Do A Deal With A Local Lawn Care Operator
This is something that hardly ever happens and it works really well. I have had very few calls over the years from new lawn care companies wanting my excess leads. I am selling pre qualified leads at the moment to another lawn care operator at the moment for $17.50 a lead but I have given them away for free before.
The first thing you need to do is find a lawn care operator that has been around for a while and is working close to full capacity with no plans on expansion.
You then call them and offer to take their excess leads. A lot of lawn care operators are happy to give callers another number if they cannot accept any more customers. You may have to offer money if they do not sound too keen when you talk to them. If you are going to pay for the leads remember to set a few ground rules. Here are a few that I use.
- For a One-Off cut, set a minimum charge that the customer must agree to before you take the lead. As a seller, I tell the customer that while the estimate is free but it will not be any less then $50 if they want to go ahead. I then package and sell the lead.
- You need an address, full name and contact number and whether it is a One-Off or regular mow.
- All leads must be sent through to you by text within 10 minutes of coming in.
- It needs to be an exclusive arrangement. The person who takes the call needs to give the customers your name and let them know that you will be coming around.
Collecting A Debt From A Non
Look, there are a lot of headaches to managing a lawn care company.
Hands down, one of the biggest headaches is dealing with a client who refuses to pay.
But what are the proper steps to take when one of your lawn care clients fails to pay?
More importantly, how can you get paid for work you have done?
You might want to brace yourself There is no simple answer for this one.
Here is what you need to know.
Don’t want to worry about collecting payments?
GreenPal can help!
Best Ways To Get Lawn Care Customers
Whether youre just starting your lawn care business or trying to grow your existing one, its always a good idea to think of how to get more customers. Letting people know your business exists by utilizing advertising ideas is a great first step, but it might take some more time and effort to gain momentum when it comes to growing your customer base. Keep reading for the best ways to get lawn care customers.
Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Violets In Yard
Capture Some Of The 95% Of Leads Visiting Your Website
Your website isnt just a fancy place for your prospects to visit you online
Factually: its a MAJOR part of your landscape marketing strategy.
Consider this:
95% of your prospects will visit your website before making any decision to buy from you .
So your website must immediately communicate the following:
- Who you are
- That youre a real business
- And how to contact you.
Take a look at this website:
Thanks to the images of green lawns and well-trimmed yards, theres no question that this is a landscaping business!
Plus:
See how the headline clearly states what this landscaping business does:
The logo strategically placed in the upper left-hand corner shows WHO owns this website right away.
Notice not 1 but 2 places to contact this landscaping company right off the bat:
1) The phone number in the upper right-hand corner
2) And the black lead capture form.
Make sure your landscaping website shows pictures of your landscaping work.
Like this:
And make it clear what your special offer is
Like this red graphic on the homepage which just cant be missed!
One more thing:
Since 68% of consumers trust a business more who shows off positive reviews, you should feature your happy customer testimonials on your website!
Like this landscaper did:
And next to your reviews, you can feature a lead capture form, which I talk about next in #7.
If you want your website done with an expert hand, our website design services start at an extremely affordable $495.
Other Ways To Get Lawn Care Customers
Targeting new markets can be daunting, especially when youre unsure of what your market is. However, there are other ways to gain customers without thinking of a specific target market. These include:
- Wear a uniform: Get some shirts made up that have your business name and phone number listed, and wear them when youre out and about on the job.
- Advertise to neighbors of your existing customers: theres no need to go door-to-door or be an aggressive salesman to your clienteles neighbors, but saying hello and casually offering your services to neighbors when you see them is a great way to gain more customers in areas youre already working.
- Work on weekends: Weekend work is a great way to advertise because everyone in the neighborhood can actively see you working! If youre making your clients lawn the best in the neighborhood on their schedule, chances are, some of their neighbors will also want your services.
Also Check: Does Roundup Kill Wild Violets
Always Keep Communication Open With Your Clients
Failing to stay in touch with existing customers is an extraordinarily costly mistake.
The biggest asset your company has, along with its employees, is its existing customer base people whove already given you their ultimate vote of confidence:
Their money!
Plus:
Existing customers are not only a source for current business, but also for referrals.
So its VERY important you keep in touch with customers because they could generate MORE business for you!
One way to keep in touch with existing customer is by sending them a monthly email newsletter.
