Yes,start now and continue until you can't stand the thought of leaves anymore or there is lots of snow on the ground.

 

Hi DStosh,

Here is an interesting thread about advertising if you want to do more research.

Most effective advertisement?

 

I just got in the daily paper today.

Double service combo.

Fall clean-up and sprinkler blow out for $20 off regular price.

It also promoted a spring sprinkler turn-on with some spring service (can't r. what).

 

green in idaho.

thats sounds like a good deal. what do you use to blow out your sprinklers?

 

I received THAT flyer from someone else.

I do not blow out sprinklers any longer. Been there and it's COLD! Not to mention it conflicts with opening elk season.

pic is from some site. ??

 

I have found that people don't start thinking about leaves until they at least start to turn. And then the weather also plays a factor. Really warm, nice weather does not bode well for leaf cleanup, as people do it themselves. Colder, nastier weather gets people to think about hiring. And when leaves turn early and fall early, it's not good. Later turning leaves and leaves that fall in November means that people don't want to clean them up themselves (but then you start bumping into snow). Starting advertising early in September when the leaves are still green and on the trees has never done well for me. I usually start the first of October and go through mid November. I have a radio ad this year (trade for services) so we will see how that goes. I am also going to try hauling leaves away this year.

 

Start the end of Aug. and run though The end of Oct., thats what we did....

 

Dstosh


Where in the state are you?
That will determine when you run the adds for effectiveness and not waste money doing it to early.

 

Western Ny about 20 minutes from lake ontario

 

OK then you are done with cleanups around Thanksgiving, meaning the leaves have all fallen before then. And you do get snows early.

If it were me. I would try to get the work lined up ahead of time, rather than at the end. If they want to wait till all the leaves have dropped that is a heck of alot more work for you to be there one time. All the leaves, they are wet at the bottom, and the weather can turn quick. Can run into freezing weather where you can't work and so on. Well you know............

I would run a small add the last weekend of September. Size up the add the First weekend of October and run it for a second weekend like that. If you get what you want by then fine. If not run it another week.

Weather permitting and you have time towards the end run the smaller add like a weekend before the week you run out of work.

 

Good reply by Glen, one of the them "crazy rebels", but I must add this....

Advertise as soon as you're ready!
But, on the other hand, are you ready to give a price on leaves that are still on the trees? I was stuck, just the other day, with a potential yard, maintain all winter,Nov1 'til April 1 and I had to give him an hourly rate.
You'd better be ready to price leaves that are still on the trees, one of the hardest things to estimate.
I looked him in the eye, quoted high,and got the job. Can you do the same?
Crawdad

 

My add has been running for a couple of weeks now and goes until almost Christmas. I've only gotten a couple of calls though.

I'm in the process of calling all of last year's clean-up only customers to see if I have them this year. Most of my mowing customers are already signed up.

I expect that people won't wait until the last minute after last year...when it snowed early and many people had them on the lawn all winter. Maybe it's just wishful thinking.

 

Daryl

OK I thinking your southern CT?


It's to soon for people to think fall cleanup.
People are impulsive and reactive. Not many plan ahead. When they see leaves change color some will understand, "Oh hey the leaves will fall soon" While others are "Oh look how pretty everything looks"

It's good that you have your name and number out there. But if your targeting a specialized service and perhaps to maximize your advertising dollar. You get in there face as it's happening.

 

Glan - I'm in the Old Saybrook area which is about half way between New Haven and New London. It's a more general add but leaf clean-up is the first thing mentioned. I'm also in the yellow pages under lawn care/installation and landscaping, but just have bold red line listings.

Those adds seem to bring in mostly calls from people just coming to the area. Picked up a good one last week in a real nice neighborhood...private road off a cul-de-sac and I park in the cul-de-sac.

The neighbors are showing interest in my work. It seems I'm the only one in the neighborhood edging. I also did a nice job clearing brush and small trees along a beautiful rock outcrop. Plantings to come next.

 

The localized Yellow Book is great......that and the truck lettering.