Edge Landscaping new to the forum

[avigliano]

Hi, my Name is Jared and this is the first time I’ve posted to the Forum. *Last year I started a small business called Edge Landscaping. *I’m based out of New Paltz, NY and service Ulster County. *

I’ve got to say this site is GREAT! *I can’t believe all of the information and sample documents. *It’s great to see so many people sharing resources, It’s really commendable. *I’ve tapped into many of them for advertisement ideas and customer letters.

Edge Landscaping was started as a side gig to compliment my full time teaching job, but it’s quickly becoming a real passion of mine. *I did a lot of hardscape work while I was in college, but I never did much mowing. *After college from time to time I would help friends in the business with hardscape jobs and in the process I learned a thing or two about mowing.

After some time it go to the point where I was like “I should start doing this work on my own”. *Last year about this time I picked up a 48” Scag walk behind and a trimmer and ran a few adds on Craig’s List. *Things really took off after that point. *I was blown away by the amount of responses I got just off of Craig’s List. * At the end of the summer I had 10 mowing accounts, tons of clean up work and plantings and a hand full of really nice hardscape jobs. *

Since the summer I’ve been tweaking things and really trying to take care of all of the paper work stuff. *I don’t want to be uncertified and uninsured. * I’ve put together a website at http://www.edgelandscapinginc.com. Please check it out and let me know what you think. *I’m also working on T-shirts, logos, door hanger ads, and lettering for my trailer.

I’ve also been updating the fleet as well. *I have Dodge ram 1500, 12*6 enclosed trailer, Scag 48” belt drive walk behind, Scag 61” Turf Tiger, Stihl trimmer, backpack, and demo saw, and A little Wonder push blower.

My goal for this year is to get up to 20 mowing accounts and more hardscape work.

I can’t wait for the grass to grow!!! *Thanks again for all of the support THIS SITE IS AMAZING!

Does anyone have any easy solutions for mac users who want to run the gopher software?

Edge Landscaping (http://www.edgelandscapinginc.com)

[Steve]

Hi Jared,

Welcome to our forum!

I just checked out your site and it looks great! Did you create that yourself? Did you base it on a template? WOW! You do great hardscaping work too! Do you have any pictures of your equipment you could share?

Do you plan on going full time with this? How do you compare running your lawn care business with being a teacher?

Quote[/b] ]Does anyone have any easy solutions for mac users who want to run the gopher software?
I am not sure but isn't there a way to run windows software on the mac? I know others do it but I forgot how.

[avigliano]

Steve,

Thanks for the kind words. *I really enjoy the hardscape stuff. *Because the business isn't my full time job I can take a little more time on the technical jobs. *I really only want jobs that are going to make me happy in the end. *I don't want to feel rushed while I'm working on them, ya know. *If I want to take 20 minutes and scratch my head to see how something is going to work best I don't want the wait of a clock bothering me.

I put the website together using a template from iweb(a mac program) *I did a little bit of code work with it and I still have a couple of tweaks left.

A lot of people ask me if I I'm going to run the business full time. *I have no plans to do that right now. *Teaching and landscaping work so well together I think I would be crazy to give one up. *Teaching is so rewarding and the benefits are very stable. *Landscaping on the other hand is so tangible, I love the feeling of finishing a hardscape job and seeing the progress. *I also like hopping on a mower and zoning out for a while, its pretty zen ya know.

I don't have any photos of the equipment yet, all of the goods are packed up and winterized. *As soon as it warms up I'll get them out and take a snap shot of them.

I do have a photo of my new trailer which I photo shopped a tentative logo on, tell me what ya think. *I want to keep it clean and simple.

Jared


http://www.edgelandscapinginc.com/Contact_files/doorsclosed.jpg

http://www.edgelandscapinginc.com/Contact_files/dooropen.jpg

Edge Landscaping (http://www.edgelandscapinginc.com)

[Steve]

Jared,

Great picture! I like the graphics on your trailer!

Do you think you will be staying with your craigslist marketing this year or will you be experimenting with other marketing methods?

[avigliano]

Craig's List worked well last year, so I plan to stay with it. One problem is that it doesn't to a great job of focusing advertising so I was doing a lot of driving from job to job. I'm going to be doing some door hanger adds locally this year and and I'm also sending a promotional letter to all my current accounts saying "one free mow with referral to a neighbor". I don't want to get to crazy and have too many accounts. I had 10 last year and I'm looking to have 20 this year. I think with the new zero turn I can handle that.

Jared

[avigliano]

Oh I found this chart at *http://www.signsrus.com. *I was referencing it for letter size and best read ability.

http://www.edgelandscapinginc.com/Contact_files/picture1.jpg

The letters on my trailer are going to be about 5" high that would mean they are best read at 50' and can be read up to 175' away. *How does that sound? *Seems a little small to me, but 50 feet is perfect from across the road.

I also want to limit the logo so it can be seen with the doors open and closed.

I hope the chart is helpful to people.

Jared

[Steve]

Thank you Jared for the chart.

You really got me thinking on the sign lettering concept. Say a neighbor is looking out their window across the street or down the street at your trailer.

How important is it that your phone number or web address is just as large so they can contact you without having to walk up closer to read your trailer letters?

What's your thought on that?

[avigliano]

I'm a little bit torn about that. *I feel a trailer should be used as a big advertisement. *I'f I'm going to pull a trailer it might as well serve two purposes. *At the same time I want it to represent my style and the feel of the business.

I could make a really big billboard style graphic for the trailer, but that wouldn't represent my style.

I really want to keep in mind that right now I'm not trying to mow everyones yard in town.

I want to grow, but I don't want to loose control and bite off more than I can deal with. *Maybe things will be different down the road.

I guess what I'm saying is I want the customers that are going to take the extra effort to come out and talk to me. *Not just someone looking out the window.

What do you folks think?

[Steve]

It sounds like you have thought this out and that is a good reason for it.