I have a really good relationship with two business. That a sends me numbers to call since one is only doing large yards and the others has more than his crew can handle. At the moment I'm phasing out of working by the hour and almost to the point I'll need to leave my job and do this full time . Thanks for the videos man huge help !!
One business that paid off for me, was a local realtor account. I noticed the grass 2' tall at house she had listed for sale and I sent her an email saying that she may want to have someone cut it and I'd do it for $40 (small simple lawn, but overgrown). I didn't hear anything for 6-weeks, then she sent me a text on a Saturday asking if I could cut it before noon on Sunday. I was out of town. She asked if I could cut it asap. I don't like cutting on Sunday's but I did that evening when I returned. She later asked if I would be interested in taking over her realtor office account which resulted in my first 12-month agreement. Not only that, she refers new home buyers to me :)
Looking for advice, I did an on-site estimate recently, gave the customer a price along with payment and service terms. Customer responded that they are willing to pay but they want a sample cut to see what they are getting. This is supposed to be for work year round and customer owns multiple rental properties. Not sure if it would be beneficial to take a chance and possibly get stiffed or give the sample away in hopes of continued guaranteed work and possibly more at other properties.
James Abrams well just so you know it could be a game I’m very cautious of people who own multiple properties, as they know all to well how to get stuff done for nothing or almost free you have to decipher by talking to the customer. Show pictures of other work. I have done that before, free cut on houses where they wanted to clean it up but I knew they were scamming sort of. I could just tell. Anyway I did it anyway since they were in a nice neighborhood where I could pass out door hangers. Made tons of new customer off of that customer! So yes do it and bring your door hangers with you and always pass them out to the neighbors while there. It works. The customer actually wasn’t scamming and now has me do weekly service on their property but none of their “rentals”
I have started my business at 15 and I got 500 business cards for $30. So I door knocked and it was the hard and kinda embarrassing. But I formed good relationships with customers and I got lots of lawns that way. I also made a Google Maps business thing and made a website. Where do you get your postcards printed?
Humm when I first started way back in the 1950 you did not have all the shit you do now. My first lawn was just around the corner from my mom and dads house I was only a kid. But after only a month I had 10 lawns. When I got my drivers license it took a huge jump . I recall having a Datsun pu and the lawn care took off. In no time I was doing 30 to 36 lawns every day. You just need to talk with the right kind of people. Oh yea it never cost me a dime. I have had the sane people for years. I have also helped others get started and they are very busy as well . Took them out and showed them the right people to talk to and get started. Plus you need to know we did not have all the fancy stuff when I started. No string trimmers no blowers you had to work. So when the new stuff did come out I thought cool. I can do more with less time you need to have a very good work attitude or you will fail simple as that.
@Adam H yea well I was working alone really sucked back then . But the tools nowadays make it seem like fun not a job. Kinda like the trash company. The guy use to lift the cans now it’s all done by machines .
Yes door-knocking does suck and is a little embarrassing depending on the person but man does it work LOL I haven't done it in a while but I'm telling you it does work I've got quite a few yards that way.. and the doors that I knocked on their grass was overgrown so I got the yards right then and there
I just need good help. This will be the death of me. Killing me. I am trying to hide from customers currently not find more. ROFL...This year has been tougher than usual to find help.
How are you handling notifying customers when you plan to be at their property to cut? I’ve been texting everyone a day before but as I’ve grown that’s become tedious and will only get more so the more I grow. Love your videos very informative and detailed. TIA
I am going to do the SEO with Jay just sent them an email, thank you sir for your very helpful videos you are the trusted lawn care CZcams source I go to
I am 15 years old and have tried everything this year EDDM, google ads, nextdoor ads, yelp ads, facebook ads, and going door to door. But have still not brought on many more clients, any suggestions?
its kind of like a barber, when hes waiting for a costumer and services a random guy with a haircut, the guy will probably come back looking for you again
Who do you use to design and print your post cards/ door hangers? The companies I have tried only want me to use their templates with very little room for creative design. Kind of hard to make a personal professional impression when they are too business focused.
Knock on doors be persistent, courteous, professional, smile Sometimes you might want to think about giving the first service for free as long as it's not above and beyond a regular service It's not really any different than paying for advertising And have a copy of any credentials Business license, proof of insurance for the area you are in and any pesticide license Anyone that is considering hiring you will see you are prepared and insured, they won't consider you to be a liability. Business owners understand all of these issues
Im 22 and starting my own lawn maintence company. Im trying to find out any tips and tricks of how to best manage things and marketing, like in this video. If there's any advise you can give me before I make this offical, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Just saying what we had back in the 50s and 60s . I know a lot of people still like to talk to a real live person. As for my self well in my 70 so really do not care how fast you get a new lawn job its how long are they going to be there down the road. I would rather have the same lawns year after year . Not that one that the grass is over your mower and you know you are only there to clean up there shit and they will only call you back a year later..
