Advertising via Craigslist?

[Plasmech]

Has anybody had any luck advertising via Craigslist? I'm trying to get some jobs to build more experience. Obviously I'll have to be upfront with people and let them know that I am still very limited in my abilities. Is Craig's a worthwhile avenue to go down? Thanks!

 

[TheLumberJack]

imo....


the price is right..

BUT my experiences have been poor. I have been able to sell a few products (used saws, ladders, furniture, etc) but no services.

Whatever you decide, DO NOT list your real email address or you will instantly be bombarded with hundreds of 'lose 50 pounds in 10 days' and 'We have a $7,000,000 bank transfer waiting for you' emails.

 

[Plasmech]

imo....


the price is right..

BUT my experiences have been poor. I have been able to sell a few products (used saws, ladders, furniture, etc) but no services.

Whatever you decide, DO NOT list your real email address or you will instantly be bombarded with hundreds of 'lose 50 pounds in 10 days' and 'We have a $7,000,000 bank transfer waiting for you' emails.

Yea I got the 5-finger discount and couldn't resist

The thing that sucks is that in this economy nobody has any money to pay for anything anyway

 

[TheLumberJack]

Yea I got the 5-finger discount and couldn't resist

The thing that sucks is that in this economy nobody has any money to pay for anything anyway

You can't think like that though...even if it's true.
I don't lie to myself but the truth is that all day every day someone out there is making money and growing a business. Rich people are still rich people. Everything is relative. For every guy eating a $5 foot long for lunch there is another guy eating filet mignon at the country club.
Get your name out there, network and market. Craigslist might not be the proper audience but like I said...the price is right.

 

[tree md]

Yes. I do it to be competitive. Can't say that I get the best leads from CL though. Most on CL are looking for cheap labor and freebies. Not the crowd that I try to target but I figure it is best to compete in every venue I can. You get a lot of tire kickers from CL but then again you get the a lot from the yellow pages too. There are a lot of "will beat any estimate by 10%" ads here and it's not easy for a legitimate service to compete with the uninsured ladder crews but I notice a lot of legitimate services are placing ads in CL now too. Hard times for sure around here.

 

[Plasmech]

Thanks for the advice guys. How did you make it when first starting out, what's your story if you care to share?

 

[clearance]

CL, Vancouver B.C. right now. 1) Looking for guys to dig ditches, etc-$8 hr.

2) Looking for bucket truck, $45 hr, and my nieghbor has trees to trim.

Tree MD is right, cheap- Try $15 hr to dig and $150 hr for a bucket truck.

 

[tree md]

I made up fliers and hit neighborhoods that were about 3 years old that had trees starting to deteriorate from construction damage. Plus there were lots of dead pines where I come from and I would leave a card, flier or knock on the door. I had already had a few years experience climbing and working for tree services by that time though. I also contracted with my old boss so I always had money coming in. Didn't take long to have a pretty decent word of mouth business going. It is important to have insurance as well.

 

[TheLumberJack]

I haven't "made it" yet...will be sure to post when I do!!!

This is my second year climbing. Am getting isa cert soon.

Learned what I know by spending a lifetime growing up on a 300 acre farm in WV, always asking questions and when in doubt talking to people and introducing myself.

I also have a Bachelor's in Business Administration which I like to think helps a bit with sales, marketing and management.

 

[Plasmech]

I made up fliers and hit neighborhoods that were about 3 years old that had trees starting to deteriorate from construction damage. Plus there were lots of dead pines where I come from and I would leave a card, flier or knock on the door. I had already had a few years experience climbing and working for tree services by that time though. I also contracted with my old boss so I always had money coming in. Didn't take long to have a pretty decent word of mouth business going. It is important to have insurance as well.

See the thing that's going to kill me (besides falling out of a tree due to lack of experience) is the chicken-and-the-egg issue of a woodchipper...when you're trying to start up you can't afford a chipper but how do you get any jobs without one? That's going to be really difficult.

 

[tree md]

See the thing that's going to kill me (besides falling out of a tree due to lack of experience) is the chicken-and-the-egg issue of a woodchipper...when you're trying to start up you can't afford a chipper but how do you get any jobs without one? That's going to be really difficult.

You have to get creative grasshopper. Unless you come from the Rockefeller family, I doubt many treemen start off with a chipper. Lol, back when I was in my 20's we would cut blocks out of limbs to put under the leaf springs, use a saw to cut brush down and load an old pickup to the gills. Not that I'm advising you to do that as it is dangerous and illegal I'm sure. Just one of the crazy things we used to do when I was young. Got a trailer??? Hell, I've even been know to haul away debris with a Uhaul in my youth... :hmm3grin2orange:

Many ways to haul or arrange hauling. I've seen guys advertising on CL to haul for $75 a load with a dump truck...

 

[tree md]

Here's the thing Plas, once you acquire the knowledge, gear and equipment then you can focus on a decent clientele. There are always going to be different levels of consumers. Just like some shop in the dollar store or buy generic at the supermarket, you are always going to have the segment of consumers who are shopping for the best price on tree work. They are going to hire whoever gives them the best price regardless of whether the service is equipped or insured or even competent. When you are a one man band with little gear/equipment, knowledge, experience, no insurance you are going to have to hunt for the bargain hunters who are hunting for you on CL.

