Winter again

[Steve]

How about Christmas tree removal after the holidays?

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[jasonw]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by Steve How about Christmas tree removal after the holidays? Not a bad idea. I wander how I would work it? Call the landfill and ask what their fee is and mark up from there?

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White Company

[TheGoat]

This is my first year operating a lawn service but during the summer I set myself some "winter tasks" as I had some time to think while I was behind my mower. First was to develop some post cards for advertising, I did that. 2nd was to create a web presence for my business. I did that. Now I am working on driving traffic to my site and that is a work in progress. link building as well as advertising in a couple of different places on a pay per click basis. Generating income during the winter so I have to judge it as a win so far. once I have the site traffic on auto pilot I'm going to go back to learning more about the ag in my area and focus on getting my applicators license, though I'm mowing less, I've found that theres still lots to do in the "off season" here in Florida.

[jymie]

Make sure you get listed on every yellow pages site you can find. Google search for them there are many business directories out there also. Many of them are free and all you need to do is put a logo from them on your website.

• Yellowpages.com
• magicyellow.com
• superpages.com
• yellowbook.com

Also get listed on each of the search engines in the places part of them:

• google places
• google maps
• yahoo maps
• bing maps

Look into merchantcircle.com. Also check into your local chamber of commerce they have many things to offer small businesses. Plus its a way to get to meet other business owners in your area. You just might get to do work for some of them. Most of them meet once or twice a month. After you have been in business a couple years join the Better Business Bureau in your area. People see their logo on your site and it gives you so much more credibility. It shows satisfaction in your work. I will be able to join them in 2011 and cant wait. Submit the site to the search engines.

I use print advertising too. Our local pennysaver has an annual business directory that they publish every year. I placed our logo in it with the yellow color to it and when you open that page it just explodes and you have no choice but to look at it. I expect that to be a big plus for us in the spring. I attached the page it is on so you can see the difference to just using a logo ad instead of just a normal word listing.

This year I will also be getting exposure at a local 18 hole golf course in our area. They get 40,000 rounds of golf a year and my advertising logo will be on the score cards the golfers use. That will cost me $395 for the whole year. I get a couple mulch jobs from it and the ad is paid for along with the payroll & supplies to do those jobs.

The other thing I do, the pennysaver has a section they call business directory, in the weekly pennysaver the whole page is for businesses to have their business card or small ad on a bulletin board looking page of the paper. You get 13 weeks for $20 a week. That reaches every resident in the whole town and village.

[Steve]

This year I will also be getting exposure at a local 18 hole golf course in our area.

That is very interesting! What got you to consider and go with this advertising method?

[Growing Green]

Originally Posted by jymie

Make sure you get listed on every yellow pages site you can find. Google search for them there are many business directories out there also. Many of them are free and all you need to do is put a logo from them on your website.

• Yellowpages.com
• magicyellow.com
• superpages.com
• yellowbook.com

Also get listed on each of the search engines in the places part of them:

• google places
• google maps
• yahoo maps
• bing maps

Look into merchantcircle.com. Also check into your local chamber of commerce they have many things to offer small businesses. Plus its a way to get to meet other business owners in your area. You just might get to do work for some of them. Most of them meet once or twice a month. After you have been in business a couple years join the Better Business Bureau in your area. People see their logo on your site and it gives you so much more credibility. It shows satisfaction in your work. I will be able to join them in 2011 and cant wait. Submit the site to the search engines.

I use print advertising too. Our local pennysaver has an annual business directory that they publish every year. I placed our logo in it with the yellow color to it and when you open that page it just explodes and you have no choice but to look at it. I expect that to be a big plus for us in the spring. I attached the page it is on so you can see the difference to just using a logo ad instead of just a normal word listing.

This year I will also be getting exposure at a local 18 hole golf course in our area. They get 40,000 rounds of golf a year and my advertising logo will be on the score cards the golfers use. That will cost me $395 for the whole year. I get a couple mulch jobs from it and the ad is paid for along with the payroll & supplies to do those jobs.

The other thing I do, the pennysaver has a section they call business directory, in the weekly pennysaver the whole page is for businesses to have their business card or small ad on a bulletin board looking page of the paper. You get 13 weeks for $20 a week. That reaches every resident in the whole town and village.

Thanks for this info! Really good stuff!

[Steve]

I was thinking of working with indoor gardens

At first I missed this part but I bet there is work in it. I could see offering indoor plant care to offices and corporate centers as an important service. It could also potentially help you make contacts and in the future get their lawn care jobs as well.

[jasonw]

Originally Posted by Steve

At first I missed this part but I bet there is work in it. I could see offering indoor plant care to offices and corporate centers as an important service. It could also potentially help you make contacts and in the future get their lawn care jobs as well.

Thats my hope Steve. Seems it would be a year round service to me. I am working on the plans now to build a beautiful tropical garden with water fall and all just inside the office door.

[jymie]

Originally Posted by Steve

That is very interesting! What got you to consider and go with this advertising method?

I was approached by an advertising agent for the golf course through the phone. What sold me was the cost of it. $395 for the whole year is awesome. There will be 21 total ads on the back of the score card. Mine being yellow for the most part I think will draw most of the attention when the back is looked at. With 40,000 rounds of golf a year at this particular golf course, I had to see what may come of it. If I get 1% business from it that will mean 400 new customers. I'll be hiring more employees then.

[Steve]

I am working on the plans now to build a beautiful tropical garden with water fall and all just inside the office door.

I'd love to see some pictures of that!

Could you also mix in your love of reptiles too? Is there a way you could have an area where they could live?

If I get 1% business from it that will mean 400 new customers. I'll be hiring more employees then.

Keep us posted on how all that goes and if you decide to do it again next year.