Grade my work: Revised.

[stevenf]

This is the before and after picture I ended up with on my flyers. Got 400 for $13.00. Very cheap so I can see how these things will work.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p175/brherper/scotlandvillejv357.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p175/brherper/scotlandvillejv358-1.jpg

[DLAWNS]

Looks good, man.

[CALandscapes]

Looks MUCH better. I would say that your quality of work is good, but that garden isn't exactly beautiful or eye-catching.

I personally would look to put something a bit more aesthetically appealing on the fliers; if you haven't done any higher-class homes, I would suggest possibly taking a few close ups of plants in bloom (right now maybe camellias, Japanese Magnolias, seasonal color, etc.), and considering putting a few of them on the fliers.

I guess, though, on the same token, it all depends on the demographic of clientèle that you're trying to reach.

[stevenf]

Thanks for your comments!
Its more of a getting started flyer to start targeting more landscape work rather then just mowing. I only made 400 of them and I wanted something on them to jump out and say what type of work im doing besides mowing. I will use prettier scenes on future flyers or ads.

[diamondlandscaping]

steve, again,great work! keep it up

[KACYDS]

Looks great. You can also upsell and put down some mulch.

[STIHL GUY]

looks nice

[Surferbum21]

don't know how old you are but the best point of advice I can give is to keep it simple. You did a great job on that for your gma but like someone else put it isn't most aesthetically pleasing garden I've seen. Keep your flyer simple. Very minimal. At the top have your company name followed by your number. then list your services and whammy you have a flyer

[VASTscapes Landscaping]

Nice work. remember the 1/3rd rule....only prune 1/3rd off existing shrub, otherwise It will most likey kill the plant/shrub

[RigglePLC]

Not sure I like it. Grass was brown in both pictures (I am a grass man). Shrubs were trimmed, but I would have liked to have seen the overgrown shrubs removed entirely, especially the one on the right, but also those in front of the windows on the left. Also dislike the dead brown areas in the low junipers. You could have added a few attractive new shrubs. I think a total revamp would have made better before and after photos. I had to look twice at the pic to see the difference.

[Whitey4]

Not sure I like it. Grass was brown in both pictures (I am a grass man). Shrubs were trimmed, but I would have liked to have seen the overgrown shrubs removed entirely, especially the one on the right, but also those in front of the windows on the left. Also dislike the dead brown areas in the low junipers. You could have added a few attractive new shrubs. I think a total revamp would have made better before and after photos. I had to look twice at the pic to see the difference.


Yeah, I would try to sell a total replanting here too. It looks much neater, but all of those shrubs should not be interfering with the view from the inside of the house through the windows. The porch should also have a clear line of sight to the street.

You did well to get it cleaner looking. Now.... test your sales ability and the customer's possible budget for a replanting, a new design install. I handle this sort of situation this way:

Mention how it's a shame that the window and porch views are blocked. Say how much cleaner the pruning job makes the house look. Then, I would sort of just blurt out, "I wish I could replant these beds for you. I could clear both the view of the house from the street, and from the house to the front yard without spending thousands of dollars."

It's an open ended comment, and is meant to plant the seed for the homeowner to ponder over. Maybe two weeks later, just say "Have you given any thought to renovating these garden beds? I gave it some thought myself. I have some ideas. I think I could improve the overall look of the house, restore the window views, and do it econimically. If you were to consider this, do you have any idea of how much you could budget for it?"

This is how I sell most of my installs. No high pressure stuff. I sometimes suggest moving an over grown shrub to another location.... this often works well, as if it is a plant they are fond of, they will still have it, and you can use them to make improvements elsewhere on the property.

Just some suggestions... these sales techniques have worked well for me.

[A-Land]

I would rip all those out.... Start new. Your trimming job is fine, the garden just looks awful.

[Whitey4]

I would rip all those out.... Start new. Your trimming job is fine, the garden just looks awful.

