new...I mean new to the biz and the 1st account

[dan0140]

Hello all,

I am serioulsy thinking about getting into the mowing/trimming business and wondering about your experiences getting your first few accounts. I am interested for now just running the "one man low-baller-priced show" and see how things materialize from there. I have read through the forms here at lawnservicing.com and there is a lot of good information. Something I thought about today that others on here may try to get some new residential accounts is Welcome Wagon. I have the wheels in motion for that but I think the initial advertising cost will be high for it. So what did you all do to get your 1st accounts? Ads in the local paper and weekly ad papers? I plan on the die hard ad in the paper and trying to get hooked up with local real estate offices but other then that what else can one do? Flyers on people's doors/mailboxes....flyers on gas station bullentin boards? These are the times I wish I would have stayed in school a bit longer to learn some marketing or advertising! Any help will be greatly appreciated. Talk about starting from the bottom of the barrel....mom's sears card will buy me a mower and trimmer.

Dan

[Phil Nilsson]

reply

There are several <b>basic steps</b> to take on making your entry into this bizz. Yellow Page advertising is a must ... in column ad, door hangers work well, direct canvassing to the small commercial accounts ... and a small but consistent ad in a small town paper. Best to sit down and draw up a marketing plan of approach. Direct mail works well. Advice is to focus on getting a few commercial accounts to start where larger sales dollars are possible in the beginning to keep yourself busy. My guess is that it will take two to three seasons to get yourself established. Here is a list of stuff you'll need to know:

<b>STUFF TO KNOW ABOUT SALES</b>

Job Estimating
Bid Formats
Contract Law
Pricing Strategies
Advertising Methods
Customer Service
Competitive Factors
Marketing
Customer Retention
Selling Techniques
Product & Service Offerings
Website Design & Function
Psychology
Billings & Collections

<b>STUFF TO KNOW ABOUT PRODUCTION</b>

Equipment Selection
Equipment Repair & Service
Work Methods
Quality Control
Safety
Work Measurement
Employee Motivation
Employee Acquistion
Employee Training
Time Study
Facility Design & Layout
Plant Identification
Rules, Regs & Licensing
Fleet Management
Cost Accounting
Labor Standards
Purchasing 101
Sub Contracting
Union Contracts
Branch Operations Mgmt
Landscape Design

<b>STUFF TO KNOW ABOUT MANAGEMENT</b>

Business Planning
Finance 101
Basic Accounting 101
Financial Statement Analysis
Business Management 101
Financing, Capital Sources
Introduction to Income Taxes
Estate Planning
Computer Applications
Contingency Planning
Forecasting Methods
Statistics 101
Spanish 101 & 102

I know that you're just starting in bizz ... but as you go along you'll "bump into" each of the things listed above.

Nilsson Associates
Green Industry Consultants


Phil Nilsson
Nilsson Associates Consultants
Visit Lawn Service & Landscaping Book Store





Edited by - phil nilsson on May 08 2002 05:58:46 AM

[Green Giant]

reply

When we started way back when,money was tight. We had some flyers printed up at a local shop. A few hundred at a time. We'd canvas the sub-divisions around us. It worked pretty good. The first two weeks out of the gate we had picked up 14 "year-round" customers. Figure out your costs and don't sell yourself short.
Make sure you get your occ. license and proper insurance before you start.

[lawrence stone]

reply

Don't even think of buying Sears equipment.

Maybe you should take a look at some of the equipment of those already in business in your area.

"The Frugal Agronomist"

[Green Giant]

reply

Dan
Ditto on staying away from Sears junk! Check out the newspaper for some used commercial equipment that is in decent shape. Check out local dealers also. Sometimes they have "trade ins" or demo equipment that you can get a deal on.

Dennis E.
Grasshopper Lawn
Mulberry,Fl.
(Green Giant is my truck!)

