Is a commercial lawn mower better than a residential?

April 16th, 2012 by Craig Sedoris

If you’re in the market for a new lawn mower, you may be wondering whether a commercial lawn mower is better than a residential lawn mower for the care of lawns.  This depends largely on the size of your lawn and how much money you are willing to invest in the purchase of your lawn mower.

If you have a large yard, you’ll certainly appreciate the benefits offered by a commercial lawn mower.  These are some of those perks:

  • A commercial lawn mower is made of more expensive parts, and therefore is more durable. You’ll get a greater life span from a commercial mower for your investment. 
  • You’ll also get a superior cutting deck and higher blade speeds from a commercial lawn mower. Cutting a lawn, particularly a long one, will go much more smoothly with a commercial mower and it won’t leave clumps that have to be raked. 
  • A commercial mower is usually belt-driven, so it’s much less likely to be damaged if you hit a rock or some other unexpected object while cutting a lawn.
  • A commercial mower also has a stronger engine because it is intended for heavy use.  A residential mower is intended for cutting a lawn once or twice a week, but a commercial mower is strong enough to take care of lawns all day, every day and keep on going.

                Naturally, you will pay more for a commercial lawn mower.   If you have a small yard and you cut your grass on a regular schedule of once or twice a week, a residential lawn mower is probably sufficient for your needs.  If you have a large yard or acres of grass to mow, it’s worth looking into a commercial lawn mower for care of lawns.  Although the initial purchase is more expensive, it’s a more durable piece of equipment and it won’t need to be replaced as frequently as a residential lawn mower.

How Does Yelp Work?

April 12th, 2012 by Craig Sedoris

More Time for You is on Yelp

If you’re looking to hire a residential or commercial cleaning company but aren’t sure which one to choose, you could spend hours doing research and reading reviews written by unreliable sources.  Fortunately, there is a way to compare companies and ensure that reviews are legitimate and trustworthy.  Simply check out the business on Yelp.

What is Yelp?

Yelp is a website that allows users to review and recommend businesses in their area.  Businesses, such as a cleaning company, can create profiles to showcase their company and tell others what they are all about.  Individual users create a profile and begin critiquing the places they visit or services they use.  Anyone can browse and read information and reviews about companies in their area.    

Finding a Cleaning Company

Using a service like Yelp can help you find the right residential or commercial cleaning company for you.  By taking the time to compare, you will save yourself the pain of a bad experience.  Cleaning companies are at your service, but you need to make sure that you find a company that is reliable.  Some things to look for on a Yelp profile are:

  • Average rating—four stars or more average means the company is excellent.
  • Address and business hours
  • List of services
  • Up to date information about the history of the company
  • Positive reviews from real customers–since Yelp filters its reviews, you can be assured that the people who write are actual customers. 

By looking at several different cleaning company profiles for businesses in your area, you can quickly determine the best service provider to suit your needs.

Writing a Review

Once you have hired a cleaning company, it’s important to share your experience with others.  The Yelp community is only helpful if users review.  Be sure to rate and comment on the company that you hire so that others will know what to expect.

If you’re looking for a residential or commercial cleaning company in Powell, OH, look no further than More Time for You.  Award winning and rated 5 stars by reviewers, this company will exceed your expectations.

What is the Real Cost of Mowing Your Lawn?

April 9th, 2012 by Craig Sedoris

Lawn Mulching and Mowing Service from MTFYOne of the responsibilities all homeowners must deal with is lawn care and having to mow.  But mow the lawn is not something you want to do on your day off.  Many people take pride in the beauty of their lawn, keeping it neat and groomed year round.  But how much does it really cost to mow your lawn?  Is it worth your time, money, effort, and health?

Lawn Mowers and Maintenance

Though fancy lawn mowers are nice to have, they come with a hefty price tag.  Unless you own at least an acre of land, having a large ride-on mower is not cost effective.  But push mowers can be cumbersome and take much longer to use.  Also, the maintenance and gas required to mow with both can be costly.  If you do not have a working knowledge of the mechanics of a lawn mower, you will have to hire someone to fix and maintain your machine when necessary.  Hiring a mowing service can save you the cost of purchasing a lawn mower; you will also be spared the hassle of machine maintenance and repairs.

Health and Safety

Nearly 250,000 people a year are treated for lawn mower injuries.  Eight percent of those injured are children under the age of 19.  These injuries result from:

  • Inexperienced people attempting to fix their machines
  • Attempting to dislodge objects without turning off the engine
  • Small objects shot from beneath the blades hitting bystanders
  • Heat exhaustion
  • Heat stroke
  • Sun burn
  • Sun poisoning
  • Allergies

With all of these risks, letting a professional mower mow your lawn is a wise choice.

