Notes from running YardBill.
Pricing, getting paid, the software you don't need.
- Get paid faster · 05.21.26
How do you want to be paid?
The customer asks how to pay you and you fumble it. Here's the short list of methods that actually work for a solo crew in 2026, what each one really costs, and the 1099-K rule that quietly changed in July.
9 MIN - Win the quote · 05.18.26
How to quote a lawn without driving out to see it
Drive-out estimates eat your route in May. Here's the method that lets you quote most lawns from your phone without the bad numbers that usually come with it.
9 MIN - Run the truck like a business · 05.15.26
The first-helper math (and why most operators wait too long to do it)
You're working 55 hours a week and turning down customers. Should you hire help? Here's the math on a $20/hr helper, what the wage actually costs, and the number you need to hit before person 2 makes sense.
9 MIN - Run the truck like a business · 05.14.26
What to do when the route is full
It's mid-May and you're booked. Six new requests came in this week. Here's how to handle a full route without burning leads or quoting jobs you can't actually take.
8 MIN - Get paid faster · 05.13.26
The customer who won't pay
An invoice is 60 days late. The customer stopped replying. Here's the order to work the problem, what each step actually costs, and when to walk away.
8 MIN - Tools, honestly compared · 05.01.26
YardBill vs Yardbook: honest side-by-side for solo landscapers
Yardbook is free. YardBill is $19/mo. Here's what each one is actually good at, and which one fits a 1–3 person crew working off an iPhone in 2026.
10 MIN - Win the quote · 05.01.26
When the quote goes quiet
You sent a fair quote 5 days ago. Nothing back. Here's the follow-up that actually works, and the one that costs you the job.
9 MIN - Get paid faster · 05.01.26
Should you take a deposit on that big spring job?
Mulch installs and spring cleanups burn cash before the truck rolls. Here's when to ask for a deposit, how much, and how to collect it without scaring off the customer.
8 MIN - Win the quote · 05.01.26
Raise prices without losing customers
Gas is up. Fertilizer is up double-digits. Most of your weekly mowers are still at last year's rate. Here's how to fix that without losing the route.
8 MIN - Get paid faster · 05.01.26
Send lawn care invoices before you leave the driveway.
The gap between job done and invoice sent is where small lawn care crews lose cash. Here's why same-day invoicing from the truck can help you get paid faster.
11 MIN