You can feature almost anything in your newsletter, but here are some ideas:
- Current specials
- New changes to your business
- New pricing
- New services youre adding
- And how you help the community.
FREE report: 8 easy ways to turn your email newsletter into a MUST read
Plus:
Motivate your employees to be friendly to customers when they see them. Just a simple hello shows your customers you appreciate them, and:
Any potential prospects nearby will notice your teams friendliness and remember it!
After all:
People love to buy from those whom they LIKE.
Step : Create Your Business Website
After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.
While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that its out of their reach because they dont have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.
Here are the main reasons why you shouldnt delay building your website:
- All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
- Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
- Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You dont need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.
Using our website building guides, the process will be simple and painless and shouldnt take you any longer than 2-3 hours to complete.
Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.
You May Like: How To Revive Brown Lawn
Choose How To Structure Your Business
Youll need to choose how you want your business structured. There are four main types:
- Sole proprietorship: a business run by a single individual
- Partnership: An agreement between two or more persons who run the business together
- Limited liability company: a hybrid of partnership and corporation
- Corporation: a group of people authorized to act as a single entity
Sole Proprietorships
If youre just starting out, youll probably want to be a sole proprietorship. Most small businesses are sole proprietorships because this is the easiest and cheapest way to start a business.
In a sole proprietorship, you and the business are one and the same. A sole proprietorship is unique among business entities because its the only one that doesnt have to register with a state.
Starting one is easy.
All you have to do is:
- Come up with a name for your lawn company and decide where you want to be located
- File for a business license with city hall
- Set up a business checking account so theres a separation between your business and personal cash
If you plan to sell taxable things, youll need to register with your local taxing authority.
Sole proprietorship advantages include:
- Easy startupno complicated business structure
- Controlsince youre the only owner, youll have total power over every aspect of your company
- Use of lossesbecause youre including your business income and losses on your personal tax return, you can use them to offset personal income
Buy Equipment Without Researching
If you havent done the research to make sure there is a demand for your business and if you dont have any viable clients, do not buy any equipment! The required equipment should be one of the last things you buy.
If you do buy equipment, make sure to look into the guarantee or warranty that is included in the equipment and if its easy to find replacement parts.
Don’t Miss: Who Sells Murray Lawn Mower Parts
Develop An Effective Direct Mail Strategy
Sending postcards can be a great lawn care lead generation strategy. A carefully executed campaign should result in a 1.5 -3.5% return. This means if youre sending 10,000 lawn care postcards, you should be getting 150-350 new lawn care leads. If thats not happening, there is an issue with your list, timing, offer, design, or website landing page.
Also Check: How To Change Oil In Toro Lawn Mower
Offer Custom Services By Neighborhood
Not all neighborhoods are created equal. Take the time to consider each areas specific landscaping needs so you can tailor your direct mail, emails, or ads accordingly.
Plus, people will notice the personalization. Recognizing the unique needs of an individual can help your business stand out from the competition. Tailor your offerings, and you may see more inquiries roll in than if you ran a one-size-fits-all campaign.
Don’t Miss: When Should You Aerate Your Lawn In Georgia
How Much Of A Deposit Should I Take
In my experience, I typically take 50% upfront, and a recent poll we conducted shows that most lawn care pros do the same.
in fact, we found that 78% of lawn care pros take a deposit of 50% on any project that costs $500 or more.
On the other hand, nearly 15% of lawn care pros say they never take a deposit but do get a signed contract in writing.
“78% of lawn care pros take a deposit of 50% on projects costing $500 or more”
How To Make Angry Lawn Care Clients Happy Again
No matter how successful your business is, youre going to encounter angry lawn care clients from time to time.
Sometimes, its not your fault. After all, accidents happen, and we all know about those clients who just like to complain.
Other times, you or your company might be at blame for a situation that can damage the relationship with your clients.
While some lawn care clients simply cant be pleased, if theres a chance you can make an angry client happy again then you should try.
It’s much cheaper to keep an existing client than it is to go out and get a new one. All it takes is a little extra effort on your part.
You May Like: Riding Mowers Made In Usa
Use Your Existing Network
Friends and family are the first people to turn to when youre figuring out how to get lawn care customers fasttheyre likely willing to lend a helping hand to grow your business. Youll also want to reach out to any current customers for feedback and recurring business.