Time and Energy

Hiring a professional lawn care service to mow your yard can also save your time.  Imagine having the ability to relax with your family on Saturday instead of taking hours to care for your lawn!  Never again would you have to come home from work at the end of the day only to spend another hour on yard work.  More Time for You offers lawn care services in Powell, Ohio.  Let the experts mow your lawn and spend your time and money on the things that are important to you.

I Fired my Neighborhood Kid who was Doing my Lawn Mowing

April 5th, 2012 by Craig Sedoris

 

Earn up to a 10 Percent Referral Discount

MTFY Lawn Referral Discount

Lawn mowing seems like such an easy job, so why wouldn’t you hire your neighborhood kid to do it?  Here are five reasons you should fire him and hire a professional instead for all your lawn cutting in Powell.

  1. When you go on vacation, do you really want to have to worry about whether the lawn mowing at your Dublin home is getting done?  Chances are, you’ll be relaxing on the beach somewhere and lawn cutting will be the last thing on your mind.
  2. Neighborhood kids also tend to be very unreliable, and you never know when they might get grounded and not be able to take care of your lawn mowing
  3. It takes an expert to know when it’s time to cut the grass and when it’s time to wait.  Sometimes you may need it cut more than once a week, like if it’s been raining a lot, and the only way you can be sure that someone is watching out for your lawn is if you hire a professional.
  4. Lawn cutting is about much more than simply running a lawn mower and cutting the grass.  It also takes some knowledge about grass, how it grows, and how to take care of it without damaging it.  The neighborhood kid may think he can save time later by cutting it extra short now, but experts realize that if you cut it too short, the sun will end up scorching it and ruining your lawn.
  5. You can rest assured that when you hire a lawn mowing service, your lawn will always be taken care of and you won’t even have to think about it.

Your lawn is the first thing people see when they come to your house.  Why would you trust something so important to the kid down the block?

Busy Bees

April 3rd, 2012 by Craig Sedoris

Musy BeesMore Time for You has always been about find more time for our busy bee clients.  Today we want to share how you can help some other busy bees.

Bees have been in a steady decline – which isn’t a good thing for you and me.  Here are a few ideas for your garden this year.  These are some plants that will attract bees in your yard.  If you have children or are allergic, you might want to avoid these altogether or place them in low traffic areas.  Our area is an Area 5 for plant hardiness.  That means you can plant perennials, flowers and herbs that can sustain temperatures as low as -20 F.  So here are some bee selections.

Catnip -  This is an easy perennial.  It will take about 20 days to germinate.  Plant it in a full sun or a partial shaded area.  This can get over three feet high and can bloom in Blue, Pink, Purple, White and Yellows.  Your cats will love them to.

Globe thistle is a frost hardy perennial flower.  You’ll find this as an easy one as well.  It does great in all types of soils.  Plant them about 2 1/2 feet apart and enjoy their colorful Blue and Purple blooms.

Heart ease or Wild pansy will bring some purple, yellow and white coloring to your gardens.  These grow to a height of about 6 inches, so you can toss a bunch together.

Lavender is also a frost hardy addition.  This is a pretty easy perennial that loves full sun.  It can grow to 5 feet, so leave some space in between  – about a foot and a half.  You won’t be dissappointed with the colors or the delightful fragrance.

Want some Oranges, Pinks, Red and White?  Toss in some Zinnia’s.  Place these in full sun and allow about 20 days for germination.

There you have it, some great ideas to help our local bee population.  More Time for You can help with your lawn mowing needs in Powell and Dublin. 

 

 

 

 

Which Maid for You?

April 2nd, 2012 by Craig Sedoris

MTFY - Fully InsuredWhich maid service os for you?  You have plenty of choices when it comes to house cleaning services  but why settle for just any old company when you can have the best.  More Time for You stands heads and shoulders above competitors like The Maids and other major franchises, and here’s why: 

The Maids stop with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee, while More Time for You goes above and beyond to offer a 200 percent satisfaction guarantee.  Why settle for less when you can have more?  All you have to do is call within 24 hours of your cleaning service, and we’ll come right back over and clean again. If it still isn’t right, you can show us precisely what’s wrong, and we’ll take care of it.  Our manager will see to it personally.  We’ll even refund your money and make a donation to charity in the same amount as the price of your service.

