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I am looking for an employee for next season and my hiring preference is #1) Any wounded Warrior #2) Female and last resort a male. Regardless of male or female though, education or military is first on the list and without that I would not even look at you.
Why is a wounded warrior a priority for hire?

Do purple hearts make the grass grow green?
Do you think you can pay anything close to what they are accustomed to making?

Most military coming home from war have some hard adjusting to do, they are used to years of free benefits, not paying rent or utilities and receiving tax free paychecks.

Landscapers can't even remotely touch their pay expectations, and very few of them are coming to the table with marketable skills for our industry.

As usual the government does a crummy job with transitioning military to civilian life. Mowing lawns and trimming shrubs is something few will transition to, short of starting their own businesses.
 
I don't use chemicals at all. I was told that it is also called sedgenut. I did not know that! What about corn gluten? :)
Corn gluten requires buildup in the soil for as much as a couple of years and if it works at all it will be killing grass seed as well during that time...
 
I don't use chemicals at all. I was told that it is also called sedgenut. I did not know that! What about corn gluten? :)
If you are using Corn Gluten that is processed from Genetically Modified Corn, or pesticides were involved during growth, is it truly organic?
 
Hello Opal!

Welcome to Lawnsite... I like the cut of your jib!

It's cool to see that you are doing well in your niche company...

There are many ditches where I currently live instead of sewer systems for rain water run off and I have thought of setting my son up with a company that strictly does ditch trimming in the future.

Plenty of folks cut their own lawn but not many do the ditch as well...

One bit of info... I am almost 100% positive that it is illegal for anybody other than the U.S Postal Service to put anything INSIDE of people's mailboxes.

Putting things on the OUTSIDE is a different story I believe.

Just wanted to mention that because I would hate to see you get bothered about it..

Lawnsite is the best and there are so many great folks here making learning and having fun a number one priority!
 
Hi,
I really appreciate your informing me of the business card info. Yes, you are correct. So I am going to process some post cards and do a mailing. I just will have to pay for postage. But thank you so much for educating me. :)
 
Opal: I think there would be a ready market for hand weeding. Our customers frequently request it, but we don't provide that service; it just takes too much time.

In my experience, the trick to marketing your service is to saturate your target customers with your pitch. It can be on a business card, or through the mail, or door hangers, etc. It should be easy to differentiate yourself from the multitude of lawn care advertisers out there who don't do hand weeding. You should also pitch your services to lawn maintenance providers for work at their customers. You wouldn't be competing with most of them, and I expect that a number of them would appreciate having you as a referral.

Good luck with your business.
 
Yes, most landscapers don't have the time and the patience to do "weeding". I do!!!. I have a passion to rid lawns of unwanted plants. I see a lot of residential yards that need assistance is this area. I started the business late August of 2014. I have a handful of clients. I do not use chemicals. So this year (2015) I will get a head start. So I will be servicing customers that need me in March 2015. I can't wait to see what happens this year. People neglect weeding, even though they have a landscaper. They just don't have the time to commit to the "weeding." It is just too time-consuming. I label myself as your personal "weeder." My website is handweedingwoman.weebly.com. I came up with the idea when I noticed weeds everywhere in very nicely manicured lawns. This was a light-bulb moment. I just started advertising and I received calls. I thank you for your information. : ) Opal
 
Hi, yes my customers that are home while I am weeding are usually the housewife/mom taking care of infants. They are the ones that usually pay me for my services. Because I am a woman most are comfortable with opening their residential door to converse/pay me. Most times the husband leaves for work during the times that I am there. So they usually take care of the bill. Also the elderly feel more secure/safe since I am a female. I have a friendly, personable, and talkative demeanor, so I have no problem getting acquainted with almost anyone. As far as the weeding, yes, I take care in not to rush a job. I see their yard as being my own. :) So keep that vision with my at all times. :) Opal.
 
Thanks for your input. This is one of my biggest fears.

Thanks for the welcome too. I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Lisa and I am 21, in my 2nd year as an Engineering Student, and have just moved away from my wonderful boss of 3 summers. I wasn't going to landscape this summer but I just cant stay away from it, so here I am trying to go on my own for the first time at the last minute. I don't have anything ready yet...no cards, no fliers, no truck yet either. But I will get it all done and quick as I can too. I guess the biggest thing holding me back is a name. The obvious is "Lisa's Landscapes" and I like it, but I'm scared they wont call just because I'm a woman. I dont want to use my last name, no real reason, it just doesn't feel right. So, any thoughts? I also have "day-mares" (nightmares) about customers calling and hanging up immediately when they hear my 12 year old girly voice(This is not unfounded. I really do have a childish voice!). My other day-mare is that they wont rent me a bobcat because they dont trust me with it! Rediculous, I know, it's just cold feet. Any thoughts, comments are welcome.
Hi Lisa,
I started my woman-owned landscaping business in 2009 because I knew I would not get hired as an unexperienced laborer. Since then, I have decided not to focus on mowing. That may not have been the right financial decision but given my education in horticulture, design, and irrigation, it made sense to me. We focus on low water design, maintenance & irrigation solutions so I named my company H2 XERO Landscape.

I would recommend choosing a name that describes your business rather than using your name. Try to differentiate your company in some way so that you can tell people why they should hire you rather than someone else. Then chose a name that comes closest to describing your business. Many suggest that having a name that begins with and A or B puts you at the top of alphabetical lists.
 
I definitely see the need for more women landscapers. After all those hardscape installs with patios that have complete outdoor kitchens. That have those grills, full stoves, ovens, wine chillers, refrigerators, beer taps.

Definitely shows the need for increased property maintenance that is uniquely suited to women.

Why?

Biological evolution that's why.

What evolution?

Evolution has given women smaller feet then men. This evolutionary adaption has allowed them to be able to stand closer to the sink and other appliances.

Which clearly gives the women the ability to get better leverage when using the tools of the trade. :rolleyes:

:laugh:
 
I agree. When I weed, I have the ability to bend and stretch in a way most men would be uncomfortable in. We do seem to have more patience in tight corners. There is a need to be very detailed when it comes to weeding. I have that quality. :)
 
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