Wondering if i am doing something wrong.

[Rio_Grande]

We took off like gang busters with the skid steer brush mower. But it only lasted a week. All the jobs we have done have met or exceeded the expectations of our customers. We haven't gotten every bid but the bulk of them. All of a sudden it was like someone turned the phone off. We are running 2 newspaper ads working the word of mouth thing and may be doing a break even job in a high profile location where we can put up a sign. Can you offer any more advice on getting the phone to ring?

 

[igpoobah]

Maybe you burned through the pent up demand already?

 

[pjbci]

Hang in there as long as u can but when it starts cost u to own it, drop it like a hot potato. Dont go broke like I did in the trucking industry years ago.

 

[qball98]

Since you don't say where you are located this may not apply. If you are in a part of the country like I am where it's hot and everything is burned up people are not spending time outside. When the weather is like it is here they just don't care about having anything done they don't have to.

 

[texasjohn]

from your handle, can only assume you are in South Texas....might expand your personal profile

not sure what all services you provide...but in south texas shredding brush is not always a bright idea...comes back worse and more sprangly than before unless followed up with other brush control methods...

Might tie your service into recommendations from Texas AM's Brush Busters recommendations in your advertising...hope your service does match those brush control recommendations...

 

[Rio_Grande]

Qball we discussed that today. It was alot nicer weather when we started. Now it is what we call hay weather 80+ by noon!

I am in Southeastern Indiana. My Handle is the model of my first Jeep.

The equiptment is already paid off but for a bit on the skid steer and I am not going to let it go back. I use it to much for things other than business. That said, while I wont go broke, I need to keep working.

 

[yellowdogsvc]

Qball we discussed that today. It was alot nicer weather when we started. Now it is what we call hay weather 80+ by noon!

I am in Southeastern Indiana. My Handle is the model of my first Jeep.

The equiptment is already paid off but for a bit on the skid steer and I am not going to let it go back. I use it to much for things other than business. That said, while I wont go broke, I need to keep working.

I believe everything comes in cycles. If you are truly doing a good job at a fair price, then you will get the work. Staying is business, as you know, is more than having work. I have seen plenty of "busy" contractors go out of business.

Pick up a book called Guerilla Marketing. There is one for conventional marketing and Internet marketing. It's a good read and will help you get your name out there.
It doesn't hurt to pray. I believe in provision and blessing and it can't hurt to ask for help to stay busy.
Offer to do some charity work when you can. You may end up working for the board of a church who may have 9 or 12 members who will then know your name. If you have a rural agricultural extension office, let them know what you do. Talk to the contractors working the railroad rights of ways. It's a lot of work, long hours, and you load and unload the machine a lot but I have been told that the money is good and have been approached to mow those crossings.

 

[sfloggie]

Rio Grande,

A short term fix is to find out who does the power line brush clearing and gas line. Then try to sub to the Prime contractor. This will keep uou in cash flow, and show you the best way to bid on this work.

Another is to ask the local log mil if there is a local tract that is having trees cleared or thinned. Then contact the logger or landowner to see if you can do the clean up.

All of this is assuming you are talking about a Forestry Mulcher. If mower, it would be the first one only.

Jim

 

[DIRTROAD]

It doesn't hurt to pray. I believe in provision and blessing and it can't hurt to ask for help to stay busy.

GOOD ADVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!

:thumbsup:

 

[Rio_Grande]

Yellow ordered the book!

The only thing that concerns me is if we are offering a fair price. We are bidding at 100.00 an hour. I am not sure if that is fair or not. Nobody has balked yet. But I don't really mention the hourly rate I just try to bid the whole job.

 

[tonyoz]

Have you stopped to think that maybe it's not you but the ecconomic climate we are now living in. I have been on jobs where the areas to be cleared have been cut in half, priced jobs that haven't happened. I think it has come to the point were a lot of people, business and government departments have shut their wallets cause they are to scared to spend not knowing whats going to happen tomorrow.:2cents:

 

[Rio_Grande]

I have thought about that Tony and I think it is definately an issue. I know we have tightened up. Mostly I was posting this for a bit of an evaluation. Maybee get some ideas. I spoke to a builder oday that said they have 4 lots they would loke to clear off with our service but said they are waiting until they sell so they can pass the cost onto the people who buy it. That makes sense. Why spend money with no guarantee of getting it back.

Just trying to get the ball rolling in the right direction. I have been selling services for some time but this is a bit diffrent.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[RDrancher]

Try a free listing on Thumbtack.com. It's a beta test owned by Google. It can't hurt!

 

[yellowdogsvc]

I charge about $90/hr for low flow mowers and much more for high flow mulcher or stump grinder. You are competing against tractors in some situations and guys who low ball every job. The good news about the latter is that they won't last long. I have a friend who is always busy but never has any money.. he's always the cheapest bid. :confused2: I've tried talking to him about it but he thinks busy is good. I think profitable is good. Sometimes you have to find the right balance between busy and making a profit. I had an MBA tell me to lower my price and work more. His logic was that busy equals profit.. He said if I lowered my price $25 an hour, I'd have more work than I could handle... That may work for a business that sells or buys in bulk but not for a sole proprietor.. at least not from what I've learned.

