What do you guys think of my flyer?

[davewb]

[safari lawn]

Its a good start but I dont know if I would open myself up to some of the problematic customers. I tell you I want it done every 2 weeks no matter what, but I fertilize the heck out of the yard in the spring you will find yourself upto your neck in Green and it aint the money type. once you get a full load of customers you are going to be hurting when your working my cheap yard 2x the time it should take because I want it done bi-weekly.

I had one like that and told em eventually I have to mow weekly in spring when its growing and hes fine with it after 5+ years of servicing him. Also as long as all your customers are local, if you grow and branch out you will find you need routes and just wont be on that side of town when they want it, you have to do it on your schedule.

also assuming your rich and have all the equipment you need for any job, your putting your foot in your mouth with the price guarantee, anything can happen Gas prices, Equipment prices, labor prices.

finally I always Mow, Edge and Trim every yard and blow the grass away, its just a good practice and will keep the customers returning to you, but I dont know if you need it in the flyer, Just Do It.

for my situation I only raise the starting price on new yards, in my market area I start now at 35 - 40 ,I still have a few that are in the 25 range but have a good hold on my time for the jobs so I am making money.


I would concentrate more on adding possible additional work you will do and maybe a price range to attract more customers.

Mow, Edge and Trim 30.00 - 40.00
aerate 70.00
dethatch 70.00
pressure washing 1.60 sq ft
leaf removal and labor 35.00 man hour
(prices based on 1/4 acre lot)

Good luck.

[Heatstroke]

I'd take the bait...then I'd use you...abuse you, and then when you've almost had enough I'd find someone else with a better offer.

I'm with safari on this one. I think you are opening yourself up for a lot of abuse down the road.

First, price guarantees are tough after a year or more. You can't always predict the economy. I have clients that I've had for over 20 years, glad I didn't guarantee them a price.

Second, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly service may be OK in your region, but don't let your client's dictate your schedule, or your just another neighborhood kid on call. Give potential client's your service options then bid each job accordingly. If not, clients will call you when it's most convenient for them to save money and intern screw you out of money.

Third, make sure your company name, and what your ad is for is larger than the details or body of your ad. Also, think of what makes you or your accounts better than the other guy, and use that as a hook line. Keep it positive though, don't ever be critical about other businesses...keep it professional.

Good Luck!

[PremierLawnscapes]

yah i would offer repeat clients to hold their price for the year, no more. They always re-upped

[Stephen M.]

Classic Mistakes Of A Beginner

Never imply satisfaction gauranteed. Do you remember the national court case of the Azzwhole Aministrative Lawyer vs. Chinese Imigrant Drycleaner? The Chinese American Immigrant had been dragged thru court because he made a mistake and ruined the pants of a suit. He made good in replacing the suit, but the jerk lawyer went to court and humiliated the dry cleaner because of the "satisfaction guaranteeed" sign in the window.

To promise never raising a price is a sure way to go out of business or to have pizzed off customers when you have to. Gas isn't going to stay cheap, especially with Obama in the White House. The Federal deficit will spurr double digit inflation like the Jimmy Cater years and the govnment printing presses are devaluing our dollar fast. That means we will see $5/gallon gas again.

The print is hard to read. It looks like a ramson letter. :alien:

You are selling your time and sweat equity, so trying to make yourself sound like Priceline.com is a losing proposition from the get go.

[roost-1]

I agree 100%.

[MASTERMOWER]

Looks like something Sporty would create. :alien::alien::alien:

For starters, I don't like the font. Too hard to read.

Second, protrays image of Average Lawn Ape...you don't want to be average do you?

That's all for now.........:alien::alien::alien:

[spotremix]

MM's an ass HOLE!!!!!!

anyway. i'd stay away from making promises like the amount for service stays the same as long as they stay with you and the service when they want it.

you can NEVER keep prices the same FOREVER eventually you have to raise prices. last season when gas was up to $4 a gallon i raised my prices for any new clients i would acquire. the clients i already had paid a fuel charge. the reason for doing this is because i didn't want any current clients thinking i'd be raising prices every season. last season was season number 2 for me.

as for telling people you'll perform the service when they want it done. you'll find it's not always possible (though sometimes it is). what i usually do is at the start of the season i take limited requests on who wants mowed when. i usually only have 2 or 3 that like a certain day of the week. then i make my schedule around those clients. not hard to do. the client that wants fri is done fri along with the others in that part of town. the client that wants thurs is done thurs along with the others in part of town, etc. yes i realize it won't always be that easy but i'm doing while i can.

those are just a few things i thought i'd point that i've learned through experience not mowrons like MM.

[Scaper-S2k]

It's not bad. Don't gaurantee the price not to change. And you might want to lose the riding mower photo from the bottom of the page.

[GeeVee]

Affordable, Flexible and Professional,

Reasonable, Available, Quality.

Inexpensive, responsive, complete.

How long do you intend to be in business? A smart consumer will see through this pitch. If I can't keep you for ten years at the same price, it means you had no intention in the first place. The first is just a hollow promise, very impractical, and will force you into a corner to keep your word. The second is jjust plain stupid. The only thing that dictates my schedules, is me, and mother nature.

The last really doesn't need explaining. So why try?


I remember the lady that complained that my prices went up too often.

I asked her to tell me three things that she got for the same price over a three year period, and two things that sold for the same amount for six, and ONE thing she could purchase today for the same price now as in the last decade.

The next week she said her four neighbors all agreed to my new price, and gave me a gift card for the Brew Thru...

"It's worth it, your argument was the talk of the social hour all week, and some of the men worked pretty hard to beat you. We came to the conclusion that after all these years, you're not working for beer money."