Happy Fall, Ya'll

It has been quite awhile since I have written a blog.  It is difficult to maintain blog entries during peak season, but I have a new office manager that seems to be on her game.  So from here on out, she will be the official Mow & Blow blogger.  In fact, this is her now.

Since I have joined this wonderful team, I have had the pleasure of having breakfast with the Better Business Bureau, joined the Bartlett Area Chamber Of Commerce, had delicious lunches, and met some amazing people.

At our very first Bartlett Area Chamber luncheon, we had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful lady, Rhonda Talbot, a representative for MidSouth Solutions, a company that can create and manufacture your company logo on Frisbees, hats, pens, signs, and just about anything else.

That same week, we had the pleasure of enjoying a boil sponsored by Atlantic Irrigation.  The staff at their Memphis warehouse are truly wonderful people.  The guys are very knowledgeable about the products they use.  I am also impressed that they mainly use chemical free pest control products.

The following day we had the pleasure of networking with Tony and Lora Lee Falasca.  Tony is a representative of CBD Oil Kills Cancer, oils that can be used on humans as well as household pets.  His oils can help with managing stress, anxiety, Alzheimer's, sciatica, obesity, fibromyalgia, and much more.  Although, I have not used Tony's sponsored product, I intend to soon.  His wonderful wife Lora Lee is a representative of Catering Memphis Events. I will state that her lunches are divine.  Also at this networking session we encountered Devan Dillard the marketing director for Two Men And a Truck, movers who care.  To me I found it extremely interesting that one tiny little small business has expanded nationwide.  Amongst this group we met a guest speaker, Dana McFeeters, who also assists in advertising your company's logo.  I will say, her personality is one that I could surely do business with. 

At last weeks meeting, I did have the pleasure of having a one-on-one with Dale Hill, the director of sales and marketing for Magtech Drug Testing, 24 hour on-site testing, a company we will be sure to use in the future.

Lastly, we cannot forget about Saba Automotive, a Honda and Acura specialist.  They have been in business since this past January.  They have only positive reviews on FaceBook.  We intend to give them a chance if we ever have a need to be met. 

Amongst the aforementioned people, we met a few realtors, brokers, printer specialists, and even had lunch with the mayor!! 

Thank you again for supporting our small business and please consider those mentioned in this blog if ever need be.  Remember, it is people like you that make us and other small businesses successful.

Wet Leaves

People always request to come get their leaves after the rain. Well wet leaves are the hardest to get or suck up.  This is because of all the extra weight from the water that they are retaining. We blow the leaves out to the street and then suck them up. With wet leaves it is even harder to move them around period. As you suck them up, it grinds them up which is like wet dust that just clumps up and clogs the machine. All of this makes each job take at least three times longer not to mention any of the tracking up of the soaked yard. All of this is one reason we try to wait as the grass in the fall or winter will not grow and any damage will be there most likely till spring.

When is it too wet to cut the lawn?

When it rains like it has this past week, it is just too wet to attempt to cut the yard. Most, if not all the mowers are just too heavy to put on the lawn. If you can not walk across the yard without sinking or if it is just like walking on a sponge, then it is simply too wet.  Sometimes I have customers call and want it done.  Do not as it could turn your yard into what looks like an old corn field, leave ruts, and make an all around mess of things. I also have some state they see some companies out cutting.  A lot of times they are cutting commercial lots or in some cases just do not care. We try to avoid this at all cost, but know it will get us behind. There comes a time when you just have to take that chance though.  If you have ever had your lawn messed up then you know exactly what I am talking about.

Crepe Myrtle or Crepe Murder??

The crepe myrtle is a beautiful tree, but just that,  a tree.  If clipped correctly and left alone to grow, it will be absolutely beautiful.  However, at times they are planted in the wrong spot by either the homeowner or landscaper.  Most of the time it is too close to the house causing these to have to be cut back to prevent them from rubbing and messing up the house.  Eventually they will have to be removed as they will become too big.  Often times, you may even see them underneath power lines.  As they continue to grow, they become too big and grow into the lines which in turn causes these beautiful trees to be removed.  Once cut back, they will religiously have to be cut back.  Personally, I like to see them full grown and in bloom and never cut back.  I would also like to here anybody's thoughts on this.  Do you consider cutting them back as crepe murder?

Gutter Cleaning

While doing gutters, I ran across this little nifty thing the other day.  I think it is a very good idea, especially for the under ground drainage which can get filled with debris and may be difficult to clean out if over a five or ten foot span.  This little thing is called a gutter trap.  It can be purchased from Lowe's for around six dollars.  The gutter trap assists with blocking most of the debris from going down.  You simply just clean the screen when needed. I would like to hear from anyone using them.  Please state the pros and cons of this this product.

Mulching, Raking, & Blowing Leaves

There has always been a debate on whether to mulch the leaves with a mower, rake the leaves, or blow them. Either way it is always a good idea to get them up as too many leaves on the ground can smother and kill your grass.  You can mulch leaves with the mower if there are not too many.  However, if there are a ton, they would smother your grass.  If you did this, I would recommend bagging them with the mower. Raking is good for the yard as it helps remove thatch as well.  Unfortunately, a good sized yard can be back breaking and very time consuming, not to mention the tons of bags left on the curb.  What we do is blow the leaves out to the street.  After that, we will suck them up with a machine. With the right blowers it will also help remove the thatch as well.  There will be no bags left on the street. This seems to be the most cost efficient and a lot less time consuming.

Lawn Care Leads

I have had a lot of customers asking me about sites on Google that suggest you click here to get quotes from the top five or ten lawn care companies in your area. Most of the time these are companies that get your information and will sell it to whomever buys it first.  You usually end up receiving calls, emails, and/or quotes from companies that are indeed not the top ten, do not have a license, nor insurance for that matter. Some of these companies might not even be in business the following year or even the next month.  I have always thought this was a misleading way to earn your business. Sometimes you the customer may not even realize it.  I am new to blogging and wanted to start here.  I would appreciate any feedback on this.