Stratch your head with this one?

#1 03-20-2006, 06:46 PM

Ok, I have been thinking about this one for the last couple of months and it's in regards to me making the switch over to strictly lawn and landscaping applications:

Is it good to still offer your current services to new customers, even though you want to get out of doing that? What I am trying to say is, should you still try to present your image as a maintenance company, or move on, and get that out of potential customers heads, and only offer strictly lawn application work and don't accept on anything else except lawn applications?

Steve · #2 03-20-2006, 07:58 PM

Lawn care business tips

Hi tiedeman,

I think this comes down to the business direction goal. If the goal is to "switch over to strictly lawn and landscaping applications" then I personally would "move on, and get that out of potential customers heads, and only offer strictly lawn application work and don't accept on anything else except lawn applications?"

However if your business is growing and you still need to keep a few irons in the fire in case thinks don't work as planned, it doesn't hurt to have other revenue streams to keep you afloat.

What's your view?

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#3 03-20-2006, 09:36 PM

That is a good view. I have always been known around the city as a lawn maintenance company, so it's going to be hard to get it into peoples minds that I am only going to be an application company. With this in mind, I personally think that I should not accept on any new non-application customers. Because the longer that I accept those on the longer customers will think that I still offer the other.

Steve · #4 03-20-2006, 09:58 PM

It will also be taking you away from your intended goal.

#5 03-20-2006, 10:14 PM

that is so true. If I keep the business in that mindset, and my customers in that mindset, it will be really hard to direct everything towards the other goal

#6 03-21-2006, 08:00 PM

Well, a situation has come up. Currently I maintain a lawn next to a potential customer that just called today for an estimate. I am thinking that sure, this would be easy money, only having to unload once for two properties, yet in the back of my mind I am thinking about telling them that sorry, I can't do it, because I am getting out of it

Steve · #7 03-21-2006, 08:04 PM

Hi tiedeman,

If you decide not to do them, I would suggest not to waste an opportunity to build an alliance with another company that would like to do it. You could consider sending these clients to another company who does maintenance but not lawn application.
You would them be using this as an opportunity to build good will. It would then most likely return to you when the LCO turned application business your way.

#8 03-21-2006, 08:10 PM

I am actually already teamed up with a strictly lawn maintenance company in the area. They do no applications at all.

I did that about 3 weeks ago. I dropped off my business cards to them, and they are going to send them out when they do their annual welcome letter here within the next week.

Steve · #9 03-21-2006, 08:13 PM

I think that is going to be helpful in the future with you.

It would be great if you could work with them on other things as well. How about door hangers with your company on one side and them on another?

#10 03-21-2006, 08:14 PM

That is a possibilty that I never thought about

Stratch your head with this one?

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