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[Hurtado LCL]

Hey my name is Noel Hurtado and i live in South Alabama. I own a lawncare buisness that i operate part time because I just started it this summer, dont have a lot of clients, and because i go to school. I started this summer with my small personal use Murray riding lawn mower and a weed eater that my dad bought to use around the house. I also has a small 4X6 trailer that i could only fit the lawn mower and my small tools.I pulled it with a 1999 GMC Sierra pickup. After I got a few jobs and saved up some money, I bought a Roybe backpack blower, did a couple more jobs, and bought an Echo edger. I came across a big job but my mower started to give out on me, so my brother offered to lend me the money for a new one. So i bought a 48" Z-Trak zero turn John Deere mower. I got the job but I wound up under bidding it because it was bigger than it seemed and I was new at this buisness. It seemed as though everytime I got a new client, I lost an old one. I think it was because I didn't have the proper equipment to convince the people I would take good care of their lawns. Once I got my new setup....I started keeping clients for months straight. But now, winter is upon me, and I have no idea how to keep my buisness going in the winter. It doesn't snow here, all the grass is dead and doesn't grow. And..people do not care about dead leaves in their yards! (The ones that do care already have lawn service) I also feel that I would not know how to correctly price winter lawn cleanups. Not that there are many around my area to price. If anyone has any helpful suggestions at all...please post them to this forum. I would greatly appreciate it. Also...check out my myspace at http://www.myspace.com/hurtadolawncare! Thanks... -Noel

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

Hi Noel, Thanks for joining us here on the forum. Can you tell us a little about your experience with this job? Originally Posted by [b Quote[/b] ] got the job but I wound up under bidding it because it was bigger than it seemed and I was new at this buisness. How did you come up with the bid? How long did you think the work would take you and how long did it ultimately take? What have you done now differently to change the way you bid on jobs?

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[Little's]

I have found that during the cold months you can get a lot of extra work trimming trees for people. It is the best time of year to do it for your customers. Do a little research on how to do proper pruning on fruit trees and such. Push this service to your customers and dont be afraid to knock on doors to find more work.
Good luck in your business and be creative in your job searching.

Its funny how there's nothing to do this time of year, but I still keep adding clients, especially for my property management company I work with. I've signed several new contracts lately for the new year that I begin work in January, not sure what I'm going to do, but they don't care, they simply want the lines in the yard, whether I'm cutting the grass or not and want everything looking nice and groomed. These are the customers I love to have, so just keep marketing to property management companies and such, cause these are by far my best customers. No homeowners to worry about, so there's no being picky about this and that, as long as it looks good when they drive by once in awhile, they are happy. Of course, I don't sacrifice any of my work or quality, because these are by far the customers I want and they will keep feeding me more and more work, and I always get paid every month by 10th, gotta love it.

ANDY

[Steve]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]so just keep marketing to property management companies

Andy,

What do you suggest a lawn care business owner should do to market to such groups? Any advice on that?