Been in this industry before the reason I started a lawn business is freedom and I like the smell of fresh cut grass

I love it when the noobs buy a bunch of new stuff in spring and then try to sell it all when it gets hot out here. 😂

44 and just starting mine up for next season

I have heard many say " I was thinking of starting a lawn care business" and I bite my lip. Easy to start, sure, but it is a business like any other with regulations, requirements, etc. I want to tell them, just as you've said in this video, if you're not ready or able to commit to running a business, don't start! I started lawn care many, many years ago (before string trimmers) having my dad drive me around the neighborhood doing yards for $3.00. My first "job". A lifetime later, I had returned to lawn care, applying what I've learned from running businesses for other people to my lawn care business and have been growing and going strong at 62yo solo. A pain in the butt? Yup! Hard work grinding all day in 100 degree heat? Yup! Would I willingly give it up to go back on a W2? Bucket full of nope! Bottom line, if you're not familiar with how business works, learn that first! I appreciate the honesty of this video and your insight and opinions. Ours is an industry with so many benefits and just as many downfalls.

Man this was a great harsh reality check! I’m all in, but I don’t want to start off on the wrong foot. Going to get myself better organized, keep doing the few lawns that I have for now, and THEN when I’ve got all my ducks in the same pond I will get out there and hard charge it until my kids are grown. Glad I rolled across this video and your channel.

I’m just getting into this, and hopefully within a year can be fully self employed. I find lawn care very rewarding, as I love mowing my own property. I’m not afraid of long hours or hard work, as I’ve worked in the trash industry for 30 years. 12 hour days are normal for me.

How about tour of your new 2500 Chevy truck. 😁

Any advice for how you handle scheduling shifts due to rain? This may make a good episode. Thanks Jonathan.

Harsh facts!!! Doing this business is so awesome. Being self-employed, making local clients happy, and communities save money, and there's money to be made. I used to work at warehouses, so to me this is easy money!!

These are fantastic videos, but very often the music is far louder than your speaking. That said, please keep up the great content!

I’ve done sports turf for a few years now. Love seeing the end results knowing I did that. I’d like some feedback from anyone who reads. My schedule with sports turf will be very inconsistent as fall sports is upon us. Thus making it difficult to do much part time work. My idea would be to just put out as many fliers as possible on doors, store bulletins and on local Facebook community pages. Would it be wise or unwise to manage my start up almost like a regular business and essentially get verbal commitments (pre orders) and if I reach a goal of verbal commitments then proceed to start the business and go all in full time?

Love the channel Jonathan. Would love to see you over on Williams Family Lawn Care commenting! Your channel inspired me back in 2019.

All I've ever done is hard work, that involves customer service, so I truly believe I can make a profitable business out of this, and all the tips you give are absolute gold... Thank you so much.

Hey Jonathan, thanks for all you do! I would hope that everyone here can apprciate a video about the details of efficiently completing and Scheduling routes. Also about hiring processes. Thank you!

Viewer / subscriber from Australia here. I've been thinking about starting mowing business as a side hustle because I bought acreage and had to get a good mower to stay on top (2nd hand Exmark Navigator). I realised I could offset some of the costs of ownership if I was using it in business and get it earning for itself. I've also got some early 20's / teens kids looking for more ways to earn money for savings (1st cars etc) so figured if I got it up and running they could do some of the work. It's good to get some reality checks so thanks for your content. Not rushing in.. planning and thinking.

The most real channel around. Really enjoy the info.

I absolutely love the content you put out. I have the same feelings about everything.

I used to mow lawns as a teen and even maintained a 27 acre cemetery in my twenties. I finished college, raised a family and have been in another industry as a branch manager for going on twenty years. I love my job but began to realize all my staff are retiring in the next ten years or less! With the corporate world and employment climate today, I decided I wanted to make a “ten year exit plan” for myself. I just started this spring and currently have about 8-10 clients I work for. I have a helper and am currently caring for my accounts on Saturdays weather permitting as my “real job” is Monday through Friday. I hope to have enough growth and current knowledge in the next 10 years to be able to walk away with 30 years at my first career and hopefully be somewhat established enough to be comfortable mowing and perhaps drive a school bus for insurance until I reach retirement age. I am having a hard time justifying this decision because I make nearly six figures at my full time job. Hopefully it will work out and I am definitely watching your videos and learning as much as I can. Thanks for your help. Btw can you do a video on what you do for your customer journal? I noticed you say you kept logs of basic customer and lawn requirements for each account to quickly reference. Could you share that please? Also, I am vacationing in Pensacola this September and would love to meet you if possible and perhaps learn a little if time permits.

