How can I get more yard work?

[Chief Yote]

Pm hart8 I'm sure he can tell ya some good advice

[talltexasshoote]

First- you are sixteen and want to work, congratulations yu are in the 1 percent out there.

Second - try what others have listed here, Craigslist is also not a bad plan, but take someone with you on the initial meeting.

Third - if you live need clubhouses, churches, swimming pools, etc. they usually have bulletin boards. Make sure to ask before posting.

Continue to be aggressive and work hard. You will go far.

[Storm]

Your doing better than the rest of the kids your age just keep up the good work and you'll pick up more yards as time goes by!

[TexasHellraiser]

Do a GOOD job and show respect to your customer's I'm sure they will tell there friends about you. I wish more kids would do the same thing you're doing good luck young brother!

[Colton]

Word of mouth, ask your current customers to spread the word or if they might know anybody who would be interested in your services

[MassMan]

Are you working during the school year or only part-time? Realtors and lenders with foreclosed homes could be a good money maker, but they will require year round work.

[hellbndr23]

Craigslist ! I was looking for a yard guy recently and was amazed that there was one 1 listing on Craigslist. The guy I found had a HUGE sign on his trailer and a flag pole with an America flag. Sticker one the back window of your truck would be good too.

But not the walmart, buy each individual letter deal. Looks to cheap in my opinion.

[kfd82]

When you are not cutting a yard on a Saturday morning load up your mower and weed eater in the truck.
Drive through a good size neighborhood and find some guy sweating his tail off mowing his grass. Walk up and offer to finish the yard for 20 bucks.
(Hand him a cold bottle of water as you make the offer)

I bet that you won't have to ask more than three people before you get a yes.

When you finish ask if he thinks any of his neighbors might need your service, tell him what you charge for a full yard and see if he will give you some leads.

[brushtrooper]

As a customer.... do what you say and be on time. I have had a few yard guys in the past. The guy I have now is not the cheapest, but he does good work, takes care of business. I do monthly payments and I don't think I have talked to him in over a year. I come home and my yard is done...he has us on schedule and does his thing.

[flatlander]

All good advice above.

Try knocking on the doors within sight of your current customers. Tell them what your are doing in the neighborhood, that you are already here regularly and would love to have their yard work. Keep your intro to 10-15 seconds and look them straight in the eye.

The last part of the spill is 'can I handle your yard work for you?' Then you smile, look them in the eye and don't say ANYTHING until after they talk. The first one to talk looses.

Good luck!!

[Patton]

Make a brochure or pamphlet and market yourself by going door to door in subdivisions. Give a quick talk about yourself and give them your brochure as you leave no matter their answer.

You can do it on word and print it landscape style on regular paper and fold it up.

Front cover of the name of your business and a slogan
Backside of the front cover- Services you provide- mowing, weed eating, weeding, bush trimming, trash hauling etc.
Next side- 'About Me' 'Im 16 yrs old, go to X high school, have lived here my whole life, saving up money for college, blah blah blah
Other side- references
Another side- your 'guarantee' on how you offer a fair competitive price and will do what you say, on time, money back if not satisfied etc
You could make it even just three or four panels.

People will be impressed with your initiative, like many are here, and they will remember you and may call you back after saying no.

Your best bet is going door to door and asking if you can cut their yard or if they know somebody who might want your service. Might as well have a brochure as well. Proffessional, something to remember, shows maturity and initiative. Good luck

[slicktricker]

Just keep at it and continue to provide a service that you would be proud of. Lots of competition out there and your still in school I take so get a couple of summers under your belt and let the rest fall in place. Unless we get a bunch of rain nobody will be in the market for lawn care. Good luck.

[LloydMcCoy]

Fertilize all the yards you do now! Duh. You will have to do them twice as much this doubling your "yard work"

[Silent Assassin]

Everyone says flyers but also networking works good, words of mouth after you impress also works well for business owners. Always make a first impression and second and third.... I think you get the drift.

I put in ad in my neighborhood newsletter, our church newsletter and I also do flyer route myself. Getting up 6 am and walk around my neighborhood and put up flyers door to door. I look for fences that needs work. If they have a brand new fence, I skip that one. I just started spending some money on the ads. An old adage, gotta spend money to make money.

I would suggest, if you are in church, ask congregations as well. Starts with family, friends, neighbors and rest will take care of itself. Good luck

[Steves ATV]

Back when I did the exact same thing:

When I was first getting started, I had a few jobs here and there. Without a full schedule I usually had some time to kill. I would drive through a neighborhood (weekends are best, as people are home) and stop and talk to people outside. I would strike up a conversation to feel them out. Sometimes they would say go ahead after we agreed to a price. If they said no, I offered to cut the grass for free and said if you like my work, please consider me in the future (make sure to have business cards/flyer, etc). Yes I did some free work every now and then, but you would be surprised at how many calls I got down the road. Sometimes it was next week and sometimes it was six months later. When you look at it, what did that "free yard" cost you.... maybe a gallon of gas and some time? Don't be scared to think outside of the box. Being young, you need to be confident in yourself so customers will get that vibe from you. Best of luck and don't hesitate to ask questions.