Archive for category Lawn Care Advertising

Lawn Care Advertising – Funny Cow or Sad Clown?

Aug 26

Posted by Lawn Care Business in Lawn Care Advertising, advertising, customers, lawn care business | No Comments

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Lawn Care Advertising – Funny Cow or Sad Clown

I often get inspiration for my lawn care business by observing the ways other businesses market their goods and services.

In fact, I am writing this blog post from one of my favorite restaurants – Chik-fil-A. Chik-fil-A does an outstanding job of marketing. Sure, their advertising is great. We’ve all seen the huge billboards with the two cows painting a funny sign that says: “EAT MOR CHIKIN!” However, marketing is more than advertisements on billboards. Marketing includes the way Chik-fil-A actually runs their business on a day-to-day basis. Their restaurants are always clean, their staff is always friendly, the food is always good, and the waffle fries are almost always hot.

As I walked into Chik-fil-A about 10 minutes ago (laptop bag slung over my shoulder) I was greeted by the cashier. There was eye-to-eye contact and she seemed genuinely pleased to take my order. I was treated like a human being and not just some annoying customer. Whether she knows it or not, the cashier is one of the most important pieces in Chik-fil-A’s marketing strategy. Her attitude ultimately determines how likely I am to return to the resturaunt and eat mor chikin.

Today, Chik-fil-A’s marketing efforts are in stark contrast to another business I passed on my way across the parking lot a few minutes ago. A hair cutting place is running a promotion in the parking lot. Someone dressed as a clown is wandering up and down the sidewalk and several of the hair cutters are waiving a “NO WAITING” sign signaling to passers-by that they can come in for an immediate haircut. Now, this is a great strategy since LOTS of families are out this weekend buying new clothes and supplies for their school children. It’s a great time to get a back-to-school haircut.

The sad thing about the hair cutting place’s marketing strategy is that the haircutters could not look more disgusted with the fact that they have to be outside trying to drum up business. As I walked by, not a single hair cutter made eye contact or even smiled in my direction. Their body language and facial expressions were so pathetic that I was certainly not inspired to go inside to get my hair cut (even though I need it). Who wants to get a hair cut from some cranky hair cutter with a bad attitude and a pair of sharp scissors? I am sure they have all had a long day standing in the blazing sun but, for gosh sakes, even the clown didn’t look happy.

There’s nothing more depressing than a sad clown.

If you are looking for marketing ideas for your lawn care business, take a lesson from Chik-fil-A. You are your own best marketing asset. Your attitude and the way you make your customers feel will determine if they continue to do business with you. If you are surly, cantankerous, and have a bad attitude about your work, your customers will look elsewhere for their lawn care service. However, if you present a knowledgeable and pleasant attitude, your customers will readily hire you for all their lawn care and landscaping work and tell all their friends about your lawn care business.

Given the choice, most customers will choose a funny cow over a sad clown every time.

Well, my chicken sandwich is finished, the last two waffle fries are cold, and I’ve just refilled my Mello Yello. In closing, I just want to say that I am with: www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com We are sincere about wanting your business and wanting you to purchase our Start A Lawn Care Business program. We feel we have put together the best lawn care business course available for guys, like you, who are trying to start your lawn care business and make it a success. We have been in the industry for nearly 20 years and it is our goal to give you a GREAT product at a GREAT price.

So, if you are trying to make your lawn care business a success, take a look at our main website and consider purchasing our lawn care business package. It includes lawn care business strategy guides, business manuals, equipment reviews, video tutorials, and the complete line of estimating software. http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

Tags: advertising, business, lawn care, marketing

You’ve Goat To Start Your Own Lawn Care Business

Jun 2

Posted by Lawn Care Business in Lawn Care Advertising, customers, landscaping, lawn care business, lawn mowers, start a lawn care business | No Comments

Starting a Lawn Care Business? Think about alternative and creative services to offer your customers.

Once again, cities around the country are using goats to gain control over weeds and other vegetation in hard to mow areas.

