I have just started my new career in this industry after working with a friend that has his own lawn care business. I baught a push mower, blower and trimmer. They are from Sears but it is what I could afford at this point. I was wondering what is the best way to get my first client. Is puting an add in the local paper the best or puting out flyers? Please let me know what has worked for you when you first started up. Thanks.
Randy

Hi, I have put about $400 into newspaper advertising..with NO return whatsoever. I recomend going door to door and talking to the homeowner so you can get to better know them. It is a GREAT way to grab customers. I picked up 3 customers this past two weeks by going to several homes in my area!

Your right about going house to house.

If you want advice, a good place to start is at the advertising and marketing area of this website. Getting MORE Customers - collected tips I've collected a lot of information about successful ways to gain customers, and I enjoy the marketing end of lawn care more than the mowing part. Yet, it's the mowing that pays the bills and keeps my insurance paid.

You are way behind schedule if you ask me, 90% of the people in my area are either contracted, or going to mow it themselves this year. So i'd suggest that you don't waste time trying to "perfect" your ad's or flyers, instead come up with a basic flyer, reduce/enlarge to 8 per page and go run off 30 copies. After going door to door handing out 240 leaflets, you will have met hundreds of potential customers, and the "extra effert" that you put forth and showed them by meeting them face to face will almost certainly mean that you are on the top of the list should they go out of town, or have people ask about referrals. Trust me, it's very weird how it works, but it does work.

Want it fast? Make a Word Document:
Business Name
Your name
Service 1 (mowing)
Service 2 (blowing)
Service 3 (Trimming)
personal details (refferenced? experience in any job? Reliable?)
Phone #
Email.

If you don't have an email for your business, get one free at yahoo or gmail. Nice thing about gmail is that (although you need to be referred by a gmail account holder through the gmail website), they provide pop3 mail forwarding free, and have unlimited attachments and 2230mb of storage all free. But the key plus- user names aren't all taken up. In short about email address, don't have one that is "xyzlawncompany_20054ever@..." that's unprofessional. Get a simply "JohnnysGrassService@yahoo.com" etc.

Good luck.

Here is my opinion:

As for this season, if you are not in great need of the money right away, just keep at what you have been doing, and get you some business cards made. the nicer they are, the better. Spend the rest of this season and all winter passing them out. give them to anyone and everyone you come in contact with and tell them a little about your business. Also, go to wallmart or office depot, and get some business card magnets. They are peel and stick magnets for your cards and they work great. People will not usually throw away magnets. most likely, they will get put on the fridge and when the time comes to have some yard work done, the fridge is alot easier then looking in the phonebook. You must have a nice, profesional looking card though.

By doing this, you will generate some jobs. If and when you do get them, make sure you do the best work you can. Dont mow a lawn if your in a hurry. Word of mouth is the biggest and best way to get good quality customers.

Also, spend this time working on some nice flyers for your business. maybe offer something like a spring special or something where you offer the 10th mowing of the season for free. Once again, the nicer the flyers, the better. In one neighborhood, i passed out the exact same flyer, only half of them were on normal printer paper and the other half were on thicker paper. Just by doing this, my response rate was almost double on that side of the neighborhood. The best time that I have found to pass out fliers is in early march. By the end of august you could have you a nice flyer for leaf removal, and yard cleanup to start passing out.

check out www.gophersoftware.com they have alot of free flyer designs, sample contracts, web templates, and alot more.

Some may disagree with my opinion, but I think if you take your time, and do your best work, and start your business right, you will grow, and you will not have as many PITA customers. If you have any more questions, Id be glad to help. Hope this helps ya! Good luck!

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Justin
www.arkansaslawn.com

Hi randalldkearns,

Get business cards made and hand them out to everyone you know. Let everyone you know, know you are in business. Make flyers and get them out too.

Hi centralarlawn,

Thanks for thiknking of us.

hi, i am wondering if anyone can help with a name to set myself from the competition, my name is Ben, I live in Rockhampton, (Queensland Australia).
At present I only offer lawn mowing services, but I am a young single trying to have a go, any suggestions I would love to here any ideas.

Benrogers,

I would go to yellowpages.com and look in the lawn category. Get some ideas from others in the states. It will help you brainstorm. Let us know the name you decide on.

Kevin

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www.GrassToCash.com "Turn High Grass Into Cold Cash- How to Start a Lawn Care Business"

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I have had the best luck with the paper. I placed an add for $130 and got 3 lawns from it ($30ea) so that is a nice payback. I also found that I can place online adds free so when people are reading the paper online and do an add search it comes up. I left this up all year and got 2 or 3 lawns from it, Great deal for free!!!

I have business cards and hand them out - I also send them to my customers and offer a free mowning for a referal. Word of mouth will get you the furthest (as long as you do a good job!)