Ask A Question
| Question | Date |
|---|---|
| Has anyone used the LawnShark commercial machines for fall cleanup. I have never seen these prodcts, however the 13hp commercial model seems a useful tool. What are the prices.I have not personally used the LawnShark, although it does appear to be quite a machine. They seem to have all the angles covered from normal leaves and pine straw, to the hose attachment for reaching under shrubs and other hard to reach areas. If I was a betting man, I would imagine the LawnShark would run somewhere in the same price range as a commercial walk behind mower, probably somewhere in the $4,000 to $6,000 range. Although I do see where they offer a lease program which may prove to allow you to test the unit out to see if it is worth investing the money into. | 22 Sep, 2009 7:34 AM |
| To what extent are commercial mowers liable for damage to adjoining property due to thrown rocks or objects? Can the mowers be considered negligent if they remove or tie up the mower guards?When you say commercial mowers, I am assuming you are referring to a commercial lawn maintenance company and not the actual mower itself. Commercial mowing companies are liable for any and all damages caused by their equipment. A legitimate lawn maintenance company will have commercial liability insurance to cover their business in the event that an accident occurs. Typically things such as broken windows caused by a stray rock being thrown from a mower are typically not filed under a companies insurance, but instead paid out of pocket. This keeps their premiums from being raised due to frivilous insurance claims. In fact, I still have the guy at our local glass companies phone number saved on speed dial in my cell phone. We've replaced so much glass over the years you tend to be on a first name basis with your glass installer. Heck, my guys have actually broken out both the driver and passenger side windows of our own truck within a two week time frame before. In other words, breaking glass is pretty common with lawn companies. Also, the removal of the discharge chute or rigging it up out of the way is also common. Our guys would have the discharge chute taken totally off generally by the end of the first day of them getting a new mower. The discharge chute gets in the way and causes damage to plants and other items due to them sticking so far out. And typically the angle at which the discharge chute sits, really doesn't prevent rocks and other debris from being thrown from the mower and causing damage. I have personally thrown a rock through the back glass of a car that was passing by, covering the girl in the back seat with little shards of glass. And this was with the discharge chute attached and down in the proper position. We not only replaced the cars glass, but also presented them with a $100 dollar check to cover the inconvience. Our glass company handled the glass cleanup from the car for us. | 23 Sep, 2009 10:08 AM |
| What type and amount of insurance do you recommend? I have a small business, no employees. Insurance copmanies to contact?Thanks LarryI recommend getting commercial general liability insurance. Until you start bidding on some of the larger commercial properties, you can stick with sort of the generic policy. The premium amounts are based on your gross sales, so keep that in mind when they ask what your gross sales are. Also, there really isn't that bid of a price increase to go from a few hundred thousand dollar policy to one or two million. Get them to quote you both. And once again, your premiums are BASED ON YOUR GROSS SALES!!!! Thus, the lower your reported sales are, the lower your policy premiums are. The company that we used was Select Insurance Group. You can call them at (903) 455-2664 and ask for Duane. He handles that particular insurance. When I first started out our insurance was only running less than $500 a year for a million dollar policy. It did go up significantly when we started taking on some of the large commercial accounts as well as chain apartment complexes which required specialized insurance. Hope this helps... | 25 Sep, 2009 8:10 AM |
| One of the nozzles on top of our sprinkler was broken by my mower. I found a replacement for it at the hardware store and got it put on. But now the spray head is spraying across my sidewalk. Is there an easy way to adjust the sprayer to spray onto the lawn without me having to dig it up? I tried to just turn the sprayer but it souned like it was about to break. Thanks...Actually adjusting the spray head is pretty simple. Activate that particular zone so that the spray head is spraying, and then grasp the neck of the spray head firmly and twist in the desired location. The popping sound you will hear is normal and just the ratcheting action of the sprinkler head. It will lock into whatever position you stop at. Good luck! | 26 Sep, 2009 9:17 PM |
| I getting ready to start my own company and Im so lost. Is there any books out there you would recommend for someone like me on landscape design,bidding and all the other things that go along with this. There is litterally tons of information available to you both on the internet as well as printed text. When I first started out in landscaping, and not having any formal training on landscape design or installations, I pretty much read everything I could get my hands on regarding plants and landscape design. I purchased 2 or 3 landscape design books from a local Home Depot and read them cover to cover. I also hit all the major landscape informational websites on the internet and studied the plants for my local planting zone. The above will give you an excellent starting point in regards to the plant types available for your area, as well as tips on how to build up your bedding material, planting recommendations, plant spacing, watering requirements and some design ideas. Another recommendation I would make is to find yourself 2 or 3 good nurseries to deal with. Preferrably ones that sell wholesale or at least give a percentage discount to landscapers. A good nursery will have a ton of plant knowledge that they can give you on specific plantings and growth habits. Also, don't skimp on the plants when you are putting them in. Try to get well developed plants that are healthy and in good