invoice each time instead of salary.

v3rd3 · Post by **v3rd3** » 27 Oct 2010, 13:45

If you get into this type of relationship you need a non-compete agreement to make sure the other party is not helping you to later take your customers.... happens quite often in all fields....

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 27 Oct 2010, 16:39

I probably can't ever hire anyone anyway due to the regulatory/tax/other-than-pay-expense troubles of having employees. So mostly just ranting about that. I prefer the freedom of working alone but I don't like having the employee option thwarted. However Bitkar and V3rd3, you proposed workable solutions. I'd thought I could sneak around the rules by renting a square inch of someone's desk and permission to use his office address just to meet the requirements by technicality. Serviced office facility ... that would fix this problem.

There are tactical problems, as V3rd3 noted, with cooperating with another lawn guy but there is also that it isn't competitive enterprise. There's not much point in being separate companies if we cooperate. That teamwork is good within a company so it can compete with other companies. However, to overcome specifically the home business technicality it could be a viable idea.

So far no one wants to work for cash (as in "unofficial employment") for a few hours now and then. Understandable but thought some would want dollars where they can get 'em or a little extra work.

bitkar · Post by **bitkar** » 01 Nov 2010, 08:49

having a contract with someone external (also a one man company) is quite common here in cz. Its only a paperwork. In fact you are the boss, telling him where to go and what to do. So dont think about it like another company, its only technical issue.
also we use "virtual office". Just renting an address with a postbox you can use. They forward everything to your home. Pretty smart. Therefore you have one small old house which (virtually) hosts hundret of companies like a biiiiig commercial building :)

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 02 Nov 2010, 01:01

A virtual office or serviced office facility or something like that would solve the non-family-resident employee technicality problem.

A temp agency might be able to provide the temp help I could occasionally need. Costly though. "Unofficial temp employment" would be cheapest but I have to find someone who wants the work. My neighbor would help but he's too old for the physical demands of these cleanups.

I messed up today. I was mowing a yard lower than previously and I hit the plastic sewer access pipe. Broke the top inch or so off. Just plain stupid. I let my mind wander. I left a message for the customer, who was not home, about that. I can fix it by putting on a part that fits over the current pipe and has threads for the cap on top. That would be cheap. If a plumber is needed then not so good. I guess I could dig the hole so there would be less for the plumber to do and reduce cost.

Edit: She let me fix it so no plumber expense and I'll count the supplies as a business expense.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 07 Nov 2010, 01:05

I finished a "some of everything" yard that I terribly underbid. I thought cutting back some cactus would take about 6-8 hours ... it took at least 3 days. Didn't make much per hour but I'm glad that's done. I have to get better at estimating time and cost for my bids. Made high profit on two other jobs but I need every penny now. I've been keeping records of what I do and how long it takes so that will help.

Today I removed a grape vine from a wall and the ground. A lot of digging up roots and pulling ground vines. That was a lot of work. Rented a chainsaw since I saw that it would take forever to do it the way I planned. With the saw I could just shred most of it. Worked great but it cost more than I was making on the job to rent it. Fortunately, I see that the customer paid me twice what I asked so I'll still make some money on this.

He wants an estimate to cover the area I cleared with rocks. He lives in an upscale neighborhood so hopefully I can expand to his neighbors. I don't usually install rocks but this is a small area and I'll make my estimate including having them delivered. (Yards here are often, all or part, covered with rocks to save on the water bill or for low maintenance (they're not) or to avoid having to maintain grass. http://www.sw-landscape.net" )

They've put up guard rails/gates around the bins at the dump because someone fell in. They won't open them unless you have a dump trailer. So now it is difficult to back up to the bins (giant dumpsters in a pit with the tops at about ground level), lower the tailgate and push the load out. So when I stand in the back of my truck to fork or push stuff the guard rail is at shin height, in the way, and perfect to trip me. I'm going to make a "dump ramp" from plywood to use there.

http://www.jackrabbitlawncare.com"

froo · Post by **froo** » 07 Nov 2010, 02:34

Ah xeriscaping Finis?
That person that fell in... maybe next time he should tie a 2x4 to his ass so he
won't fall in again.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 07 Dec 2010, 05:04

The leaves are falling now so that's providing a temporary boost in income for me.