You have covered a little about investing on another video but if you can do a video about basics to invest that would be awesome. Or someone you recommend that gives sound advice.

Lawn care was wat i did for 15 years in 95 plus degrees thats when was in late 20sto mid to late 30s now im retired n miss doing it but thinking about doing it again

New here, great info. Please leave out the background music.

Spot on.

62 years old. In business for 15 years. Do it because I love it. Have a small retirement from a long ago corporate job. Never been able to get the business super profitable, and definitely didn't plan for long term retirement. Guess I thought I could do it forever! Ha! Would appreciate any tips to help turn that around over the next 5 years. Feel like it can keep it cranking for at least that long

I just started my lawn care business 3 years ago at 43 y.o. I have to work on my long-term plan because I know once I get to that age, I will not be able to crank out 10-12 yards a day during those hot summer months.

Many always say mowing contracts pay the bills, but it's the other work like landscaping, irrigation, pruning, fertilizing and weed spraying you provide the same customers that result in profit.

Wow!!! You nailed it!!!!!!!!!!

A very important “4th point”. If you are not self motivated and willing to sacrifice your personal life when needed, do not go into business for yourself. I have tried to help several guys by feeding them my overflow work to help get their business off the ground and they all failed because of lack of follow through and poor customer communication.

The price of everything has doubled except mowing lol. I do charge more now days $50 min, but In this economy I feel like $75 is about what a guy needs to justify showing up!

All facts brother 🖖🏽

well said man. great vid

How do you pay employees? Hourly or by the job? I'm mowing on the side right now. Keep a full time job. No intentions of quitting my job (yet😂) Keep the videos coming. Good stuff 👍🏼👍🏼

God called me to lawn care . I worked both jobs for about 2 years. Then I got the confirmation to leave my job and God provided the work. My advice would be do this thing with purpose.

I have a good comment, question for perhaps some new content for you. This is my first year and I made an excel spreadsheet to track my time, ( both windshield time and on the job time) takes all the overhead and maintenance out of the equation automatically, figures out the costs of mpg and at the end I end up with what actually goes in my pocket, the bottom line. What’s a good % for a business in your opinion to say it’s doing good or it’s not enough profit margin to grow. Hope Im making sense. I’ve talked to a couple of guys out here around my area and they have no idea what % is their margins. I understand there’s a lot of variables but would like something to aim at. Thank you and as always, good information Jonathan .

Hard to hear you with the music in the background. I usually turn off the video when music is played in background bc the person is too hard to hear.

Hey man! Love you content as usual. The music in the background is pretty loud. On the edits try lowering a little. Great info otherwise

It's only hard work when you don't love doing what you do. I've been doing landscaping all my life, and I would say I was born with a shovel in my hands. But the hard scape took a toll on my back. Long story started doing auto glass. Then depression started cause I'm not out there taking care of God's land, so now I have started my own business, Everlasting Lawn & Garden LLC . I am also still working in the auto glass company until I know I can do it full-time . God bless brother

How are you able to edge trim so quickly??

Bro hahahaha. I'm entering year 4 and I'm just now "paying" myself legitimately.. and it's 4,000 a month 😂☠️ wouldn't trade it for the world though. You gotta be committed though, and do everything LEGITIMATE.. Wanted to ask where you got your schute blocker for your gravely? I have a 32" pro stance and the one you got looks compatible?

I love mowing…..nice yards that stripe; however, in this economy if we were to go through anything similar to another pandemic we know that lawn guys are the first to get dropped which is why I unfortunately still work my regular job.

Hi Andy from Australia do charge cancellation fees?

I reckon another reason retired guys cut grass etc is cause they want something to do and it gets them out of the house and time away from their missus.

i phase from 1 job to the next, test it, then go into full action. I’d rather have 100 bosses than 1 boss 100% of the time, makes it easier to fire bosses when I sense the need, difficult customer/bosses etc, next them, depend on God, if He's not with you on this business then don't do it. There is either "DO" or "NOT-DO", no between. it's easier to make 100 bosses happy than 1, if 1 of the 100 are unhappy then fire them and continue on with the 99, and add the 1 back later, no big loss.

don't start a business in Florida unless you love the heat. it's terrible

How do u hire new employees or par time help ??

what land plane did you buy ??????????

I am not naturally wired for organization and sticking to a plan.... but that is precisely why I know I need to do this. I am super excited for the challenge. Also, I hope it will help me sweat a few pounds off. I need the hard work.

people do your homework and go from there. there is a lot of great videos to watch and great content to read. i have been thinking about it myself. i havent jump the gun cause im still researching my information. instead of being so negative about starting your own buisness. next time do the pro's and cons. i like your videos but no need to be a...