If you are pricing the job fair and providing a good product, then the other factors in the equation are: Does the customer have a need? Does the customer have the means to pay? If you satisfy those two factors by finding (screening for) the right type of jobs and customers, and you satisfy the fair price and good product part of the equation, it will work out. Unfortunately, a lot of people have a need but don't have the means and vice-versa. I see a lot of properties, that were they mine, I'd have a need but some people don't care if their property is overgrown or full of dead trees. It can be tough finding the right customers who have a need and then it's even tougher finding those who have a need AND the ability to pay. That's where casting a wide net across the marketing spectrum will help you get your name out there. It's then up to you to screen and match your services to their needs so that you don't spend all your time bidding work that won't materialize.
Hope that makes sense.

 

[Rio_Grande]

Yellow can you elaborate on casting a wide net?

 

[tonyoz]

I have been casting my net out over about 5 million sq ks in the last few months. Now in frustration I just throw it.

 

[yellowdogsvc]

Yellow can you elaborate on casting a wide net?

When I first went into business, I had to travel a fairly large area outside of my comfort zone. It wasn't uncommon to travel 100 miles one way to do a job, get experience, and find out what works. I live in a rural county and there just wasn't as much work in my back yard. Over the years, as I have built upon my experience and reputation, I have narrowed my "net" and focus mostly on my immediate area. I will travel, occasionally, but only with the right fit of customer and job.. assuming I'm not desperate for work.

Casting a wide net includes Internet, newspaper, word of mouth, signage, contacting other contractors and offering to work as an insured sub (a rarity in small biz) and just making a nuisance of yourself with advertising..

With the Internet you can target large geographical locations. Then, when you get tired of traveling or if the work is too far from your home base, you can either fine tune and make that virtual net smaller or you can find people in other locations and work out a referral deal. I personally never ask for money on a referral but if someone takes the time to contact you and you can give them a name of someone you trust or at least feel comfortable with, people appreciate and will remember it. It's like fishing... It takes awhile to get good at hitting the right target with the right product. I'm not an expert but I turn down more work.. maybe I'm just getting old or maybe I just like my comfort zone but over the years I've made my little net smaller but if I had done that in the beginning, I would not have had enough work.

Some of the things I did...

-small trade shows/booths at local ag or hunter's expos
-volunteered or worked for steep discounts with non profit groups.. it's like have 12-20 customers on one job. Do a good job that one time and you have all those people to pass your name along should the occasion arise.
-advertise in all local papers
-two websites.
-constant updating of search engines (takes A LOT of time) to get it right
-paid for advertising on the Internet
-one or two radio spots I got as a promotion
-signs at local vendors
-business cards on check out stand at some of my vendors
-signs at my property and relative's property
-highway frontage signs (don't do that anymore but may when the building boom comes back)
-joined trade groups and got listed on preferred vendor contracts with electric companies, etc.

Most of this wasn't expensive but it is time consuming. A lot of it is on auto-pilot right now. I need to spend more time working on that stuff but don't have the energy right now. Late nights and a quiet house were my friend when I was putting together a marketing plan.

Hope this helps.

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

Yellow has laid it out pretty good, and will actually help me make my point. You have to be real with yourself. Are you a better salesman (people person) or an equipment operator. Some over time have mastered both but the hard facts are, 1. You cannot be in 2 places at once (running the tractor and looking/bidding jobs). 2. A customer will not tolerate you sitting ideal in the machine while your taking a phone call. I have customers who love running the equipment and do occasionally to stay sharp but they are the better salesman so they hunt work. Then I have guys who are the superior operator and they hire a saleman or are the strong sub for larger outfits. Yellow has a ton of experience due to how long he has done this but also consider he is operating in the land of giants in Tx. with pipeline equipment (high HP mulchers) are all around him.

 

[rambler]

Yellowdog has some good busimness advice.

Brush hogging is a seasonal thing, maybe 2 or 3 times a year are peak times/. In between, no need for it. You might see this over a year's time, that you are curtrently in a dormant time with nothing needing cutting right now?

--->Paul

 

[yellowdogsvc]

Yellow has laid it out pretty good, and will actually help me make my point. You have to be real with yourself. Are you a better salesman (people person) or an equipment operator. Some over time have mastered both but the hard facts are, 1. You cannot be in 2 places at once (running the tractor and looking/bidding jobs). 2. A customer will not tolerate you sitting ideal in the machine while your taking a phone call. I have customers who love running the equipment and do occasionally to stay sharp but they are the better salesman so they hunt work. Then I have guys who are the superior operator and they hire a saleman or are the strong sub for larger outfits. Yellow has a ton of experience due to how long he has done this but also consider he is operating in the land of giants in Tx. with pipeline equipment (high HP mulchers) are all around him.

That's the truth...