I got a new repeat service customer. He wants to pay a set monthly fee for me to take care of everything and gave me $100 up front. Another repeat customer also gets chauffeur service now (can't drive due to illness) and doubled my handyman work. Yet another handyman/yard customer has some jobs for me this winter. He used to do lawns/landscaping for work and he will teach me about trimming trees this winter.

I got the rock xeriscaping job. I'll be close to broke after getting the materials but it should be done soon and I'll get that back plus my profit.

Doomsday may yet loom ahead though. I didn't think about the social security and medicare taxes. Even if I can manage to pay them it seems I'm just working to pay tax. When you work but someone else takes all the results and decides what purpose they are applied to ... isn't there a word for that? Let's see, on an antebellum plantation it was called ... slavery.

bitkar · Post by **bitkar** » 07 Dec 2010, 10:28

hm, not sounding bad...

btw: falling leaves?? its december. Its snowing like crazy here in CZ :))

RAYMAN · Post by **RAYMAN** » 07 Dec 2010, 11:23

bitkar wrote:hm, not sounding bad...

btw: falling leaves?? its december. Its snowing like crazy here in CZ )

We had snow here a few days ago..
I´m about 100 miles away from you country....
Peter

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 08 Dec 2010, 03:50

Yeah, leaves are just falling now. I'm far south in the desert so winter is mild but due to altitude is colder than neighboring desert areas. Today was 63F (17.2C), low tonight 27F (-2.7C).

bitkar · Post by **bitkar** » 08 Dec 2010, 09:54

i must move somewhere south :-/

marcel · Post by **marcel** » 08 Dec 2010, 19:23

Lawn mower.

marcel · Post by **marcel** » 08 Dec 2010, 19:29

Another for athletes.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 13 Dec 2010, 04:02

Bitkar: Only if you like summer heat. I like it. I went hiking when it was 106 (41.11C) partly because it was 106. It snows a little most years and we get a good deep one sometimes.

Marcel: Ha, ha! I'll have to post those pictures on a lawn care forum I visit.

Rock job done. Three tons of 1" rocks moved with a shovel and wheelbarrow and spread with a rake. He paid me extra and wants more rock landscaping and lawn care next grass season. This house is in an upscale neighborhood. Swimming pool, excellent lawn, scenic trees ... it will make good showcase photos for my web site or fliers. A couple of other customers should be showcases next season too.

froo · Post by **froo** » 13 Dec 2010, 05:15

Wow; six thousand pounds of pebbles moved with a rake, shovel, and wheelbarrow? Do you need some Ben Gay?
How about your wheelbarrow? Maybe some oil?

Dude that's a killer workout!

Hiking when it's 106 degrees? My hat's off to you! I think I'll just... stay in.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 18 Dec 2010, 03:05

I got a little sore the on first rock day but I felt like Superman the next day. My usual work keeps me in shape.

froo · Post by **froo** » 18 Dec 2010, 15:14

Good idea Finis. If you already have a business appointment scheduled then you must meet that. Being late may not help; it's good that your other customers are supportive, so far. The folks you are helping may very well have to rework their schedule around yours. Perhaps they could tell you, what errands they need run, before they schedule their appointment, so you can tell them, your availability. Then, they can schedule their appointments when you are available.

In other words, coordinate.

Steinie · Post by **Steinie** » 18 Dec 2010, 20:35

Easy fix, do their chores last. That way you can do whatever request they ask.
The only time they would be using is yours and not your customers.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 19 Dec 2010, 02:20

Good advice. Thanks!

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 28 Dec 2010, 16:40

I decided that I am Employee of the Month!

bitkar · Post by **bitkar** » 29 Dec 2010, 21:26

looks great - more job = more money

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 17 Jan 2011, 22:05

My customer who gets chauffeur service and handyman work usually has 2 days per week of work for me now so that's some extra income. I'm doing a clean up and weed/brush removal now for another one. That is easier than it could have been and the customer accepted a reasonable bid so I'll make a good profit on it. I think I'll get another pole saw blade though. I'll cut some mesquite branches and its wood is very hard and dulls blades.

Overall winter, with little lawn work, is going better than I thought it would.

Back to work.

