Can you push a mower? How about use rake? Ok then, your on your way. I’ve been doing landscape most of my life and have seen how that business has prospered myself and many others that I know. If your not afraid to get dirty and like working up a sweat then this type of work may be for you.

My Dad worked two jobs,(a lot of dads did and still do)he worked 2nd shift in a factory but from 8am till 1pm he mowed a few lawns. He spoke very little English lived in an apartment and did it out of the trunk of an old caddy. After a while he asked the landlord if he could keep a small trailer with wooden sides in the yard. Look at all the oods he had to over come yet it didn’t stop him. He quit his factory job and became successful with no school just hard work and common sense.

My Dad picked me up at elementary school in 6 grade when the weather was nice to help him out, he also did it in Jr high and in high school too…I did that every summer. Back then there where no weed wackers, blowers or wide deck mowers. It was freakin work, brooms and shears around the whole property. That’s one of the reasons why you wouldn’t see nearly as many landscapers as you see today. I mean they are everywhere you look never mind all the part timers doing it on the side. Just in my daughters school alone there’s at least 4 teachers who do lawn care.

Even with that many doing landscape of all the years we’ve been at it there was only one year in which we advertised for a short time in the spring. Then we couldn’t take any more work. Like anything else I wouldn’t jump into this. Either work for someone or start out doing it on the side. You’ll have to invest like any other selfemployed business.
You’ll be surprised what a small ad in the spring will do. I bet a lot of you done this line of work growing up but just didn’t see enough profit. Example: to have 5 yards that equal 30$ each that’s 150$ “on the side” never mind oods an ends they want done. That’s only 5 yards a week. With experience determination and sweat the sky is the limit.

Here’s a helpful site to get you startedhttp://www.lawnsite.com/

Once you get established enough, you can do like most all other landscapers do and hire a ton of ILLEGAL IMIGRANT Brazilians who work their asses off for next to nothing!!! :buds:

How many is in a Brazilian? :)

Once you get established enough, you can do like most all other landscapers do and hire a ton of ILLEGAL IMIGRANT Brazilians who work their asses off for next to nothing!!! :buds:

Know why?... cause US Citizens,, better known as 'Americans'... don't wanna do crap but leach off the goverment if their not leaching off their own parents. If they do come down hard on imgrants crossing the boards, some say this country will go to chit! So whats your point again??

Know why?... cause US Citizens,, better known as 'Americans'... don't wanna do crap but leach off the goverment if their not leaching off their own parents. If they do come down hard on imgrants crossing the boards, some say this country will go to chit! So whats your point again??


My point was,
thats what landscaping companies do !!!
And, Yes, most Americans are lazy !!!

& Ya got a GREAT FAMILY :claps: //

I stole hubcaps =on the side /sooooooooooo if I hit 5 cars a week @$30 a set I made $150 on the side /even odds & ends // Batteries, *-track players <<>><<><:fishslap:

Once you get established enough, you can do like most all other landscapers do and hire a ton of ILLEGAL IMIGRANT Brazilians who work their asses off for next to nothing!!! :buds:

Down my way its Guatamalans.(Spelling?)

Can't even compete without hiring immigrants and many cases illegal ones.Landscaping is big business down my way.Your overhead is your
workers,the less you pay'em the more you make.Illegals are employed because you can pay cash under min. wage and get 16hr. days at that rate.

Try going into the landscape biz with just a couple friends.One season and you're done.

Another fine example is the roofing business.

Down my way its Guatamalans.(Spelling?)



Try going into the landscape biz with just a couple friends.One season and you're done.

I agree 100%. My brother and I are co-partners we hire one guy in the spring he usualy lasts a few weeks unless he doesn't speak english then he lasts longer. I don't know of any landscape co. that pays under 9 bucks no matter what the race. I can't deal with high school drop outs I'ld rather deal with the language barrier. The way to avoid this is buy the best equipment you can afford.

5 yards @ $ 30.00 each = 150.00 Now subtract the gas for the equipment including the vehicle that got you there, insurance(liability), maintenance for everything used, and most importantly YOURE TIME and tell me how much actually goes in your pocket;) I don't think it is that people are lazy, well some, I think people value there free time and I know personally $150.00 for a Saturday doesn't apeal to a lot of people.

You make a good point VF. yeah you don't end up with all 150$ but with it being side money...IMO there wouldn't be a need for insurance. To you and many others 150$ doesn't go far but you can't tell me so many people are living pay check to pay check and could use extra money. In addition, it seems to me that if you have a day off you tend to spend more money that day. I'll be the first to admit I hate working saturdays and additional hrs but I'll do what ever I have to do. You can make alot more then 30$ an hr!

basswipe -
I've got an enterprising 13 yr old kid in my neighborhood that does lawns and is cheaper than the guatemalens. Depending where you are in portsmouth (he can only drive his lawnmower) he could be a good deal for you.

