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Suggest You - One Of The Easiet Yet Most Often Overlooked Way To Aquire Lawn Care Customers
Selecting the right conference gifts and trade show giveaways can make a world of difference in your marketing efforts. It’s so common to give away something at your exhibit booth or conference table, that all too often, marketing managers simply order some random item – or an assortment of them – so that they can hand out something printed with the company name. Taking a little more time to coordinate your conference gifts and giveaways with your main marketing message can turn your giveaways into give-backs - as in, giving back to your company in a big way.First, why are you giving something away? If you’re only answer is “because we’re supposed to”, think a little deeper. Your conference gifts should be designed to DO something for you. They may:- attract people to your table - make your brand more memorable to people -
- Ask to see his books -- you have the right to examine them. Ask him to provide job costing information so that you can see if the customers are profitable. Ask for a complete account history of all his customers. Ask to see them now, not at the end of the year. If he does not want to produce them, be prepared to call off the deal.
- I am leery about going a full year doing the work for him. Working together for a couple of months makes good sense and helps make the transaction smooth for the customer . . . but a year? If possible offer to reduce this time even if you have to pay some cash. A year is a long time and if things get awkward half way through, you will likely end up with the short end of the stick.
- Having said that put everything in writing whatever you decide to do. Record customer names, addresses, revenue and costs. Make sure the selling company agrees to help you with a smooth transaction ( ie by writing letters explaining the situation and assuring customers that quality will not drop ) and document this in the signed agreement too. As wel
Changing jobs ranks as one of the most stressful life events that people go through, and most of us will change jobs four to seven times during our lives. So, even if you've been down this road before, you want to be sure the time is right before you make the leap. After all, if it's going to be a life-changing, stressful event, you want it to be worth the effort, right?Challenging Your Comfort ZoneIt might seem like changing jobs should be more of a relief than a stressful process, but many people are reluctant to part with what's familiar. After all, you know what to expect in your current job even if you're bored with it. A new job might seem like a welcome or exciting endeavor, but it brings with it a lot of "what-ifs." What if the new boss is a tyrant? What if people don't like you or your ideas? What if the company decides to la
When you are trying to get your lawn care business to grow, there are many ways to gain new customers. A very simple yet often over looked method is to simply buy them from another lawn care operator. These ideas came from our free e-book Be A Lawn Care Business Rebel.
Instead of trying all these different tactics to gain new customers, what if you simply bought them from another company? Eric of Lepping Lawn & Landscape asked "Is there a basic valuation when buying an existing mowing business from another company? The company is reasonably large and would like to get out of the residential lawn business."
Joel Larusic of http://www.mowboy.com and author of Start and Run A Landscaping Business said "This is a very good question . . . one that comes up a lot. It is touched on in pages 63-64 of my book but I can give you the short answer here.
As a very general rule I would say that a residential customer is worth about the value of one month's revenue. However, it may be more or less depending on a several factors:
1 ) Where you live? In my area, residential customers are not all that hard to come by so it is not likely to go much higher than 1 month's revenue. If you live in a ‘tighter' area, be prepared to spend a little more.
2 ) Is there a signed contract? How long is the contract for ( 1 year, 2 years ). This will affect the price too.
3 ) How much do the customers spend in extras each year. If they spend a lot in extra work consistently then expect to pay a little more for them.
4 ) Are the customers new? In other words, what is the existing customer loyalty like. If they are new to the seller, they are likely to drop you after you buy them. If they have been around for a while they will likely trust the decision of the seller to have you take over.
In any case do your due diligence in researching the customers. Find out the answers to the above questions and ask for job costing information on each of the customers so you can see what the actual profit of the job is. Also ask for a complete accounting record for each customer ( do they pay on time? ). Work with the seller to come up with a suitable transfer period. At the least, have them write a letter of explanation/introduction. Ideally though, they would personally introduce you and perhaps even work side-by-side with your for a few weeks to ease the transition for the customer."
Bruce from Scott Maintenance Company asked "I am currently operating a business in which I am buying from another company who is getting out of the business. The selling price is the value of 1 year on a 2 year service contract in which I perform the service and the seller gets the money for that year. In return I get the balance of his customer list. The business gross per year is approx. $50,000 CDN. I am guessing that I am paying him about $9,000 for the 1 contract which is approx 1- large and 4 small properties. This deal is verbal only. I want to write up some form of "transfer" or "non-compete" agreement. If you have any comments I would appreciate them."
Joel LaRusic responded by saying "buying customers is a great way to build your business but there are some important things to consider.
I would use caution proceeding with your deal. Currently your seller is holding all the cards. I am assuming that, for the first year, you are doing the work and he is getting the money? ( as opposed to you getting the cheques and then paying him ). So he is in control of the money. As well, he has indicated only verbally that he will hand over all of his $50,000 in contracts at the end of the year. Short answer then is that you are smart to demand both a signed agreement regarding the conditions of the sale and a non-competition agreement. Consider these other points too.
- General rule of thumb for buying customers is that they are worth about 1 month revenue. If they are commercial you'll pay a little more and if there is a signed multi-year agreement in place ( which you said there is ) then this will push the price up too. So it could be worth as much as 2 or 3 months revenue depending on the situation.
- What about the other $40,000 worth of contracts? Are they commercial or residential? Are they long term customers or brand new ( the longer that the selling company has served the customer the more likely that the customer will trust that he or she is being treated fairly -- and will accept you as the new contractor ). The $9,000 you mentioned seems a little steep but it really boils down to the value of the other customers on his list.