Let everyone in your immediate network know that youre launching a lawn care company or trying to grow your customer base. Get the word out by posting on your social media channels or through word of mouth. You can also create a friends and family discount to make the offer sweeter.
Your existing customers are another source of potential leads. Its crucial to maintain healthy relationships with your current customers if you want to keep their business. Check in with them periodically to see if they need any updates to their service, like spring lawn cleaning, lawn aeration, or continued service after the winter season.
Ask your customers for constructive, candid feedback that can help you improve your business. More likely than not, they will give you valuable insights and may be more inclined to leave a review on a site like Yelp or provide a testimonial you could put on your website.
Find A Business Mentor
One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.
Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.
Recommended Reading: Is Peat Moss Good For Lawns
Resources To Help Women In Business
There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. Weve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:
- Funding
- Guides
- Support
If youre a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.
How To Get Lawn Care Customers Fast: 5 Ways
The below methods are easy to implement but highly effective. As you read this section, take note of the following:
- This post focuses on short-term marketing tactics to help you get clients fast. Your business success will, ultimately, depend on implementing long-term marketing strategies like building a website and growing your online presence, which takes time. So, view this post as a way for you to quickly get traction in your business but dont forget to play the long game.
- Getting clients can be challenging for any new business. The lawn care business is no different, but as Jason Creel of Alabama Lawn Pros mentions, Dont get overly discouraged. If you can preserve and simply survive your first year, then acquiring customers, growing the business and all those things becomes easier as you get more established. Itll only be a matter of time before you have more customers, revenues, and profits.
- Some strategies will work for you and others wont. Thats perfectly okay! No two businesses are the same. The key, though, is to experiment and find what works for you.
With that out of the way, here are five strategies to start experimenting with today.
Dont get overly discouraged. If you can preserve and simply survive your first year, then acquiring customers, growing the business and all those things becomes easier as you get more established.
Also Check: Aerator For Rent Lowes
Get More Referrals From Your Lawn Care Clients
If you do an outstanding job for a customer, ask them for a referral. At first, its uncomfortable asking your customers for their feedback, but you want to get into the habit of asking them.
When you get known online, you can beat your competition and get reviews that build your lawn care business credibility.
You can use these mini-testimonials on your postcards, brochures or flyers as well as on your website. Theyre marketing gold and make you look like a dependable and trustworthy lawn and landscape company owner.
Need help with SEO?
Create A Killer Lawn Care Website
Your website has two goals, 1) to attract prospective clients and 2) turn those website visitors into qualified leads for your sales team. Lawn care SEO is a widely misunderstood and oversimplified term. The core concept is that implementing certain online strategies both on and off of your lawn care website will allow it to appear higher in organic search results for hundreds of phrases consumers will enter into search engines.
Traffic is great, but you should also be converting anywhere from 1-3% of all website visitors into a qualified lead. If you are finding that isnt the case, it could point to fixing major flaws with the user experience, images, videos, and copywriting. If you do this right, organic website traffic and lawn care leads will increase over time to deliver results for years to come.
Read Also: How To Estimate Lawn Mowing Jobs
Start A Lawn Care Business By Following These 10 Steps:
You have found the perfect business idea, and now you are ready to take the next step. There is more to starting a business than just registering it with the state. We have put together this simple guide to starting your lawn care business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.
Check out our How to Start a Business page.
Either Stay Small Or Scale Up The Right Way
Russell keeps his service area small by design.
Most million-dollar companies only have a 10 to 14% margin because they have a lot of overhead. However, he says that companies who do less than $2,000,000 worth of business annually have a 50% to 60% profit margin.
If youre a small company and your profit margins are less than 50 to 60%, youre doing something wrong.
Thats why he doesnt want to get too big.
Although there are advantages to staying small, you can scale up if you do it right. No matter how big you get, stay lean. Heres a video weve done on that topic:
As you grow your business, you might have the desire to branch out into more directions. Thats what Russell is doing right now.
He has big ambitions, and he has plans to give his company a makeover:
You might start out with a broom and a single push mower. But, if you do fantastic work and continue to rake in the cash, theres no telling how high you can fly.
The skys the limit!
Don’t Miss: How To Drain Oil From Craftsman Lawn Mower
