request to bid

[wilcox_11]

was wondering if anyone has a template for a request to bid that you mail to commercial properties. thanks shawn

[FaccLndscpng]

Lawn care business tips

I don't have a template, just basically switch it up every year a little bit: Mail (more detail) -letterhead, with some background info (yrs in business, certs or awards...) mail out atleast once a year and again when you finally make contact with a manager. Email (less detail straight to the point) - "We would like to be added to your list of potential bidders..." property managers are a pain and if you bore them they will not read or respond to your email. Send out often especially as a follow up after calling.

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

I havent found anything that works. I just gave up with it. If they contact me ill bid if not then screw em.

The responses you will get.
I have a landscaper.
We budget in oct, call then.
none.
No thank you.
Talk to this person.

[dpld]

Originally Posted by SECTLANDSCAPING

I havent found anything that works. I just gave up with it. If they contact me ill bid if not then screw em.

The responses you will get.
I have a landscaper.
We budget in oct, call then.
none.
No thank you.
Talk to this person.

usually most not all but 98% of all commercial properties are handled by a management company who is a outside service who takes care of everything so when you call a commercial property and ask for a maintenance manager you are really asking for someone that does not exist, or at least in the particular company you may be speaking to.
so you are never gonna get anywhere with these people.

in my area and all the commercial properties i deal with all our contracts for the following year and bids are done in september and by october it is over with.

this time of year being march 1st all i would be doing is trying to hook up with management co's and dip the wick for next year because 99.9% of all commercial work should be pretty locked down for the year at this point.

the best bet for anyone interested in commercial is to find small to medium sized management co's and get friendly with those people because they will be your key to opening the door to quality commercial work.

word of warning is that you don't ever want to fail in a deal with a management co even if you got to eat a little because they are all associated and have their own little blacklist and share information like that.

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

Originally Posted by dpld

usually most not all but 98% of all commercial properties are handled by a management company who is a outside service who takes care of everything so when you call a commercial property and ask for a maintenance manager you are really asking for someone that does not exist, or at least in the particular company you may be speaking to.
so you are never gonna get anywhere with these people.

in my area and all the commercial properties i deal with all our contracts for the following year and bids are done in september and by october it is over with.

this time of year being march 1st all i would be doing is trying to hook up with management co's and dip the wick for next year because 99.9% of all commercial work should be pretty locked down for the year at this point.

the best bet for anyone interested in commercial is to find small to medium sized management co's and get friendly with those people because they will be your key to opening the door to quality commercial work.

word of warning is that you don't ever want to fail in a deal with a management co even if you got to eat a little because they are all associated and have their own little blacklist and share information like that.

I find most of that true.

The companies I deal with take bids in Feb, July and Oct.

I did just get a RFP from a large apartment complex but they were dealing with Brickman. I think there trying to get away from nationals in the last minute.

The point I was making is spamming commercial properties isnt effective. You will rarely get in touch with the right person. If you do the work might be for next year.

[dpld]

Originally Posted by SECTLANDSCAPING

I find most of that true.

The companies I deal with take bids in Feb, July and Oct.

I did just get a RFP from a large apartment complex but they were dealing with Brickman. I think there trying to get away from nationals in the last minute.

The point I was making is spamming commercial properties isnt effective. You will rarely get in touch with the right person. If you do the work might be for next year.

you are correct in that spamming commercial properties for lack of a better word is not effective.

[FaccLndscpng]

Oh yea dead on guys, the companies that have their stuff together get their contracts out like a season before, most of mine are Aug, Sept and Jan. I'm always questioning a company that starts bidding in March, usually there was a problem from the last landscaper or this company is just unorganized.

Last season I had a company that needed me for snow removal...in January. That's crazy and of course there were reasons for this... they were a bad customer that complained every storm, every invoice and never paid on time. Needless to say...we no longer work for them.

Property managers are a major pain, what worked for me was to bug them to get answers such as what their bid timelines were then once we get that answer start calling and emailing during that month so they don't forget you.

Now I posted this on another thread how the bigger companies are such lowballers. I recently took a job off of Brickman because they were charging around $12,000.00 for a nice size development they were charging 1/2 what the rest of us were bidding its crazy but they undercut themselves, did a bad job and thats why they lost the bid. I used to think it was "the old man with a pick up and a craftsman tractor" that was putting landscapers out of business...

So like DPLD said get in with the small - medium prop mgrs you will make some money, get some experience, accumulate laborers and equipment and you will also need them as a reference.

[wilcox_11]

OK thanks for the input.