GopherHaul 23 – Lawn Care Marketing Business Show
Hello and welcome to GopherHaul 23 – Lawn Care Marketing Business Show
In this episode we will be talking about
GopherHaul breaks the 700,000 view mark! Thank you everyone for watching us!
Inspirational Story:
You don’t need a new truck when you are starting out. Check out Dave’s truck as an example.
Join the discussion here:
http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=4;t=7448;st=0;r=1;&#entry36520
A while back Bill wrote us on the forum and posted a picture of him hauling his lawn mower around from job to job, in the back of his car’s trunk. No longer though, Bill has been able to upgrade his lawn care business vehicle this year from a car to a pickup.
Check out the pictures and join in the discussion on this post here:
http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=4;t=7261;st=0;r=1;&#entry35248
Lawn Care business marketing Idea:
One of our new Gopher lawn care forum members Emerald Green Lawn Care was kind enough to post a sample letter they use to contact property managers.
Download the letter template and read more about this post here:
http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=29;t=7403;st=0;&#entry36220
Business Question:
Are you keeping track of where your new customers initially heard of your business from? If you aren’t you might be wasting a huge amount of advertising dollars. Let’s jump to a post Chuck made in our lawn care forum.
In his post Chuck said “I keep track of everything, My findings were surprising. about 65-70% of my business thus far has come from 1 source & at an advertising cost of just over $10 per customer! Pretty cheap. ”
Our friend Justin also jumped into the discussion and posted an excel sheet template to help you track your lawn care business advertising dollar.
To download the template and get involved in the discussion join the post here:
http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=8;t=7356;st=0;r=1;&#entry35873
Another great topic Chuck brought up, along a similar line, is the question, are you answering your business phone during the day? It is amazing how many small lawn care businesses don’t answer their calls during the day because they are busy working. The problem with this is many potential customers won’t leave a message. Instead they will simply call the next lawn care business on their list.
If you are interested in joining this discussion, join the post here:
http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=29;t=7421;
Lawn Care Search Engine Optimization:
Read this post thoroughly because it could make a big difference for you and ask your web programming questions here:
http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=6;t=7346;
Lawn Care marketing Idea
Have you ever experimented with offering a referral program to your lawn care customers? Emerald Green Lawn Care created a great referral coupon template that they posted on the forum. Check out the post and see what the best way is market your referral program to your current customer base in order to reach out to more customers.
Join in on the discussion here:
http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=8;t=7386;st=0;r=1;&#entry36079
Book of the Month:
This month’s business book of the month is Robert Slater’s “No Such Thing As Over Exposure.”
If our show or forum has helped you, or if you have any business questions, please let us know and send an email or make a post about your experience! I hope all these ideas have helped you expand and grow your business and mind. So until the next time, always remember to Dream it, Build it, Gopher it!
If you are in need of free lawn care marketing material for your lawn care business, please visit our site at http://www.gophersoftware.com. We have hundreds of free lawn care logo, flyer, door hanger and web templates you can download and use for your lawn care business. We also have free lawn care business contracts. Also download our trial version of Gopher Lawn Care Business Software. Gopher will help your lawn care business schedule and invoice more customers in less time, allowing you more time to grow or enjoy your life. If you are on myspace send us a friend request. We are located at http://www.myspace.com/teamgopher.
Duration : 0:10:0
GopherHaul 21 – Lawn Care Marketing Business Show
Title: GopherHaul 21 – Lawn Care Marketing Business Show
Show description:
Hello and welcome to GopherHaul 21 — Lawn Care marketing Business Show.
In this episode we will be talking about
GopherHaul breaks the 500,000 view mark! Thank you everyone for watching us!
For a more in depth reading of our show, make sure you download the latest GopherHaul episode guide in pdf format. You can download this and previous episode guides here.
Inspirational Story:
When you are having trouble envisioning yourself starting your own business and you just can’t imagine it happening. Or you feel the odds are stacked against you, I want to share with you two stories that will inspire you to say yes you indeed can get your business started.
I was able to get a chance to meet two great entrepreneurs who run their own lawn care business. What’s so unique about them? They are both 14 years old and don’t even have a drivers license yet!
The first entrepreneur I want to talk about is Mitch. He wrote me a short time ago to say “My name is Mitch, and I’m fourteen years old, and own my own lawn care company, DreamScapes Landscaping. I started when i was ten, mowing my neighbors yard and things have grown a lot since then! Either my dad or my grandma tows me around with my dad’s Jeep and this year I can drive with my permit with my new truck! I just bought a 1999 Chevy 2500.”