In our city, Chattanooga, Tennessee, goats have been employed for the last 15 years to fight the relentless creep of kudzu vines. Kudzu was imported many years ago to help fight erosion on the steep mountainous terrain that circles the city. Kudzu is great at stemming erosion. The downside is that it grows rapidly and engulfs trees, telephone poles, and roadways. Since it is often planted in hard to reach areas, there is no practical method of using lawn mowers or trimmers to keep it at bay.

In the 1990′s, our public works department made a contract with a local goat farmer. He brought his goats to areas of heavy kudzu growth. The grazing goats worked non-stop at gnawing the tenacious vine. Though there were several problems with the goats (wandering off, chased by dogs) the goats proved beneficial to the landscaping upkeep of the city.

We are just one of hundreds of communities using goats for various lawn care and landscaping upkeep duties. There are even many environmentally conscious corporations and small businesses that use goats as their lawn care companies. This goes to show you that if you are thinking about starting your own lawn care business, you shouldn’t rule out alternative services to offer your customers.

Though we have never used goats in our own lawn care business, we have been involved in the industry for 18 years and we always enjoy learning about new and creative ways to make money mowing grass. If you are looking to start your own lawn care business or if you are just looking to make some extra money this summer mowing grass, you will benefit from our experience. We have produced a very helpful lawn care business guidebook and software package.

The lawn care business guidebook and software package is for sale right now through our main website and you can read more about it here: http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

Tags: business, goats, google, lawn care, lawn mowing, money

What to do for your Lawn Care Business in April, 2010

Apr 1

Posted by Lawn Care Business in Lawn Care Advertising, Lawn Care Business Taxes, bidding lawn care, customers, environment, lawn business strategies, start a lawn care business, taxes | 1 Comment

This video was made on April 1, 2010.

Right now is a great time to get started with your lawn care business if you haven’t gotten started already. If you have already started and you are not getting the customers you need or making the money you want to make then right now is a great time to ramp up your business. April is not too late to get started. There are still lots and lots of customers who haven’t signed up for lawn care service this year. Likewise, there are many business contracts that still haven’t been bid. So, you still have time to get brand new customers on you roster.

Spring is already getting hot. Our temperatures are forecast to be over 80 degrees this coming weekend. Some of the northern states are still cool but Spring is here and the weather is really going to warm up over the next several weeks. Summer is right around the corner.

April 4, 2010 is Easter. You can pound the pavement this weekend to drum up customers who want their lawns tidied up so they will look nice for family Easter celebrations. Since it is a 3-day weekend, many of your potential customers will be working in their lawns. They will need help and if you can visit them at the right time they may hire you to perform general spring cleanup jobs and grass cutting services.

Clover is an issue this time of year. For lawn care companies with applicator’s licenses you might not be too late to apply post-emergent selective herbicide. A better alternative is to select a taller cutting height for your lawn mower blades. A taller, thicker stand of grass will shade out clover reducing the need for chemical application.

April 15, 2010 is tax day. If you haven’t done your taxes yet, get started early. Organize last years receipts and get your tax forms completed early. Like it or not we are obligated to pay our fair share of taxes. If you have doubts about doing your own taxes, consider hiring a CPA. A qualified CPA who understands small business needs can be invaluable to you.

Wild Garlic or Wild Onion are sprouting in yards this month. Take a few minutes to call your customers to mention about the wild garlic that is sprouting in their lawn. Cutting it down will make their grass look so much better.

April 22, 2010 is Earth Day Your customers are becoming increasingly conscious about taking care of their environment. I believe the lawn care industry should be sensitive to the fact that we should not pollute our planet. There are ways to operate an environmentally conscious lawn care company. Many of our readers and viewers of our blog run their lawn care companies with an environmental slant to their businesses. Propane lawn equipment is becoming increasingly popular. Human powered reel mowers are also becoming the norm again in many communities with very small lawns. Operate an environmentally company and let your customers know how you are being aware in 2010.

