New Marketing I'm trying this year

[kc2006]

So I'm sitting here highlighting holidays in a calendar, these are day's I'd like to do little "special" things for customers or in hopes of getting customers. Earth day I'm going to give out potted plants to my customers. I'm trying to work a deal out with a local florist (whos a neighbor of mine) to buy the plants at his cost and then I'll put in a little flyer for his business with the plant. Earth day is in April so hopefully this will spark a connection with customers (new and existing) and maybe get some referals after this. (I got this next two from Sean Adams in an article in Turf magazine) I'm contacting the local voting board to see if I can give out free coffee and donuts to voters in the 3 closest precincts. I'm just solo so I'm going to have family members at the other 2 locations in uniforms with business magnets set out for people to take. This should be benefitial since voting is May 2nd, I had gotten calls around that time last year, I think thats when people would discover they weren't happy with their current company. Next is 4th of July, I'm thinking of giving little flags out to customers for their flower beds, or where ever they'd like, and a little flyer that says we hope they're having a safe and happy independence day. After reading a book on different marketing tactics I'm getting alot of new ideas. I'd like to have a raffle towards August, something small like a $50 gift certificate to a restaurant. It seemed like last year, this was the time that clients slowed down paying. I don't know if its because the weather is so hot and the grass is barely growing so they're *alittle* disgruntled that we're still mowing but the grass isn't growing as much as it was....So this might spice it up and let the customers know we're still there and thinking of them? I'm also going to be sending out newsletters this year. Sending out a spring news letter, a summer, and a fall news letter. The spring letter is already typed up, it explaines new services I'm offering, the referal plan (that I bumped up to encourage more referals), and some other small news for the year. My focus for this year is to add as many customers in the spring, and to keep in touch with customers. I want to keep the business friendly to encourage referals and keep people happy...Happy people spend money I used to have the thinking of "I need to add all the customers I need/want right now and then just work with that" but now I'm just trying to get to a much more reasonable goal of customers in the spring and slowly let the business get to where I want it to be. Just wanted to throw the ideas out there, maybe some others will use them. I'll add more ideas as I come up with them.

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\"Every strike brings me closer to the next home run\"

[NickN]

Lawn care business tips

Those are all great ideas!You're trying to achieve the same goal as I am.Customer satisfaction.It works.It works so well,that we're about to head out in freezing rain this morning for another install Another thing I'll add,is to give your customers something.Something small,but to let them know you appreciate their business.The customers today will receive two potted topiary's to accent their deck.The landscape they wanted there needed something,but we can't dig there due to electrical lines.So,I'm suprising them by installing the concrete potted topiary's on each side of the deck steps.DIdn't cost me much.

[Steve]

Hi kc2006,

Good ideas. Step by step as you reach out to more people, you will build your customer base. I am glad to see you are taking a long term view of your business. With long term plans for growth. How often are we all short sighted and want immediate gratification. If we don't get the # of customers we want by a certain date, we just get frustrated and quit?
It happens all too often.
If we take our time and grow I think we will be happier along the way and happy with the results.