How you got your 1st customers

[WERRM]

Hey everyone. My first post here. I am planning to start lawn care part time. I am only in the planning stage right now, looking at equipment, etc. I thought it would be interesting and helpful to hear how some of you got your very first few customers.

[metro36]

Advertising. Flyers and then by word of mouth.

[Guzman Properties]

My neighbors liked my lawn and wanted me to do theirs.

[Nathan Robinson]

Get you some business cards. then get your door hangers made. Place an add in the paper. Your getting a late start but you should still get some lawns. Come early october advertise in the paper for leaf clean up. Most people wait until halloween to advertise that. Beat them to it. Then the leaf clean ups you do you can up sell for lawn mowing the following year. Do a good job on the leafs and they will remember you.

[Midwest Lawn Services]

Word of mouth is your best way to advertise when starting out. After your first account, offer them a $25 credit for every yearly refferal they give you! Just my .02 cents!

[Albery's Lawn & Tractor]

Kind of late to just be thinking, get some equip or wait til next season. Best way is to pass out flyers and whatever jobs you get DO GOOD WORK and the you'll get more work from word of mouth (thats the best form of advertising).

[dwlah]

I inherited a fair chunk from the guys I have worked with the past couple of years
one retired and another one went back to being solo and had too many to handle
These plus word of mouth and some flyers around Ive almost got a full boat
picked up one last week because the guy just wouldn't show up

Quality work gets quality results

[WERRM]

Great info. Thanks. I know it's late in the year, but I would be happy just to land a few accounts to have something going and then really be ready for next year, and that fall clean up work. Thanks again.

[tlipari]

Of the thousands of flyers I passed out, not one customer I have today came from them. All of my customers have been word of mouth. I was fortunate enough to take over about 20 accounts a family member was getting rid of (retired), within the last 3 years my customer numbers have tripled. Main thing that keeps my business going is quality,quality,quality!!! I won't do the 3 minute lawn with a commerical mower, I've found residential works best for me. You'll have to figure that part out yourself. If you have the time....research,research,research!!! Websites like this are a goldmine of info!! Good luck to you!

[bohiaa]

Word of mouth is your best way to advertise when starting out. After your first account, offer them a $25 credit for every yearly refferal they give you! Just my .02 cents!

Dont do this......

after you get one or two, people will come out of the woodwork.....

People are watching you. your work is the best advertisement.
dont take on any jobs too large or too small. your Equiptment will determain this.
Everywhere you go ASK... everyone has grass. or knows someone that does.
Just ask and you will recive

[CutsForLess]

I just keep a ad in the local paper year around and stay covered up with work. Always remember its not how many you get its the amount of money you make off what you have. All my customers always want me to do extras in my down time, I stay very busy in the winter months like this. Anybody can mow a yard for $20, but I can do your yard for $40 and make it look better than ever. You always have people wanting something for nothing, but the ones that appreciate a good job will pay from the start and will earn you more business in the long run. Just my opinion.

[Roger]

I spent $18 on one ad ten years ago. That is the only direct money I have ever spent on marketing. I did no more ads, never did door hangers, or any other form of advertising. I did spend money on business cards and liberally hand them out.

That ad produced six customers, and then word spread slowly. After 2-3 years, I had more work than I could handle, and continue to turn work away every year.

Obviously, situations are much different in other parts of the country.

[CoreyD]

ive knocked on doors..... had a few one timers... and got 2 weekly yards out of just... 30 - 40 houses that i went knocking on doors at.... what part of south carolina are you in werrm?

[WERRM]

Hey Corey, I'm in the Spartanburg area. Good to see another South Carolinian on the forum. Thanks to everyone again for the excellent info.

[jdlawn]

door to door with fliers, mainly in my neighborhood but i only got one from that. That was two years ago, today i have about 7 in my neighborhood and i just got a call this morning asking if i was still mowing lawns from a flier i gave the guy two years ago. (i also have more accounts around town, but my main customer base is in my neighborhood; plus people have just started calling me because the good words have been spreading about my work) oh yea that first customer is no longer one of my accounts, interesting how things work out ( she started mowing herself)

[GreenN'Clean]

I got my first customers years ago running ads in local paper

[Dave_005]

i got some buisness cards made and then started talking to everyone i could and handing out cards, once i got my first yard word of mouth spread and have a full schedule now in my 2nd year