Spring Stick Cleanup. April is a month when many pine cones and pine twigs have fallen in lawns across the country. Even if your customers don’t need their grass cut yet, they still need their lawns picked up. On an environmental note, you don’t have to haul all these sticks away or burn them or leave them for the garbage men. Offer your customers the opportunity to have a “natural area” in their lawns. Piling the brush in an unused area give habitat to the birds and other wildlife. It is great fun to watch Cardinals and Robins playing in the twigs. Also, many birds use this material to build their nests. A natural area is a great way to save your customers money while helping their environment.

Once again, if you are trying to Start A Lawn Care Business this year or if you currently own a lawn care business that just isn’t bringing in the money it should, visit our website. We have developed a great lawn care business package that will help you with your lawn care business.

www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

Tags: 2010, april, earthday, easter, how to make money with lawn care, lawn care, lawn mowing, lawn mowing business, make money, springtime, taxes

Today is the first day of spring.

Mar 20

Posted by Lawn Care Business in Lawn Care Advertising, customers, lawn business strategies, start a lawn care business | No Comments

Start A Lawn Care Business

Today is the first day of spring. For astronomers, the vernal equinox is the day in the earth’s orbit around the sun when the sun appears to creep back over the equator into the northern hemisphere. For lawn care companies, the first day of spring means warmer weather, vigorous grass growth, and new lawn care customers.

I took a drive through a few local neighborhoods at the crack of dawn this morning. The sunrise was magnificient. Once the weather warms, I like to get an early start. It makes me feel like I have a jump on the rest of the world. Already, I saw several homeowners working their yards and tending their gardens. As early as it was, they had a jump on me.

If you are starting your own lawn care company this year or if you are hoping to expand a lawn care business you owned last year, you can still get an early start in acquiring new customers and lawn care contracts. Right now is the PRIME time of year to go after new customers. Homeowners and business owners want their yards to look great for sping. By self-promoting your business this week, you should be able to fill a few holes in your schedule. Customers are motivated to hire competent lawn care people this time of year.

Getting customers early means you will have them all year long and you will be able to upsell them on many services. Spring cleanup is one of the first add on services you can sell to your customers. Even if your customers’ lawns are in decent shape from last year, you can sell them on a “Spring Cleanup Special.” Spend extra time raking leaves out of their flowerbeds, pickup fallen twigs and limbs, and offer to remulch flower and shrub beds.

If you’re like most lawn care companies, the extra income is needed in the spring after such a long winter. Spring cleanup is only one of the many add ons you can offer.

Tags: business, customers, grass, lawn care, money, spring, vernal equinox

How To Properly Name Your Lawn Care Business

Feb 23

Posted by Lawn Care Business in Lawn Care Advertising, customers, lawn business strategies | 1 Comment

Within the pages of the Start A Lawn Care Business guidebooks, we spend several pages discussing proper names for lawn care businesses. More than simply telling you which names are “good” and which names are “bad”, we spend considerable time discussing business theory and customer psychology. DON’T YAWN!!! I know these subjects may seem boring to you but when you are naming your business you MUST consider your potential customers’ reactions to your business name. If they don’t like your name, you may find yourself getting fewer customers than if you choose a better name.

I recently came across an advertisement for a lawn care company. I am perplexed by their choice of business name. I want to show you the advertisement and I want you to let me know what you think about this business name.

If you’re too young to remember, a lawn dart was a children’s toy many years ago. Children placed rings in their yards, stepped several feet away, then threw large weighted darts trying to land them in the ring. It was great fun until the inevitable happened and kids started showing up in emergency rooms with giant weighted darts sticking out of their foreheads or lodged under their eyelids.

Unless you were the one penetrated by a lawn dart, it was a pretty fun game and made for some funny jokes talking about people with darts protruding from various body parts. A common joke was to stick your index finger to your forehead and scream “LAWNDART.”

Okay, enough of the history. Let’s get back to the company’s name.

I think the name “LawnDart Lawn Care” is funny. It is memorable and it made me laugh.

However, from a business standpoint, I have to take exception with the name. It is not a professional name and it will not instill confidence in its potential clientele. Though the name might not deter a young homeowner (and maybe that’s who this company is targeting). Would a homeowner with a large, expensive home really trust its finely manicured grass to someone who might not take it seriously? Would an owner of a large industrial complex contract with someone who makes light of a serious and potentially dangerous situation where children are at risk?

