Please Help With My Huge Low Ball Problem

[lawncareftf]

My first piece of advice is to hang in there. I have had some goo luck with Craigslist but like someone else said it takes multiple postings per day and be VERY specific about location (learned that one the hard way). And just because someone calls you doesn't mean you have to take the job. But I'll tell you something that has worked well for me is Facebook. I have one neighborhood that has a page for the neighborhood to stay in touch on and I was able to get some folks to promote my services on there and I picked up a bunch of lawns over there. As far as price I'll steal a quote from another post - I don't drop my gate for less than $30 and that's a small yard with almost no obstacles.

[krd lawn and landscape]

Lawn care business tips

Once again thanks for everyones input.... Sooo.... I tried something on Craigslist today and it seems to be working. Here is an add i posted this morning ARE YOU TIRED OF ALL OF THE OTHER LAWN CARE COMPANIES BEING NON RELIABLE OR GIVING YOU LOW QUALITY SERVICE?? HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT WHEN YOU PAY $15-$20 FOR A LAWN CARE SERVICE YOU GET JUST WHAT YOU PAYED FOR A $15 MOW???? WE ARE HERE TO OFFER YOU THE BEST LAWN CARE AND LANDSCAPE SERVICE IN TOWN!!!!!!!! We gurantee you that we have the BANG for you buck Our mowing service includes..... * mowing with or without bagger your choice * weed eating * edge * blowing off concrete this great service starts at $35 WHEN YOUR TIRED OF THE REST CALL THE BEST 417-291-6438 OR www.krdlawnandlandscape.com view pictures, get internet only specials from that add alone i had 19 calls today and picked up 14 jobs to start on in the morning and 2 landscape bids to do tomorrow to most people were sick to death of who they were already using

[krd lawn and landscape]

Does anyone have any suggestions for marketing or an add on service i was really thinking of putting in gutter guards or something. and hiring a really tough looking guy to stand by the door of each house i do to scare away any low ballers lol just kidding but tempting

[PineHillLawn]

I disagree with not using Craigslist. I just started two months ago and have all of my lawns from there. I have 12 yards total now. You do have to pick and choose some but all of mine are good payers and good people. If theres guys walking up to the door "Stealing" jobs from you as your there mowing thats just wrong. I'd say let them cut their throat, it wont take long for it to happen at that price. Unless you have multiple small lawns next to each other there is no way you can make any money mowing a yard for $15.

Get a cheap website, it'll help weed out some of those Idiot Lowballers. It makes you seem more legit and will get you more of the customers you want. Don't take every yard you estimate. If the yard is crap, so are the customers way of paying. Shoot for more upper class lawns. They dont have any problem paying for a $35-50 lawn.

[tx_limo]

Glad to hear you got such a good response from your Craigslist ad. Now the trick is to post it a couple of times during the day (maybe in the afternoon and then again in the early evening-maybe after 7). This way you will catch folks who are browsing at different times during the day and you don't get lost in the shuffle.

Good luck with all the new business!!

[Steve]

Get a cheap website, it'll help weed out some of those Idiot Lowballers. It makes you seem more legit

Do you feel that is the case because you post prices on your website or because just having a website makes people feel you are not a fly by night company and therefore will charge more?