How do I get clients?

[Sprinkler Buddy]

Hey; I just put out 60 flyers at the doors of houses in kind of small town, how many calls do you think I'll get? They each had an estimate for the price of the lawns which I would say were pretty low for the sizes of the lawns. How else could I get customers?

Word of mouth will spread if you do a good job at a fair price. Going around and underbidding other lawn care professionals in your area isn't the best way to go about it in my opinion. Your only hurting yourself in the long run. Yeah you'll pick up a lot of yards, you will also inherit a huge fuel bill to get those jobs done your doing so cheap. Your repairs are also going to run more. I have been in this business awhile. It took me about 3 years to build a nice business in my small town. I work in about a 15 mile radious. Keep in mind, once you reach your max you can do by yourself, you also have labor cost. Good Luck! It seems everyone is going in the lawn business these days.

 

[twall]

..... It seems everyone is going in the lawn business these days.

Boy that is so true! We ALL mowed lawns to give us play money when we were in HS. Somehow, now we're 40, and hear Dave Ramsey preach to us about "mowing lawns to generate extra cash", we think we can get a mower, and all our money troubles are over. It was easy as a kid, right? Well, what uncle Dave Ramsey DOESN'T include in his "just do this - dummy" assessment of the lawn care market is the fact that dad won't pay to fix the mower when you're broke and it needs fixed. Mom isn't going to fill the gas can for you this time. It all takes money.

Some people are gifted in machining. Some, in management. Others, in sales, law, doctors, lawyers, etc......but, there are true lawn PROFESSIONALS. Those with the ability to get the clients, and do a pied piper to the lawn and bring it to near golf-course beauty. You are either one of these, or you're a big kid listening to Dave Ramsey....thinking your troubles will fly by with a few lawns.

 

[mystreba]

Boy that is so true! We ALL mowed lawns to give us play money when we were in HS. Somehow, now we're 40, and hear Dave Ramsey preach to us about "mowing lawns to generate extra cash", we think we can get a mower, and all our money troubles are over. It was easy as a kid, right? Well, what uncle Dave Ramsey DOESN'T include in his "just do this - dummy" assessment of the lawn care market is the fact that dad won't pay to fix the mower when you're broke and it needs fixed. Mom isn't going to fill the gas can for you this time. It all takes money.

Some people are gifted in machining. Some, in management. Others, in sales, law, doctors, lawyers, etc......but, there are true lawn PROFESSIONALS. Those with the ability to get the clients, and do a pied piper to the lawn and bring it to near golf-course beauty. You are either one of these, or you're a big kid listening to Dave Ramsey....thinking your troubles will fly by with a few lawns.

Well said.

 

[rer]

I have read of these lawn professionals, but do they pay into ss? Not here in Texas. I would say 90% are illegal immigrants fresh over the border. Are the mowers to blame for the economy?

 

[Briana]

How about a giant inflatable gorilla wearing a "lawn enforcement" tee shirt near the interstate. Get one with a badge a cop hat and a night stick:thumbsup:.

Hahaha I love it!!!

 

[mystreba]

Are the mowers to blame for the economy?

Woah, you lost me on that one! If you were to look at a cross-section of the complete economic spectrum, the folks you're talking about are at the very bottom, and they control a negligible portion of the money supply.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Wall Street fat cats gambled recklessly with our investments - when it all crashed, it pushed our economy to the very brink of collapse. For gawdsakes, they were selling homes to people who couldn't afford them, and then hedging - basically betting that these people would foreclose!!! This is a virtual recipe for a winner/loser situation, and for shifting wealth from the losers to the winners.

(hint - 98% of Americans were losers on that deal)

 

[LandN]

as said in my thread on lawn cutting business, its tough getting clients and keeping them for a length of time to consider them loyal customers year after year. BUT...it can be done, and done without being a gifted lawn cutting professional. A person HAS TO do their homework and study their chosen field of interest no matter what it may be. the internet can offer a lot of information on the subject.lawn cutting can be done as a 'sideline' to accumulate extra cash flow and go all the way up to a full blown national corp. its a matter of how hard do you want to work at it AND how bad do you want it. Nobodys going to give you nothing ,you have to fight for what you want. if a person can go to their local library and just spend a few hours reading business related books with an open mind, so you can think outside the box....with an open mind and the right attitude a person can accomplish almost anything they desire,including ways to get clients.:thumbsup::smile::wink:

 

[Muhammad]

I have moved this thread to the pro's forum. :thumbsup:

 

[wrottin]

I bought my JDeere 3 years ago because I needed to mow my fathers lawn, grandmothers lawn, and of course, my own. I eventually worked out a deal with a couple neighbors and hung fliers. I've mowed a lot of different yards in the last couple of years and have a few clients that have remained loyal and agree that a great job deserves a fair price. When I first started I undersold myself but quickly realized that I only had a set amount of time with a full time job and two young kids, and was turning down customers that could be more profitable because of the underpriced work I had dedicated myself too. My quotes were quickly adjusted. My point is..... Don't get work by underselling yourself.

 

[somoolive]

Join business associations such as your local Chamber of Commerce. Attending regular meetings is a great way to network, meet new prospects and to spread the word around. Try to get to know some real estate agents and ask them to distribute you brochures or business cards to people moving into houses that have just sold.