Update: Customer's neighbor might be interested.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 27 Jan 2011, 23:37

Almost finished a job today but my truck is full and the dump is closed. Not much left so it will be quick later. Wife of a bank big wig, on the same street as two other customers and who was driving a Porsche, stopped to get an estimate on some work. I gave a high bid and she accepted. Not a big job but my empire is expanding in the richer neighborhoods.

I needed new lopers. They had anvil style (blade presses to flat bar on other side) for 5 or 7 dollars more than the bypass (like big scissors). I wanted them but they were too heavy. Got good ones though. When buying tools like that look for sturdy handles, sturdy connections between parts, and construction that allows you to repair it (regular bolts etc.)

spacekdet · Post by **spacekdet** » 28 Jan 2011, 00:41

Fiskars make good ones. I love mine.

Steinie · Post by **Steinie** » 28 Jan 2011, 03:34

spacekdet wrote:Fiskars make good ones. I love mine.

I usually shave mine off (sorry about your lisp) ....oh never mind, back to the gardens...

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 28 Jan 2011, 04:28

I got the Fiskars ones. They are great so far.

Steinie, Fiskars shaved but (roll song from Hair) a few more inches of hair and it'll be like high school. Gotta scrape up money for a haircut.

bitkar · Post by **bitkar** » 28 Jan 2011, 10:54

great, seems like you will be (not only) lawn care bussiness tycoon :)

after first very tough months, it seems to develop really well!

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 10 Feb 2011, 18:25

I definitely need employees ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOrJc8lfSU8"

RAYMAN · Post by **RAYMAN** » 10 Feb 2011, 22:39

Finis wrote:I definitely need employees ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOrJc8lfSU8"

No Finis you just got to have your boobs fixed....

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 03 Mar 2011, 02:22

I've got a new customer. Rototilling now and wants mowing and is a neighbor of other customers. Bank big wig might want mowing. Mowing is profitable. One of my other customers referred me to the people across the street. Said they had just fired their previous lawn guy. Not so good ...

They want mowing but wanted 3 trees trimmed now. The trees had been topped, de-horned, which is a bad practice but is unfortunately common here. So there are numerous slim branches ("water sprouts") growing from the cut larger branches. The guy said to remove the little ones. What is usually done is to remove the smaller ones and some of the larger slim ones so the tree has a shape when green. It will look like a cartoon tree -- a trunk with a ball on top. The natural structure is gone so that's the best option left. Sounded like that was what he wanted.

Easily $100+ from another company but I'm glad to get the mowing so I bid $70. He offered $50. It would take about a day but later I'd get $25 for 45 minutes work twice a month mowing for them. So I considered it an investment in getting that and said ok. Today I did one of the trees. When I'm done he looks at it an says I didn't "take the top off". I noted that he said to remove the little ones. He said he could have done what I did. Yes, customers often can do it but would rather pay someone else to. We discussed what it is he wants. He wants them re-topped, all the slim branches removed. He said that was the only way to do it. I would have bid twice as much on that and it still would have been cheap. Fine I'll do that. He said that he had asked me to top the trees. He didn't. He said he wanted the little ones removed.

So he probably lied about what he said (old so I'll give credit that he might not know what he said), wanted a lower price than the already ridiculously low price, and told the lawn care professional that was the only way to do it.

A deal is a deal so I'll re-top them tomorrow. I won't do any more work for him of course. I don't know of a blacklist but I might mention his behavior to some other lawn guys.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 05 Mar 2011, 22:11

Ever Mr. Nice Guy, I discussed things with the wife at the troublesome new customer's place. She said the husband had a stroke and isn't himself sometimes. Ok, understanding is in order for that. I've got my gripes with her too regarding things that show character, and so set off the "bad business decision" alert, but we came to a suitable understanding about prices and other business matters. So I'll try working for them.

