Lawn Care Business Marketing Tips - GopherHaul Blog

A lot of areas around the country are dealing with high unemployment rates. When you are just getting your lawn care business started, you may find that this adds to the difficulty of getting your business off the ground. Luke got on the Gopher Lawn Care Business Forum and shared with us his frustrations. He wondered what might he do to stand out in a highly competitive environment.

Luke: “Hello All. I live in Oregon and we currently have the 2nd highest unemployment rate in the nation (just a tad behind Michigan). In my county our unemployment rate is almost 14%. This is my first year looking to start part time. I’ve landed a few lawn care jobs, but all by one have come from family or friends of family. All of my marketing has fallen flat. Over 1,000 door hangers and only 1 call. Advertising in the paper, not a call yet. Updating my craigslist add every 2 days, no calls. I’m starting to feel like my market is just too over saturated. I have a normal 8-5 job and see at least 1 or 2 lawn care business owners on the road every day. Sometimes up to 5 or 6 (this is only a 7 mile drive). What’s happening in your areas? I’m considering direct mail or google as my next advertising campaign, but am starting to feel like I am pissing my money away.”

Steve: “You can expanding your marketing message or you can also experiment with the services you offer. When you talk to your different family and friends are they telling you what their view is on paying for lawn care at the moment? Are they cutting their own lawns more often?

Have you thought about offering other services that many homeowners can’t or won’t do? Are there things your friends and family are saying they need help with?”

Luke: “Most of them are doing it themselves. Even some who have over 6 figure incomes. Others have always had the same guys doing it. I don’t want to lean on them to fire there guy to hire me, just doesn’t feel right. A lot of the work I’ve been doing is non-mowing jobs. Like clearing a weed thatch, Spraying herbicide, dropping some bark, replacing dead trees etc. I’m not sure what else I could offer, I’m sure you have some ideas?”

Steve: “I think just making it known you are available. For instance, what if their sewer line backs up? Could they call you to snake out a line? You can rent snakes for $50 for half a day and charge a couple hundred to do the service. Most home owners aren’t going to do that themselves. There are plenty of other services they won’t do either.

This isn’t about leaning on them to fire their current person. Everything is in a constant state of flux. New people move in. Old people move old. Your long time handy-man moves on to somewhere else. These things go on day in and day out. All you want to do is be that friendly face they know they can call to solve their problem.

Maybe a fridge magnet would keep you around until they were ready to call you.

I would keep letting them know you can help with all sorts of things. Changing a hard to reach light bulb. Cleaning out gutters. Fixing a roof leaf. Trimming back a tree. Reseting a mailbox. Replacing a sidewalk?

I bet if you asked around, each person has a to do list for their home, they never get to.

I put together a lawn care business flyer concept for you that could help. It gets people thinking about their long to do list. Everyone has one and no one ever gets it done.”

Luke: ” Thanks Steve!!

This has given me more to think about. While I have wanted to try and focus on my core business (mowing and maintenance) I might need to branch out a little to try and find clients.”