Check out the post he made and see pictures of his fleet with includes his truck, trailer and several mowers and trimmers! Mitch is an inspiration to us all. Now let’s also meet Luke.
What to do?
Next up. What do you do when you recently bought a lawn care business and your largest client leaves? Let’s find out.
Our new friend Amy got on the Gopher Lawn Care Business Forum and told us how she bought a landscaping business and lost a big client and now might lose her house. Read the post she made here.
She wrote “I bought a commercial lawn business a little over 2 years ago and it has been nothing but heartbreak ever since. Lost our biggest customer (about 40% of revenue) and we’ve been going downhill ever since. I am desperate to hold onto this business since I am in debt up to my eyeballs. I’ll lose my house if I don’t since it was used as collateral for the SBA loan.”
“My big push right now is cold-calling, letter sending to commercial accounts, etc. Which do you think is more effective and does anyone have any tips on letters?”
Tim jumped in and had offered these suggestions: He said “You can crawl out of this,” and had a list of things she should consider doing.
First thing is to contact your Accountant and do a complete audit on the business. Look for every possible expense cut you can make, this is restructure time.
DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT go out there looking for that one big job or contract to get you out of this, chances are greater you’re not going to get it in a fast way, If you do great but most probably not going to happen.
Look for quantity, the more recurring you can generate the stronger your business will be, do not limit yourself to only commercial, get out there and hit up the res market just as hard as if you where just getting started in business, hit those res areas multi-times not just once.
Then slam those small businesses the same way with letters and mailers, cold call, and phone calls. Get in their face. Step it up a notch. The accounting dept. or GM of the larger commercial facilities are the ones to contact most generally for being put on the bidders list.
Amy then posted a sales letter she was considering sending out to commercial facilities in her area and asked for suggestions on editing it. Tim edited the commercial lawn care sales letter and posted it here, where you can read it and possibly edit it to fit your own needs.
If our show or forum has helped you, or if you have any business questions, please let us know and send an email or make a post about your experience! I hope all these ideas have helped you expand and grow your business and mind. So until the next time, always remember to Dream it, Build it, Gopher it!
If you are in need of free lawn care marketing material for your lawn care business, please visit our site at http://www.gophersoftware.com. We have hundreds of free lawn care logo, flyer, door hanger and web templates you can download and use for your lawn care business. We also have free lawn care business contracts. Also download our trial version of Gopher Lawn Care Business Software. Gopher will help your lawn care business schedule and invoice more customers in less time, allowing you more time to grow or enjoy your life. If you are on myspace send us a friend request. We are located at http://www.myspace.com/teamgopher.
Duration : 0:10:0
Designing Brand Identity
In a densely crowded marketplace, corporations, organizations, and even individuals look for ways to differentiate themselves. That is the job of branding.
Duration : 0:2:25
GopherHaul 38 Lawn Care Business Marketing Show – How to get 20 new lawn care customers.
http://www.gopherforum.com – Nothing helps us learn how to be successful than to hear stories from those who have found success and then ask them how they did it. A new lawn care business owner shared with us his story on the Gopher Lawn Care Business Forum on how he went from 3 to 20 lawn care customers in all of 3 months. I was able to talk with him and get some insights as to how he did it. I hope this discussion really helps you grow your lawn care business.
He wrote I just opened up my very own lawn business. I am very fortunate to have opened it when I did, because my first few months I have seen a jump in clientele. I first got started in the lawn care business by working with my father doing property maintenance at his home building company. My job included mowing all of his model homes and properties. I serviced 25 properties for 3 years. As I worked for him, together we set up a lawn trailer including a Toro 52″ z-turn, John Deere 48″ walk behind and assorted sticks edgers and trimmers, and back pack blowers. So having all of this equipment in my hands I decided to start my own company and expand it past his properties. At the same time I started leasing his equipment from him.
This made it very easy to start since I did not have to go out and purchase most of this equipment in one lump sum. I have the experience of cutting grass, but its with the buisness side I need to become an expert on to make lots of money. That is what has brought me to this forum. I have learned a lot just by reading others comments. I have a few ideas of my own and have a lot of motivation to make my company prosperous.
You sound like you have a fantastic foundation and are off to a great start, can you tell us a little about your view on growing your lawn care business?
