Marketing strategies for mulching

[jca57jd]

Hey guys! I've been busting my can talking to the different dot engineers, golf courses, hoa's, and property management companies. Doing my best to get a lot of mowing work. Really trying to transition my company over to a lot of ruff mowing. What are some of your best marketing ways of getting new customers so you can create an even bigger cliental for word of mouth?!

I'm getting a few hear or there, just not enough to stay busy and make much money. I'd love to get a good residential and commercial cliental going, and I've honestly been going around and talking everybody that I can think about on my open days. Thanks

 

[cre10]

Actual mulching like using a Fecon head? or are you calling mulching when you're just using a rotary mower? What machines are you running? How big is your crew?

 

[jca57jd]

Right now I have a rotary mower for my bobcat t190, a bluediamond rotary for my bobcat e55 excavator, and a 6' woods 720 for my tractor.... As far as employs go, I just use a few different guys part time. My goal is to get to the point wear I need somebody else full time and have enough work coming in to justify buying a highflow skid loader with a mulcher and a torrent mulcher for my excavator!

 

[paulharvey]

I would get some good color business cards, and drop 5 at each real estate office with in 25 miles of your base of operation. I would also check for RFP/call for bids from all local cities, counties, and school boards. You have to be bondable, and possibly get bid bonds to even bid for government work; but... I registered on Demandstar as Paul Harvey Construction Inc, even though I'm not in business, just to be able to view city/county work in my area, cause I'm in public works construction. Long story short, after downloading a couple sets of plans (free for one municipality you choose when you sign up, for free), I actually go some calls from a sod contractor wanting to bid some work with me, and a pipe contractor calling to see if I did directional drilling.

 

[jca57jd]

Thanks for the lead on demandstar paulharvey! They have some pretty interesting guide lines on how to get subcontract work from the prime contractor on there! I'm definitely going to do some more research on there! Do you primarily concentrate your company on the government sector of work?

 

[paulharvey]

Thanks for the lead on demandstar paulharvey! They have some pretty interesting guide lines on how to get subcontract work from the prime contractor on there! I'm definitely going to do some more research on there! Do you primarily concentrate your company on the government sector of work?

I actually was a government employee (county road inspector) at the time I signed up, didn't really have a company. I signed up partly to just see what was bidding in my general area, and partly to know who was bidding work in my area. It's always good to know what contractors have work, incase you find your self without work... since I've signed up, I've worked as a county road inspector, a city water/sewer construction inspector, and now work for a private engineering and survey company that does 85% government work.

You can also pull the bid tabulations on any work that has already been awarded, over the last ~3 years.

With government work you might never get rich, but it can provide some nice safe money to stay busy, allowing you to be more selective in what other stuff you bid. Plus, they pay you; it might take 30-60 days per monthly draw, but you'll get the money. Home owners can be hard to get paid from.

If you are doing a lot of home owner work, I would consider getting one of those cell phone "fobs" that allow you to take credit and debit cards. I think the company charges 1.5-3% of the total, but not many people carry $500+ with them.

 

[yellowdogsvc]

The best way to advertise is to do a good job. I can't tell you how many awful mulching/rough mowing jobs I come across. Get some pictures, a simple website, run a few ads on craigslist, and that will take care of your advertising for the most part. I'm not the type to go cold calling to construction sites so I do a lot of web advertising and keep signs on my trucks and drop cards where I shop. I also return all calls the day someone calls (very rare that I don't do that) and return emails promptly. Often the calls are something I can't do or out of my area but I will spend some time talking with the folks and that sometimes leads to an introduction down the road.
If you are changing your core work, put signage on the lots you do (I personally don't do that anymore) but it helps in areas where there is a lot of overgrown properties and people did call on my signs.