just started this year..

[sharplawnsturf]

i am off to a terrible start, but i was slow getting things together because i was recovering from shoulder surgery for the past year, and i couldn't work in the spring. I started late in the season with my advertising (around mid july). I am doing things strictly on the fert and squirt side for now, but may try to offer mowing in the spring when i can get atleast a 36" walk behind mower. I have 1 customer so far, its my mom. I have many years experience working for others doing chem. apps. I feel i do excellent work. Just trying to find ways to get the name out there, word of mouth just isn't working like i thought it would. i got out about 700 post cards which didn't help, but i know that is just not enough. i have mostly mailed my post cards. I have a hard time knocking on doors.. and in my area there are alot of "no soliciting" neighborhoods. I have my info on my truck, you can see the web address and phone number from a long distance back.. I carry my business cards and post cards everywheres i go. I leave them any place i can think to leave them that people may see them, pass them out, etc.. I am working on SEO for my website and trying to improve my search engine ranking by the spring, i feel like this could help. my website is at http://www.sharplawnsturf.com gonna try introduction letters soon. been getting some addresses together of potential clients, i drive through neighborhoods everyday after i get off of work at my night time job... so i'm getting a good list of potential clients together. Hoping this may get me one or two.. but i have a feeling this will work better in the spring. I invested in a copy of the gopher billing software, and its really been great so far, just haven't gotten to do very many estimates yet. I am looking forward to using it more. anywyas, its good to finally be on here, i put it off long enough.. i have read some great information here so far. here is a copy of my 4x6 post card that i have been using. with no luck, i guess its just not the right time! thats what i keep telling myself. its been very frustrating to say the least, i really want to make this work.

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[SECTLANDSCAPING]

Lawn care business tips

If your a licensed arborist. I would contact lawn guys that dont offer those services. Give them a discount price and see if you can do some spraying for their clients.

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[LawnBoy0311]

I got fire ants in my pants, is it still $25 to squirt them?

Congrats on the new business, never stop advertising!!! You'll pick up in no time, just don't lose focus!

[sharplawnsturf]

lol, i'd take what i can get at this point. the discounted first application is so common around here, i feel like its a must do. MANY go for the $19.00 first app. but with the price of fert and pre-emergents, as well as gas prices.. i have a hard time going much lower than $25.00 up to 4k or 5k sq. ft. i think In future ad's i'm gonna just say $10.00 off first application for new customers, because thats essentially what it is.

thanks for the motivation.

Originally Posted by LawnBoy0311

I got fire ants in my pants, is it still $25 to squirt them?

Congrats on the new business, never stop advertising!!! You'll pick up in no time, just don't lose focus!

[sharplawnsturf]

thats one thing i started to do recently too, talked to one or two landscapers so far that do not do applications, so it could be something that could help as well.

Originally Posted by SECTLANDSCAPING

If your a licensed arborist. I would contact lawn guys that dont offer those services. Give them a discount price and see if you can do some spraying for their clients.

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

Originally Posted by sharplawnsturf

thats one thing i started to do recently too, talked to one or two landscapers so far that do not do applications, so it could be something that could help as well.

Go big, talk to a few dozen. It sure is easier then advertising and there getting money off the top to. So its a win win for everyone involved.

[Chaz]

you should by a push mower and begin offering mowing this year.

If I were offering the same services you were I'd be at the same level.

I find a lot of my clients like to do those services themselves if they don't like to mow.

[sharplawnsturf]

i think you are right. i have everything i need to mow, have equipment that i use on my own lawn. Might as well offer as many services as i can to start. I see more profit in the lawn app's.. over mowing, but mowing could help me get things started i guess. I was banking on my night job to keep me afloat until i got enough customers, but i can honestly can say 8 years on the night shift, and i'm about burnt out because i don't sleep well during the day.

Originally Posted by Chaz

you should by a push mower and begin offering mowing this year.

If I were offering the same services you were I'd be at the same level.

I find a lot of my clients like to do those services themselves if they don't like to mow.

[Steve]

Welcome to our forum!

i got out about 700 post cards which didn't help, but i know that is just not enough.

Something to consider is that you might get a better response if you send out your postcards to 200 homes, once a month for three months than to 600 homes, once.

Also, you probably won't see much word of mouth until more people have hired you. The more people that are your customer, the more that will talk about you and see you around town servicing someone in their neighborhood.

[sharplawnsturf]

i had better luck in 2004 when i just offered lawn maintenance. i ran off a flyer made from a template i found on this site, i may have put out 50 flyers, got a few customers off of that.. then word of mouth and people driving by stopping to ask if i could look at their yard led to more work.. next thing you know i had a good little bit of work in one season.. It just isn't happening that way this time. late, late start for me, we saw a little bit of some drought conditions but not as much as other parts of the country i'm sure. I figure the economy has alot to do with it as well.

i will cut back on the postcards to a couple hundred a month to see what happens next time. atleast 500 but saving those for the spring.. i am kinda getting cheap with my advertising, really working for a higher google ranking by spring.. thinking this could help me out alot.