He responded A lot of people have different philosophies about how to run there company and here are just some of mine.
1. My start up phase -
The first thing I did other than put numbers together and get my licensing and insurance was to start spreading the word. I told every person (and still do) about the services I provide (spelled out below). From my parents to the grocery store clerk, I told every person I came in contact with. The first month I opened with 3 accounts, now in my 3rd month I have 20. ALL WORD OF MOUTH.
I had a buddy of mine meet with me to go over logos and flyers and so forth, low budget marketing items, such as business cards. Business cards are probably the number one item ANY business person should never leave the shop without. I spread the word EVERYWHERE I GO. WORD OF MOUTH IS MY NUMBER 1 marketing TECHNIQUE. It goes much further than a piece of paper.
2. Professional Image -
This item I think gets over looked because of the common excuse that its a dirty job. My state is littered with lawn care companies and you cant go down the road with out seeing at least 3 rigs. Even though 10 passed me, I remembered only 3 because they looked good. But I think its very important to BE and look professional.
I went to Target and bought these Champion duo dry shirts (one they are cheap, two they are pleasant to work in, and three they look very professional.) I got my logo and and phone number put on them, and you would be surprised how a property owner reacts (especially in high end neighborhoods) when they see a professional looking company making there lawn look PROFESSIONALLY done.
3. Foundation -
Since I am a one man show (right now) I am using this short time to allow myself to build my foundation. And what I mean by that is my systems, from the first phone call to the last blade of grass getting blown off at the end of the month. I am learning ways to keep the business organized. Right now I have put together an estimating form that includes questions of for the property so I have them right there on paper instead of in my head.
He shared with us some very fascinating insights. I hope these thoughts and concepts help you grow.
If you are in need of free lawn care marketing material for your lawn care business, please visit our site at http://www.gophersoftware.com. We have hundreds of free lawn care logo, flyer, door hanger and web templates you can download and use for your lawn care business. We also have free lawn care business contracts, estimate and proposal forms. Download our trial version of Gopher Lawn Care Business Software. Gopher will help your lawn care business schedule and invoice more customers in less time, allowing you more time to grow or enjoy your life. Check out my lawn care business blog at http://www.lawnchat.com and my lawn care business forum at http://www.gopherforum.com
Duration : 0:8:49
Small Business Marketing – Find the Right Buyers
Creating Demand for your product or Service is the number one competency that Small Businesses must understand and develop in order to consistently attract new clients, increase revenues and live the lifestyle they deserve. In this session, Brint Driggs discusses the foundation piec for effective small business marketing and advertising. Distributed by Tubemogul.
Duration : 0:7:32
Open or enclosed landscape trailer? – GopherHaul Lawn Care Business Marketing Forum Show
http://www.gopherforum.com When most landscapers start up their business, they tend to start with a truck only. Then later they may add an open trailer. At a certain point you may be asking yourself whats better to have, an open or enclosed trailer and why?
Thats the question one of our new forum members asked and he quite a few responses I think will help you make up your mind as well.
Brandon: Hi everyone my name is Brandon and I am the president of my own landscape & maintenance corp. I have been in business for 9 years and hope to find continued success long into the future. I was wondering if anyone could provide me with some positive and negative attributes of an enclosed trailer as opposed to an open utility trailer to move lawn care equipment from job to job? I have an open trailer now and I am thinking of making the switch over to an enclosed one.
Keith: I can think of a few pros and cons of the top of my head.
Pros:
– Ability to lock.
– Protection from rain.
– Larger area to put name/logo/phone number.
– Looks more professional.
– Possible increased slipstreaming giving better gas milage (offset by weight, Im sure).
– Ability to put shelves/storage areas.
– Protects cargo from rocks kicked up by your truck.
– Winter storage.
Cons:
– Increased cost.
– Increased axle and tongue weight.
– Inability to load from top (leaves, mulch, dirt). This is the biggest negative I can think of.
– Doesnt air out well when mower has wet grass or fuel fumes.
– Reduced freedom of movement when you are quickly grabbing a trimmer, etc.
Chuck: I run enclosed trailers currently. It is added weight, & its like dragging an 8′ wall behind you so fuel economy suffers a bit. But I think the added security, & having a huge billboard behind you all day offsets the negatives.
I have gone to many estimates & when I pull up they say Oh yeah, Ive seen you guys all over town you stay pretty busy huh? The fact that they recognize the rig & that Ive been around a while adds instant credibility.
