Newbie needs some help

[kc2006]

Hi all, I'm 18 and am getting into starting my own business. I've worked for other people for the past 3 years and theres just not enough money doing it that way and I want to set a good future for myself with this business.

I have found a exmark metro walk behind pretty cheap and have a truck and trailer already and I am going to purchase a trimmer and blower in the next few days. I have 3 residential accounts already lined up and until I get the exmark I'm just cutting it with a 23" push mower. Question is what is (in your experience) the best way to get accounts? I'm going to be passing around flyers at houses but I think that it would be best if i talk to the people also. This looks like a great site so far and i hope to gain some knowledge from it, thanks! :)

[94chevytruck]

Hey, where in ohio are you working? I am in powell myself...just north of columbus. What you are doing is a great way to get customers, talk to them and pass out flyers, that what I do! i am working my way up to 25 while going to OSU full time!!! I am also thinking about buying a ne turf tracer hp along with a trailer. I have a metro 36" now!! Good luck!

[jajwrigh]

Once you get established a little bit more word of mouth will be your best friend!!

[Let it Grow]

Definitely word of mouth. When I first started word of mouth got me a good majority of my business. Now it gets me jobs all the time. Once people see that you are going to do a good job, and get the job done right they will be willing to pay a little more for your services.
Fliers are a good way to go. Newspaper ads are too. Those will probably be the most cost efficient for you right now.

[kc2006]

I went and had door hangers made today, they were 14 cents per page and theres 3 on a page so I bought 500 sheets. Hopefully these will bring in 10 people.

I figure I'm going to try and talk to some of the people because I think theres better odds of bringing older customers in if you talk with them. Just my opinion, but what do you guys think about talking with people while passing the flyers out?

[EZTarget]

hope you are right. i am looking at this too. i priced a delivery company here that does 5k fliers for .10/flyer. based on what i have read i would expect a %.2 (yea ".") return. but that is 10 to start with and then go from there. 10*~25/wk will pay for it in a month (including one times or biweekly's). i hope! a friends father-in-law has been doing this 6yrs and has never advertised. just word of mouth. he is doing extremely well. he focuses on quality. no question that is where it is at. i see many small and medium crews around and it can be imtimidating but you just have to believe you can do it and do your best!

good luck

[LawnMowerMan2003]

I think you will get more customers if you stop and talk to them but it will take you longer to stop and talk to each person. Maybe you should try it both ways and see how you do. Most of my customers are not older people, but people who are pretty busy. It stands to reason that a busy person may not respond well to having to stop and talk to you, and they may not be home very often either. Then again, people have told me you should stop and talk to people, so you might try it and see how it works.

[EZTarget]

so LM03, how many yards per hr can your 2 cows cut? lol

[bcmjr3574]

I agree with everyone else word of mouth is the cheapest, and best advertising there is. I'm in my second year, and just by word of mouth I doubled my accounts from 7 to 14 in one year. Last month I paid a kid that I know to pass out 150 of the 500 door hangers I had printed. I landed a one time deal that paid almost double what I paid for the door hangers, and 1 account where I cut yard 3 times a month @ $35. Good Luck!!!

[malliso]

so far all of my business has come from newspaper ads ,no luck with fliers

[JZMAN]

Word of mouth is your best bet. Iv'e worked alone for 10 years and this year decided to hire a man full time. Put an ad in the paper for the first time in 6 years and got only 1 call. All you have to do is do Quality work and word of mouth is your best friend.

[SodKing]

two words...Marty Grunder

[brhodes22]

good luck starting out. Someone on here has mentioned www.turfmarketing.com its a good site to get a logo for you business.

[mikesturf]

Whenever you service an account, look for the neighbors!!! Talk to them and give them the flyer personally. Take time to talk to them. Also, after you do a job, if the neighbors are not home, pass out flyers and write on them, "we did work at your neighbor's house 111 main streeet". I get a lot of leads that way.

[EZTarget]

sounds the way to go to me too.

my son and i just handed out 400 flyers today. man i hate that! i need to get some clients so i can start working the word of mouth. i never want to do that again.

[gr8cutter]

How long did it take for you to put our 400 flyers?

[EZTarget]

Originally posted by gr8cutter
How long did it take for you to put our 400 flyers?

imo too long. it took us ~4hours. some of the areas were spread out so at times we walked 5minutes without handing anything out.