@@Good_Mow yeah there's no way I could ever do that I've tried that before not with that site but I never work out for me lol the yard was always way bigger
If you see tall grass. They can only tell you no. Or they can give you a shot at mowing there grass for the whole year. A lot of older people don't like cutting grass. But they don't want to go into an old folks home either. So they look for the cheapest lawn care company. Remembered. You got to make a profit. More crap it's in your yard the more you charge if there's any ditches how many trees how many flower beds. It's all in the bid of the job. Pro. Is just a name. There is pros in all fields. So it doesn't really make you special. Only your personality. Makes loyal customers
Clayton Shilling I think of it like this.. how much business does your web site bring? IMO, if the web site is bringing in clients every week it’s too valuable.. whatever cost is associated with that value.
Florida Turf Pros thank you for the reply I completely agree. Just curious if there was a cheaper way I didn’t know about. I really enjoy your channel I’m going to start up next spring in the mean time I’m studying what all it takes. I know I can get the clients , but I want to be a long lasting professional business. Going to leave my cubicle job of 7 years making around 45k a year. Right now I’m taking Florida Turf pro university lol went back to video 1 of yours and I have watched 80+ so far and taken notes from each one. Thank you again
Clayton Shilling in my opinion watching videos, taking online courses and worrying about website costs aren’t going to get you anywhere. Get door hangers and get to knocking. Only one kind of people make it in this business, the hustling kind. The more miles you put on your feet the more customers you get. Even when you have all the customers in the world never stop hanging flyers. I make 400 a day solo, but I bust my ass and on weekends I knock on doors. I don’t have a fb, website or any of that. Just a really good door hanger and work ethic. Trust me, I’d love to sit on the couch and take online courses and think about my website, but that doesn’t pay the bills. I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but the only way to make money is getting out and asking for work not worrying about some damn website fee.
Texas Ghost trust me I plan on walking door to door in all the neighborhoods but some videos are worth watching. Especially while I’m still at my full time job I want to make sure I know all the ins and outs of the business part of it and know how to bid correctly. I use to mow for realtors before home showing in high school and made great money but since I want to support my family I need to know everything I can. Thanks for the advice I really appreciate it.
Really not into fast lawns that is a no brained . I want long term we have had most same customers for 40 plus years . Yup thats right we did not have you tube face book or any shit like that. Word of mouth most people do not know what that is anymore. Its all about ex or email all that shit. I still use word of mouth and have way too much to do. But then again we do not lose many maybe 1 a year only because they have died . And even then the next person who moves into the house we have been very lucky and do the yards for them as well. When you do a great job people are watching you and if they like your work they will talk to you . We dont even try to look anymore because were too busy .
John Bailey word of mouth is the cheapest way to grow your business but by far the slowest way. I’d rather get 50 new clients every year with an aggressive marketing strategy and have half of them leave before the next season than to strictly go by word of mouth and only get a few new clients a year that never leave your business. It’s a numbers game. Acquiring lawns fast has nothing to do with what kind of impression make and quality of service you provide to retain new lawn care clients.
Texas Ghost I got one customer off of craigslist in particular last year that now I have both neighbors on either side of him and one of those customers referred me to his nephew as well. That did create some good density residually because that nephew was also by another one of my clients. ButYes craigslist had me running all over the city last year. But this year is different I said no to 50% of the leads even though in my ad I specifically included one ZIP Code and specific language that specified the area that I wanted to serve. People still kept calling even though they were 30 or 45 minutes away. Just have to say no to those folks. But in the beginning people should take what they can get and then market to the houses around those that they get and you can always trim the fat later. But yes I’m all about route density this year and will be even more so next year. Door hangers are the key.Thanks for weighing in.t
6 min times 10 houses is 1 hour per day. 1 new client with an average customer value of $1500/year would afford to pay 1 employee at $18/hour to do 5 arounds for 83 hours. 😉
@@thomasfarrell2275 you're going to spend 1 to 2 hrs a day every day of the week doing 5 arounds to pay a guy who knows how long from now to pass out flyers for a month straight for 1500 a month? Good luck. I hope you don't value your 2hrs a day
What did you guys use to get customers fast in the beginning?
