Pre season marketing

Hey everyone. It's gonna be my first season starting the lawn business and yesterday I went to an older, well-established neighbourhood to hand out about 350 flyers. I've attached a copy of them below. I was just wondering what the average response rate is on door-to-door flyers and how long I should wait for phone calls before I go to a different neighbourhood and hand out another 350? thanks guys.

Attached Files

flyer.docx (57.8 KB, 46 views)

[jessechaveriat]

Lawn care business tips

in my expierience, 1-2% will respond to flyers. so basically, the more you put out there, more people will respond. with 350, you might get 1 to 3 calls. what works best for me is printing my own business cards, and putting them on business card magnets, and sticking them to mailboxes. people love magnets! that way i can personalize the card to have that neighborhood name and special on it, and just print the number of them that i need. If you stick with the flyers, id start out with 1000. you should get a few customers from them. right now is the very best time, cause grass will be growing in a week or so.

My personal experience with the return on flyers has been about 3.5% to 4%. It took probably 2 weeks or so before the calls came in though. I put them out a little early. I don't know if I would be putting magnets on the mailboxes because technically its a federal offense. Probably not going to get caught or in trouble for it, but it is against the law.

[jasonw]

Originally Posted by racerdude711

My personal experience with the return on flyers has been about 3.5% to 4%. It took probably 2 weeks or so before the calls came in though. I put them out a little early. I don't know if I would be putting magnets on the mailboxes because technically its a federal offense. Probably not going to get caught or in trouble for it, but it is against the law.

I agree probably not going to get caught but if you do the penalties will far outweigh the profit. I started my preseason add work on March 1st. All I did was start running my add in the local paper again. Last years business came 100% all from that add. I paid my employee to had out a ton of fliers all day long and didn't get one call. Personally I think he put them in the trash.

[jessechaveriat]

magnets on mailboxes are not any kind offense. you can stick anything you want to a milbox, as long as you dont put it in. there is no risk to it. i checked with the post office, and the city before making them. Please do some research before telling someone they are committing a federal offense.

[jasonw]

Originally Posted by jessechaveriat

magnets on mailboxes are not any kind offense. you can stick anything you want to a milbox, as long as you dont put it in. there is no risk to it. i checked with the post office, and the city before making them. Please do some research before telling someone they are committing a federal offense.

Research was done, taken fro the United state postal service.

* Advertising on a mailbox or the supporting post of the mailbox is prohibited.
* Only the United States Postal Service may use mailboxes for delivery without paying postage (Flyers, magazines, notes, letters, etc. found in or on mailboxes may be charged postage due) .
o If you have received flyers on or in your mailbox, please contact your local Post Office facility.
o Non-postal information, advertising, and any other matter not bearing postage may be placed in door slots (These are not considered mail boxes).

Note: A receptacle for newspaper delivery by private companies may be attached to the post of a curbside mailbox used by the U.S. Postal Service® if the receptacle:

1.
Does not touch the mailbox or use any part of the mailbox for support.
2.
Does not interfere with the delivery of mail, obstruct the view of the mailbox flag, or present a hazard to mailperson or vehicle.
3.
Does not extend beyond the front of the mailbox when the box door is closed.
4.
Does not display advertising, except the publication title.

You should report your USPO for giving improper information.

I would also like to note the USPS is a Federal office meaning any violation IS a Federal Offense. Same as collecting camp fire wood on forest land, federal property, federal office= federal offense.

[jessechaveriat]

youre right, i just looked it up too.
I guess the government workers at the post office dont know their own rules....or probably just dont give a crap.

excuse my ignorance.

[jasonw]

Originally Posted by jessechaveriat

youre right, i just looked it up too.
I guess the government workers at the post office dont know their own rules....or probably just dont give a crap.

excuse my ignorance.

The USPS is the worst example of Government crap. I remember a time when they tried to charge for emails because they lost so much money when people chose to email rather than use the snail mail. I'm sure the Pony Express was a lot more reliable than the USPS as we know it today. It took a year and a half to get them to stop sending the old owners mail to our house. You are correct in that I just dont think they care.

[Steve]

Can someone resave and post that flyer in a doc format instead of the docx format so I can see it?

Thanks!

sure thing steve, i've reattached the flyer below. And then besides flyers from door to door, whats the next best form of advertising?