So many guys run trucks with no decals or only little magnets & open trailers. I pass them all day long & they all look the same. So that seems to make a big difference.
The biggest negative I have found is that here in Florida its hot. So when we run these machines for 8-11 minutes at a time & load them up, drive 2 minutes & repeat all day they dont really get to cool down. an open trailer would at least let air blow past them. I have offset this by running full synthetic oil in all my mowers to add some protection against the added heat & we usually end up throwing the trimmers in the back of the trucks between jobs.
I will stay with enclosed trailers & if not I would have my truck professionally wrapped to make it more recognizable.
I think it depends on where you currently store your trailer. If you park your trailer on your driveway at home and need to unload all of your equipment each night into a garage, that is going to take a big bite of time to load it in the morning and unload it at night. So consider these all of these factors. Constantly strive to make your business more streamlined and profitable.
If you are in need of free lawn care marketing material for your lawn care business, please visit our site at http://www.gophersoftware.com. We have hundreds of free lawn care logo, flyer, door hanger and web templates you can download and use for your lawn care business. We also have free lawn care business contracts, estimate and proposal forms. Download our trial version of Gopher Lawn Care Business Software. Gopher will help your lawn care business schedule and invoice more customers in less time, allowing you more time to grow or enjoy your life. Check out my lawn care business blog at http://www.lawnchat.com and my lawn care business forum at http://www.gopherforum.com
Duration : 0:5:28
Internet Marketing 4 Steps To Success By Derek Gehl
http://www.theimcmethod.com/insidersecrets/825916
Discover the #1 FATAL mistake
most online entrepreneurs make
when first starting out…
And how YOU can avoid it!
Duration : 0:6:22
GopherHaul 17 – Winter Lawn Care Business Marketing Ideas
In this episode of GopherHaul we discuss winter lawn care business marketing ideas.
Hello everyone and welcome to Gopherhaul!
If you haven’t started your business yet, what are you waiting for. If you don’t start your business this year, you’ll be at least 1 year older when you do so get started today!
GopherHaul is a show for entrepreneurs and new business owners. In it we discuss business tips and tricks we have learned over the years and share with you some real world experiences on how to help your lawn care business or any other business grow.
In this episode we will be talking about:
- GopherHaul reaches a quarter million viewers.
- If you want a free customized animated banner just jump onto our forum and introduce yourself! http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi
- I added a section on the lawn care business forum called Help me bid this job. Since the last episode we have helped a lawn care business owner land a $6,000 job. Read more about that job here http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=35;t=6004
- Are you looking for a great way to promote your lawn care business this winter? Here is a flyer to promote your lawn care business toy drive for the holidays. Offering to run a toy drive really positions your business as one who cares about your community. It’s a great way to show your community that you care as well as gain you some valuable media attention. Make sure you let the local media know you are running a toy drive to collect toys for children in need.
http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=1;t=942
- I have two sets of 50 free holiday cards compliments of www.CardsCheaper.com to giveaway. Click here to take part http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST&f=26&t=6241&st=0&&#entry28278
- Check out my newest favorite lawn care truck. It’s covered in artificial turf. See it here.
http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=8;t=6149;r=1
- Our friend Keith posted a great way to gain more winter lawn care business customers and get them lined up for next spring too. Read more about this marketing idea and download the free flyer we made for this advertising concept here. http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=29;t=6144;
- We are going to be talking a lot more about our outdoor holiday decoration contest so start taking pictures. We have a bunch of prize to give away, check the forum for more info. http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST&f=8&t=6159&st=0&&#entry27752
If you are in need of free marketing material for your lawn care business, please visit our site at http://www.gophersoftware.com. We have hundreds of free lawn care logo, flyer, door hanger and web templates you can download and use for your lawn care business. We also have free lawn care business contracts. Also download our trial version of Gopher Lawn Care Business Software. Gopher will help your lawn care business schedule and invoice more customers in less time, allowing you more time to grow or enjoy your life. If you are on myspace send us a friend request. We are located at http://www.myspace.com/teamgopher.
Also please log onto our lawn care business forum and tell us about your business and if you have any business questions, please ask them.
Always remember to dream it, build it, Gopher It!
Duration : 0:8:50
How to estimate gutter cleaning – GopherHaul Lawn Care Business Marketing Podcast
http://www.gopherforum.com If you are looking to submit some bids this season to clean leaves out of your customers gutters make sure you read this article first.
