The truth of the matter is that most potential lawn care and or landscaping clients are factoring several things when they decide which company to use. Is price a big factor? I’m sure it is. But the reality is that most people that actually care about their lawn and landscaping are not necessarily going to choose the cheapest lawn care company. The old adage still runs true, “you get what you pay for.”

I firmly believe that people are willing to pay a little extra for a couple of reasons.

1. You have exuded confidence to the potential client that you can do exactly what they are looking for and do a good job of it. I have written about this before but you need to be able to regurgitate back to the client exactly what they tell you they want. Once they feel you completely understand what they are looking for they will be more likely to choose you, regardless of price.

2. You seem trustworthy. First impressions are so important in the service industry. If a landscaping company comes to my door and they present themselves well and speak English, I am going feel a stronger level of comfort with the company knowing they are clean cut respectable people.

3. You were the first to bid the job. Many times just being the first to come bid a lawn care job people are too impatient to wait for other bids. If you hit a home run with #2 mentioned above there will be no reason to compete with low ballers.

In the end, giving the excuse that you are not being successful in your lawn care business because your competitors are underbidding you all the time is simply just not true. Be proud of your pricing. Admit to your clients that your prices are higher but the work is of a higher quality and the customer service first rate. Then prove it to them with your work ethic.

The results of this little escapade really surprised me. Apart from it taking me a week to make over 1000 phone calls, the experience was very enlightening. Here were my takeaways:

1. It is unbelievable how many companies do not answer their phone or have in their answering machine greeting their company name. Answering the phone “Hello” screams out unprofessional.

2. I was surprised to see how many companies were still in business but had a completely different business name. How are you going to build a brand people.

3. Most of the companies listed with Lawn Care Directory are still in business and doing great. Yeah I ended up deleting more than 200 companies from the directory, but I spoke to so many companies that love being members of our directory. Listen to what one landscaper had to say when I called him:

July 5, 2010

Hi Adam,
Just wanted to let you know that having my business listed with lawncaredirectory.com that my business has grown. Approximately 35 to 40 percent of the calls I get are from the listing.
When a search for lawn care companies in the local area is done, the listing with lawncaredirectory.com always pops up on the first page. Thanks for getting your website out there in front.

Thanks
Ron Cobb
All Pro Lawn Svc

Conclusion: I have more confidence than ever that Lawn Care Directory will provide the best experience to both lawn care/landscaping company as well as the property owner looking for the best company to do the job.

This was a glitch in our shopping cart and NO MONEY WAS CHARGED to your credit card. If this happened to you as a lawn care business kit purchaser please check with your bank to make sure that $13 was not deducted from your account.

We have fixed the problem and no more of these emails will be sent out. I apologize for the confusion and hope to help you make your lawn care business as good as it can be.

By the time the home owner was done going through the two bids he realized that the landscaping project was going to cost him $10k. Like most people in this economy he was not willing or able to pay cash for a $10k landscaping project.

So he started talking with his neighbors and they referred a landscaper they had used. He called up the landscaper and when he came over to give the bid he could tell wasn’t a huge landscaping company and was more in touch with those of us not living in million dollar homes in the hills.

Well he gave a bid, not as detailed as the other two big landscaping companies but still line by line he bid out the job and the total came to $2k. Guess which landscaper he chose to use? Here is the kicker, I have seen the landscaping job the smaller guy did and it looks phenomenal.

You are probably in the situation where you are not a huge landscaping company yet, but take a lesson from this guy and be mindful of the economy we are in. People are looking to save money. You should still try to make good money on every job you do but don’t get greedy.

Lawn care can be a big chore for anyone, and everyone just wants to see the finished product of a beautiful lawn. However, for many this dream is never realized because of common errors. I will discuss some of these errors to help you avoid them. First, a common mistake for many is cutting the grass far too short. When the grass gets cut too short; it will have problems regrowing, and thus weeds will invade. If the weeds invade then your lawn will look terrible. Do not get tempted into cutting your grass too short.

Another mishap that many of us run into is over watering our lawns. While lawns do need an average of about an inch of water per week; most lawns will receive this through regular rainfall. If you live in an area were there is hardly any rainfall then perhaps some watering is in order, so long as you don’t go too far over one inch per week. Finally, one of the most vital aspects of the lawn is one where we make the most errors.

The soil of your lawn must be tended to very well. You may be doing everything else right, and for some reason your lawn just refuses to grow. If this is the case then you need to get your soil tested professionally. By getting your soil tested an expert will be able to tell you if it is unhealthy. If you soil is unhealthy then it may in fact be contributing to the destruction of your lawn rather than the growth of it. Remember to not cut too short, not water too much, and always tend to your soil.

During the heat of summer, it is not unusual for people to feel they must water their lawn more than in spring or fall. While it is true that summer is hotter, and the water is absorbed faster, it does not mean you should overburden your grass or plants with water.

Water your grass only 3 times a week. This is sufficient. Many people can actually get away with only watering it twice a week. Over watering will also produce dead, brown grass, just as under watering will.

When you water your lawn or landscape plants do so in the early morning hours or in the evening. This is critical for your plants. Watering during the peek of the day can actually burn your plants. The heat from the sun will also cause the water to evaporate faster which causes the plants to absorb less from your watering.

