Local ad

[clcare2]

I got my Money Pages coupons in the mail today and I always look to see what lawn companies are advertising.

There was a guy who has a coupon that reads, "4 fert. and weed applications for free with a 28 week mowing contract."

Now I am not yet licensed for Fert.. It is looking like we will be rolling out next spring, but I have spent some time looking into the insurance and licensing classes and equipment and materials. How in the heck does someone just throw all that money plus the added income down the drain.

They also advertise "Try us for a month. Buy 4 mowings and the 5th one is free." They are going to be working at a loss for the whole 5th week.

[jrservices]

I got my Money Pages coupons in the mail today and I always look to see what lawn companies are advertising.

There was a guy who has a coupon that reads, "4 fert. and weed applications for free with a 28 week mowing contract."

Now I am not yet licensed for Fert.. It is looking like we will be rolling out next spring, but I have spent some time looking into the insurance and licensing classes and equipment and materials. How in the heck does someone just throw all that money plus the added income down the drain.

They also advertise "Try us for a month. Buy 4 mowings and the 5th one is free." They are going to be working at a loss for the whole 5th week.

At fert & pesticide prices being what they are now, he'll go broke.

[Dreamaloud1]

Maybe, its a good way to ensure his customers have enough grass to cut all 28 weeks though.

As with anything, free stuff is usually really not free. For example my friend own an A/C business that offers interest free financing. Not really free though as they already have 1400 built into each install estimate to cover it.

[Sammy]

You ever see some of those guys put fert down ?



They use the Scotts hand held spreader and zip right along.

I saw a guy do a corner lot with one of these and he only filled it two times.

[katisan]

Does his ad specify how much fertilizer and weed control they'll receive?

[clcare2]

no, it just says 4 apps.

[btammo]

my bet is they are not getting that much fert etc.

[steve-o]

At fert & pesticide prices being what they are now, he'll go broke.

no he won't, he's probably just another scrub who don't pay what we pay. no taxes and kitty litter can mean big discounts.

Does his ad specify how much fertilizer and weed control they'll receive?

nice avatar.................. john D. likes it.

my bet is they are not getting that much fert etc.

probably very little if any.


steve

[Dreamaloud1]

....and kitty litter can mean big discounts.

Thats the funniest thing I've read all day.

[yardboy]

It is called marketing.....................
He most likely has it built into his mowing prices.................
There are right ways and wrong ways to give freebies.................You just have to know the difference...........................

[Sammy]

and kitty litter can mean big discounts.

steve

I belive that Bobby Gedd uses kitty litter for his fert apps ?

[katisan]

Thank you delasgh. I like it myself. Is your avatar John Dillinger?

[steve-o]

It is called marketing.....................
He most likely has it built into his mowing prices.................
There are right ways and wrong ways to give freebies.................You just have to know the difference...........................

he better cheat like hell if he has it built into his mowing prices unless these are some small azz lawns where he can get away with it through his minimums.

Thank you delasgh. I like it myself. Is your avatar John Dillinger?

yep, that would be ole john himself, a handsome ole devil just like me. :laughing:


steve

[GrassMaster]

Excuse me guys, is it really that bad?

I know at times it was hard getting work 20 years ago, 1,000's of factory workers lost their jobs in my town but is it so bad now that you have to give your work away?

I know for a fact that back then you could hire a person for a $20 bill, pick them up, furnish them tools, feed them a sandwich and a cold drink & take them back home at the end of the day. I don't think you can find people like that today.

Isn't there people left that are looking for a professional lawn service that are willing to pay a little more for it?

I mean don't get me wrong but if you have to sell yourself that cheap, how can you feel comfortable thinking these customers will stay with you any length of time?

I cut for almost 5 years & I think I lost 3 customers & LOL lost another one 3 different times. Once they were on a year round maintenance agreement, I had that check coming in every month. The only other thing I worried about & it wasn't much was when I went to raise them.

I talked to a guy the other day about that neighborhood near my shop that I talk about all the time. He's a new guy & is grabbing up accounts, but he's doing them for $25 to $30 each. I know guys that have ones in the same hood same size for $40 to $45 each?

I tried talking to the guy & he kept saying he would rather do them for $25 to $30 each than risk losing them? I just don't know? I asked him but what are you really losing. I know it takes close to an hour to do them for one good worker? To me $40 or $45 is bad enough? But $25 to $30 is really bad I think.

Right now I wish he painted vehicles or hauled dirt or did asphalt work?

[steve-o]

Hmmm... Down here I could get away with that coupon. No license required for fert apps here... Only pesticide requires license in FL, so a couple $16 bags of Lesco for a $2500 contract don't seem like a bad deal.

i think it said fert and weed apps.

steve