John got on the Gopher Lawn Care Business Forum and asked his gutter cleaning question. He wrote I have been asked by a neighbor to do a gutter cleanup. She has gutter shields in place but wants to make sure everything is cleaned out and down spouts are good. Her house is 2200sq. and about half of the home has gutters.
I do not think this job will take over 1.5 hours but have no idea what to charge her. I have never done this for money just on my own and folks house. Any help would be appreciated.
One of our forum members responded by saying I charge $1.00 per foot for a single story and $2.00 per foot on a 2 story. For people I have lawn contracts with I do it free Spring and Fall.
I found that a 2 liter soda bottle (cut down) works well for cleaning the gutters. Its pliable enough to get down into the gutter. Take a bucket with you to but the debris in. If you just dump it on the ground, the mess is harder to clean up than the gutters are.
I have been doing a national survey with those who provide gutter cleaning services and the charge of $1 to $2 per linear ft seems to be standard across the country. You would charge more for gutters that are higher up or more difficult to get to than lower ones.
Here are some common beginner pitfalls lawn care business owners find when offering gutter cleaning.
* On my first job, I just emptied the gutters onto the ground. It took me about 25 minutes to clean the gutters and over an hour to clean the mess from dumping the debris. It was on the walls, the ground, the windows, etc. Since then I have taken a bucket to empty the debris in.
* I used to charge by the hour for gutter cleaning, now I charge around $1 per linear foot.
* If the gutters are easy to reach I charge $1.00 per foot. If the gutters have trees growing out of them, then its $2.00 per foot.
* The first time I ever cleaned gutters, I brought a power washer and blew them all clean.When I went down the ladder, it was a mess, lawn, house windows, screens, everything!!! Lets just say that those people got a free home power-washing!!! Learn from mistakes, right?
Remember to review the job site before you create your estimate. Are the gutters on the first floor or the second? Do they have weeds growing out of them? Are you going to be able to reach them? Use a scoop to clean the gutters and empty the scoop into a bucket. Minimize your cleanup time. Charge between $1 and $2 a ft for gutter cleaning and you should be alright. To join in on this discussion further, visit the Gopher Lawn Care Business Forum here.
If you are in need of free lawn care marketing material for your lawn care business, please visit our site at http://www.gophersoftware.com. We have hundreds of free lawn care logo, flyer, door hanger and web templates you can download and use for your lawn care business. We also have free lawn care business contracts, estimate and proposal forms. Download our trial version of Gopher Lawn Care Business Software. Gopher will help your lawn care business schedule and invoice more customers in less time, allowing you more time to grow or enjoy your life. Check out my lawn care business blog at http://www.lawnchat.com and my lawn care business forum at http://www.gopherforum.com
Duration : 0:6:36
How To Eliminate Small Business Marketing Confusion
http://www.TheHomeBusinessExecutive.com/?t=video8 Get FREE training videos show you how to When I was a new online business owner and started marketing my home business, I fell victim to small business marketing confusion. I had so many marketing ebooks and how to programs that I didn’t know where to start. When I eventually started a strategy, and didn’t get instant results, I would quit and move on to the next one too soon.
Learn how to focus on the right marketing with confidence thats produces lots of leads everyday.
Business Marketing – Small Business Marketing
Business marketing – Read everything your need to know about small business marketing.
1.Small Business Marketing – Small Business Strategies and Website …
Proven, Practical, Ready to Use Small Business marketing Strategies to Attract More Clients And Maximize Your Profits This Week. No Theory, No Fluff
1.Small business marketing ideas and strategies | Duct Tape Marketing
Marketing system including strategies and recommendations for growing small businesses.
1.Small Business branding | Small Business Branding and Marketing …
This last week I ran an online marketing workshop where no less than 140 people attended – primarily marketing managers – on the subject of word of mouse …
1.Free Small Business Marketing Ideas, Articles, Videos, and Tutorials
Newsletter containing tips, techniques and strategies for growing a small business.
1.Small Business Marketing, Business Marketing, internet marketing …
SESSION TWELVE. Small Business Marketing and Opening. Session 12 of 14 … Session 12 Business Plan. Session Feedback. Small Business Marketing and Opening …
focus on small business marketing to get home business success in 90-days. Make +10k month.
Duration : 0:3:44