Do you own a Lawn Care / Landscaping Business? Gas prices do not have to take a bite out of your bottom line.
(PRWEB) May 12 2004--As the price of gasoline soars, so do the costs of running many small businesses. LAWN CARE and LANDSCAPING businesses are also greatly affected by the cost of gasoline.
Lawn Care business owners not only have to worry about the cost of gas in driving from one job to the next. They also have to factor in that they are hauling heavy equipment, often on a trailer. The excess drag and weight of the trailer reduces fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Additionally, the equipment and machinery of a lawn care company (lawn mowers, gas trimmers, blowers) use gasoline.
Representatives from http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com say that there are many ways a Lawn Care Company can reduce their gasoline expense. "We find that there are many ways to become much more efficient. Lawn Care companies can greatly reduce their gas costs by following some simple steps."
Hauling and operating equipment use a lot of gas. Here are a few steps you can take to reduce fuel consumption.
1. Keep all your tires properly inflated, not only on you vehicle, but also on your equipment trailer. Consider buying an enclosed trailer. An enclosed trailer will often reduce drag due to wind resistance. Also, with an enclosed trailer you can easily customize the paint and put your company name and phone number on each side and on the back. Use the smallest trailer possible for the jobs you are doing. If you are only doing small residential yards, there is no reason to carry all of your equipment in a very large trailer.
2. Keep your blades sharp and keep your mower in good repair. Change oil and all filters (air filters, oil filter, and fuel filter) as recommended.
3. Plan your route and schedules carefully. If you have many yards in the same neighborhood, plan to do all those yards on the same day. Also, advertise close to home. This will ensure all your customers live only short distances from each other.
4. Store your gasoline containers properly and securely with caps and vent plugs properly closed. Fill your equipment when you unload to start a new job. A full equipment gas tank will tend to leak gas when it is bouncing on a trailer during transport. Of course, you should only top up gasoline when your lawn mower is turned off and the engine and muffler are cool.
5. During transporting and storage, close the gas valve on your lawn mower fuel line. This simple act can increase the life of your spark plugs and it can help keep your engine running smoother which will increase your fuel efficiency.
"In addition to these concepts, we teach lawn care companies better ways to go about doing their work." Using special mowing techniques and special mowing patterns, a lawn care company can learn how to reduce their mowing time on many jobs by up to 50 percent. http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com says that newbies and existing professional companies can both learn how to reduce mowing time. Their training videos show concepts on how to mow a lawn much more quickly. "Proper mowing techniques and concepts save you gas money and they also allow you to do a greater number of yards in a day...increasing productivity."
Gas prices are expected to stay high all summer. But with proper techniques, gas prices will not take a bite out of your bottom line.
http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com produces software and instructional resources for lawn care companies.
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