I've two rock installation jobs and one has other landscaping with areas for plants, grass, and paving stones. The small rock job is for a previous upper income area customer who might want mowing. The rocks plus landscaping starts from dirt so it will make good before and after photos.

bitkar · Post by **bitkar** » 07 Mar 2011, 11:35

iam curious about before and after photos ;)

anyway customers are the same everywhere in every branch of bussiness. Everyone wants tons of work for a "gram" of money spent. Maybe your customer didnt remember what he said. This sometimes happens to my boss :D but i dont care that much. Blacklist is a good idea if that doesnt violate some privacy law in US.

keep it up, lawn tycoon ;)

v3rd3 · Post by **v3rd3** » 07 Mar 2011, 21:41

Best skip the blacklist idea.... first, if the customer gets wind of it you get the other side starting their blacklist.... neither party has to actually say anything you can go to court for but the damage to your reputation remains. I don't know the law in the US on this but here any detrimental reference can expose you to defamation of character law suits. Justified or not up here you can't say anything negative about anyone without enough cash to hire the lawyers and pay the court fees to justify it.

If you have a difficult customer that you don't want to deal with again you have to be careful how you choose to deal with it.

Ignore them... they spread the word that you are ignoring them hoping to make you aware of the fact they are important people.

Tell them off... they spread the word that you are rude and have no interest in providing customer service.

The suggestion I would have is finish what you have agreed to do if you have agreed to a specific task. After that your schedule is full. You are not available owing to other commitments. Period. End of Story.

If it is a recurring activity, don't take on any additional tasks. Up your fees for each request and don't back down. If they don't want to pay for it you don't do it. Scheduling issues are also able to help here. If they choose to go elsewhere... have a beer and a smile.

If you make a conscious decision to take on clients that are difficult you have to remember your pricing should include a portion dedicated to lawyer's fees etc.

My main experience with hiring someone to do work on my house was with a neighbor who used to run a construction company so the guys we hired were all his old crew.

One occasion required I get someone else. One of the outfits I dealt with had work orders for everything. A pain in the butt with the upside being there was no arguing with what was written.

Modern consumerism is no different than the past. Buyers want to squeeze everything they can out of every dollar they spend. Sellers want to get the most revenue and profit out of every relationship they can.

The ones to ignore are the ones that enjoy being an ass about it.

During the Y2K project I had a salesman for a large IT service company offering their expertise. I sat on industry committees that had heard a proposal from this company. The company demonstrated at that meeting that they did not offer anything special.

After I refused the sales rep he called the CIO (my boss) and told him that I had no idea what I was doing and that my firm was headed for certain disaster if the company did not hire them. He was on my blacklist. Oddly enough I never heard his voice again and I didn't mind that.

Good luck, these situations are always tough.

spacekdet · Post by **spacekdet** » 07 Mar 2011, 23:34

Best cover your bases...hang this in the work trailer.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 08 Mar 2011, 03:10

As noted I spoke with the wife and found that the husband has trouble due to a stroke. I met him again and he's a good guy when he's not having the trouble. I'm certainly willing to be considerate of people's medical, etc., problems. Lots of customers are unpleasant in some way. I just get frustrated sometimes.

Yeah, Nigec, it's that way here too. You can't say negative stuff even if it is true and you can't state any opinion unless it its the "PC" one. Well, you can say negative stuff if it is "PC" ... even if it is false. Not the law but the way it is.

All my business cards disappeared from the display at the coffee shop. Hopefully I'll get jobs from that.

"...hang this in the work trailer." If only I could afford a trailer.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 24 Mar 2011, 23:57

I got some one time jobs and occasional mowing from one of the richer people today. That completes my conquest of that street. All three residents are customers.

I got the smaller rock job from another more affluent previous customer and he will probably want mowing on his showcase lawn. Getting more work on that street would be great.

I probably have to tell the potential customer who wants rocks, grass, plants, and paving stones that I can't do it. The job is just too big for one guy and I don't know how I could get the time with mowing season about to start. I can't get anyone to work for a few hours or a day except through a temp agency and that would cost a fortune.

The prolonged (meaning several days) of sub-zero temperatures this winter killed some of the cactus and palms. If I had the hauling capacity and tools and, for palms, lumberjack knowledge and insurance, I could make a bundle removing them. An occasional customer called for an estimate on something but was not home. I saw a big dead cactus there but I also noted that it has smelly decay juice. I'll give her a bid, not cheap, but I don't think she will accept it. Too bad, "there are other fish in the sea."

v3rd3 · Post by **v3rd3** » 25 Mar 2011, 03:53

I hear ya Finis.... deciding on the timing of the jump to grow your business is a real tough one but the good thing about what you are saying is you seem to have defined your target market.

