People should buy from me because people like me

[Steve]

When you were getting your business started did you feel there was a culture shock that you went through initially at least? Where you felt it would be easy to get customers because the people you know, liked you. Since people liked you, they should buy from you. But when you went out there trying to get customers, you found it to be a different world? Or were you able to simply reach out to those people that knew and liked you and get them to sign up as customers?

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[wandfsmall]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by Steve When you were getting your business started did you feel there was a culture shock that you went through initially at least? Where you felt it would be easy to get customers because the people you know, liked you. Since people liked you, they should buy from you. But when you went out there trying to get customers, you found it to be a different world? Or were you able to simply reach out to those people that knew and liked you and get them to sign up as customers? over the years I have found your better off not doing business with friends, they want everything now and for free. your better off keeping business and friends separate if you can. but I agree business is a popularity contest....

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[picframer]

Tapped into the network of people I knew, situation is probably different than most as I had a high level banking career in corporate finance, I simply fired off emails, then it was friends of friends of theirs, we did 461 landscaping/spraying jobs in the first two years.

This year I am back in the business after selling in January last year however very cautious, the landscaping/excavation market is very tight, people are hanging onto their money, I see this in all three companies I am involved with, sales overall YTD are down 63%, based on a 16 year average of data we have.

So in short where I live it's not a good time to start buying a lot of equipment.

[Steve]

Do you think there is something to be said about targeting your friends early on when you are getting started and later trying to replace them with non-friend customers?

Or do friend customers, even if they want things for free or at discounts, still help because they will continue to turn more people your way?

Or maybe just regular paying customers will do the same thing and not expect things for free?

[sunsetlandscaping]

I have gave out business cards to everyone I know, and only got one account (thats not regular) that was a clean up through my wife, and we know plenty of people, doctors especially. No one really cares about my business...the only people to call is people that found me on google and in the newspaper so far.

[Steve]

Do you know if these people you hand out your cards to have lawns? Are they cutting the lawns themselves or do they use a lawn care service?

[sunsetlandscaping]

Most people in my area take care of their own lawn. I live in kind of a poor, yet touristy area, because of the lakes, and the only people that find me for the most part, are people that live out of town with second homes.