I think that any companies who have an understanding of web advertising will have a significant advantage over the competition in our industry. You guys are certainly ahead of most of the industry in that regard.

“As a mom-and-pop business, we’ve developed our policies and procedures on the fly. Over time they’ve evolved and in some cases, become dysfunctional. Luckily for us, an acquaintance of ours found himself “between jobs” in the construction industry and we’ve been able to retain him as a consultant to help us refine our systems to better match how “the big boys” do it. We trust this will better position us for growth as the economy rebounds – a process we hope to expedite because these new efficiencies are also freeing up our key personnel to engage in more business development and marketing activities.”

Thanks for the comment C.B.!

Our main project is to improve our web requests for quotes. Last year we added $73,000 in annual sales from our web. Our next closest advertising source was our large white trailers with our logo and phone number on it. They brought in $52,000 in sales. Next, was our magazine advertisements that brought in $41,000 in sales. We have a lawn client who is also a web geru who is working on our web revisions, I read a book two weeks ago that I highly recommend: “Million Dollar Website” by Lori Culwell. Her web is http://www.getcreativeinc.com. Easy, down-to-earth writing that is full of helpful ideas and sources. From work we have done, our web site is listed 3 or 4 times on the first page of Google when prospects search Austin Lawn Care or Lawn Service.

Another excellent book we read last year is “Go-Giver”. Every employee who works with the public should read it. The basic theme is that you give, share, help, and benefit others all you can, and amazingly, you receive more than you give.

Another thing we have done is to sign on to the E-myth Blog on the http://www.E-myth.com web. It is filled with good ideas for us.

We are completing a new security system for our shop this week. We have added several motion sensor floodlights, several security cameras, and huge signs that say this property is protected. We will be able to dial up the shop’s security system from our homes or I-phones and see what is going on. Our goal has been to make our facility the least desirable place to try and rob. There are about 10 other lawn companies close by that are dark and unprotected.

Two of us went to Wichita Falls to evaluate a chemical application company. We are planning on opening a new division this spring that can “kill”. Up to now, we can only fertilize and make things grow.

We have also analyzed our lost clients for 2009. We lost 23 for finances, 24 who sold their homes, 13 who will do it themselves. Over half of our lost business was due to the economy. However, we gained more new customers than we lost, growing 10% in sales last year.

As you can see from the above, one of the main things we do in January is to analyze what we did the previous year. We try to elimenate the bad things and improve on the good things. We are targeting 20% growth in 2010.

Mark
Blade Runners, LLC
“Building a Legacy”