Too often in the financial business I met folks that were ready to be anything to anybody. The guy I saw do the absolute best decided he would only take on clients with more than $X in their accounts and when their accounts grew to $Y he knew the people he would refer them to for the next big jump. When I met this guy he drove a pickup and lived in an apartment. Three years later he had an upscale condo, a cottage and a ferrari. That kind of focus seems critical to succeeding.

Nice to hear things are going well...

Dragneye · Post by **Dragneye** » 25 Mar 2011, 06:14

I'm with spacekdet: hang that sign! That should instantly help with many of the headaches.
Seriously, try hard to not sell yourself short (lower prices). (I bet ya she calls

). It's hard to avoid that these days, but fight it. It's the only way one will ever really get ahead. Like v3's point.
But the caveat must always be, 'never sell your soul for a dollar'

(sorry if it sounds like preachin'. Just came out from reading the above stuff)

spacekdet · Post by **spacekdet** » 25 Mar 2011, 16:54

Dragneye wrote: 'never sell your soul for a dollar'

Yeah... hold out for 5 dollars.

You're worth it! :bananadevil:

Dragneye · Post by **Dragneye** » 25 Mar 2011, 21:12

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 02 Apr 2011, 19:02

spacekdet wrote:
Dragneye wrote: 'never sell your soul for a dollar'
Yeah... hold out for 5 dollars.

Rember this business advice "use other people's money"? Hmm, use other people's souls?

Doing my bookkeeping and taxes. So interesting, must stay awake, must ...

richlevy · Post by **richlevy** » 03 Apr 2011, 14:15

I am sure it has been said many times in the course of this thread, some 16-18 pages of it... but it is better to work for yourself and have control than to work for others and have very little control.
I have a small construction company, and I also still do work in one of the 3 major markets around here working for big commercial contractors, I am heading down to Atlantic City next week to be a layout for a new casino, 2 59 story towers. Wish I could remember the name of the darn thing

. I worked on the Trump Towers a couple of years back, the Borgata, Bear Sterns in NYC, Condi Nast, NasDaq, Reuters... and others. Working for yourself does not pay as well as those jobs, but you keep your sanity, your health. Any small mistake in dealing with people can be your last.

Good luck with the business, sounds like you are slowly getting a strong foothold i your market.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 05 Apr 2011, 04:03

Thanks Rich. Sounds like your business is doing great.

richlevy wrote:Working for yourself does not pay as well as those jobs, but you keep your sanity, your health.

It can pay well. My niece's husband has a business with several employees and they have two Jaguar cars. It is being my own boss that's best. Sometimes, especially when I hardly have any time for fun, a regular job seems appealing. There are nice things that provides. Then I remember the gold chains of Utopian slaves.

While at a customer's place on the high income street I conquered another customer there came by. He asked, "Were those your guys?", referring to people who installed rocks on the driveways there. He had seen me there before talking to the owners and thought I might have been negotiating the rock job. It could be good -- to be able to grow the business and have employees. It could also be golden chains.

RAYMAN · Post by **RAYMAN** » 07 Apr 2011, 13:15

Finis wrote:Thanks Rich. Sounds like your business is doing great.

richlevy wrote:Working for yourself does not pay as well as those jobs, but you keep your sanity, your health.
It can pay well. My niece's husband has a business with several employees and they have two Jaguar cars. It is being my own boss that's best. Sometimes, especially when I hardly have any time for fun, a regular job seems appealing. There are nice things that provides. Then I remember the gold chains of Utopian slaves.

While at a customer's place on the high income street I conquered another customer there came by. He asked, "Were those your guys?", referring to people who installed rocks on the driveways there. He had seen me there before talking to the owners and thought I might have been negotiating the rock job. It could be good -- to be able to grow the business and have employees. It could also be golden chains.

Finis lawn care international...........the number one in lawn care worldwide.. does sound good does it........ maybe a little chain
around your neck .. !

Peter

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 10 Apr 2011, 02:45

Good news:

Mowing season has arrived, I got a few new jobs for decent pay, my neighbor has a chainsaw I can borrow, and I got a machete! The machete will help with dead cactus removal. I tried the imitation katana a friend gave me on cactus in the alley and it worked great but I don't want to damage a gift. Would be a publicity gimmick: samurai cactus whacker!

