What issues are you facing?

[Steve]

I ask this to everyone reading and especially our sponsored LCOs. What current issues is your business facing? What current major decisions are you working on?

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[bcflawnlandscape]

Lawn care business tips

The biggest issue we are facing right now is trying to get prepared to recruit new business. We are trying to find the happy medium between advertising and word of mouth. Where do we put our advertising dollars? Web pages, yellow pages, flyers, local businesses, park benches? we're trying to decide the best 2 or 3 options to advertise and run with them!

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[maelawncare]

well i guess i could say im in the same boat. just trying to figure out how to drum up more business. what i got now is sustaining, but not enough. also trying to do what i got. being that im a solo opp. sometimes i find it hard to go out and do some of the work.

increasing effeciency, improving bottom line, getting a line of credit (not to use, but to have), saving money.

[Two_Dogs]

Same issues that have been posted by others in this thread. Advertising was a real bust for us last year and one of the driving factors behind us tryin to "get into bed" so to speak with some other local companies as a way of getting more bang out of our advertising dollar.

We have been working this past year on establishing our companies credit with vendors and suppliers of matrerials we use in patios, walls, and lawn maintenance. We have refined our business plan in anticipation of having to sit down with a lender in the near future. I fully expect our level of business in respect to sales to be double what it was last year. I am holding back on major purchases until I can make that determination that we will indeed double. When that happens though I want to be able to react fast with any purchases or financial requirements. That is why I am putting so much into that end of it now.

Tighter controls on costs, job completion times, and our overall financial picture as it relates to our budget. We did a good job at keeping our books and knowing where the money was coming from and going, I just believe this to be an area we can and should always be looking at.

I am hoping we have planned well enough during this downtime to help us exercise some better control over these things. Time will tell.

[Branchlandscape]

Our advertising budget is a minium. Mostly we do flyers and ask for referals from exsisting customers. Both have worked very well in the past. We try to keep a tight route to improve effeciency. We are trying to decide now how to increase our customer base. We are also wanting to get more commercial customers.

[Steve]

What great answers!

For those of you who said trying to get more business, how much time do you spend per week marketing your business. Do you market your business even when things are rolling, to keep your name out there?

[Two_Dogs]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Team Gopher @ Jan. 25 2006,2:57)]What great answers!

For those of you who said trying to get more business, how much time do you spend per week marketing your business. Do you market your business even when things are rolling, to keep your name out there?

We are a small but very busy company when the season is in full swing, I personally find it difficult at times to wear the many hats of a small business owner. Trying to have clearer goals and tighter focus is something I believe will help me to find that type of time ot do more of the extras when the busy time hits. I expect to have more employees this year also, so that will help. I wanted to get into the seasonal displays last year with a company sign in threeor four of the yards we placed them in. I anticipated giving this product/service to the top three or four of my customers in return for the signage next to the display, these customers are in high traffic areas as well. I also planned on entering a float in the local parade, I want to have all that in place this year and am actively planning now. We want to offer to our commercial clients, large planters, i.e. 25 gallon or larger planters with annuals in which we provide all materials and maintain for the season, this would be an extra revenue generator as an add on fee to the weekly maintenance. scheduled.
Oh and we do use signs when we are working on projects that require one or more days at one site.

[Steve]

What kind of float?

[Two_Dogs]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Team Gopher @ Jan. 25 2006,3:14)]What kind of float?

It would depend upon the theme of the town parade, the main thing is using the company name and vehicle to pull it. I will try and find a creative way to use/tie in lawn maintenance and or landscaping with whatever theme they come up with. Also though of having some one walk along side and pass out small sample bags of grass seed with a business card attached? Of coursee candy for the kids to throw out from the float.