I would hope you got permission (and a budget) from the homeowner first....:laugh:

[A-Land]

I would hope you got permission (and a budget) from the homeowner first....:laugh:

No way.... wait till they are gone, bring in the Bobcat, rip em out.:laugh:

[Kiril]

Not sure I like it. Grass was brown in both pictures (I am a grass man). Shrubs were trimmed, but I would have liked to have seen the overgrown shrubs removed entirely, especially the one on the right, but also those in front of the windows on the left. Also dislike the dead brown areas in the low junipers. You could have added a few attractive new shrubs. I think a total revamp would have made better before and after photos. I had to look twice at the pic to see the difference.

Have to agree .... and I'll add formally pruned shrubs suck, looks like there is probably no irrigation so get rid of the "lawn" as well.

[BADevilDog]

Just a thought from scanning the other posts. Your work looks good, however it's hard to make wimpy bushes look healthy. You did a decent job of boxing the boxwoods out, but the dead stuff should really come out of there. Dead limbs not only look bad but they can take away from the health of the plant. All that aside...If your wanting a great picture for your flyers or addy's, then you might consider a completmentary job for someone for the expressed purpose of getting a good high end look for your pic. Find a nice home in a upscale neighborhood that needs a quick trim and/or clean up job and knock on the door and tell them you would like to offer them some complementary work. You don't have to tell them that it's for a pic on your ad, that can get you a big NO, but that your company just does complementary work for the community from time to time. Keep the explanation simple. You may have a few people refuse but within 5 homes you should have someone that will let you do it. Take your before and after pics and be on your way. Remember to leave a card, though, in case they like your work good enough to call you back or even give word of mouth advertisement, which is way better than any flyer on a doorknob or mailbox. Just make sure your work is clean and concise. Your best advertisement, whether free or paid for, is what you leave behind for others to see when you leave.

[Kiril]

@BADevilDog

If your stepping on someone's "turf", your looking at liability issues by taking a pic of what is another companies work and claiming it as your own. IMHO your suggestion is dangerous at best.

[stevenf]

I do agree that the flowerbed looks like crap. This is my grandmothers house. I have offered several times to completely redo it but she honestly likes the way everything is. Budget isnt the case in this situation.
As far as the dead grass. We havent gotten much rain around here in a while so the cold weather sure hasnt helped. The fliers are in black and white so you really cant see bad grass. I only printed 400 fliers. Im going to try and get a better job to take a picture of if I can.

[BADevilDog]

@BADevilDog

If your stepping on someone's "turf", your looking at liability issues by taking a pic of what is another companies work and claiming it as your own. IMHO your suggestion is dangerous at best.

I have to agree to some extent. If you've been by the site before and you know that someone else is taking care of that specific site than yes, you as a company should tread lightly but NEVER be afriad. This is why I specifically suggested that you do the work and not simply knock on a door and ask to take a pic. (Drive by pics are a definite NO No) Although there's no trademark on a companys work (unless the company "posts" the company name on the project or has a specific marker to identify the work), it's just simple business ethics and professional courtesy. However, you should never be afraid to knock on a door. If the yard your viewing is already untrimmed and needs maintenance, then:
1. the yard may not be getting taken care of by a 3rd party,
-or-
2. the company hasn't been out to do the work lately and the customer may be unhappy with it.
One never knows unless they knock on the door and ask. There's no legal liability if the customer ok's the work and agrees to the price and you do the work yourself.

Knocking on peoples doors is part of the business process anyway and if your afraid to knock on a door then you won't grow very fast. Unfortunately, inadvertently (not deliberatly) stepping on a few toes along the way is common. The big boys in industry didn't get as big as they did by avoiding potential clients that they assumed someone else was maintaining. Be ethical but don't be afraid.

[Surferbum21]

black and white? I def wouldn't have put the pictures on the flyer. You'll get the calls and work without it. Honestly if I was a "potential customer" I would lose interest after the first few lines...so again keep it short and simple. leave your email and i'll send you my flyers that I sometimes pass out

[Accu-cut Lawn Care]

Those boxwoods needed to caterpillared, not boxed out. You should have gone with the curves that shrub already had.