None of the employees at More Time for You have ever failed a random drug test.  Can your cleaning service claim that?  Do they even perform drug-testing?    We don’t know for sure, buy why hire a company that you’re wondering about?  Your possessions are valuable, and in order to handle them with care, you need to be sure that the maid service you hire only allows drug-free workers in your home.

Our clients trust us so much that more than three-quarters of them give our cleaners a key to their home.  Are you comfortable turnover the keys to your house?

Although we are bonded and insured, in the 13 years we have been in  business, we have never needed to use our bond policy.  This just goes to show how careful our housekeepers are and how selective we are when choosing the people who will go into your home.

We know there are plenty of house cleaners in Powell and Dublin to choose from, but are their track records as squeaky clean as ours?  You just don’t know what you’re going to get sometimes, but with More Time for You, you can rest assured that you get quality service each and every time.

Why You Should Hire More Time for You

February 24th, 2012 by Craig Sedoris

More Time for You Owners - Craig and PamReputation.  The reputation of the person you hire for your housekeeping should be very important to you.  More Time for You has been servicing homes like yours since 1999.  We are the only local cleaning company that is a BBB (Better Business Bureau) Torch Integrity Award Recipient.

Familiar Face.  Our customers prefer our one employee approach versus a “herd” concept. 

Aligned Design.  Our employee wages and bonuses are aligned with you in mind.  An hourly wage, mileage reimbursement and a monthly bonus based on reliability and quality.  Not speed or productivity!

Undeniable Reliability.  Your home will be cleaned on your scheduled day.  If it has to be rescheduled, it will be within 48 business hours or it is FREE. (Excludes holiday weeks or reschedules due to weather).

Unrivaled Arrival.  We will provide you with either an AM or PM clean.  If you have requested an AM or PM clean and we mix it up without your approval, you get a $10 rebate.

Marquee Guarantee.  200% Cleaning Guarantee!

Management.  While some homeowners like to be involved in their house cleaning management, we have found that the overwhelming majority prefer to have someone else handle that chore for them.  More Time for You will manage every aspect of your house cleaning. 

Accidental Insurance.  If you hire an individual or company that does not have Workers Compensation Insurance, guess who is going to get the bill when an accident happens.  We have had claims for falls and trips and bites and one of these claims incurred over $74,000 in payments and reserves.  Why take the risk?  More Time for You uses our employee’s in every home and they are all covered under Workers Compensation Insurance.  Don’t take any chances and make sure you ask if a service provider uses independent contractors. If so, ask for proof of insurance.

Taxes.  Sales tax is required to be collected and remitted in the state ofOhio.  If your service provider does not report it, then what else might they be up to?

Employment Taxes.  If you have a household employee in your home, you probably need to file a Schedule H.  Here is the risk:  Let’s say you don’t and then for whatever reason your conditions change and you lay this person off.  What happens when they file for unemployment?  Red flag coming your way!

Breakage Insurance.  Over the years, we had many customers show us broken items that were glued back together by an individual in an effort to cover it up.  Asking an individual cleaner to cover the cost of a $200 item takes a big part of their paycheck.  More Time for You is fully insured and we cover the expense of all broken items that we are responsible for.  We do not charge our employee’s for damage. Accidents do happen and we do not want our employee’s to have any reason to not disclose breakage.

No Guilt.  An individual cleaner becomes part of the family.  How do you terminate him/her or how do you discuss his/her weaknesses in the cleaning?  While More Time for You wants to have a great relationship with you, it is business first.  If you aren’t pleased, you can express your concerns with us.  If the quality is off, we can reassign one of our multiple employee’s and we will find one that satisfies your needs.  In the event we just can’t meet your needs and you need to make a change, it won’t be personal.  We failed.

Competitive.  We are competitively priced, if not lower than many other companies.  We are confident we will provide excellent value.

Products.  We are OSHA complaint and all of our products are labeled for safety.  There are some pretty toxic products out there.  They may do a great job cleaning, but are they safe for your home and family?

Discounted Time Saving Services.  You’ll have discounted access to our handyman, lawn care and other value added services.  Saving you time and money.

Our Golden Rule:  Treat others as you wish to be treated.  MTFY will ALWAYS do the right thing!

Do You Check the Better Business Bureau Before You Hire?

February 9th, 2012 by Craig Sedoris

More Time for You BBB Torch Award BearerThe Better Business Bureau is often the first place that comes to mind when there is a complaint against a company.  But have you ever considered using the BBB in a positive way?  If you are searching for a house cleaning business, check their BBB rating before you hire.

What is the BBB?

