what do you think of my business name? edit: logo pg 4

[george graves]

"ground control landscape services"

Hope you take this as helpful, but it sounds like your someone to call if I have tall weeds growing in an empty lot, not someone to prune my rose bushes and willing to pay top dollar.

Stop tring to be "hip", your potential clients want service, not attitude. Keep in mind who will be calling you. Their favoriate show will be "Desparate Houswives" not "American Chopper". They will have young kids, not a keg in the garage. See where I am going?

Don't name the business for yourself. What ever you do, you need to do *for the business*...not for selfish reasons.

Sounds like you really need to pick up a book on starting up/running a small....

Just my 2cents (know I'm being ruff on ya!!!)

[Jscotty]

Ok.. so given that call it "Design on a Dime Landscaping"

[Charlie]

"Wilford Brimley & Fucking Viagra Landscaping"

-Charlie

[DEV0 E30]

bushwhackers!

"We whack those bushes back into submission."

[benDASHDASH]

guys, thank you for sharing your thoughts. the domain is registered, my newspaper ads will be printing today, and my business license has been applied for. oh yeah, and i bought baller equipment today. the trailer is being professionally built this week. ground control landscape llc ftw

here's hoping this doesnt flop... i dont have any clients :P

[Kruzen]

guys, thank you for sharing your thoughts. the domain is registered, my newspaper ads will be printing today, and my business license has been applied for. oh yeah, and i bought baller equipment today. the trailer is being professionally built this week. ground control landscape llc ftw

here's hoping this doesnt flop... i dont have any clients :P

Come mow my lawn and build your portfolio!

[benDASHDASH]

Come mow my lawn and build your portfolio!

k, how much u gots?

[Digitalwave]

If you keep the LLC in the name make it a very small part of the logo. That is a long name as it is.

Best of luck to your new business man, I hope it works out great for you.

[Garageaholic]

You should incorporate your first or last name somehow

[ping65810]

What I tried to do is leave room for expansion with the name, whereas its very easy for me to have Pingel Landscaping, and then have Pingel Interior and Tile, then Pingel whatever, etc, etc

[Kruzen]

k, how much u gots?

I think my dad mowed it this weekend actually. But if you really are looking for work and your rates aren't absurd I bet I could hook it up.

[ping65810]

Let me know if you need any advice pricing things out....I have learned a lot, and my first year was hard to try to accurately price things. Most lawn services, meaning cut, trim, and cleanup are anywhere from $45 minimum to $70 depending on the size yard, time, etc. Patio and walkway prices are typically $10-18 per square foot installed pavers, including all materials and labor. Labor alone I charge $6.89 per sq foot for paver installs. Hourly rate is $45 per hour, used for hedge trimming, and other small stuff. Powerwashing I charge $250 per average house, most get $450-550. Ask me if you need anyother price ranges so you dont underscore yourself :)

[benDASHDASH]

kruzen, the rates shouldn't be obsurd. im aiming for just below the industry standard so i can stay competitive. and ping, i appreciate that info. ive been doing a bunch of research on lawn care prices in specific, and the general consensus is $45 /lawn minimum. you just helped confirm that. however, im trying to stay away from hourly rates. i may just take you up on your offer if i need pricing help in these first few months... now if only the phone will ring...

[KenC]

what do you charge per square foot to install pavers over existing concrete?

[ping65810]

Installing pavers over existing concrete would be less in material, so I would go by $6.89 labor per ft2 + materials. It wouldnt be that that much cheaper, biggest savings would be in materials. I would probably reccomend another option than pavers, though, like flagstone or other materials over existing concrete, but thats my opinion. I try to stay a little below industry average, also, but know where the big money stuff is. Mowing is soo competitive that you can only charge so much. However, dethatching, aerating, powerwashing, and etc are all big money services. I try to avoid an hourly rate on most stuff, but I do use it on hedge trimming, and general labor most of the time, since its easier to sell $45/and hour labor, than telling them the actual figure first. For example, its easier for me to say $45 and hour to trim your hedges, and figure around 4 hours than it is to say- around 180 bucks. At least in my experiance it is. Most importantly, GET INSURANCE! I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE ELSE TELLS YOU, OR ADVISES, GET AN AGGREATE CONTRACTORS POLICY! One slip or fall, or one injury can easily put you out of business, and jepordize your personal belongings. And being an LLC does not help liability wise when there is negligence involved, and 90% of the time, its easy to prove negligence one way or anoother