Let’s not miss the point here. The owners of this company are probably having a laugh and I fully realize that. However, here’s a tip; sure, you can take a stab at different business names but if you are looking for long-term professional viability (and the most money possible) for your lawn care business, choose a name that speaks professionalism.

Once again, business theory and customer psychology are not the most exciting topics but if you want to learn how to choose a name that will increase your profits this year, take a look at our lawn care business guidebooks. The section on naming your business is great and you will learn how to properly name your business. I promise, you won’t be bored.

You can learn more about the lawn care business guidebooks and software package at our website:

http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

Tags: business name, customers, lawn care, professionalism, psychology

Lawn Care Flyers On Car Windshields

Feb 9

Posted by Lawn Care Business in Lawn Care Advertising, customers, lawn business strategies | No Comments

When it comes to advertising a lawn care business, I’m a fan of pounding the streets and knocking on doors. I believe the way to build strong client lists is through face-to-face contact. As such, I tend to shy away from flyers on telephone poles and advertisements on doorknob hangers. These advertisements, along with business cards taped to the outside of mailboxes seem to be an intrusion into your potential customer’s private space.

I saw this flyer under a windshield wiper recently. I could only think of negative connotations about this flyer.

1) It always ticks me off when people put flyers on my vehicle.

2) I never look at flyers that have been left on my vehicle. I tear them up and throw them away immediately.

3) There are probably rules against placing solicitations on vehicles in this parking lot.

4) If a windshield wiper gets damaged, will the lawn care company have to pay the repair bill?

5) If a strong wind blows the flyer away or the car’s owner tosses the flyer to oneside, can the lawn company be charged with littering?

While I am not 100% AGAINST flyers on cars and private property, I do believe LCOs should be very restrictive in their placement of such flyers.

There are too many legitimate outlets for advertising to risk the downfalls of improperly placed flyers.

If you want to learn correct forms of advertising and advertising that REALLY WORKS, look at our business program located at our main website: StartALawnCareBusiness.com

Tags: advertising, business, flyers, lawn care, windshields

More digital cameras for your lawn care company.

Jan 6

Posted by Lawn Care Business in Lawn Care Advertising, landscaping photography, lawn business strategies, money | 2 Comments

After yesterday’s blog posting extolling the virtues of having a high-quality digital SLR camera to take marketing pictures for your lawn care business, I received a number of emails asking if there are less expensive options available that give equivilant results to the Canon T1i.

At current writing, the T1i costs just over $700 through Amazon.com. $700 certainly is a lot of money right now but if you are looking for a dSLR that also takes HD video, the 15 megapixel Canon T1i is one of the best options under $1000.

If you are looking to spend under $500, I have a great option for you. The XS and the XSi are near equivilant models that offer similar professional results. Though the XS and the XSi offer lower resolutions and no video, their feature set includes liveview and full manual controls for $100′s less than the T1i.

Canon XSi

The Canon XSi features 12 megapixel, liveview, complete manual overrides, and an 18mm – 55mm. At its current pricing, it saves you about $160 from the T1i.

Canon XS

If you want to save even more money, take a hard look at the Canon XS. At its current price of $449 it saves you $270 from the T1i’s price. At 10.1 megapixels, this camera is no slouch. I’ve read that the higher megapixel cameras are limited by the lens that comes with the camera body. If you have no intention of buying additional lenses and if you don’t need HD video, I think this camera is the one to buy if you are on a budget.

Additionally, with the $270 you save buying the XS, you can easily buy a fairly decent video camera to make short presentations of your lawn care and landscaping work.

If you own any of these cameras, let us know your reviews. Or, if you have a different high quality camera you want to tell us about, please let us know.

As always, if you are looking to improve your lawn care business, check out our training materials located at our main website: StartALawnCareBusiness.com

Tags: business, digital photography, dSLR, lawn care, marketing

Canon Rebel T1i DSLR Camera for Your Lawn Care Business.

