New Biz

I just started my lawn biz here in orlando florida. I want to know if anyone has any info on how to get more lawns. I only have two now that i do on my own. I have an F-150 that i haul equipment on and i want to expand to at least a few hundred a week. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

Advertising methods will depend on if you are after residential or commercial ... Orlando has many commercial targets have you decided which way to go or will it be a mixture of both? and how much money and time you can "throw" at marketing.

Phil Nilsson
Nilsson Associates Consultants
Visit Lawn Service & Landscaping Book Store (http://www.lawnservicing.com/nilsson/)

I want to do a mixture of both. And I can put a few hundred into advertising if I wish. Any Suggestions?

Here is how I have set up my plan for buiding clientele.
I started out in the midle of the season after buying out a small service with only 10 accounts.

It came with the basic equipment mostly residential type. This stared me off with a base for some cash flow. If you have the capital then it is easier to get sterted.

I started with a small advertising alottment $300 - 500 and planed to build on it as each year passes. This is my second full year and I have over 40 accounts all commercial equipment a new 8x16 trailer with all the racks to secure my equipment, a new truck and have expanded my services.

The first 2 seasons I ran a one month add in the news paper just prior to the growing season. I picked up enough additional accounts to pay for the adds and was able to get a foot hold into diferrent neighborhoods. This gave me the opportunity to show th quality of my work (the quality is the best advertising). I also designed and had magnetic signs made to put on my truck. The signs on my truck, quality of work and neighbors talking has been my best and least inexpensive advertising.

For the truck signs try and keep them as simple as possible. If they are too busy and have too much info they are hard for people to read and get the important info off from like you business name and phone number.

When I give estimates this is when I give the potential customer a sheet with all the other sevices listed on it. You may not get the account for mowing but you may pick up the hedge trimming etc. This has worked for me. One person I gave an estimate to didn't hire me to do the lawn care but, I did get the presure washing and hedge trimming and made more than in just the one day of work than I would have for half the season of just mowing. By the way this year this person has me do all the work including the mowing.

I have found the being prompt, courtious and having a good image (clean truck, profesional equipment and and apearance) are important to prospective customers. I designed shirts and had them printed up locally and we all wear them when we work. Again keep this advertising simple and to the point. This year I have added baseball caps with just the business name on them and in the same colors as my truck signs and shirts.

People have commented on the simple umiforms and equipment so they do notice these things.

Another way to get accounts is to have some business cards made up or make them youself on your computer. I have made them on my computer and hand them out quite often. I have realitors put them in packages when closing on houses. this is also inexpensive for the return you get. You may only get temporary accounts until a house is sold or until the new home owner moves in and gets settled but you have exposure and the opportunity for new clients in the neighborhood.

I have had mowing jobs that were suppose to be only while the person was on vacation and ended up continuing through the rest of the season because of the quality of work. This has happened just this week.

Most of what I have right now is residential this has helped me upgrade my equipment. Next year I plan on pushing for more commercial accounts.

Also I plan on advertising in the yellow pages.

I hope this is some help. Like I said this is my plan for building my business and so far I have met or exceeded my goals for the year. This may not work for you but maybe some of this will work. Good luck.

What would one be looking at for advertising in the yellow pages over there? Here (in our state) we pay AU$17,000 for a quarter page ad, which is 125mm high x 84.5mm long. Just curious to know <img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>

Kind reagards and all the best

Ebony

Independent Lawn Mowing Contractors
Working together to benefit all.
www.indmowing.com.au
Email info@indmowing.com.au

Here in the Waikato NZ a quarter page add is $3500 circulation of around 350,000. In Auckland its $7000 circulation 1.5 mil approx.
$17000 seems expensive but depends on the circulation.

John

I actually have no idea what distribution rate our Yellow Pages is but it covers all Melbourne Metro! While it is an expensive upfront fee, it is cheaper by around $6,000 then it is to advertise in one companies local free distributed newspapers of the same geographical coverage for 1 year! It costs us over $40,000 to advertise throughout Melbourne in local papers & Yellow Pages. This is our first Year in the Yellow's and we went the quarter page, they are in most households now (we got ours last week) and the response so far has been resonable but still more coming from the local papers!!! Will be interesting to see what happens this year with the Yellows!!!