new to forum

hello, just signed up here on the forum....i do plan on starting my own lawn business this spring, Evergreen Lawncare. I will also be attending a local community college for my landscape architecture degree. please feel free to suggest to me ideas that would help improve a business whether it be pricing or whatever it maybe. just starting out with a blower, trimmer, and push mower. we'll see where it goes.

[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

Hey and welcome to our forum! What got you interested in starting your own lawn care business?

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well me and my dad, had a part time lawn business when i was growing up. he gave it up in 2000 because of working 2 other jobs, and not having the time to do yards any more. well, if i had of been smart i would keep doing it thru high school. i was a kid and didn't care anything about work. why would i need to work to earn money right? so after me and my wife moved out of state and working in warehouse after warehouse, im tired of making somebody else rich and working for corporations....so i've decided to take the knowledge i have along with some i am gradually picking up some along the way and put it to use. so here i am, passing out flyers and handing out business cards.

[Steve]

Oh that is great!

How have you found the response to your business cards and flyers? Are you looking into doing any other kind of marketing?

you know what, ill be honest, i have had a couple of bites do to passing out flyers and business cards, but nothing really other than people calling and leaving a message on my answering machine that never return my calls.....i am kind of marketing dumb i guess, what would you suggest?

[jasonw]

I got a fairly good response from sending a mass email to all the local realtors. I downloaded a flier from this site, personalized it, put it in the email. no text just the flier and shot it off to about 30 realtors. Have yet to grab work but I just did it Friday afternoon. I have however got a lot of responses from them asking about pricing and services.

[Steve]

you know what, ill be honest, i have had a couple of bites do to passing out flyers and business cards, but nothing really other than people calling and leaving a message on my answering machine that never return my calls.....i am kind of marketing dumb i guess, what would you suggest?

I think the big problem here is the same for others. If you don't answer your phone when a potential customer calls, they will simply call someone else. That is probably why they are not returning your calls. Is there anyway you can get the phone answered when someone calls? Even if it is simply to take a message?

I got a fairly good response from sending a mass email to all the local realtors. I downloaded a flier from this site, personalized it, put it in the email. no text just the flier and shot it off to about 30 realtors. Have yet to grab work but I just did it Friday afternoon. I have however got a lot of responses from them asking about pricing and services.

Oh that is fascinating! What kind of offer(s) did you make on the flyer?