Febuary advertising.

[A1Lawns]

For those of us in and around the northeast, what's the earliest you ever advertised and did you get enough calls to make it worth your while? With there being no snow for almost 2 months here now, and still none in the forecast, I'm getting anxious to do something with my business.
I was thinking of passing out my ads all throughout Febuary.
Yes I also posted this in another thread but havent gotten any feedback.

Thanks! :weightlifter:

[lawnkingforever]

I am no expert, but I am starting to advertise in about 2 weeks. I may not get many calls this early in the season, but atleast my name will be out there. Better to start too early than too late. Bought a new backpack blower today and was out in the yard blowing dead branches around, pretty pathetic, but I am ready to roll.

[barefeetny]

about a couple weeks more for me...

i never stop my marketing, everyone who Dreams of spring and warm weather on the checkout line gets a card and a few minutes of my sell

actually i probably make more sales through the coffee line then any other way execpt for refferals.....

maybe instead of door to door i should just loiter in front of the mini mart like jay and silent bob...

Nate

[Barefoot James]

What else are you doing? When it's time to work you better have jobs. Blowing sticks around the back yard??? Your competition is out delivering flyer's. I have picked up 5 new accounts in last two weeks and two of them are worth big money - enough to pay my son in law pretty good PT bucks. If I told you how much you would not believe it - but suffice to say, go deliver flyer's and keep doing it until you have too much work.

[Icemanku]

What else are you doing? When it's time to work you better have jobs. Blowing sticks around the back yard??? Your competition is out delivering flyer's. I have picked up 5 new accounts in last two weeks and two of them are worth big money - enough to pay my son in law pretty good PT bucks. If I told you how much you would not believe it - but suffice to say, go deliver flyer's and keep doing it until you have too much work.

when you say deliver fliers do you mean knock on doors?

[N.H.BOY]

What else are you doing? When it's time to work you better have jobs. Blowing sticks around the back yard??? Your competition is out delivering flyer's. I have picked up 5 new accounts in last two weeks and two of them are worth big money - enough to pay my son in law pretty good PT bucks. If I told you how much you would not believe it - but suffice to say, go deliver flyer's and keep doing it until you have too much work.

Up here in the northeast we HAVE SNOW on the ground and I really like to look at properties that have no snow to give a better price, Did that once, gave a price with snow on the lawn and come spring time there were rocks in the lawn and stumps :hammerhead:more time spent trimming than mowing. Anyways I put ad's in the free papers in early march, at least up here.

[Barefoot James]

Doors work better - mailboxes are quicker but less effective - plus you can sometime get in trouble even taping them to the side of the box. Usually just a warning. If the home owner is out in the yard or at the door or comes to the door I for sure tell them about my services. But I'm not ringing bells or knowing on doors. I think in the evening this would be effective and I will try it this season when the weather warms up but until then I keep moving door to door - mailbox to mail box. I can deliver 75 to 100 an hour walking and 200 to 250 driving (mailboxes) I also advertise in local papers that reach certain high income demographics - near my home. Ads are good price $33 a week for a 1 x2 inch ad that goes to 10,000 each week - another goes to 23,000 in the two zips by my home for $111 a month business card size with picture in it BW, and another at my church paper that goes to 30,000 and is free at 200+ businesses and does another 40,000 (70,000 total for this paper) for 65 a wk. So for About $425 a month I'm getting to over 100,000 homes and 80,000 of them every week - I will do this until June and reevaluate. The rule of ads is you have to reach them 7 times. I'm also building a brand.

[A1Lawns]

I am no expert, but I am starting to advertise in about 2 weeks. I may not get many calls this early in the season, but atleast my name will be out there. Better to start too early than too late. Bought a new backpack blower today and was out in the yard blowing dead branches around, pretty pathetic, but I am ready to roll.


lol. This actually made me laugh out loud. It's not pathetic man, I did the same thing 12 years ago when I got my first walk behind hydro Scag mower!
C'mooooooooooooooooooooooooon SPRING.

[Icemanku]

lol. This actually made me laugh out loud. It's not pathetic man, I did the same thing 12 years ago when I got my first walk behind hydro Scag mower!
C'mooooooooooooooooooooooooon SPRING.

What's with your signature? How do you stay in business with three lawn accounts!?!?!?!?!

[A1Lawns]

What's with your signature? How do you stay in business with three lawn accounts!?!?!?!?!

I was in the process of getting rid of my customer base little by little while changing careers but decided not to.:cool2:

[barefeetny]

Up here in the northeast we HAVE SNOW on the ground and I really like to look at properties that have no snow to give a better price, Did that once, gave a price with snow on the lawn and come spring time there were rocks in the lawn and stumps

I Think that is one that every NEaster has made at least once

i once bid a lawn that was so bad i debated buying one of those dr brush mowers.... it looked so good when i took it sight unseen covered in 6 inchs of old rotting snow......

live and learn

My first year working I was doing a cleanup in mid april and 3 inches of snow fell during the course of the afternoon... it was really easy to see that i did a though job... footprints and rake marks...lol

Now i just plow snow and play with the kids.... I won't bid unless the lawn is clean of snow...

Nate

[shade tree landscaping]

Personally I think that it is still early to advertise in the North East. I will be starting to advertise in about 3 weeks depending on the weather. As long as it stays cold out no one is thinking of doing work outside. With the mild winter that we have had I see a very early spring coming. Start advertising in the next 3 weeks, increasing every week, and in 6 weeks be in full advertising mode.

[82pacecar]

I started this weekend.....dont expect much calls right now, but getting the name out there and in peoples head before the competition is important for when the weather breaks.

Will hit the same neighborhoods every three weeks till about may/june

[Ravenwood Landscaping]

I've been hanging door hangers for the last 2-3 weeks. This is our second year and I'm just trying to get the name out. We're going to get new postcards and hangers in a week or two and go heavy towards the end of the month.

[DLAWNS]

I've been dropping of cards and talking to managers already. Fliers won't be done until March. A few areas I "double hit" so they will be done in February and March. It all depends on weather. We don't get much snow but if we get a blizzard in late February, I'm not wasting all of those fliers and time until later.

[Barefoot James]

Keep in mine the big fert companies and lawn care companies will do all they can to keep you and your marketing efforts grounded (with advice - even on this site) while they get their customers to renew (earley). Food for thought!

[A&CLandscaping]

I start my free, to all town residence, news paper back up in March 'Spring Spruce-up' issues, however, I just started looking at getting commercial contacts and doing mailers to specific subdivisions.

[82pacecar]

I received 2 calls today for estimates from the flyers i put out saturday night.

1) 2 acre lot w/ possibility of fertlization program and fall clean up...
2) Mother of #1 wants an estimate as well on her 3/4 acre lot.

neither one happy w/ present company

Keeping my fingers crossed....