Flyers really have help me I think I'm going to go pass some out today it's going to rain so I got all caught up yesterday
I have a really good relationship with two business. That a sends me numbers to call since one is only doing large yards and the others has more than his crew can handle. At the moment I'm phasing out of working by the hour and almost to the point I'll need to leave my job and do this full time . Thanks for the videos man huge help !!
Nextdoor app is key!
@Satisfying Sciencee can you help me get more Customers?
One business that paid off for me, was a local realtor account. I noticed the grass 2' tall at house she had listed for sale and I sent her an email saying that she may want to have someone cut it and I'd do it for $40 (small simple lawn, but overgrown). I didn't hear anything for 6-weeks, then she sent me a text on a Saturday asking if I could cut it before noon on Sunday. I was out of town. She asked if I could cut it asap. I don't like cutting on Sunday's but I did that evening when I returned. She later asked if I would be interested in taking over her realtor office account which resulted in my first 12-month agreement. Not only that, she refers new home buyers to me :)
Been waiting on you to get back to the business thank you for blessing us with your game..👍
i usually strong arm them. a few broken garden gnomes will get these people to sign up real quick.
Lmao
lol
Seems legit! I need to move in this direction for sure!
That was a very well explained video. Thank you!
Along those lines, I would also include having advertising on your truck and/or trailer for neighbors to see. Great informative video!
Yes I made a couple magnets that are signs I ordered them online they stick to the van really well
SLUMERICAN vista print?
ive never had a single call from my truck sign. not one. and its been there a whole year.
I took your advice from your last post card video and it’s working great. Thanks
That's great. I've really had good success with that post card.
Heard a challenge from you to the lawn care community. So I made my first two videos. Always like your advice
Your videos are very useful, i would buy. I like how you don't sugarcoat things and are very analytical.
Always on point. Great advice. Thanks Jonathan
Thanks Jonathan for another great video. Some of these comments are blowing my mind. 🤯
Looking for advice, I did an on-site estimate recently, gave the customer a price along with payment and service terms. Customer responded that they are willing to pay but they want a sample cut to see what they are getting. This is supposed to be for work year round and customer owns multiple rental properties. Not sure if it would be beneficial to take a chance and possibly get stiffed or give the sample away in hopes of continued guaranteed work and possibly more at other properties.
James Abrams well just so you know it could be a game I’m very cautious of people who own multiple properties, as they know all to well how to get stuff done for nothing or almost free you have to decipher by talking to the customer. Show pictures of other work. I have done that before, free cut on houses where they wanted to clean it up but I knew they were scamming sort of. I could just tell. Anyway I did it anyway since they were in a nice neighborhood where I could pass out door hangers. Made tons of new customer off of that customer! So yes do it and bring your door hangers with you and always pass them out to the neighbors while there. It works. The customer actually wasn’t scamming and now has me do weekly service on their property but none of their “rentals”
Think about it as a marketing cost.
Great looking cards.
Thanks a bunch!
Thank you for sharing
I have started my business at 15 and I got 500 business cards for $30. So I door knocked and it was the hard and kinda embarrassing. But I formed good relationships with customers and I got lots of lawns that way. I also made a Google Maps business thing and made a website. Where do you get your postcards printed?
Humble yourself and knock on doors. Bring your business cards as well.
Humm when I first started way back in the 1950 you did not have all the shit you do now. My first lawn was just around the corner from my mom and dads house I was only a kid. But after only a month I had 10 lawns. When I got my drivers license it took a huge jump . I recall having a Datsun pu and the lawn care took off. In no time I was doing 30 to 36 lawns every day. You just need to talk with the right kind of people. Oh yea it never cost me a dime. I have had the sane people for years. I have also helped others get started and they are very busy as well . Took them out and showed them the right people to talk to and get started. Plus you need to know we did not have all the fancy stuff when I started. No string trimmers no blowers you had to work. So when the new stuff did come out I thought cool. I can do more with less time you need to have a very good work attitude or you will fail simple as that.
36 lawns a day ? Wtf
Yea he was probably was Solo with 20 inch push mower lot harder then sitting on new zero turn it’s Quadruple that now with several crews going!
@Adam H yea well I was working alone really sucked back then . But the tools nowadays make it seem like fun not a job. Kinda like the trash company. The guy use to lift the cans now it’s all done by machines .
