New To Landscaping

[cmacsauto]

Hi all, My name is Chris. I am located in Marietta, GA, and have decided to start a landscaping business and try to build it up. I am starting pretty much from scratch. I have my dad to help me know what to do in certain situations as he has a masters in horticulture/ plant physiology and sells turf chemicals. He currently works for a company that sells an all organic product called Holganix wich I want to sell my clients. I already know how to do alot of stuff, and if i don't know about something with plants, I ask him. I am really good with the putting together of a job, estimating it, and getting it done either by myself, or if I need help, i will hire someone for the job it seems to work pretty good. The only thing I need now is the confidence to persuade people to choose me over the guy that just told them he would mow 2 acres of grass for $12. LOL. I hope to get some help on here with dealing with customers and getting jobs done, and will give my input where I can as I gain more experience. Chris Magnolia Outdoor Solutions www.magnoliaoutdoorsolutions.com

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

Hi Chris, Welcome to our forum! The only thing I need now is the confidence to persuade people to choose me over the guy that just told them he would mow 2 acres of grass for $12. LOL. What kind of issues have you been running into as far as this goes?

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[Sprinkler Buddy]

Do good work at the jobs you get, do them at a fair price and your reputation will grow with time. In these tough economic times there's a lot of low ballers trying to make a quick buck.

Folks that choose the low ballers are seldom happy and may end up calling you down the road when your established as a reputable company. Those that don't and are happy with the low baller isn't the client you want to build your business with anyhow.

[cmacsauto]

Steve,
It seems alot of people call wanting me to either beat a certain price which is really low, or have no idea what it takes to keep a yard manicured. The one that stands out the most is the guy that wanted mowing, edging, blowing, and shrub trimming every other week. He said he was currently paying 32.50 and that they were unreliable. I told him 30 but he never wanted to sign the contract, so I think that I may try to raise the price and he'll either pay or tell me to go on, because it turned to be alot more than he made it out to be** no more estimates over the phone, unless i can see the entire yard clearly on the map.
It seems that alot of people think that bi-weekly maintenance is going to suddenly make their poorly taken care of yard look beautiful, when in reality, they have plants that need replacing, need loads of weedeating / cleanup, and need to be fertilizing and treating their lawns. No one understands the concept of needing to initially clean up their landscape and maintain from then on.

[Sprinkler Buddy]

Steve made an excellent point. "Never give a quote over the phone."

I wouldn't rely on the best map, always go to the property and see it first hand before discussing cost. I don't know about most of you guys but I work in a generally small area. When I need to quote a property I'll let them know when I'll be in their area. Usually it's only 2-3 days, giving quotes while in the area conserves fuel and time. It adds up if your running out the door every time the phone rings.