..IMO there wouldn't be a need for insurance.
There's probably no Requirement for insurance, but there's probably a Need for it. There's always the possibility, however remote, of some sort of accidental property damage/personal injury, such as an running over an unseen rock with a mower and having it fly out and strike something or someone. If your mower(s) are equipped with collector bags, that will greatly reduce that particular possibility, but there's always Something that can happen.

Lanscaped for 10 years, ahh the fun, the best was when it rained and you got to go the bar (after cleaning the equip. but of course)! Missed plowing snow at all hours of the night too. Character builder, hard work, good $.

Ice

5 yards @ $ 30.00 each = 150.00 Now subtract the gas for the equipment including the vehicle that got you there, insurance(liability), maintenance for everything used, and most importantly YOURE TIME and tell me how much actually goes in your pocket;) I don't think it is that people are lazy, well some, I think people value there free time and I know personally $150.00 for a Saturday doesn't apeal to a lot of people.

you forgot that you have to buy the equipment.. the trailer, the big mower, the touchup mower, the weed wacker, the leaf blowers, the chainsaw, the snow plow, the snow blower... etc :hihi:

Oh yeah and the truck to haul all your gear around. Always loved the Scags!!!

:hihi:

What ever:rolleyes:

My friend who lives on cape his whole life in a very affluent area does close to 70 lawns a week, with help of course. He started out as a kid and built a big client base. Went to college to become an arborist and makes a very very good living. I do think living in an area where people have money to spend helps for sure. He has a condo in Aruba and goes for 3 weeks every winter. That's where the family and I will be going next week for 10 days. I am sure glad he became a landscaper. P.

do what you love, and love what you do...:read:

What ever:rolleyes: nothing like working for yourself it might be long hours, hard work, lot of aggravation stress etc! but its yours and like you said the skys the limit you get out of it what you put in it Ill work around the clock ,bend over backwards, do what ever needs to be done sometimes well over 100hours in a week but I love it and its mine.:btu:

You guys are all missing the point. What he is saying is if you have a lawnmower for your own lawn, a rake for your own leaves, a trimmer for your own grass etc, you could make some extra money on the side, he is not saying go out and buy new equipment. Is gas for 5 lawns gonna cost you 30 bucks a week, I doubt it. You need to read between the lines. I guess Tony's point about Americans being lazy is proved by the responses, so much procrastination, and negativity.....

I hear ya loud and clear Tony. :wave:

If your not afraid to get dirty and like working up a sweat then this type of work may be for you



OOOOOOOPS!!!!! Goose next time you want to offer a nice suggestion you might want to think twice!!!!! GEEEZ what were you thinking~???:rollem:

The thread that will never die. Goose, you are right - seriously! Landscaping is a great profession, I know some very, very wealthy landscapers in CT. I've done landscaping since I was a kid as well (although not any more), very honorable and you can make serious $$$ if you want to...The irony of all this for me is I have bad allergies but still did it b/c the $$$ was too good...

Ice

Goose nice tip. I landscaped for 5 summers with my uncle and he started out with one truck. Now he has about 6 and a few large dumptrucks and some serious equipment. My brother in law was given by his uncle a trailer, 2 mowers and some blowers, he just didn't try hard enough to get started. I was thinking of trying to take it over.

I landscaped for years before I joined the Corps. I loved it! What never ceased to amaze me was how many people would rather pay you to cut their grass than break a sweat themselves. I considered doing it down here but it just gets too damned hot and humid.

And if you don't and want stuff, I just sold my house and have a bunch of landscape tools. I was going to hold them in case I buy another house, but I might be talked into parting with the entire lot if someone is interest. Not going completely outfit anyone, but it would cover many of the bases. pm me if you want a list.

You guys are all missing the point. What he is saying is if you have a lawnmower for your own lawn, a rake for your own leaves, a trimmer for your own grass etc, you could make some extra money on the side, he is not saying go out and buy new equipment. Is gas for 5 lawns gonna cost you 30 bucks a week, I doubt it. You need to read between the lines. I guess Tony's point about Americans being lazy is proved by the responses, so much procrastination, and negativity.....

I hear ya loud and clear Tony. :wave:

I have an aquaintance who does lawns, used to work as the grounds manager for a University. His first year he was able to replace his respectable salary, with only one truck on the road. He makes more in one month raking leaves in the fall than he does in two regular months of mowing.

Opportunity is missed because it is dressed in overalls and disguised as work.....