Frequently Asked Questions
		Q.   I’m a homemaker, not very physically fit.  And I won’t be able to get a riding mower  for a while.  Can I still do this? A.   Without a tractor, you do a lot of walking, though there’s not much other labor.  If long walks are a burden, stay out of the mowing business. Q.   I work full time and can only mow weekends.  Is that enough time? A.   Absolutely.  Lots of outfits around here work only a day or two a week. Q.    All the best jobs in my area seem belong to a few big outfits.   A.    Big outfits, with high overhead expenses,  charge high prices – more than many customers can afford.  So the huge lower part of the market is left to little, low overhead outfits.  That’s  us. You don’t need big fancy jobs – not now, not ever. I did great without a single one. Q.   In my area, I see mowing crews by the dozen.  What about all that competition?   A.   Heavy competition is a good sign.  It proves there’s tons of work in your area.  From there, it’s simply a matter of getting your share.  That’s the easy part. Q.   Yeah, but all those guys have more machines and more experience than I do. A.    Some of them are good ... but good outfits have more work than they know what to do with.   Any "old pro" will tell you that. The thing to realize is that the mowing business is loaded with flunkies – people who can’t even hold burger jobs.  They drive customers crazy.  Customers change lawn services until they find a good one. There they stay.  And there they bring their friends and neighbors. Q.   We had a few mowing jobs last year, but customers kept quitting. A.   You weren’t giving customers what they want.  They want the “Three R’s” – Reliability, Responsibility, and Reasonable price.  These are discussed in detail in my book.  The Three R’s build strong customer loyalty and bring lots of new jobs through referrals.  You don’t even have to advertise – your business grows like a snowball rolling down hill. Q.   My area has tiny lawns.  Can I make decent money on them, or do I need to work in fancier neighborhoods? A.   I love small lawns!  The trick is to build clusters of them – 3, 12, even 25 in a group. Years ago I built stops worth $400 to $600 -- very, very profitable!  My guide shows you nine proven ways to build  clusters. Q.   You say I can earn “decent” money even on the first day.  What does that mean? A.   We aim for $15 an hour.  That’s  a reasonable expectation, but of course there are no guarantees. Q.   How long to better money? A.   Impossible to say.  Some people reach high levels immediately ... others do less well.  I can promise you one thing for sure, though: every time you boost efficiency – and I’ll show you dozens of ways to do it – you’ll get a pay raise.  Not nickels and dimes ... a real pay raise. Q.   How much do you charge for mowing lawns?  How do you set prices? A.   Prices are strictly local – they vary not only from city to city, but from one neighborhood to another.  In my book I show you several ways to determine local prices and also how to adjust prices to bring in the income you want. Q.   Good lawn tractors are expensive.  I can’t  afford one. A.   Well, you can finance or lease equipment.  But good machines don’t cost money – they make money.  My first tractor cost $4,000.  It cut $4,000 worth of grass in 11 days ... and went on to cut $240,000 more!   I’d like to make an investment like that every week. Q.   What about breakdowns?  I’m not much of a mechanic. A.   Always buy equipment from a servicing dealer who supports other mowing contractors.  He might charge a little more up front, but he’ll keep your machines running.  That’s his job, and a standard part of the deal. Q.   I’ve been in business three years.  I work like a dog, but am nowhere near $40 an hour, let alone $70.   Sounds impossible to me. A.   You’re right – reaching higher pay levels by working hard is impossible.  You get there not by working hard but by working smart.
						jim@promower.net
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