Yes door-knocking does suck and is a little embarrassing depending on the person but man does it work LOL I haven't done it in a while but I'm telling you it does work I've got quite a few yards that way.. and the doors that I knocked on their grass was overgrown so I got the yards right then and there
Ya, I agree. Door knocking is embarassing, but it really does work.
In business since 2010 an still love hearing an getting advice an new ideas thanks I also follow on IG
Glad to hear im not the only one who still watches the basics after all these years haha
I just need good help. This will be the death of me. Killing me. I am trying to hide from customers currently not find more. ROFL...This year has been tougher than usual to find help.
Great Video, I have the worlds number one plant and turf booster. i would want you to try your hands on.
Great videos Florida turf pros!👍🏼
I have a question to be able to get HOA work
Do they require employees or can it be solo. Thx
How are you handling notifying customers when you plan to be at their property to cut? I’ve been texting everyone a day before but as I’ve grown that’s become tedious and will only get more so the more I grow. Love your videos very informative and detailed. TIA
I use Yardbook and keep all our customers on a schedule. I don't text customers. THey just know what day their yard is supposed to be cut.
I am going to do the SEO with Jay just sent them an email, thank you sir for your very helpful videos you are the trusted lawn care CZcams source I go to
I like to run small give away comps on Facebook, give away 1 mow or something small to start with... to get more eyes on my page
I am 15 years old and have tried everything this year EDDM, google ads, nextdoor ads, yelp ads, facebook ads, and going door to door. But have still not brought on many more clients, any suggestions?
How many clients do you have bro
@@yaboiavery5986 10 right now, most are fertilizing customers, most my mowing customers moved last year.
you got a head start young, thats good, stay at it. working for other people is no way to live.
@@realkingbrandon referrals.
Way to go mr Jonathan!
its kind of like a barber, when hes waiting for a costumer and services a random guy with a haircut, the guy will probably come back looking for you again
Would it be a good move to make a homemade flyer and put them on doors on areas I’ve never mowed before?
Who do you use to design and print your post cards/ door hangers? The companies I have tried only want me to use their templates with very little room for creative design. Kind of hard to make a personal professional impression when they are too business focused.
I use VistaPrint. I design my own just using their tools.
Jonathon who does your post cards?
T&T Lawncare I made them using vista prints creator then ordered through vista print
Knock on doors be persistent, courteous, professional, smile
Sometimes you might want to think about giving the first service for free as long as it's not above and beyond a regular service
It's not really any different than paying for advertising
And have a copy of any credentials
Business license, proof of insurance for the area you are in and any pesticide license
Anyone that is considering hiring you will see you are prepared and insured, they won't consider you to be a liability. Business owners understand all of these issues
Im 22 and starting my own lawn maintence company. Im trying to find out any tips and tricks of how to best manage things and marketing, like in this video. If there's any advise you can give me before I make this offical, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Please don't call me. Killed me 😂 LOL
💯 Nuggets 💰
Where did you get your shirt from?
Walmart. They're $10 and called George L. I have them embroidered for a low rate at a local embroidery shop here in town.
on your 5 arounds do you always target new houses?
Beard looks good!
Hey Bro...shout out to Jay Yorty as well. Thanks for the video.. Jmac
I'll try this 5 around thing. But I'm outsourcing my marketing. It's not my forte, plants are.
Just saying what we had back in the 50s and 60s . I know a lot of people still like to talk to a real live person. As for my self well in my 70 so really do not care how fast you get a new lawn job its how long are they going to be there down the road. I would rather have the same lawns year after year . Not that one that the grass is over your mower and you know you are only there to clean up there shit and they will only call you back a year later..
Don’t knock on peoples doors trust me, I have been cussed out, people just get annoyed
I most of my jobs door to door. But then again
Im in the beginning stages of my business
@Kyle Larson When I cut lawns in my neighborhood, that's how I got clients was by knocking on doors.
Do you still go to the site to quote?
No, we quote online using Yardbook.
Florida Turf Pros wow ok cool,does it let you see the property? I’m going to have a look now
@@Good_Mow yeah there's no way I could ever do that I've tried that before not with that site but I never work out for me lol the yard was always way bigger
@@FloridaTurfPros you provide leads
do people get annoyed with 5 around? you just stick it into crack of door every week? thank you
No, we do it about every 2-3 weeks in the neighborhoods we want more clients in.
thank you for reply
If you see tall grass. They can only tell you no. Or they can give you a shot at mowing there grass for the whole year. A lot of older people don't like cutting grass. But they don't want to go into an old folks home either. So they look for the cheapest lawn care company. Remembered. You got to make a profit. More crap it's in your yard the more you charge if there's any ditches how many trees how many flower beds. It's all in the bid of the job. Pro. Is just a name. There is pros in all fields. So it doesn't really make you special. Only your personality. Makes loyal customers
How can you get around paying the monthly fee for your website? I believe most people charge 15 to 30 a month
Clayton Shilling I think of it like this.. how much business does your web site bring? IMO, if the web site is bringing in clients every week it’s too valuable.. whatever cost is associated with that value.
