Start A Lawn Care Business

Make money with a lawn care and landscaping business.

Free local advertising through door knocking and bare knuckle marketing.

Feb 26

Posted by Lawn Care Business in Lawn Care Advertising | 2 Comments

Economic times are hard and sooner or later you are going to realize that Knuckle Marketing is your way out of the economic downturn.  Now, before you rush out and start punching people, Knuckle Marketing is not what it sounds like.

If you have been in the lawn care business any length of time, you’ve probably resorted to passing out flyers, putting up signs, and placing hangers on door knobs.  I believe those passive attempts at marketing will become less effective as the economy continues to slump.

Knuckle Marketing is an active form of advertising your business.  Knuckle Marketing doesn’t rely on the customer to react to a passive stimulus.  Gone are the days when a simple classified ad in the newspaper would bring a flood of customers to your door.  Gone are the days when word-of-mouth advertising would fill your roster for the summer.

Knuckle Marketing is the wave of the future. It’s the here.  It’s the now.

I’m sure you’re asking “what is Knuckle Marketing?”  I’m going to tell you.

But first, I’m going to say that Darwinian Economics is in full effect for small lawn care business entrepreneurs this year.  The weak will not survive.  The lazy will not survive.  The smart and the strong and the tenacious will survive and they will position themselves for explosive future growth.  The smart and the strong and the tenacious know the power of Knuckle Marketing.

Knuckle Marketing is simply using your knuckles to knock on peoples’ doors and speak to them face-to-face.  Knuckle Marketers spend the day knocking on doors and getting 9 out of 10 of them slammed in their face.  

When that 10th door opens and the owner agrees to let them cut the grass, Knuckle Marketers have their mowing equipment on hand ready to work immediately.  Once a price agreement is made the homeowner isn’t given a chance to backout by scheduling the work for a future date.

If you’re spending your time waiting for the phone to ring, look at your knuckles.  Are they bloody from knocking on doors? 
If they’re not, you’re not working hard enough.

Start A Lawn Care Business offers a comprehensive lawn care business program and software for new and existing lawn care business owners.
Visit the website: www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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A Lawn Care Business needs a GEO Specific Website.

Feb 26

Posted by Lawn Care Business in Lawn Care Advertising | No Comments

The marketing guidebook of our Lawn Care Business Program details a tremendous number of tips and tricks on the art of advertising and marketing your lawn care business.  A healthy lawn care and landscaping marketing plan should include the name of your business as well as a website / domain name.

If you are just starting and have yet to name your business, a perfect correlation between your business name and your domain name should be considered.  Furthermore, a Geo-specific business name and url may be most advisable.

We often receive emails from new LCOs wondering what to name their businesses.  A recent email asked if “Big Jim’s Lawn Care” is a good name. We answered this email delicately (not wanting to make “Big Jim” angry).  If Big Jim is known in his community, this might be an acceptable name.   However, without knowing Big Jim, the name tells potential customers nothing about his business.

We ask you to think about your business name from your (potential) customers’ viewpoints.  Also think about how those customers will search for your business using Google or some other search engine online. 

Just as an example, consider the search terms used by clients looking for a landscaping company in a large southern city in Tennessee.  Will these people search for “Big Jim’s Lawn Care”  or will they search for “Chattanooga Lawn Care?”  More than likely, they will choose the latter or something similar.

By naming your website ChattanoogaLawnCare.com (or whatever your city name is) you are more likely to attract website visitors from your city.  Also, the phenominon of non-search type-in visitors is not to be overlooked.  Type-In visits occur when a person simply types a word into the address bar without searching for it.  If you have yourcitylawncare.com you will be surprised how many visitors will come directly to your site.

When naming your lawn care / landscaping business and when choosing a domain name consider the benefits of Geo Specific names.

We want to thank Craig of GoogleSlam for furthering our knowledge of the benefits of Geo Specific domain names. 

About our business:  StartALawnCareBusiness.com has been associated with the Green Industry since 1992.  Our business manuals and software are some of the best information on starting a  lawn care business.  We have recently released the lastest updates to the program.  The business package is available through www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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Lawn Care Business Opportunities for 2009

Feb 25

Posted by Lawn Care Business in Real Estate Clients | No Comments

There is no denying that 2009 will be a challenging year for lawn care business owners. However, never overlook the fact that challenges bring great opportunity.

Within the pages of the Lawn Care Business Program we point out many opportunities you can take advantage of as a LCO to make more money in your lawn care & landscaping business.  In today’s lawn care blog post, we want to focus on one particular aspect of the lawn care business even as other sectors of the economy suffer. 

A recent posting at the Intellectual Capital Report Real Estate Investing Guide emphasizes the importance of ‘curb appeal’ in the eyes of  real estate investors when attempting to sell properties. 

As their number 1 recommendation for increasing curb appeal they suggest mowing and edging the lawn every week:

“Mow the lawn – Mow and edge once a week during the summer and every other week during the winter (depending on climate). Pretend this is your own home (or better).”

Number two on their list is landscaping.  You have read this correctly. Lawn Care and Landscaping are the NUMBER 1 and NUMBER 2 most important considerations to increase curb appeal and ultimately sell houses and property.

This has really struck me as a very important concept for all lawn care professionals to understand.  Real Estate Agents, Investors, Banks, Mortgage Companies, and Individual House Flippers are all desperate to sell homes and property.  In this slumping economy, they are taking desperate and immediate measures.

All lawn care and landscaping business owners have tremendous opportunity this year.  It is time to pick up the phone and start calling banks and real estate investors.  Knock on the doors of mortgage companies and lawyers specializing in foreclosure.  Get your name on the list of your city’s public works department to let them know you are capable of tackling abandoned yards and properties.

In spite of the real estate market crash, 2009 might be the best year ever for your lawn care company.

If you are just starting in lawn care or you hope to increase your business this year, check out our Lawn Care Business program available at:

www.StartALawnCareBusiness.com

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Lawn Care Business taxes make Springtime bittersweet.

Feb 25

Posted by Lawn Care Business in Lawn Care Business Taxes | No Comments

As April approaches, mixed emotions fill the minds of many lawn care business owners.

On one hand, the weather warms and grass sprouts in all your customer’s lawns.  Your phone rings with new customers requesting your services and old customers want spring cleanup jobs performed on their lawns.  Nurseries receive their first deliveries of the season and your world is full of color.

On the other hand, April 15 approaches and you hear rumblings from your CPA how much you will have to pay on the dreaded day.

Anyone who has read our Lawn Care Business program for start-up and newer lawn care businesses knows that we believe the services of a CPA are properly recommended for all business people.  A competent CPA will keep you on the right path with proper filing proceedures for your business.

However, we also know that that money (and time) are tight in the world of a lawn care business owner.  Time slips away and sometimes the upfront fees requested by CPAs are too much when money is tight.  Before you know it, April 15 is a few days away, all CPAs are busy with their clients, and you don’t have any money to pay for their services anyway.

If you find yourself in the above situation, Lawn Care Business Tax Software may well be the next best step for you to take in completing your tax filing in a timely, convienient, and cost effective manner.

The link below takes you to an Amazon.com page where you can download the latest tax software directly to your computer.  In many instances you can complete your taxes and electronically file your paperwork in one session at your computer.

Business Tax Software

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