Only water your lawn for about a half hour at a time. Grass roots are semi shallow and will absorb the water quickly once it hits the ground. Any additional water is just a waste for your lawn and will run up your water bill. Cutting down on watering time is also an environmentally friendly practice.

Do not over fertilize your lawn. Fertilize your lawn only as directed by the product you use or by a professional lawn company recommends. Over treatment will kill the lawn and can possibly cause damage to your soil.

When you properly fertilize your lawn you make many things happen to it. Most people know that fertilization will make your lawn look much greener and help your grass grow. What most people don’t know is that fertilizing your lawn makes the grass seeds germinate faster and start growing up out of the ground quicker. Fertilizer also helps your grass get thicker and stronger so that it will hold up to harsh rain and other weather.

The question most people have to ask about fertilization is how often they should fertilize and when the best time to fertilize is. Well, your basic yard needs to be fertilized about four times per year, possibly more depending on the weather in your particular area. If you live in a very dry climate, then six times per year should be sufficient. Spread your fertilization periods about 2 months apart and begin in early spring before anything really starts to grow. That way when the new grass and flowers start blooming they will be stronger and more beautiful than before.

The thing that you want to make sure of it that you do not over fertilize your yard by using too much fertilizer or fertilizing to often. This will cause overgrowth in your yard and will make fungus grow around your lawn that will end up weakening your grass. Just follow the directions on the bag of fertilizer and you should do just fine. If you find this confusing, you can always ask a specialist at your local nursery what they recommend.

Proper mowing of your grass is a something that most people do incorrectly. Often times they set their mowers to low and then they scalp the lawn leaving bald spots all over your grassy area. Or they will mow the lawn every week whether it needs to be done or not. This is one way to surely ruin your lawn. The longer you leave your grass, the more lush it is going to look. Not to mention, there will be less chance of things like crab grass to grow because there are no bald spots.

You should always try to avoid cutting your grass when it is wet. You risk damaging your lawn by ripping grass out as you try to cut it. Also, the soggier your ground is the easier it is for the mower and your feet to sink into the grass leaving marks and impressions. If you are mowing a smaller portion of your lawn, leaving clippings on the ground instead of picking them up will allow them to decompose quickly and put nutrients back into your lawn. Also, when you mow your lawn, mow in a different direction each time. This will keep your blades more erect and will stop them from growing in a set pattern.

Something that people never consider is that when you allow your grass to grow too high, you should never cut it all down at once just to get caught up. This will do more damage to your grass than it will help it. It is better to cut it in small chunks over a span of a couple days so that your lawn has time to breathe and won’t be exhausted in the end.

When you are looking to have a beautiful lawn that everyone can enjoy there are several things that you need to do in order to make your lawn stay healthy and beautiful. One of these very important things is weeding. Weed control can be a little time consuming at first, but if you protect your yard against weeds then things will become easier overtime. There are so many options on what you can do to control weeds, it all depends on what choice or choices you want to make.

The biggest mistake that people make when they are trying to control the weeds in their yard is that they only use weed control products during the Spring season. Weeds grow all year long, so weed control is something that you need to focus on in every season of the year.

Many people use the multi-purpose lawn fertilizer that has weed control chemicals in it. This is fine for the growing season, but in the seasons that you are not fertilizing this is not helping to control the weeds in your yard. Be sure to use a product on your yard during all seasons that way when spring comes back you won’t have annoying dandelions popping up all over your yard without expecting it.

There are two types of weed control products. Make sure that you use the right one at the right time. In early Spring you are going to want to use a pre-emergent chemical. This chemical is made for weeds that have not sprouted yet and will control weeds from showing up in the first place. However, a pre-emergent is not going to get everything. Once a few do start showing up, you are going to want to use a post-emergent. This is made to kill the weeds that are already showing up above the ground. The proper use of the two types will help keep your yard weed free year round.

Winter is finally over, the snow is gone and it is time to get that grass green and lush. You have high hopes; you see little patches of green here and there. The sun is out and warming things up nicely. This is the time to fertilize your yard. What is the correct fertilizer? How much do you need? How to you put it down?

For the spring fertilizer you want one high in nitrogen. You can fertilize again in late summer and in the fall, but use a fertilizer lower in nitrogen. If you are unsure of any part of the fertilizer purchase and use, it is always best to get professional advice, especially if this is your first time.

Go to a local garden shop or co-op, and ask the helpful people what is the best fertilizer for your particular yard and area. They know the answers to your questions and it’s best to let the experts point you in the right direction. If you tell them how big your yard is they will know how many bags of fertilizer you need to buy.

Once you get your fertilizer home, it’s time to dump a bag into your spreader. If you don’t have a spreader you can rent one of borrow one from a neighbor. Be sure to return it when you are finished!

Do not over-apply the fertilizer, it might burn the grass. Go up and down your yard and try not to overlap. Take notice of how far out your spreader throws the fertilizer. In a few short days you will see your grass will be greener. Within a few weeks your grass will be thicker and richer looking.

Now get your lawn mower or lawn tractor ready to mow your beautiful new green, lush grass!