Easy Ways to Make More Money by Mowing Lawns Faster.
Just because you work hard doesn’t mean you are making good money. If you systematically approach your jobs, you can reduce the time spent on a job, which equals more profit.
I am NOT talking about cutting corners here. I am talking about slowly turning your business into a money-making machine and making more money by mowing lawns faster.
You can’t hit a goal without a target.
The first step towards getting your house in order is knowing where you are. It is only possible to have a map if you know where you are standing in the first place.
You need to know which lawns are making a profit and which are not.
Know your times
When I start working with a lawn mowing business, I always ask them if they are timing their lawns. If they are, that’s great. This means that I have something to work with.
If they are not timing their lawns, then that is where we start. Before the timing begins, I ask my clients to do a simple exercise. (You can do this at home to folks)
- List your five highest-profit lawns.
- List your lowest-profit lawns.
After keeping track of their times for a month or so, we begin to evaluate the results. Strangely enough, some of the lawns they think are profitable are not, and vice versa.
Why is this?
The answer is simple. If you are not keeping track of your times, you are judging your lawns on emotions. You may like mowing a lawn, but the profit is low, and a lawn you hate is one of your most profitable lawns.
Use a Google sheet. Write your lawns in there and keep track of the times. Once you have this, you will know which jobs to price increase, which will be a great start.
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Preparing Your Lawnmower for Maximum Efficiency
You have probably heard the saying, “A bad workman blames their tools.” well, the opposite is true, too. You need to keep your equipment in good condition to do a high standard of work.
Keep your machines in good condition.
We service all our machines every month. This is a list of what we do.
- First, we water blast the mowers and clean the catchers.
- Then we sharpen the blades.
- We replace any worn parts on the mower.
- Replace the oil
- Check the air filters.
- Lube the cables
- Replace the wheel bearings if needed
One of the most important things to check is that your mower is cutting level. It will do a substandard job if it drops down on one side.
Invest in a Quality Mower
You want a mower that is easy to use and in good condition. Buy new if you can, and don’t buy second-hand unless you know how to work on the machine yourself.
Get a larger mower.
This is one of the things I hear a lot. Lawn mowing contractors tell me they could make more money if they had bigger machines.
This may or may not work. It really depends on the lawns you have on your books. If you are mainly mowing larger lawns, it may help; it probably won’t make a difference if you are mowing smaller lawns.
Trimming and Edging Tips to Save Time.
I see many contractions using a weed-eating technique I call the “hunt and peck” method. Comparing it to how a chicken looks for food, they go everywhere. Using this approach on a lawn takes longer and makes missing bits easy.
There is an easy methodical way to operate a weedeater.
First, go in the opposite direction to the way the head is spinning. This will throw the grass onto the grass instead of the parts, etc. This will make cleanup with the blower easier.
When I weed-eat, I only cover the same area once. I go once around the property to the far end and work my way back. The only time I step off the line is if a tree in the lawn needs weed eating around. I then step straight back to where I was.
When you get used to working like this, you will knock out the weed-eating in no time.
Video Easy Ways to Make More Money by Mowing Lawns Faster
Strategies for Cutting Lawns Neatly & Quickly
Utiliseilize a Smart Mowing Pattern
Have a system for mowing the lawn. I usually go around the edges and work my way inwards. If you are working as a pair, one starts at the back and the other at the front.
When you meet on a piece, start mowing up and down; don’t follow each other in circles. This is because the two mowers may have slightly different cut heights. One line in the middle of the lawn is much better than every second stripe being a different height.
Work towards the dump spot.
Always mow to the furthest point and work your way back to the dump spot. Try to avoid spending any time pushing your mower over areas that have already been mowed.
You want to pass through each area only one time.
Limit conversation.
It’s okay to talk to customers, as long as it is only some times you visit. If you have a conversation with our customer once in a while, that’s fine. However, when they start coming out for a chat every time you visit, you need to add that to the cut time and price increase if necessary.
Use Internet banking when possible.
Don’t accept cash unless there is no other option. Apart from the fact that money can get lost, it will also slow you down if you have to knock on the door.
We text the customers on the day their lawn is cut, and they pay via internet banking.
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Educate your customers.
Let the customers know that mulching is usually better than catching if they want a healthy lawn.
The benefits are
- The lawn will be healthier.
- It will be more drought-resistant
- It will have fewer weeds.
Munching is better for the lawn and will make you more money as it is faster, and you don’t take any grass away. We tell our customers that it is better for the lawn and doesn’t cost any extra.
Maximising Profit Through Effective Scheduling
Travel is one of the most significant time-wasting activities when you are out working. However, there are some things you can do to reduce your time spent in the truck.
Avoid pre-set times.
Don’t arrange firm times when you will be on a regular job. Morning or afternoon should be the only window of time that you are prepared to work with. If you have a 1 pm meeting in the middle of a work day, it will cost you at least an hour’s worth of time.
Condense your round.
Focus on getting lawn mowing jobs close to home. If you have any jobs on the far edges of your round, replace them with local jobs as they come in. The smaller you can get your territory, the more profitable it will be.
Plan your route.
Plan your route in the opposite direction to the traffic; if most of the traffic goes north in the morning, head south. If you don’t have that option, Mow a couple of lawns near you, then get on the road after rush hour ends.
Don’t needlessly sit in traffic; it costs you time and money.
Plan your route for minimum travel. If you want to optimize your day fully, then you could use some free software like RouteXL
Keep communication open with your clients – Text them if needed.
Suppose some things need cleaning up. Tell the customers you will send a text reminder the night before to remind them to (do the task in question). We send all customers the same text. We use this.
“Hi Stuart here from Gecko Lawns. Just a quick reminder that we will be around to mow your lawns tomorrow. Thanks”
Be prepared
Always carry spares like spark plugs, weedeater caps, Wheels, and bearings. When a mower breaks down, try replacing the spark plug first. Nine times out of ten will solve the issue.
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