shape. Ever noticed how a landscape job done by a professional landscaper just looks so much better than one that has been put in by your average homeowner? It's because they spend a lot of time walking around picking out the prime plants to insall. I would also look around and find yourself a good source for bedding material. In our area, we have a couple of different businesses which offer bulk loads of landscapers mix for bedding material. A good bedding material will give the new plants plenty of nutrition and help them root easier. Here is a list of things I always try and do on landscape jobs: 1). Good bedding material (I always use good bedding material when building up my flower beds) 2). Inpection Strips (An inspection strip is a 6" to 8" strip that runs between the flower bed and the residence. We install these prior to putting in any bedding material so they are situated at grade level. It doesn't have to be anything fancy though. We smooth out the soil, install a border material along the outside perimeter between the landscape strip and the future bed, lay a strip of good quality landscape fabric down the width and length of the inspection strip and stake it down, then cover the fabric area with some form of rock. This can be lava rock, river rock or whatever you decide. It prevents a flower bed from being built up against the home which can cause water damage to the house. It also allows for easy termite inspections along the perimeter of the house.) 3). Eave Gutters (If a home doesn't have gutters, I always recommend to the customer that they have these installed prior to the installation of the landscaping. Rain water runoff from eaves causes severe damage to landscaping beds and bark mulch. It's also a good secondary service to offer your customer if you should decide to get the equipment and begin installing gutters as an add-on service). 4). Irrigation (We always recommend to customers that they install an irrigation system at least in the planting beds. Customers have a tendency not to water regularly, not water the plants sufficiently or just not water them at all. They then will call you back wanting you to come replace the plants at your expense because they died. We offered an extended warranty on the plants if the customer had an irrigation system already, or had one installed by us. Otherwise it was a 60 day warranty on plants. 5). Drainage (Proper drainage in flower beds is important, especially when installing flower beds in enclosed beds. By enclosed beds I'm referring to those that a sidewalk runs along the outside perimeter of the bed which prevents natural water drainage. For beds such as these we install a French drain and run it back under the sidewalk and out to the road or a leaching field). I hope this offered some tips to help get you started. Most of your experience and knowledge will come from on the job training and trial and error. Learn from your mistakes and always look for better ways to do things. Good Luck! | 21 Oct, 2009 2:33 PM |
| When speaking with the person responsible for the grounds maintenance contracts would you recommend that I call or do this in person, and should I fax, email, or give the proposal in person? I'm not sure what would be most appropriate.Whether you should call first or just drop in will depend alot upon the type and size of business you are approaching. A lot of larger businesses and corporations will not see an individual without an appointment. Thus, you may have to contact them over the phone first. I generally always preferred to speak to the potential client in person though. Emailing has almost become the norm these days in regards to doing business, but it doesn't replace that face to face contact you get from stopping by to see the customer. Faxing is deffinately the last thing I would do unless specifically requested to do so by the client. It just leaves too many opportunities for your bid to get lost and never delivered to the intended person. The most professional approach is to drop by and see the client in person. Dress professionally, have a business card, a notebook to take notes and above all, listen to your client and what they have to say. Especially listen to any negative comments the client may have to say about their current or previous companies, and make sure you avoid these same mistakes during your services. Keep in mind though, with the drop-by technique, be prepared to make several visits to the client before your actually successful at getting in to visit with them. Also, a good display ad in the yellow pages will have your potential clients calling you for an appointment instead of the other way around. Good Luck! Let us know how it comes out. | 16 Nov, 2009 6:16 PM |
| I am just starting my lawn service business and don't know the ins and outs. Who do I ask for when placing bids on a commercial location. Should I already have the bid before speaking to them?The individual you ask for will generally depend on the individual business. Different companies call people by different titles, but it is usually someone in the purchasing department if a large business. The title of maintenance manager is also sometimes used. Just ask for the person responsible for the grounds maintenance contracts. Also, I typically never had my bid already prepared prior to speaking with the individual responsible for a few reasons. First - Depending on how good your sales approach is, you may be able to gather some insight as to what they are paying currently for grounds maintenance. I generally will come right out and ask what they are currently paying for lawn care and about 1 in 3 will actually look it up and tell you. You will never know unless you ask. Secondly - Each contract will differ, even if only by a little bit. These changes in service are things that you need to include with your bid, and if you already have the bid written up, you won't be able to include these extras into your proposal. Third - I like to address the bid to the person who is ultimately responsible for the contract. You won't know for sure until you have spoken to the person. Hope this helps, If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask! | 16 Nov, 2009 3:52 PM |
Have a question about lawn care, landscaping or irrigation? Ask it here!!!
