Startup Questions

[TaskForceLawnCare]

The biggest thing you can do if you want to start a business is to not start your business in the hole. Don't spend money you haven't made. Marketing is great for someone who already has an established business and the equipment to back it up. Using Facebook, websites, newspapers, direct mailers, things like that only cost you money that you haven't made yet, it just puts you deeper in the hole and it's a losing proposition because chances are good your clients will end up 20 and 30 miles apart and you'll spend more time riding the roads than mowing lawns.
If you want to advertise go to Vista print and buy 250 business cards, it will cost like $10 and it's a minimal investment. Find yourself a sub-division with a 1000 to 1500 homes and pick a section that looks good and hit it with your business cards door to door. Keep your client list together and close and don't leave that sub-division. Let your work be your advertisement and save your money to invest in or for equipment not gas.

that may might work if you know everyone in your Florida retirement community. however if you're starting a business with a 0 balance you're already failing. if potential customers don't know who you are they aren't going to call.

spending gas money is part of it nothing runs on dreams and pixie dust. how much does a printer and ink actually cost anyway? we cover a 30 mile area and routes are set to mow closer to the shop as the day goes on.
I don't know everything I mostly mow in suburbia Indianapolis. I will say that it's been a while since I was in start up mod. I've a part time sales/marketing rep, that works on commission. I can tell you that marketing right pays for itself 10 times over again

 

[Ric]

that may might work if you know everyone in your Florida retirement community. however if you're starting a business with a 0 balance you're already failing. if potential customers don't know who you are they aren't going to call.

spending gas money is part of it nothing runs on dreams and pixie dust. how much does a printer and ink actually cost anyway? we cover a 30 mile area and routes are set to mow closer to the shop as the day goes on.
I don't know everything I mostly mow in suburbia Indianapolis. I will say that it's been a while since I was in start up mod. I've a part time sales/marketing rep, that works on commission. I can tell you that marketing right pays for itself 10 times over again

Trust me I don't and didn't know everybody in Florida or in this location or the nearest town when I moved here, but I know that what I mentioned or said in my last post does work because it's been done. I did what you said, I used the marketing or advertisement suggestions that you made and it worked but like you said I ended up with a 30 mile area and in 6 different sub-divisions and at the end of the year I barely broke even after my over head. I gave all that up and stayed in one sub-division and hit it hard with business cards and magnetic signs on my truck doors and now I run 70 plus clients all within a 3 mile radius so now I spend my time and gas mowing, not riding the roads in a truck. If you stay in one place and give people a fair price and do good work you don't need to pay for advertisement or marketing because the people you work will do it for you for free.

 

[Carscw]

What works in one area does not work in others.

There is not a subdivision within 100 miles of me that has 70 houses.
Heck I don't think there are 15 subdivisions within 100 miles.

My average time between yards is 6 mins.
Smallest yard is 3/4 acre.

90% are over a acre.

Facebook is free advertising.
Blast every yardsale group

 

[TaskForceLawnCare]

Trust me I don't and didn't know everybody in Florida or in this location or the nearest town when I moved here, but I know that what I mentioned or said in my last post does work because it's been done. I did what you said, I used the marketing or advertisement suggestions that you made and it worked but like you said I ended up with a 30 mile area and in 6 different sub-divisions and at the end of the year I barely broke even after my over head. I gave all that up and stayed in one sub-division and hit it hard with business cards and magnetic signs on my truck doors and now I run 70 plus clients all within a 3 mile radius so now I spend my time and gas mowing, not riding the roads in a truck. If you stay in one place and give people a fair price and do good work you don't need to pay for advertisement or marketing because the people you work will do it for you for free.

I'm happy if that works for you, and I'm 100% sure your customers are loyal. if your concentration is solely on one subdivision then that's kind of putting all your eggs in one basket. its fine until a bigger better or equally good company comes in with an aggressive sales/marketing advantage and starts causing you to shrink.
around where I operate its extremely competitive. I do everything I can to keep my company at least a step ahead of my competition. if you don't have to worry about competition then good for you.
I'll restate that starting out is tough its a cut throat business. if you're starting out with no capital you are already wrong. if you don't market as wide as you can you can't truly grow. if you aren't growing you are shrinking. everything gets more expensive every year so you need to grow to compensate for that.

 

[Ric]

I'm happy if that works for you, and I'm 100% sure your customers are loyal. if your concentration is solely on one subdivision then that's kind of putting all your eggs in one basket. its fine until a bigger better or equally good company comes in with an aggressive sales/marketing advantage and starts causing you to shrink.
around where I operate its extremely competitive. I do everything I can to keep my company at least a step ahead of my competition. if you don't have to worry about competition then good for you.
I'll restate that starting out is tough its a cut throat business. if you're starting out with no capital you are already wrong. if you don't market as wide as you can you can't truly grow. if you aren't growing you are shrinking. everything gets more expensive every year so you need to grow to compensate for that.

I think probably it's as competitive and cut throat here as any place else. The problem with them is they can't compete with me and my prices. Businesses that have areas that cover 30 miles have to much over head and distance to deal with And I don't. I can beat there service and any price they can give a client because I'm in the same area everyday 6 days a week and on call Sunday if needed. I can be at any one of my clients home with in ten minutes of any call.
Putting all your eggs in one basket or concentrating is solely on one subdivision has its advantages for not only a business but also the clients.

 

[exotion]

I think probably it's as competitive and cut throat here as any place else. The problem with them is they can't compete with me and my prices. Businesses that have areas that cover 30 miles have to much over head and distance to deal with And I don't. I can beat there service and any price they can give a client because I'm in the same area everyday 6 days a week and on call Sunday if needed. I can be at any one of my clients home with in ten minutes of any call.
Putting all your eggs in one basket or concentrating is solely on one subdivision has its advantages for not only a business but also the clients.

We all agree that if that's done it would work great. It would not work here at all. Lucky for me the whole town is like 9 miles in any direction

 

[Ric]

What works in one area does not work in others.

There is not a subdivision within 100 miles of me that has 70 houses.
Heck I don't think there are 15 subdivisions within 100 miles.

My average time between yards is 6 mins.
Smallest yard is 3/4 acre.

90% are over a acre.

Facebook is free advertising.
Blast every yardsale group

lol you must live like a hermit. There's got to be 30 subdivisions in this area and town and that's not counting trailer parks. :laughing: Crap I've got 6 up the road from me with in 3 miles of my house.

 

[Carscw]

lol you must live like a hermit. There's got to be 30 subdivisions in this area and town and that's not counting trailer parks. :laughing: Crap I've got 6 up the road from me with in 3 miles of my house.

But we do have a walmart 20 mins away.

We moved up here about a year and a half ago. From a subdivision 2 hours away. I love it no noise no people. If I can see someone from my deck they are trespassing.

 

[TaskForceLawnCare]

But we do have a walmart 20 mins away.

We moved up here about a year and a half ago. From a subdivision 2 hours away. I love it no noise no people. If I can see someone from my deck they are trespassing.

I'm the same way I live out in the country, in a surrounding county of Indianapolis which is almost as big as the county its in.

fact you can't compete with the larger companies. they have capabilities you don't have they have man power you don't have ect. overhead is irrelevant if you have clientele to back it up.

 

[Carscw]

I'm the same way I live out in the country, in a surrounding county of Indianapolis which is almost as big as the county its in. fact you can't compete with the larger companies. they have capabilities you don't have they have man power you don't have ect. overhead is irrelevant if you have clientele to back it up.

I was talking to a guy the other day.

He was trying to brag about how much he made every week. He just started lawn care this year.

Should have seen his face when I told him I pay out more every week then he makes.