# New here question about expanding



## tdcnc (Jan 27, 2006)

I opened my lawn care company this past spring and all went great. Although I ran across alot of stumps in peoples yards and nobody to grind them. I just wondered if there was anyone else that has incorperated stump grinding with their landscape business and has it been sucessful?


----------



## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

Seems like a natural fit for a landscaping business. Sure sounds like a good idea. Who else is going to "upsell" a customer on stump grinding if it isn't the lawn person? I don't think the housepainter or the driveway sealing guy cares about the stumps in the yard. Nothing seems quite so nice as having the customer pay you for doing something that makes your job easier (stump grinding makes lawn mowing easier). Sorta like double dipping, which is fine with me!

Isn't stump grinding expensive? I think it is. I'm betting there's tons more profit in that versus mowing yards. 

Is there some way you can carry a stump grinder on the mower trailer for on the spot sales of stump grinding during the same visit that you're mowing the lawn? Just wondering.


----------



## gravtyklz (Dec 24, 2005)

I've seen a lot of stump grinding in my area, and on job sites ive been to.

It seems most use a stump grinder thats on a trailer and you pull it with your vehicle, then just back it up to the stump and start grinding. And it seems to take a while to do one big stump. And im sure the machine is costly.

Maybe you should give it a shot on a few yards...rent the machine....get the hang of it....see if you have a niche for stump grinding.


----------



## LandscapePro (Dec 31, 2005)

td,
welcome..

Most of the guys down here into grinding specialize in it. I haven't seen any Landscape Contractor's with machines, but there may be a few.

I'd suggest gathering some intel in the area before buying a machine. You may be able to rent one on an "as needed" basis and see how you like doing it.

The hardest part I've seen is cleaning up the mess.

Mike
La. Landscape Contractor #2576


----------



## tdcnc (Jan 27, 2006)

I was thinking I could use it as "winter work". Maybe a few Saturdays to regular customers to "make my job easier". Renting one to see if I like it is a good idea. Anybody else have any sugestions?


----------



## Always Greener (Dec 22, 2005)

If you have the time to do the job then do it...If not sub it out and make something on it.. If you are going to do it just make sure your insurance is up-to-date just in case a tooth comes off the cutting wheel.. not fun


----------



## Richard Kaller (Aug 31, 2005)

TDCNC,

Nobody can answer that question for you except your business plan.

There are six points of a business plan you need to consider. The facts there are stumps and there are grinders are secondary.

1.	Economic plan – In writing how will this investment make money.

2.	Marketing plan – In writing how will you market stump grinding because chances are you won’t find enough stumps with your current business. Who is your competition? What do they charge? How much profit is in stump grinding?

3.	Sales Plan – In writing what is your sales process so the prospect buys?

4.	Production Plan – In writing who will do the physical work? What happens if you have too much work?

5.	Administration Plan – In writing how will you schedule and invoice the work? 

6.	Human resource development plan – Who and how will you hire and train?

Most contractors will not take the time to contemplate these questions and develop written plans for success. That is why most contractors are not financially successful.

My guess is it can be lucrative if you have the right machines and the right people. However, if I was doing a line extension to a lawn cutting business it would not be stump grinding since there are so many big ticket items that show much greater promise of profits.


----------



## Always Greener (Dec 22, 2005)

Richard Kaller said:


> TDCNC,
> 
> Nobody can answer that question for you except your business plan.
> 
> ...



I agree to a point.. If he is a solo LCO and wants to stay solo than a lot of what you said he will not do. Right now he is looking a revenue…bottom line…he does not care about the business aspects of it right now..But I could be wrong, but I have seen to many LCO’s just do what need to get done to put food on the table and not care about the business side of it.


----------