As our country developed and the marketplace continued to grow, the need arose for an organization that would set standards for ethical business practices.  The Better Business Bureau seeks to promote a trustworthy climate between businesses and consumers by creating accountability, settling disputes, and awarding those who go above and beyond.   Though it does file complaints and work to mediate, the BBB also accredits companies and gives them goals to achieve, thereby making business better for everyone. 

Find a Cleaners Company Using the BBB

Using the BBB website to search for a cleaners companyis simple and fast.  Just type in your area code, use key words like house cleaning, and check the search results.  The most important thing to look for is the accreditation and the BBB rating.  Just as in school, businesses receive ratings from F to A+.  The grading criteria are as follows:

  • ·        Complaint history with BBB
  • ·        Type of business
  • ·        Time in business
  • ·        Background information in BBB files
  • ·        Failure to honor commitments to BBB
  • ·        Licensing and government actions
  • ·        Advertising issues

While no business will be complaint free, you should choose a cleaning agency that has at least an A rating.

The Torch Awards

Finally, the BBB in Ohio gives awards to those companies that not only make the grade, but far exceed consumer’s expectations.  More Time for You accomplished this lofty goal in 2005.  Not only are they a Torch award winner, but the company also has an A+ rating from the BBB.  If you are searching for a housecleaning business in the Columbus, OH area, consider hiring this superior company. 

How Cool is a 200% Guarantee?

February 7th, 2012 by Craig Sedoris

More Time for You Offers a 200 Percent GuaranteeMany companies offer a 100% guarantee that you will be satisfied with their product or service, but have you ever heard of a 200% guarantee for house clean services?  Only the best cleaning service goes above and beyond 100%.

The Most Trusted House Cleaning Company

Getting back twice what you paid if you are unsatisfied in completely unheard of today.  Many businesses have poor customer service.  The bigger the corporation, the less likely you are to be heard.  Even small businesses can put profits ahead of people.  More Time for You puts clients first and we have the a tremendous success rate and maintain good relationships with our customers.  The best cleaning services will provide:

  • High quality work that exceeds your expectation
  • Prompt attention to client concerns
  • Care for employees
  • Give back to the community

What is a 200% Guarantee?

More Time for You is a company that meets all of the above requirements.  With their 200% guarantee, you will never have to wonder if you will be disappointed.  If you find you are dissatisfied after your cleaning, simply call within 24 hours.  A maid will return to your home and re-clean all areas needed.  If you still see a need for improvement, you can contact the Quality Assurance Manager who will come to your home and see how the company can do a better job.  Not only will you receive a refund for your cleaning, but MTFY will also make an equal donation in your name to either the Nationwide Children’s Hospital or the Cleaning for a Reason Foundation.

Walking the Walk

Housekeeping companies can talk the talk, but how many can back up their claims with actions?  More Time for You is a Powell based business providing cleaning, lawn mowing and light home improvement services to the Powell, Dublin and surrounding area.   Entering our 13th year, we are committed to serving our clients with exceptional standards and giving back to the community.  You can’t lose with this superior cleaning service!

Are you LinkedIn?

February 2nd, 2012 by Craig Sedoris

Craig Sedoris is on LinkedInWhen searching for a housecleaning agency, the most important thing you can do is get great references.  But how do you really know that the agency will meet your standards for house cleaning?  By using LinkedIn, you can connect with business owners and get inside information.

What is LinkedIn?

Created in 2002, LinkedIn is a free website that provides networking and resources for business people, entrepreneurs, and professionals worldwide.  By creating a profile, you can share your expertise with others and make connections that would have otherwise been impossible.  Even if you are not interested in creating a profile, you can still use LinkedIn.

How to us LinkedIn to your Advantage

Imagine that you are considering several different housecleaning agencies that all seem to be the same.  You have great references from all of them, but you aren’t sure which one to hire.  You can search LinkedIn to find the owners and learn more about them.  You can also contact them and ask for expert advice.  By taking the time to learn about each company and its proprietor, you can ensure that you are hiring the best.  Some things you should look for are:

  • An established company
  • Client loyalty
  • Proven track record
  • Caring for employees and their families
  • Listens to customers
  • Guarantees their work
  • Gives back to the community

Dig a little deeper and do your research; you can find what truly matters to business owners and help support your local economy.

Get Linked

Craig Sedoris is the owner of More Time for You, a family owned house cleaning, lawn care and handyman company located in Powell Ohio and services Dublin, Lewis Center and other Columbus since 1999.  If housekeeping is what you need, consider MTFY to meet your needs.  You can learn more about Craig and his company by checking out his profile.