Please Help With My Huge Low Ball Problem

[krd lawn and landscape]

Ok huge problem i will tell you the whole story maybe then someone can tell me what i have done wrong........ I did all my math and even had some companies come bid my yard i found the highest to be $45 offering mow weed eat edge and blow off and the cheapest being $25 offering only mow and weed eat so i went with about $35 a yard offering the same as the $45 company did which i found to be the average price. I then went to vista print and ordered business cards, lawn signs, banners, T Shirts, website and flyers. I then hit the streets passing out a couple hundred flyers a day and a couple hundred business cards a day for weeks i then started using Craigs List and hung up all of my yard signs on busy corners around town. in the first month in april i got 2 calls i bid both and got 1 of them my first time mowing for that customer another lawn care company drove by then came back stopped went to the door and offered the same service i was doing for $15 i was asked if i could beat that. i lost the job to the $15 bid. From then on i have had no calls from anything i try i even wear my shirt everywere i go lol. almost every post on craigslist is around $10-$20 how do i even begin to get jobs with that kind of low ball price around. its now june and ive had 2 phone calls so far this year HOW EVER I GOT A CALL FROM A PROPERTY PRESERVATION COMPANY TODAY THAT SAID THEY HAD 52 YARDS TO BID AND 11 LANDSCAPE PROJECTS MAYBE THAT IS MY TURN AROUND ANYONE HAVE GOOD LUCK OR COULD IT BE A SCAM www.krdlawnandlandscape.com

[krd lawn and landscape]

Lawn care business tips

BY THE WAY i worked for 5 years with a landscape company and started doing things on the side a bit if you look at my website it has pics of some side work ive done over the years

[mark123]

Be careful with those property management companies. If they are out of town demand prepayment. They'll refuse though because they're dirty.

You'll have to mow all day and then spend hours sorting and uploading pictures. It's not easy at all and they'll also dictate the prices. A lawn you would charge $35 for, they will give you $20.

Ask for more details but I've refused every one of these places. The words "Property Management" in a company name is a huge red flag for me.

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

I had a few contact me saying they had 100s of yards. They were paying $25-$35 for up to a acre. I said no thanks!

Another I did sign up with made the same promises about plenty of work and there pay wasnt set in stone. They contacted me about 1 job in about 4 months for $17. So I dropped them.

You cant do nothing about lowballers. If you join them you beat yourself. Youll find most the lowballers are doing just lawn mowing. They cant afford to offer snow removal or anything that involves heavy equipment.

I found the cheapest and worst customers come from Craigslist. Some swear by it I have the pictures to prove it. These guys want you to cut a foot of grass for less then the price of a well kept yard.

[krd lawn and landscape]

Thanks everyone for your input!!! At this point if the fall clean ups dont go well and i cant get any holiday lighting jobs im gunna have to close up shop and sell my equipment the only thing saving me right now is i have a wife that makes good money LOL Like i said i started in April its now June ive had now 3 calls total ive went door to door ive handed out flyers ive done it all im about to just go get me a bill board around town see how that works lol every one i talk to is getting something done for nothing and i cant bring myself down to even think about unloading for less than atleast $30 even though i was looking for $35 non of these 15-20 dollar companys were even in the picture when i started now there everywere i look


anyways keep the comments coming its really helpful

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

It happens... You have to specialize in something that every Joe cant do. This is why I dont advertise being cheap. If they want that get the guy with a push mower working for beer.

I just did 5 pressure washing quotes in 2 days. I only got 1 of them. Another said me and 2 others were all within $20 and 1 more guy is coming. So homeowners are getting a **** load of bids for every job. Then the lowballer gets a chance to do it for half.

I did a commercial bid last week that was being serviced by the cleaning guy. The property was so far gone that it wouldve took about $1500 just to get it looking right again. I gave the guy options on ways we can knock the price down but he didnt bite. I drove by the place yesterday and it hasnt been touched. I guess they went the cheap route again!

[Steve]

Can you market to people you know or friends of your friends, family and neighbors?

Getting some initial customers from that kind of social group should help you get your footing.

A lot of these early customers you may be reaching out to, may be problematic and furthermore, they may sense that you are new to this and try to see how cheap they can get you.

[Island Lawn Care]

Sounds like your area is "saturated" with lawn shmoes. gotta kick it up a notch and offer something different.

[tx_limo]

I agree with the other posts about having to offer something extra or different. However, I disagree with using Craigslist. I'm just getting started myself and the most calls I've gotten have been through Craigslist. I've got 2 regular customers through them and have also gotten some one-time jobs too. You do get some knuckleheads that want you to mow an acre of land way out in the boonies that is 1-1/2 feet tall for $40 but it isn't too many. I've found the trick to be with Craigslist is to post an ad about twice a day. This way your ad doesn't get buried at the bottom under every other guy out there hustling to get the work. Good Luck!!

[Johnny_boy02]

Where are you located, what preservation company is it?

I have had the opposite experience that everyone has posted here. The majority of my work load is preservation work, last year I let most of my customers go in order to focus on preservation.

I worked all winter while many here complained about no work and this past February was my best month ever.

Originally Posted by krd lawn and landscape

Thanks everyone for your input!!! At this point if the fall clean ups dont go well and i cant get any holiday lighting jobs im gunna have to close up shop and sell my equipment the only thing saving me right now is i have a wife that makes good money LOL Like i said i started in April its now June ive had now 3 calls total ive went door to door ive handed out flyers ive done it all im about to just go get me a bill board around town see how that works lol every one i talk to is getting something done for nothing and i cant bring myself down to even think about unloading for less than atleast $30 even though i was looking for $35 non of these 15-20 dollar companys were even in the picture when i started now there everywere i look


anyways keep the comments coming its really helpful