Florida Turf Pros thank you for the reply I completely agree. Just curious if there was a cheaper way I didn’t know about. I really enjoy your channel I’m going to start up next spring in the mean time I’m studying what all it takes. I know I can get the clients , but I want to be a long lasting professional business. Going to leave my cubicle job of 7 years making around 45k a year. Right now I’m taking Florida Turf pro university lol went back to video 1 of yours and I have watched 80+ so far and taken notes from each one. Thank you again
Clayton Shilling in my opinion watching videos, taking online courses and worrying about website costs aren’t going to get you anywhere. Get door hangers and get to knocking. Only one kind of people make it in this business, the hustling kind. The more miles you put on your feet the more customers you get. Even when you have all the customers in the world never stop hanging flyers. I make 400 a day solo, but I bust my ass and on weekends I knock on doors. I don’t have a fb, website or any of that. Just a really good door hanger and work ethic. Trust me, I’d love to sit on the couch and take online courses and think about my website, but that doesn’t pay the bills. I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but the only way to make money is getting out and asking for work not worrying about some damn website fee.
Texas Ghost trust me I plan on walking door to door in all the neighborhoods but some videos are worth watching. Especially while I’m still at my full time job I want to make sure I know all the ins and outs of the business part of it and know how to bid correctly. I use to mow for realtors before home showing in high school and made great money but since I want to support my family I need to know everything I can. Thanks for the advice I really appreciate it.
Really not into fast lawns that is a no brained . I want long term we have had most same customers for 40 plus years . Yup thats right we did not have you tube face book or any shit like that. Word of mouth most people do not know what that is anymore. Its all about ex or email all that shit. I still use word of mouth and have way too much to do. But then again we do not lose many maybe 1 a year only because they have died . And even then the next person who moves into the house we have been very lucky and do the yards for them as well. When you do a great job people are watching you and if they like your work they will talk to you . We dont even try to look anymore because were too busy .
John Bailey word of mouth is the cheapest way to grow your business but by far the slowest way. I’d rather get 50 new clients every year with an aggressive marketing strategy and have half of them leave before the next season than to strictly go by word of mouth and only get a few new clients a year that never leave your business. It’s a numbers game. Acquiring lawns fast has nothing to do with what kind of impression make and quality of service you provide to retain new lawn care clients.
Word of mouth is great but what’s wrong with social media marketing?
CRAIGSLIST!!!!!
I can't believe Craigslist is charging now I went to put it out up the other day and they wanted $5 which is not bad is that you
Doesn’t help with route density. I keep all my customers within 10 minutes of me.
Texas Ghost I got one customer off of craigslist in particular last year that now I have both neighbors on either side of him and one of those customers referred me to his nephew as well. That did create some good density residually because that nephew was also by another one of my clients. ButYes craigslist had me running all over the city last year. But this year is different I said no to 50% of the leads even though in my ad I specifically included one ZIP Code and specific language that specified the area that I wanted to serve. People still kept calling even though they were 30 or 45 minutes away. Just have to say no to those folks. But in the beginning people should take what they can get and then market to the houses around those that they get and you can always trim the fat later. But yes I’m all about route density this year and will be even more so next year. Door hangers are the key.Thanks for weighing in.t
craigslist is TRASH. zero ROI almost every time. never again.
5 around seem very time consuming
They're really not.. just do it after each yard during peak selling season and it builds route density.
@@FloridaTurfPros 5 minutes times 10 houses is 50min. It adds up
6 min times 10 houses is 1 hour per day. 1 new client with an average customer value of $1500/year would afford to pay 1 employee at $18/hour to do 5 arounds for 83 hours. 😉
@@thomasfarrell2275 not quite how it works but ok
@@thomasfarrell2275 you're going to spend 1 to 2 hrs a day every day of the week doing 5 arounds to pay a guy who knows how long from now to pass out flyers for a month straight for 1500 a month? Good luck. I hope you don't value your 2hrs a day