Plant'n going on.

[tthomass]

Current job...

[tthomass]

Gett'n started........

[tthomass]

To be.........

[hoskm01]

What a tease, lets see some more.

[tthomass]

I'll have to take more tomorrow.......80% planting is done. Once planting and mulching is complete I have to wait a week to sod......customer decided to go out of town.

[tthomass]

Here's some more.......

[tthomass]

Back door.......was to be irregular flagstone but budget was spend elsewhere on the project. In the future it will most likely become flagstone when a patio is built.

Yes, the wall was already there, ain't it purdy.

[tthomass]

Some groundcover (Liriope), Nandina, Winter Jasmin, Otto's......

'Ol faithful back in action for the time being.

[tthomass]

-14tons of boulders
-50yds topsoil
-2,000SF sod, to be installed

-211 Liriope
-2 1/2" Redbud
-2 1/2" Maple
-2 1/2" Dogwood
-50ish Rudbeckia
-50ish Coneflower
-7 Viburnum
-3 Hydrangea
-17 Winter Jasmin
-3 12' Cryptomeria
-7 Weigela
-6 Forsythia
-8 Otto
-1 Yellow Jacket nest
.......about all I can remember off the top of my head at the moment

[B. L. Landscaping]

Looks great I love the wall how did the T190 handle the boulders?

[DBL]

well done it looks nice

[tthomass]

T190 did just fine. I believe it goes up to 3200lbs. Few of the boulders were close to that but it chugged right along.

I still want a TL-150 though.......talk about power.

Thanks for the comments.

[Picasso]

you seem to get alot of good jobs, what would you say is the best form of advertising that is making this happen?

[tthomass]

Not advertising haha..........I network. Get to know your suppliers, get to know some designers and get to know the neighbors.

-That statement is the golden ticket.

Summer is however finally catching up to me. I've got a few good jobs going out this week to hear back on. I'm confident they'll come through. Fall is already a 1 1/2 month back log but now is slow.

Some people may not like this and it is totally dependent upon your area but being a white male certainly helps me sell jobs. Clearer communication, people are more comfortable etc.....but when you are on a job, if you do not make it a point to meet the neighbors or someone in that neighborhood, you're a fool. You're there, they see you, your equipment, quality work and your customer becomes a referral if need be. When you leave that job you're on, leave your customer a couple business cards and sincerely THANK them for the opportunity and tell them that you would certainly appreciate any referrals that they may send your way. Don't be just another yard guy. My age is also good for me. Once I pull up in the International the question of experience and capability is gone. What they then see is someone ambitious and wanting their business. Got a college degree? Mention it, they eat it up. Especially if they are a fellow HOKIE.

I will be advertising a mailer soon enough though. Putting together a nice 5x8 card with jobs and 'blue'. Blue sells professionalism. The mailer may not be mailed though, there is a local delivery service that charges 2.5 cents each to deliver in a package of 7-8 other mailers, may give it a shot.

[crab]

:canadaflag: i couldn't agree with that more .when they want it done right they call,no price shopping [free estimates]no so and so said this much ,the white guy thing ......reputation is everything ,even if you're a crazy cracker.

[tthomass]

extra crunchy haha

I can't put my finger on a specific thing but the jobs are just getting bigger and better and I'm just doing the same thing I've always done but with better connections. Two years ago I didn't even own a truck, I was looking for one but that was about it. I've been very fortunite and blessed. If you read this and go 'it just worked for him' realize that 14 months ago I was still working for a landscape company, shy, had NO sales skills, was nervous as h*ll over my first job that reached $1,000, did not like talking to people I didn't know and the list goes on. What I could do is take a plan, install it, correct design mistakes, beat hours normally by 25%, operate equipment (operate does not = run). What I did do is save my $, start out without a clue on what I was doing and had a strong family backing. What I do now is pour every penny back into the company, live as I always have and watch an investment grow.

You live once and it ain't long so what do you really have to lose? BTW, I'm also single haha. There's the kicker fellas!

[mrusk]

Not advertising haha..........I network. Get to know your suppliers, get to know some designers and get to know the neighbors.

-That statement is the golden ticket.

Summer is however finally catching up to me. I've got a few good jobs going out this week to hear back on. I'm confident they'll come through. Fall is already a 1 1/2 month back log but now is slow.

Some people may not like this and it is totally dependent upon your area but being a white male certainly helps me sell jobs. Clearer communication, people are more comfortable etc.....but when you are on a job, if you do not make it a point to meet the neighbors or someone in that neighborhood, you're a fool. You're there, they see you, your equipment, quality work and your customer becomes a referral if need be. When you leave that job you're on, leave your customer a couple business cards and sincerely THANK them for the opportunity and tell them that you would certainly appreciate any referrals that they may send your way. Don't be just another yard guy. My age is also good for me. Once I pull up in the International the question of experience and capability is gone. What they then see is someone ambitious and wanting their business. Got a college degree? Mention it, they eat it up. Especially if they are a fellow HOKIE.

I will be advertising a mailer soon enough though. Putting together a nice 5x8 card with jobs and 'blue'. Blue sells professionalism. The mailer may not be mailed though, there is a local delivery service that charges 2.5 cents each to deliver in a package of 7-8 other mailers, may give it a shot.



I think me and you are in the same spot. Jobs just get bigger and bigger. I am getting the jobs at age 21 that most companies would die for. Its all about acting professional and actually wanting the work. What sells more then anything is Enthusasim. This business is my life. And people pick that up after a few minutes of talking to me. I put in that extra effort when we are trying to come up with a design and met with the people 5,6, 7 time or how ever many times it takes to come up with a plan that mets the customers buget and expectations.

Whats funny is that 2 years ago i could not sell anything. 2nd quater of this year i did what i did all of last year in sales. This quater should be 1.5x last year.