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  • Just starting out -- needing accounts

    Hi everyone, I'm just starting out...could any of you guys share any ideas on how to go about getting small commercial accounts?

  • #2
    do you have any experience in the lawn business?

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    • #3
      Hay man you need to print up some fliers and good business cards and put them into a nice floder. Then you need to call or walk into these compiness and ask if they have someone that takes care of there lawn accounts. When you find them you have found gold. Talk to them and explain to them what you are offering. Good luck and let me know. email addeess is lawnsbydesign@yahoo.com

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      • #4
        Thanks

        Originally posted by Lawnsbydesign
        Hay man you need to print up some fliers and good business cards and put them into a nice floder. Then you need to call or walk into these compiness and ask if they have someone that takes care of there lawn accounts. When you find them you have found gold. Talk to them and explain to them what you are offering. Good luck and let me know. email addeess is lawnsbydesign@yahoo.com
        Thanks for the info, I figured that's what I would do, but I didn't know if anyone had any better luck doing proposal letters or if it's better to just go on in and ask. Thanks for the help!

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        • #5
          If you haven't done commercial before, or much of any mowing before, you better be prepared. You should have all insurance and workers comp and everything else to be legal.

          Then you better have a LOT of cash flow. I'm not talking about a few thousand, I'm talking in $10,000 increments.

          You might get lucky and find a couple that pay fairly quick, but then again, you might get some that pay every 45-60 days.

          So lets say you cut 4 times in April. You bill them May 05. You might get paid in July! Can you handle mowing April, May, and June with no pay coming in? If not, you better start with residentail first.

          I still have $55,000 OUT right now from last year on our mowing contracts alone! No joke. Last month it was almost 6 figures out. And we stopped cutting in November.
          Last edited by Scaper-S2k; 01-29-05, 01:53 PM.
          a.k.a.---> Erich

          www.avalawnlandscaping.com


          Build a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
          Set a man on fire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

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          • #6
            man,thats a sh*itload of unaccounted cash.$55,000? do you put due dates on your invoices or charge a late fee for past due invoices/accounts?

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            • #7
              They are only words, no more & no less!

              The words Due Date & Late Fees don't mean much of anything with the Bigger Companies.

              It is almost standard operating procedure that the Bigger Accounts are going to be 60 to 90 days late. A fact!

              If you are going to be doing business with the Big Guys you need a minimum of 3 to 4 months Gross per account in your checking account to keep you going & that's not enough. Yes if you have a commercial account that pays you $10,000 a month you better have $30K to $40K in your account or you will not make it. Only the Strong & Wealthy Survive in the Business World!

              I pay all my bills every 30 days & always have but that don't mean anything about the folks you do business for! You need to do business with the City, County, State or Federal Government & you will be bragging about getting paid in 90 days.

              Think about it, are you going to give up a $10,000 a month account because they were a few months late & didn't pay your 1.5% late fee? Because that's the way the majority of them pay!

              LOL, back in 1995 I had over 50 Lawn Care companies that were between 60 days to 6 months behind for work I have done for them, it was only about $40,000 of my money. Was I supposed to make them pay me, take them to Court & make them pay my 1.5% late fee? If I did, I would be out of business Today... People pay their bills when they get ready not when you're ready.

              I decided that I couldn't afford them, I down sized, they pay in 30 days or I can't give them a line of credit, I got rid of three Techs in the Shop & 1 Sales person up Front, now My wife & I work part time. My Gross dropped by 50%, My employees dropped by over 50%. My Net Profit stayed the same, because I quit giving discounts & I raised all my Service Fees. I'm doing better than ever & If I don't want to go to work next week I don't.

              I trimmed the Fat, there was a few sacrifices but I will live longer & now at work I only worry that somebody is going to come to the shop at 5 minutes before quitting time to purchase a $2,000 mower, because I don't want to wait on them that late in the day, I would rather be home with my family.

              I've learned over the Years, Work Smarter not Harder!

              I Love it! Money is not everything, sitting at home at the table with my family eating supper is far more important than me being at work after quiting time than making $400 on a $2,000 sale because a customer doesn't have enough respect for me or my business by coming in a 5:55 PM knowing that we close at 6:00PM wanting a Riding mower! This has happened to me before & I have told them to wait until tomorrow or buy it somewhere else. I lose a few & a few will wait! It don't matter to me!

              Sorry, I give it 110% while my doors are open but I have to enjoy life too. And eating supper with my wife, 2 daughters & my dog Roscoe means far more than money to me.
              GrassMaster, LSF Administrator!
              LawnPro - Lawn Care Business Software:
              www.lawnbook.com --- www.lawnservicing.com

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              • #8
                GrassMaster summed it up well. As long as you have the cash flow, you'll be okay with that much $$$ out. I don't like it, but I will get the money in.

                Like he said, if a $10k per month account says "we aren't paying this 1.5% late fee because we pay every 60 days". What are you going to do? Drop the account? Or make sure you have enough cash flow to wait that 60 days?
                a.k.a.---> Erich

                www.avalawnlandscaping.com


                Build a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
                Set a man on fire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

                Comment


                • #9
                  hmm.we didnt have any probs like that out of our commercials. but we did have a handfull of resi accounts that thought they could pay whenever.

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                  • #10
                    Hi mikee_cole,

                    I don't know if you are already doing this or not but did you consider starting with residential properties first?
                    Free LCO Contracts - Free Flyer and Door Hanger Templates - Free Web Templates - Marketing Secrets

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