 

[ropensaddle]

You have to get creative grasshopper. Unless you come from the Rockefeller family, I doubt many treemen start off with a chipper. Lol, back when I was in my 20's we would cut blocks out of limbs to put under the leaf springs, use a saw to cut brush down and load an old pickup to the gills. Not that I'm advising you to do that as it is dangerous and illegal I'm sure. Just one of the crazy things we used to do when I was young. Got a trailer??? Hell, I've even been know to haul away debris with a Uhaul in my youth... :hmm3grin2orange:

Many ways to haul or arrange hauling. I've seen guys advertising on CL to haul for $75 a load with a dump truck...

Yup crazy man like in 83 pulling a log behind my truck with a chain ten blocks then noticing there were funny looking marks on the pavement leading up to my house lol. Nothing came from it but wow not gonna do that again.

 

[Rftreeman]

craigslist ads have been paying my bills for 3 years now.........

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Not sure if asking us will do more than make you feel more enthusiastic or not. Works great for some folks - not great for others. Since it's free, you will know in a very short period. Consider rotating your ad between skilled trades and home services.

I get a ton of work from the internet in general, but in the past few years, got not one job from Craigslist. Every so often, I repost my ad merely to leave my mark - sometimes suppliers will email a lead for new suppies and stuff.

But work-wise, I don't expect anything from it.

Some guys are able to get almost all thier business from it.

If you have an image host, there are ways to put photos in a Craigslist ad for skilled services. Not a need - but maybe a want.

 

[treemandan]

Yup crazy man like in 83 pulling a log behind my truck with a chain ten blocks then noticing there were funny looking marks on the pavement leading up to my house lol. Nothing came from it but wow not gonna do that again.

I don't see the big deal with that. "Just draggin my log home". I used to scrape up against cop cars with my brush trailer driving by the police station... other cars too. Used to pile it in the truck so you couldn't see the truck... it was a tree truck for sure. Man, I miss those days. Check out
" Vintage Dan" for pics.

 

[treemandan]

Plas, ridin that CL circus train is going to tire you out quick but you could land something easy as long as you were cheap, and up for getting your mind blown away from all the mutants that will call you.
But you know that, I really don't cause I have never advertised on CL for tree work.
I pulled a snow plow account off of there though but it was a fluke. That is what CL is, a fluke.
As far as telling people you aren't that good? not a good idea. Just look at the job, if you feel you can do it then just say you will do it and then just do it. Skip conversations like that alltogether.
Personally, I think you might bang a job or two from CL and that is what we both know you really want, to get on the job. I wish I could help but maybe rather than advertise your ineptness to the world of mutated CL trolls why don't you see if you can land a job by putting up a shingle here. I bet it would work out better, I just know it.
You are going to be a tough sell though. I don't have anything for you right now but go over to the job forum and start busting balls for some work, I am sure someone could use an apprentice for a little while. You might even find a great job but that would be a fluke too.


PS. Personally, you made The Dan boof back into his coffee cup when he heard you were taking your show on the road via CL.


The Care of Trees, they are in KOP, they will love you and vise-versa

 

[Plasmech]

Thanks DanBen. I guess the one thing bad about advertising *here* is that my cat has well let's say gotten out of the bag, screwed every other kitty in town, then took a trip to Europe as far as my inexperience goes. Appreciate the advice though, I will take you up on it.

How's your work load been anyway?

Plas, ridin that CL circus train is going to tire you out quick but you could land something easy as long as you were cheap, and up for getting your mind blown away from all the mutants that will call you.
But you know that, I really don't cause I have never advertised on CL for tree work.
I pulled a snow plow account off of there though but it was a fluke. That is what CL is, a fluke.
As far as telling people you aren't that good? not a good idea. Just look at the job, if you feel you can do it then just say you will do it and then just do it. Skip conversations like that alltogether.
Personally, I think you might bang a job or two from CL and that is what we both know you really want, to get on the job. I wish I could help but maybe rather than advertise your ineptness to the world of mutated CL trolls why don't you see if you can land a job by putting up a shingle here. I bet it would work out better, I just know it.
You are going to be a tough sell though. I don't have anything for you right now but go over to the job forum and start busting balls for some work, I am sure someone could use an apprentice for a little while. You might even find a great job but that would be a fluke too.


PS. Personally, you made The Dan boof back into his coffee cup when he heard you were taking your show on the road via CL.


The Care of Trees, they are in KOP, they will love you and vise-versa

 

[familytreeman]

cl

I have had an ad in a yellow page directory for two years only, and generated about 250-300 new calls each year.

I have still got more work going through neighborhoods, cherry picking until I get one, doing the job, and getting neighbor referrals...

I have never even posted a cl ad, because I like to avoid cheapie price shoppers!

 

[stumpjumper83]

cl has worked for me

I was able to get 6k and a motorcycle thanks to cragislist advertising. Were there low ballers on there, yes. People that were not sure they wanted it done anyhow, yes. Were there picky, pain in the butt types on there, yes. But wake up folks, there are CUSTOMERS on there. Most of all, its getting your name out there, and its free.

Besides, you will have low ballers, knit-pickers, undecided, and cheap skates with any advertising source.