Stop chasing big lawns · Lawn Care Business Builders

Stop chasing big lawns

A few years back I had five vans on the road, ride-on mowers, self-propelled machines, and the works.

I thought I was building something big.

Turns out I was mostly building headaches.

The machines broke down constantly. The ride-on died on a job once, and I had to push it onto the trailer by hand. You only do that once. Workers were using my gear for cash jobs after hours. Margins were thin even on the good weeks.

And I needed over 1,000 lawns before I could step away from the business. I was just under halfway there, and the thought of doubling it made me sick.

So we sold everything except our best 100 lawns. Went back to small lawns with push mowers.

My wife and two vans.

Turnover dropped by half. The workweek dropped to under 20 hours each. Take-home pay?

About the same.

Why small lawns pay better

You're in and out in 20 minutes. The hourly rate ends up higher than it ever was on the big properties. You use less fuel because you are running smaller engines and do not need a trailer that burns gas behind you. Parking is easier. And when it rains or a client cancels, your whole day doesn't fall apart because each job is a small piece of the schedule.

The gear is cheaper too. Push mowers and small self-propelled mowers have fewer things that can go wrong. When something does break, you can still finish the job.

I know this model isn't for everyone. If you've got a crew and you want to scale up, go for it.

But if you're solo or running with your partner and you feel like you're working too many hours for what you're bringing home, have a look at which lawns are actually making you money.

You might be surprised.

14 comments

Stop chasing big lawns