Jan 5

Posted by Lawn Care Business in Lawn Care Advertising, landscaping photography, lawn care business, lawn care videos | No Comments

The more I think about advertising and marketing for your lawn care business, the more I realize that you must make extra effort to stand above the crowd and bring attention to your business.

As websites and online marketing take precedence over newspaper and other print advertising, the visual quality of your marketing campaign becomes ever more important.

Digital cameras are priced to the point where everyone who wants a digital camera now has one. I’ve recommended for years that lawn care business operators keep a digital camera in their work vehicles for “before and after” documentation of special jobs and for pictures of special circumstances that may arise. For example, if a homeowner isn’t home when you finish a leaf raking job, you can take a picture to prove all leaves were removed from the lawn at the completion of your work. If leaves are on the lawn after the homeowner arrives home, those leaves fell after your leaf raking was complete.

As higher quality digital cameras become more affordable, professional quality photography becomes available even to small lawn care operators. Professional photography equipment can turn an otherwise ordinary looking picture of an outstanding lawn care job into a vibrant masterpiece that screams for the view to call your number and hire you to do their lawn care work during the upcoming season.

If you are looking for a high quality semi-professional digital SLR camera, Amazon.com has one of the best-priced affordable cameras we have seen in a long time.

The Canon D-500 (T1i) features 15 megapixel, liveview mode, and full HD video (use the 720 for best performance).

While I don’t recommend throwing this camera in your work truck, buy this camera to keep in your office and only take it out when you want professional quality shots of your best lawns. If you want marketing shots of your landscaping designs or your lawn striping, this camera will give you amazingly vibrant shots at an affordable price.

The link below will allow you to purchase from Amazon.com at their recently reduced price:

For for information on starting your own lawn care business, visit our website: www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

Tags: advertising, canon t1i, lawn care, marketing, photography

I Never Even Heard of It.

Jan 5

Posted by Lawn Care Business in Lawn Care Advertising, lawn business strategies, start a lawn care business | 1 Comment

I was reminded today how difficult it is to keep your business name in front of potential customers who may want to hire you for your lawn care services.

A friend and I decided we wanted to get some Jiffy-Pop after dinner. Jiffy-Pop has been around as long and I remember. When I was a kid I used to love listening to the popcorn kernals shaking around inside the foil pan and watching the aluminum top carefully unfold as the crazy explosion of popcorn inside caused the container to expand.

Walgreens did not have any Jiffy-Pop so my friend asked if she had missed it on the shelf. The clerk’s response was “I Never Even Heard of It.” It took me a couple seconds to realize the clerk was being sincere and had actually never heard of Jiffy-Pop.

Jiffy-Pop has likely spent 10′s of millions of dollars on advertising over the years. To me, it’s one of those products that has always been around and always will be around. It’s a staple to American society.

However, as ubiquitous as it is to our culture, there are still people who don’t know what Jiffy-Pop is. This makes me think about the difficulty of keeping our lawn care brand names in front of our prospective customers. If a multi-million dollar company has difficulty reaching a retail store’s stocking clerk, what hope do our puny lawn care companies have in making sure all the residents in our lawn care service area know our names.

If you are attempting to market your lawn care company and are finding it difficult to keep your name in front of your prospective customers, our lawn care business strategy guidebook and software package will help you with professional business marketing and advertising strategies.

You can read more about the business package by visiting our main website located at: http://www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

Tags: advertising, branding, business, lawn care, marketing

Start A Lawn Care Business

Lawn Care Business Tips and Advice

Archive for category Lawn Care Advertising

Lawn Care Advertising – Funny Cow or Sad Clown?

You’ve Goat To Start Your Own Lawn Care Business

What to do for your Lawn Care Business in April, 2010

Today is the first day of spring.

More lawn mower racing videos.

How To Properly Name Your Lawn Care Business

Lawn Care Flyers On Car Windshields

More digital cameras for your lawn care company.

Canon Rebel T1i DSLR Camera for Your Lawn Care Business.

I Never Even Heard of It.

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