Fall Cleanup Leaf Removal Tips Plus Help Bidding

Whether you're taking on a leaf clean-up job or a landscaping project, you're not always going to have the right tools to accomplish that specific job.  But, don't let that slow you down. After 32 years of being in this industry, I still don't have all the equipment that I need to get every project done. It doesn't stop me, and it shouldn't stop you. Today I'm going to show you two ways that you can bid a fall clean-up job. We're also going to teach you how to make a "leaf burrito". I'm going to show you how we handle doing jobs when we don't have all the right tools and equipment. So without further ado, we're going to get this video rolling.

Leaf Burritos

So you don't have a leaf vacuum, but you have a trailer and a tarp.  We call it the "leaf burrito." Put it on a tarp and you can haul a lot of leaves. When you don't have a leave vacuum, you get creative. So he pulls plenty of slack over the front and the sides.  That way he can wrap the leaf burrito and contain all the leaves as he goes down the road. Of course, an easy way to get rid of the leaves would be to leave just a little opening in the top of the leaf burrito. I don't know how many people would be too happy about that, but we wouldn't have to dump so many leaves. Another cool trick is you can put a pallet in the front of the leaf burrito with a strap through the middle.  Then you can just back up your mower, hook it up to the strap and pull the whole leaf burrito right off. So what he's doing right now is he's blowing the leaves away from the structures so that the vacuum can come in and suck everything up. It speeds up the whole process.  He'll come right in, grab all these leaves and go.

How to Bid Fall Cleanups

So let's talk about bidding.  This j, in particular, r took us three hours shop to shop time, from start to finish.  We charged this customer $50 an hour plus $40 to drop the leaves. The total bill this customer received was $190. That's how you're going to formulate your bids.  Whether you use $50 an hour, $60 or $65  - whatever rate you can possibly afford. You're going to do the first few leaf clean-ups on an hourly basis and watch your times. You're going to make sure that you understand exactly how long it should take you to do a project like this. That way you can start to switch from bidding on an hourly basis to a lump sum basis. Customers are a lot more comfortable and ready to sign on the dotted line when they have a lump sum when it comes to doing leaf clean-ups. So, you'll be able to look down the road at a job just like this and say, "the last time I did this job, it cost $195.  This one is very similar, it should cost $195." These are the very basics of bidding.  If you need more help, we have advanced formulas and programs available at Dirt Monkey University. If you really want to take your education to the next level, we have one-on-one coaching for contractors to help them understand how to fundamentally bid each and every project. We will walk you through the steps and quickly get you to that place where you're going. There's a difference between companies that are struggling and those that are successful. Our  Mastermind Group will get you to the point where you can sleep easy at night knowing that you are no longer living hand-to-mouth. You will have plenty of money in the bank for a rainy day. That's my daughter getting creative and trying to figure out an easier way to speed up her work to make her life easier. Encourage your crews to think outside the box because it will ultimately lead to greater profits for you. That doesn't seem like that hard of a work. Share with me in the comments down below when one of your crew members became creative and solved a problem that ended up benefiting the entire company. I love hearing these kinds of stories. I didn't teach her that. Person #1: We're going to unfold the leaf burrito. That's a pretty cool strap. Do you like those? Person #2: I like them a lot. Person #1: What are those? They are RZ Easy Straps I think, aren't they? They are self-lined up. Person #2: They are quick loader. Person #1: I should probably put a link to that down below. So do you like them better than regular straps now? Person #2: Oh yeah, easily you can load stuff down or strap stuff in. Person #1: That was it, you just flipped it over and it wound itself up. You don't always have to have the absolute right piece of equipment to tackle a job. Just because you see another company having that one piece of equipment doesn't mean you can't handle that job. You have got to believe in yourself, you've got to start thinking outside of the box and become creative in ways that you tackle projects. Eventually, you'll be able to reinvest in your business, grow and purchase the equipment you need. Until that point, don't let it slow you down. God bless. Go get them. I want nothing but the best for you guys and gals. Believe in yourself and you can do it.