What To Do????

[Fernando's CleanCut!]

Hi guys! Well I was checking my listing on this site, and I wanted to post more, then I checked this ad and I was surprised. Most of my customers say that I charge a little more than the last lawn care provider, but they say that they dont care paying a lil' extra for a better job. (ave. $25-$50 per cut!!!) I would like to keep this bussines decent, it is not an easy job to do, but most of us is our way of living, so dropping the prices more and more and the gas prices going up, is this a bad way to promote our bussines? Are the prices will go down to $10 per cut in 5-10 years? How can you convince the people that 'cheap isnt always better'? Is this consider 'Low-ballin''? How do you compete against this advertisment?. ...just a thought.

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.Fernando/CleanCut!.
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[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

Hi Fernando. Originally Posted by [b Quote[/b] ]Well I was checking my listing on this site, and I wanted to post more, then I checked this ad and I was surprised. Most of my customers say that I charge a little more than the last lawn care provider, but they say that they dont care paying a lil' extra for a better job. (ave. $25-$50 per cut!!!) I would like to keep this bussines decent, it is not an easy job to do, but most of us is our way of living, so dropping the prices more and more and the gas prices going up, is this a bad way to promote our bussines? Are the prices will go down to $10 per cut in 5-10 years? How can you convince the people that 'cheap isnt always better'? Is this consider 'Low-ballin''? How do you compete against this advertisment?. There are certain customers that want cheap first and that's it. Those aren't the customers you want to market to. Ultimately, the more you personalize the service you provide the more you can charge. People will pay a premium for someone who is reliable, responsible and there when they call. Word of mouth from these customers will help you reach out to even more customers. So then how do you compete against this advertising? Promote your niche. Be what they are not. Become a premium lawn care service provider. What's your take on that?

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[Fernando's CleanCut!]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Team Gopher @ Feb. 08 2008,8:51)]There are certain customers that want cheap first and that's it.
Those aren't the customers you want to market to.
Ultimately, the more you personalize the service you provide the more you can charge.
People will pay a premium for someone who is reliable, responsible and there when they call.
Word of mouth from these customers will help you reach out to even more customers.
So then how do you compete against this advertising? Promote your niche. Be what they are not. Become a premium lawn care service provider.

What's your take on that?

Hello Steve...
Well, in the area I live there are a lot of retired people, snow birds, share living, etc. so they are on a steady income, most of this accounts are just the basic plan, and take of the flowers and stuff themselves on their spare time. But on the other hand, this city is growing like crazy, building big, high income private residential, and this ones are the ones I want to go after, houses that need professional, high class maintenance/lawn care. “I am a responsible, reliable, on-time lawn care provider”, I say to my customers, which none of them I’ve had complains (knock on wood).
I can’t agree with you more on promoting the Niche, basically I offer a complete top-to-bottom Lawn care service, and soon to come pressure washing, so I have everything cover.

Thanks.

*To anyone else reading this, Feel free to post your thoughts on this one, I’m curious to hear what neighborhoods do you target

[Little's]

I agree that the customers that are bargain shopping are the customers you don't want anyway. Let that guy have them. Go for the accounts that are willing to pay what you are worth. Trust me, there are plenty of them out there.
One thing I did that really made a huge difference in my customer base was this: I got in close with the nursery on the "rich" side of town. They like me a lot and gave my number to every person that asked them if they knew a good landscaper. I was getting several calls per week. And, they were the quality customers that didn't mind paying more to get the better work. You should give it a shot. Just tell the nursery that you will buy all your plants there in return for sending you customers. They can send you more customers than you would believe.

[Steve]

Brandon,

Those are some great ideas! Did you ever give the staff at the nursery who referred you a % of the job? Would you ever consider doing that or is that a bad idea?

Also, I can't tell you how many friends I have who try and hire really dirt cheap lawn care and then the person fails to show up. If there is one major complaint, it's that.

What if this is the same in your area? Then you could stress the selling factor that you are reliable and you will show up when you say you will. Explain to the customer that if they hire someone else, there is a good chance they won't show up and then they will have to spend even more time trying to find someone else. This becomes an endless battle!

[Fernando's CleanCut!]

Thanks Brandon.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Little's @ Feb. 09 2008,1:42)]I got in close with the nursery on the "rich" side of town.

Im planning to target these neighborhoods in the summer, but most of them (or all of them) are the ones that say "No Soliciting", I know this means that you can not go knocking on doors, but using door hanger counts? or can we send postcards/flyers via mail?

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Little's @ Feb. 09 2008,1:42)]Just tell the nursery that you will buy all your plants there in return for sending you customers. They can send you more customers than you would believe.

Very good idea, I'll try to do this. and thinking about it, we are making a good effort to make this small businesses to grow, because I go to the big guys (Home Depot, Lowes), and they dont need our help like the "mom-and-pop/family owend" business that live in our community, not saying that the other ones are evil, LOL.

...thank you guys.