Strange

[Lawngodfather]

I have found it strange that I have done most of my advertising was for full maintenance, (including mowing) I haven't been able to land but a very few mowing account, and I have been getting full maint. minus the mowing. I am not complaining about not mowing, have been going for the full maint., but I won't drop my mowing price to compete with the lower price these people are paying for mowing.

I guess what I am saying is, I am liking the top dollar I am getting for the landscape maint. and don't have the high cost and burden of mower maintenance to deal with, and pulling in real customers, that want to have their landscape improved and maintained.

I have "mowing" on my brochure, but it's not emphasized like I used to do. I put it more to the bottom of the list.

This is totally ironic to me because, I chose to push the full maintenance, and I guess I am getting most of what I planned for. The isn't much money left in mowing only anymore, and I am not used to not getting the mowing to go with it, so this is a new experience to me. One thing I don't like is the jokers blowing grass clippings in "MY" awesome mulch jobs, and not taking the time to clean it back out, however it has been dually noted to the home owners of the quality they are paying for.

Anyone else having experience's like this?

Oh yes, landscape installs are rolling in, so I imagine the economy is not that bad. I have read in a few article, that "we" are the last to be cut from a budget, and people like to keep up on their house and graciously include "us" in their thoughts and up-keep up of their homes and businesses.

[Bexter]

We only have one account like the one you speak of. We go in weekly and take care of the entire shrub and shrub bed needs at an hourly rate … usually, depending on the time of the season about 8-12 man-hours per week.
We could have the mowing if we wanted, (I could fudge the numbers easily to make it look like we are the same price as him) but I’m not interested in taking work from someone who is doing a good job.
I am finding this year that we are starting to get some high end commercial property’s because they either want a company with more expertise or they want a company that has the equipment to handle improvements.
Not many would split up the contract and prefer to have a company do it all.

[Stonehenge]

LGF, I think there is something to what you said about people not cutting the green people from their budgets - I've been hearing for a few years how bad the economy is, yet we continue to beat the previous year's sales totals, year after year. So either everyone's been lying to me, or we [i]do[/] hold a special place in their hearts.

I thinks it great that you're attracting the high-end people who mainly want you to handle the landscape maintenance, and leave the mowing to others. The margin on mowing seems so darned small. Less equipment for you to buy and worry about, higher margin....good all the way around. And I'd bet that over time, after a season or two of scalp jobs and clippings everywhere, you'd end up with that business, too (but at your rate).

Sounds like things are going great! Congrats!

[Lanelle]

I continue to think that people are interested in home improvements that make their homes cozy and inviting so that they can spend more time at home and less time out. Low interest rates fuel the ability to do that and home equity appreciation is surely outflanking many other investments right now.