Anybody Can Mow a Lawn – The Secret is in the Edging and Trimming

I’m constantly being told that my yard is the best looking yard on the block.

Why is that?

It’s not greener than the others. Everyone mows once per week. We all water on just about the same cycle. We all fertilize two or three times per year and aerate at the same times.

The answer is that mine just looks more “finished”, more professional.

The secret is in the edging work I do after I mow.

I have the normal gas-powered string trimmer that everyone else has, but my secret weapon is a rotating blade edging tool that swaps out with the string trimmer head so that I have two tools in one. The string trimmer gets all the curved edges, around the trees and drainpipes, etc. while the rotating blade makes a perfectly straight up-and-down cut along the sidewalks and driveway edges. The combination of these two tools gives you a professional look that leaves most people wondering how you managed to get such a perfect edge.

You can get the same setup I have at any big box store — the trimmer is about $110 and the edging attachment is about $60.

Of course, you can pay someone else to do all this for you — which is what I recommend if you don’t enjoy yard work like I do — as your time is precious and should be spent with family and friends rather than out in the yard…

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Cheap Paint Actually Costs You More Money

When shopping for your next paint color make sure you buy a premium brand of paint, not just whatever is the cheapest.

Why?

Cheap paint is inferior in every way to premium mixtures — you will need multiple coats to get the same coverage, the durability is not as good, and you will need to re-paint more often.

According to some tests I’ve seen, Kilz Casual Colors paints from Walmart is an excellent choice when it comes to painting interior rooms. Kilz is scrubbable, stain-resistant, and very durable with just one coat. The last time I bought some it was about $25 a gallon — a bargain price for a premium brand of paint.

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My Front Load Washer Smells. What Should I Do?

front-washer-stinksSo I have this expensive front-loading washer / dryer combo with the fancy drawers on the bottom. These things are awesome — they save water, they save energy, they look cool, all of the detergent, softener, bleach, etc. fits in the neat drawers — so what’s my problem?

The washer stinks!

For the first year or so everything was fine, but then I started to notice a heavy, musty, mildew-type of smell inside of the washer after not using it for a while. I also noticed the smell in our clean towels after drying off with them.

What is going on?

I did a search online and found that this is a very common problem with front-loading washing machines and also found a bunch of ways to help fix the problem. I’ve tried just about everything listed here, and the smell is almost gone now. Go through this list and see if any of these suggestions will help you:

  1. Always leave the front door open when not using the machine — this allows air to circulate and helps slow the formation of mildew.
  2. If you have an exhaust fan in your laundry room (like you do in your bathroom) make sure you run it when doing laundry. This helps keep the humidity levels down and fights mildew.
  3. After all wash loads are done, make sure you dry off the rubber gasket located inside the door. Just use an old towel and dry off all the rubber surfaces you see.
  4. Once or twice a month, run an empty cycle with the hottest water setting you have and some liquid bleach to clean your machine. Many machines have a self-clean setting just for this purpose.
  5. READ your owner’s manual. Most people never look at the manual, and they miss out on some important information from the manufacturer. For instance, most manuals will tell you to follow the steps listed here!
  6. If all else fails, you can try some of the cleaning products for front-end washers. I’ve heard good and bad stories about most of them, but the one that seems to have the most success in getting rid of the musty smell is Smelly Washer Cleaner.

Some people become so frustrated with the front-loading washer smell that they give up and go back to the old-style top loading machines. Just follow your basic maintenance tips and you won’t have to give up your cool new washer!

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Do You Stay In Touch With Your Customers?

email-customer

When was the last time you contacted all of your previous customers to let them know about an upcoming promotion or special event?

If you answered “never” or “I don’t know how to do that” or “I don’t have a customer list” then you are at a massive disadvantage to your competitors. You MUST keep a current customer list that contains at least their name and email address — if you have and address and phone number as well then you get a gold star.

The easiest way to keep a customer list is to ask for a first name and email address with every transaction. Tell them you will notify them of upcoming specials and discounts and they will be more than happy to sign up. Use an autoresponder service (I recommend this one) to keep your list safe and to send out your emails to your customers.

Now that you have your customer list, you can use it to print money on demand.

Imagine this — you’re having a slow week and need to bring in some business before the end of the month…just sign in to your autoresponder service, write a short promotional email that gives a 20% discount to everyone that buys something from you on a certain day, click “send”, sit back and watch the customers pour in and the sales ring up. With a customer list you can make this happen over and over again whenever you want.

Do you see the power in this simple system?

Here’s what you need to do to get started:

  1. Sign up for an autoresponder account and set it up as a customer list.
  2. Collect the first name and email address of every paying customer and add them to your list.
  3. Send out promotional emails.
  4. Bank you extra profits.
  5. Repeat as often as possible.

If you need help getting everything set up, contact me via the contact form on this site — I have a side business that will walk you through every step and get you set up on autopilot for only $5K.

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Throw Your Toothbrush Away!

Today’s quick tip: Throw your toothbrush away right now…

Why?

If you’ve been using the same toothbrush for over two weeks it is filled with disgusting germs and bacteria that no amount of rinsing under the faucet can remove. Every time you use that dirty toothbrush, you put yourself at risk for all kinds of illness.

You should also throw out your toothbrush when you get sick — every time you brush your teeth you are just re-infecting yourself with whatever virus or bacteria caused you to get sick in the first place.

The next time you go to the store, go ahead and buy yourself ten new toothbrushes and keep them handy — your immune system will thank you!

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