[Scott]

reply

I would focus on one area first to keep your traveling down but if you have to travel a bit, well you have to travel a bit. I would saturate the area with flyers and try direct mailings. After you get a few customers and you send out your invoices, attach some kinda message on the invoice offering kickbacks for referrals, i.e. refer one new customer and after 3 months of continual service they recieve a free cut/tree trim/fertilizing etc...
<b>Equipment issues</b>
Sears has nice hand tools but I would stay away from their lawn equipment if you're seriously thinking about going into the lawn maintenance biz. I think Stone and GG has some great advice. Watch what people are using in your area. That will give you an idea as to what you can get serviced. I'd stop and talk to a couple(dozen or so)contractors and ask them the basics;
1. "hey do you have minute?"
2. how do you like your equipment? have you had any problems with it?
3. where do you recommend that I get my equipment and what kinda service do they offer?
4. do you recommend a particular salesperson? and always, always drop their name to the salesperson
After you talk to a few, a few that'll talk to you anyways, you'll get a general consenus of what dealerships are people oriented and want your business.

Used commerical equipment can be beaten pretty bad, but if you get in good with one of the salesperson at your local dealer, he might clue you in on when something good comes in.

<b>EDUCATION</b>
Get it!!!

[dan0140]

reply

Thanks for the advice everyone! Of course my 1st choice for equipment isn't craftsman....heck I didn't even have a mower for my house! Just needed the basics to get started. Craftsman 6.5 hp mower/ryobi weed eater....need a blower also. I have been able to pick up 3 clients so far and working on a 4th. It's late in the season to get started but 2 of the 3 clients were very unhappy with their current lawn service so perhaps I can pick a few more up like that and put back the money for some much better equipment. I printed a few fliers up and I am going to stick a few in some doors this morning. I am buying an ad in the "service" section of the newspaper this week also. $50 bucks runs for 8 weeks. Any other advice you all want to share..I sure will listen.

Thanks,
Dan

[dixon man]

Depending on what size of yards you have, I would try to get a ztr. I also am new to the business and started out with a Dixon ram 50 I paid $4,200 and it was worth every penny! Of course it is not a "commercial machine" but for the budget I had I ran with it. The cut it gives it top quility as well.

I do have on question for you establised guys though. Other than advertising in newspapers, and yellow pages, how do you go about getting new accounts? Do you go door to door or just make flyers/brochures?

Also what kind of equipment do you use?

All replies appericiated!

[GeeVee]

Uh, hello, MOW-RON?

I know I must have suggested to you or someone else recently to "Try the search feature", but Do I have to start instructing everyone, namely you, to just READ the past posts, and not to REPLY to them?

Not quite three years to the month, but this post is ancient......

Psst..... In the upper left hand corner of the reply, every reply, is the date and time it was posted.

Good luck, if this is an example of how attentive you are, you need a job at the.....

I can't even think of a job you'd be good at.

[jrservices]

Uh, hello, MOW-RON?

I know I must have suggested to you or someone else recently to "Try the search feature", but Do I have to start instructing everyone, namely you, to just READ the past posts, and not to REPLY to them?

Not quite three years to the month, but this post is ancient......

Psst..... In the upper left hand corner of the reply, every reply, is the date and time it was posted.

Good luck, if this is an example of how attentive you are, you need a job at the.....

I can't even think of a job you'd be good at.

Ease up man, I'm sure he knows it's an old post. Stick it in your ear next time you need to vent.

[A+ Lawncare]

now that we've digged the post from its grave.... i'de like to ask dan, the orginal thread started(if he's still around and still has his gig) how its goin? now that its been almost 3years, do you have a fully established mowin LCO, how many account/lawns are ya managin to mow a season?

[GeeVee]

How can you be so sure?

[A+ Lawncare]

How can you be so sure?

who are u refrencin your message to and what do u mean by it? i'm a lil lost

[Phil Nilsson]

Don't worry about it ... I was about to "reintroduce" this subject again ... in fact I think I'll copy and paste my contribution.

Thanks for the reminder...