Growing your Business!

[John Stewart]

Hey
There is alot of you guys out there that have your own companies.
What ways do you get business other than word of mouth or the yellow pages?
John

 

[Ax-man]

You can type up a standard type form letter about your business.

Then go door to door and leave it where someone will find it and hopefully will call.

If we ever do this again, I'm going to dress it up with brochures on tree care and magnetic business cards, those are a big hit with people. Put all that into a plastic bag and hang it on the front door. You get a decent response when you do this.

The first time we did this a retired English teacher sent our form letter back with all the improper grammer circled and graded it.

We got responses from some neighborhoods two years after we tried this.

Larry

 

[MasterBlaster]

Ha! Sweet!

 

[a_lopa]

i get alot of work simply by being there doing a job,neighbours etc if your too dear in the first place you dont get these leads.i started with flyers i think they are great IMO if you keep them simple

 

[MasterBlaster]

It's nice when you get in a neighborhood, and seem to never get out of it due to all the work that gets generated from them seeing the quality work you do.

 

[coydog]

when i ran my own business i tried all kinds of advertising, but word of mouth is truly the way. my yellow pages ad got my foot in the door to some neighborhoods, but if i were to do it again i wouldn't consider it to be essential.

 

[a_lopa]

ive got a big sign on back off loading ramp on my stumpgrinding trailer,it works well when your in a busy neighbour hood.they see the sign and me doing the stump and think he will do it cheap cause hes already here easy to make 3-4-5hundred in a few hours

 

[xander9727]

Doing good work will get you more business than anything else. Most yellow page calls are price shoppers.

I just got the fourth job in a neighborhood that another tree co. owner lives in. Two of the jobs were his immediate neighbors. The one was on Tuesday and I got to spend all day listening to how I didn't need a crane and how he could do it better. I usually ignore people like this for three reasons: 1) If he was proficient in his job I would never have been there in the first place. 2) If he was proficient in his job he would be working during the week instead of taking lessons from me. 3) They can only get your goat if they know where it's tied. It really gets under their skin when you pretend like they're a mirage.

I'm doing another job tomorrow and a crane removal next Wednesday.

 

[hobby climber]

Magnetic biz cards...hand them out in the early spring and you'll get a lot of work come June and July. If passers-by see me up a tree, I get requests to look at their tree issued after I'm done the job I'm at. It's a good idea to have a clip board with pen & paper on it for them to leave a message or standard form for them to fill out. ie)-name, address, phone number, tree issue, location of tree on property, whats a good time to call them etc. Also have your business cards handy so they quit buging you while your up there working.

 

[John Stewart]

Hey
Good tips!!!
The yellow pages are tire kickers, I agree on that and they are way to expensive!
My business is on word of mouth, but I get scared when the season is ending and work slows down!
I know it is the industry but up here it is real serious come winter and in the norhtern states it is really seasonal as well!
Hey Butch and you southern boys is it seasonal there too!!!
John

 

[hobby climber]

...work slowing down at end of season???

John, I know what cha mean. I got cought off guard when I first started out. What I've been doing lately is setting removal dates later on in the season !!! Fall or winter is a great time to climb trees. No leaves, less bulk, less clean-up, cooler weather etc. Just make sure you use a bigger tarp for your ropes & equipment on the ground. Also, let people know in the summer time that you CAN work during the winter months...most folks don't know that and wait till next spring before they call you. I offer a small discount for people who book a fall & winter job...keeps me working ! The weather down here is about the same as you have in Hamilton...Im about 3hrs south of you! Later eh.

 

[a_lopa]

i like to leave grey areas in my flyers such as''discounts'' not saying who to or why , ill decide that part.and always have my name as first point on it.''all tree needs'' so im not pidgeon holed.

 

[ORclimber]

I just got a rolling billboard. Saw a lady pull over and call on her cell phone the other day. Only a stump job, but it's working.

 

[treeman82]

I was riding with a friend in his truck maybe a month ago. He has small signs on either side of the body. As we are driving on this one road, we see the car next to us, the guy is talking with somebody on his cell phone. Sure enough, he was calling my buddy up to inquire about chipping a brush pile. First time I have ever been present for a 55MPH estimate.