My Update 6-25

3 am my time right now I just cant sleep. So thought Id give everyone an update as to whats been going on with me. Well I placed my ad back when there was snow maybe 4 months ago ran me 133 a month. everything is paid off as far as equipment goes. bought a double wide trailer a month ago. I started with nothing ended up with 12 accounts that are weekly and one that is bi-weekly. My first month i probably made 1,000. i dont have exact price. somewhere in there. Gutter cleaning and some clean ups. Then the phone started ringing. So, i did everything I could while working my full time job and I do put in around 50 plus at my current job. The money wasnt all in just mowing it was the other services. Mostly Foundation work and dirt work. I have one customer i mow his lawn 2x a week. Tuesday-Friday. 80 a time. I offer everything that i am capable of doing. Nobody blinks an eye. I dont bid anymore on per hour. I say im worth 45 an hour for shrub trimming 5 hours so its 225 take me 3 hours then i made out. Out of those 12 i landed 7 for snow removal 3 i turned away just i dont want to. I just placed another ad for gutter cleaning services in another local paper on the most read page. 1x1 ad for 10 bucks a week. With no competition on that page. I made a website that brought me in 2 jobs already. One I turned away and gave to my friend. It was too much work and I know i could have made alot in the thousands im just not there yet and I dont have the extra time. Kindness is what made me money. Listen to there horror story because most have them. nod your head ask questions i get personal and i have the gift to gab so, it works for me. The ones who throw me alot of work i give a discount too. Always. Can I quit my current job? Yes. do I want to? No. heres why. How much snow are we going to have this winter? Next year spring Im done at my current job and can focus on this business. Im not a very smart person by any means. If i can pull this off anybody can. The biggest thing i learned is i dont let anyone tell me how much i am worth per job or hour. And they try believe me. so offer everything you can do and give cards out to your customers. give them 3 or 4 when your talking to the neighbors i never push my services onto them they ask me what i do and i tell them. thats my update not too much really but i am making money and just have to keep plugging away.

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

That is some great insight! As you reflect back on all the steps you took so far with your business, do you have any advice for others as far as what you might have done differently if you were to do it over again?

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[jasonw]

Yes I would like to hear what you did exactly to get so much work so fast. Thats crazy for an add in the paper. Mine runs me $19.95 per month. I completely forgot but I wanted to leave a card with the bill I left yesterday. Leaving several cars is a good idea. This way they can give them to others in the area for you. I did have a great idea and hooked up with some contractors and realtors in my area and basically told them give my name to people who ask for yard service and I will give there name for people who as me about contractors or realtors. Nothing has come of it yet but surly it will pay off when the housing market improves and these people once again get very busi.

Don't underbid yourself to get work is my main reflection right now. Ask what you want and dont back down. Its what you want really. forgot about all the BS about who charges who what price there doing it at. I am in it because i enjoy this sort of work and I am good at it. Always have been and I like money. money is there it really is. Just one ad in the paper second place till a month ago now im at first place. Maybe i got lucky i dont know. I just feel that you need what you need to operate and keep going to generate money.

thats pretty much all i know. Advertising is key. Maybe my area isnt really affected by the economy like the rest of the states. I read alot on here different stratagies and marketing idea's. One person nailed it in my opinion and I will offer it but the bucket with your business name printed on it with ice melt and call when empty. Im going to use that one. Keep your people happy do some extra work be kind and show them appreciation. dont be an *******. Thats whats working for me right now.

[Steve]

I read alot on here different stratagies and marketing idea's. One person nailed it in my opinion and I will offer it but the bucket with your business name printed on it with ice melt and call when empty. Im going to use that one.

When you get that set up, take a picture and show us what you created!

[jasonw]

I had a gentleman come to my door about a month ago introducing himself and telling me he is opening a new personal investment firm in town and wanted to meet everyone and hand out his fliers. I thought about this today and figured it was worth a shot so tomorrow I am going to load up about a thousand business cards, jump on the mountain bike and just ride around, meet people and explain what I am doing. I will also stop by local businesses and ask to leave cards at there counters. This may be the best idea yet as it seems I could fetch quite a few customers this way. We will see what happens.

Its on here as well and i just thought about it. somebody posted an idea about sending an email to all the business's that need lawncare done. Just a few lines stating what they do, the equipment they have. you can go to your area on the internet and email them. Alot of apartments and business's usually have contact information. Another person i know has 77 apartment complexes that contacted him to aerate and fertilize mow and dethatch. He told me he just sent them a simple letter in the mail and they responded and he got the work. Im noticing that it really is the internet world more people look for service on the net so, simple letter who you are what you can do and contact information. You'd be surprised how many would respond. I cant do it i dont have the time otherwise i would. I can take pictures of that. no problem.