Should i hire some one?

D

DJ Carroll

Member
My lawn care business is going crazy i'm stacked with work and i feel like i'm barly staying above water! I'm stressed to know end i'm working 7 days a week and i also have finals coming up. . . every once in a while i have a buddy help me but i'm thinking about and have been for a while hiring a guy to help me every day. . . I know he will stay busy because my lawns get mowed every week but i mean when i put house washes and roofs on top of that i think i'm going to explode!!! To add to it i ate at the china buffet last night and my fortune cookie said "you will do well to expand your business" :eek: how freaky is that lol


Welll what do you guys think should i just keep bustin my ass and raking in the doe or give a cut of it away and hire a helper?
 
DJ,
Like Ken said. Sounds like you are not charging enough. If you have a business plan, you might evaluate the new situation you are in. You may need to charge more to eliminate some of the lower level payers. Just think if you raised your per hr. rate by $5.00. That would bring you $10,000 more per 2000 hr employee. If you had five employees making $5.00 per hr. more, working 2,000 hrs. each, you'd make an extra $50,000. Does this help? Thank You.
 
No, you should raise your prices.
 
See what the next cookie say's...and go with that..
 
Bust it for the next 3 months and hang in their as long as you can. If things are still going crazy you may be ready for some employees.

Remember a busy week or month will not take care of your employees family, you need steady work before you start hiring employees.
 
D.J. Provided you are charging enough hiring the employee.

Keep in mind you'll never get off the mower if you dont.
I realize some here want to be one man shows and thats fine.

I know you want to run a company one day DJ.

Theres is no time better than now, if you have and employee you could take more work and possibly hire a second guy.

Who knows until you try?
 
well i raised prices today on 10 of my fifteen yards. only five dollars! I lost one small yard that i was only charging 20 for she said she just couldn't see payin that much for her yard so in the end i lose one yard but earn an extra 25 a week. . .i like the sound of that more money less work!!! . . . i will be having a helper on the landscape jobs you just can't do it all by your self. I think i am doing the right think. I'm gonna try to pick up one or two more big paying yards and then hire the helper. Ron you are right i don't want to be a one man show i don't want to own a job i want to own a business! My friends that went to big universities come home and see me going to the local comm. college and say is this what your gonna do with your life? Mow grass, landscape, clean roofs, and power wash. .. . i just simply say yep see you at the ten year reunion :) ill be the one driving the Porsche
 
Between your school & biz I am sure you are REAL busy, I would say you probably do need at least a part timer. BUT be sure you need one and don't get lazy. I have seen a few guys think they need a full time guy and got one and then didn't have enough work and still had them working witrhout really enough work and it took money out the the owners pocket trying to keep the worker working.

Now if you can keep adding biz yes add a worker, you have to get the jobs done

good luck to you, sounds like you'll have a full plate
 
My dad does front door refinishing. When he was booked for 2 weeks 3 months in a row he hired someone. 2 months ago he made $14k, last month he made 14k, so this month he hired another guy, but is only making $14k. And playing golf alot. So that means the company is making the same money, but now he is dishing out $8k/month in payroll, instead of 4 with the same amiount of work. Just didnt make since to me unless he was going to be doing outside sales himself...
 
I have seen a few guys think they need a full time guy and got one and then didn't have enough work and still had them working witrhout really enough work and it took money out the the owners pocket trying to keep the worker working.
Click to expand...
That was my point.


well i raised prices today on 10 of my fifteen yards. only five dollars! I lost one small yard that i was only charging 20 for
Click to expand...

Scrappy don't take this personal I'm only trying to help. With a pricing structure like that ($20 yard) can you afford an employee? A part time helper sounds more like what you need just to get caught up. You dont want to hire an employee, get uniforms, start taking out taxes and then have to lay them off because your caught up with your work or paying your employee leaves no money for you.

How long does 15 yards take, one day? Two days max. Hire you a helper to catch up. After you get caught up leave Mondays and Tuesdays for grass only, Wed. thru Fri. for your pressure washing. Saturday and Sunday are make up days and estimate days. Like everyone else said RAISE YOUR PRICES! I was in your shoes 8 years ago so trust me I understand, now I have a real business and I haven't been behind the wand in two years unless I wanted to be.
 
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