Bad news:

Quickbooks decided not to start. I need my bookkeeping info. to do my taxes. The problem is with MS .net framework. QB uses it and .net is damaged and won't uninstall and the fix tools don't fix it and it won't install without being uninstalled. Trying more stuff from the MS site but I'll probably have to spend money for pros to fix it.

The driver's side door handle broke off of my truck. More money to spend. The passenger side broke off a long time ago so I have to leave a window down to reach in and open the door ... which I forgot to do at Home Depot while machete shopping. An employee said a guy there had "something that could help me". Since she didn't mean whiskey I thought she meant a slim jim (thief tool, illegal to posses here). He had a metal rod that could grab the inside latch.

It is windy most days and I can't spray the weeds until that calms down.

The dump is closed until Monday and my truck is full of smelly stuff.

Edit April 10, 2011: More smelly stuff. That cactus was really decayed. Computer goes to shop tomorrow or soon since I can't fix the MS .net thing to get Quickbooks to work.

bitkar · Post by **bitkar** » 11 Apr 2011, 12:26

hey, shoot a video: finis vs cactus :D (katana fight)

spacekdet · Post by **spacekdet** » 15 Apr 2011, 01:44

The .net stuff stinks worse than decaying cactus.
Good Luck.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 16 Apr 2011, 00:33

It's just all so wonderful.

My water heater leaks now. Not pipes. Time for a new one. Don't have 220 for cheap electric ones. When I was little in rural east Texas we had (probably) propane and electricity and the water came from a well ... a hole dug with shovels ... mmm that was good water on a hot Texas day. My mom would heat water on the stove for baths.

My truck needs drive train work and a door handle fixed and there are regular bills to pay. So how will I pay the monumental property tax on the land in Texas? On my inheritance from my parents and relatives before them? The forces of evil are determined that I won't. They have a rule. They call it a "plank". Plank 3: Abolition of all rights of inheritance. Last year's tax came from thinning the forest ... untouched for as much as 140 years before.

Although I am too poor to owe any income tax (Plank 2: A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.), I'm still taxed to death. I have to fill out the forms anyway.

spacekdet wrote:The .net stuff stinks worse than decaying cactus.

Yep. It does. The pros fixed it but they also uninstalled Norton Internet Security. They didn't ask if they could or inform me that they did. When I asked why they did it crap, similar to Microsoft/Gates haters or raving Mac fans, and lies spewed forth. Not one example could be provided, just "it's bad" statements. Though it is easy to do I made them reinstall it and download the updates.

Battle plan then. Cold showers (maybe, I think I did better than usual last month), work hard and get many new customers, and try out my other business, avoid unnecessary expenses. Better get the tax forms done then. Avoid fines.

Edit: Despicable. I don't owe any income tax but the socialist security and medicrap is still there. Fortunately the "making work pay" credit offset some of that expense but I, dirt poor, still have to pay something. It'll be cold showers. No water heater for me.

Edit: Taxes still evil but I found receipts for a bunch of out-of-pocket expenses. That'll help. Fed not due till Monday.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 26 Apr 2011, 00:41

Well, after the state was through getting tax from me it looks like there is no point in me working.

I didn't owe the state any income tax either. The state has gross receipts tax. They get 7.4 % of every penny a business gets before expenses or anything. It is like sales tax but it gets applied to each business along the life of a product, not just the end consumer, so it is like a vat that way. Of course that gets passed along to the customer as it must ... except my customers are mostly on the edge of affording lawn care. I guess I'll have to pass it to them, lose some, and try to get more who can afford it.

My truck's differential is wearing out and no one has found a less used replacement. I probably can't afford that anyway. If I can't get it repaired then I'm out of business when it is too bad to drive. Maybe I can save up to get another used truck but that is not the point. The point is I can't keep enough away from the tax man to be able to support my extravagant life style (dirt poor) and keep the business going.

All I can do is try. I'll try to get more customers, charge more, and pass the gross receipts tax through. I hope there are rich ones left. Maybe Alamo Pulse, with low expenses, will work out. Should be ready to try it soon. The tax man will just punish any success and take more from me though.

I don't mind braving the storms of the sea of business but there are pirates in these waters.

Finis' Lawn Care Business

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