- Ask to see his books -- you have the right to examine them. Ask him to provide job costing information so that you can see if the customers are profitable. Ask for a complete account history of all his customers. Ask to see them now, not at the end of the year. If he does not want to produce them, be prepared to call off the deal.
- I am leery about going a full year doing the work for him. Working together for a couple of months makes good sense and helps make the transaction smooth for the customer . . . but a year? If possible offer to reduce this time even if you have to pay some cash. A year is a long time and if things get awkward half way through, you will likely end up with the short end of the stick.
- Having said that put everything in writing whatever you decide to do. Record customer names, addresses, revenue and costs. Make sure the selling company agrees to help you with a smooth transaction ( ie by writing letters explaining the situation and assuring customers that quality will not drop ) and document this in the signed agreement too. As well
You may not be involved in Forex trading directly, but the fact remains that you are affected by what occurs in foreign exchange trading every day. Here are some examples of how this constant flow of currency trading makes an impact on your daily life.Perhaps the most obvious impact is that currency trading makes an impact on the price you pay for goods and services. Should you happen to live in a country where the comparative value of your currency falls in comparison to that of other countries, you could find yourself paying a higher price for items that you are used to purchasing at a relatively inexpensive rate. The reason is that the rate of exchange for imported goods would have changed and chances are the brunt of that change will be passed on to you, the consumer. These goods may include anything from petroleum products to underwear.
2 ) Is there a signed contract? How long is the contract for ( 1 year, 2 years ). This will affect the price too.
3 ) How much do the customers spend in extras each year. If they spend a lot in extra work consistently then expect to pay a little more for them.
4 ) Are the customers new? In other words, what is the existing customer loyalty like. If they are new to the seller, they are likely to drop you after you buy them. If they have been around for a while they will likely trust the decision of the seller to have you take over.
In any case do your due diligence in researching the customers. Find out the answers to the above questions and ask for job costing information on each of the customers so you can see what the actual profit of the job is. Also ask for a complete accounting record for each customer ( do they pay on time? ). Work with the seller to come up with a suitable transfer period. At the least, have them write a letter of explanation/introduction. Ideally though, they would personally introduce you and perhaps even work side-by-side with your for a few weeks to ease the transition for the customer."
Bruce from Scott Maintenance Company asked "I am currently operating a business in which I am buying from another company who is getting out of the business. The selling price is the value of 1 year on a 2 year service contract in which I perform the service and the seller gets the money for that year. In return I get the balance of his customer list. The business gross per year is approx. $50,000 CDN. I am guessing that I am paying him about $9,000 for the 1 contract which is approx 1- large and 4 small properties. This deal is verbal only. I want to write up some form of "transfer" or "non-compete" agreement. If you have any comments I would appreciate them."
Joel LaRusic responded by saying "buying customers is a great way to build your business but there are some important things to consider.
I would use caution proceeding with your deal. Currently your seller is holding all the cards. I am assuming that, for the first year, you are doing the work and he is getting the money? ( as opposed to you getting the cheques and then paying him ). So he is in control of the money. As well, he has indicated only verbally that he will hand over all of his $50,000 in contracts at the end of the year. Short answer then is that you are smart to demand both a signed agreement regarding the conditions of the sale and a non-competition agreement. Consider these other points too.
- General rule of thumb for buying customers is that they are worth about 1 month revenue. If they are commercial you'll pay a little more and if there is a signed multi-year agreement in place ( which you said there is ) then this will push the price up too. So it could be worth as much as 2 or 3 months revenue depending on the situation.
- What about the other $40,000 worth of contracts? Are they commercial or residential? Are they long term customers or brand new ( the longer that the selling company has served the customer the more likely that the customer will trust that he or she is being treated fairly -- and will accept you as the new contractor ). The $9,000 you mentioned seems a little steep but it really boils down to the value of the other customers on his list.
- Ask to see his books -- you have the right to examine them. Ask him to provide job costing information so that you can see if the customers are profitable. Ask for a complete account history of all his customers. Ask to see them now, not at the end of the year. If he does not want to produce them, be prepared to call off the deal.
- I am leery about going a full year doing the work for him. Working together for a couple of months makes good sense and helps make the transaction smooth for the customer . . . but a year? If possible offer to reduce this time even if you have to pay some cash. A year is a long time and if things get awkward half way through, you will likely end up with the short end of the stick.
- Having said that put everything in writing whatever you decide to do. Record customer names, addresses, revenue and costs. Make sure the selling company agrees to help you with a smooth transaction ( ie by writing letters explaining the situation and assuring customers that quality will not drop ) and document this in the signed agreement too. As wel
It's perhaps not worth blowing the whistle on governments and major corporations. Big business, international governance and even aspiring entrepreneurs have their part to play in an ever divergent world. I am going to tell you as a private investigator about the insider's vision of his business opportunity. Be assured that a private investigator will be banging his head against them all.I'm still just 49 but I've been at the sharp end of international private investigations for over 20 years. Yes, I spent my time serving court injunctions, tracing missing persons and debtors and whiling away my time on surveillance for one of the world's largest detective agencies. I also did it on my own for a while but then I moved into the serious business of international fraud and espionage.Firstly, I am in a position to name names that publicat
Bruce from Scott Maintenance Company asked "I am currently operating a business in which I am buying from another company who is getting out of the business. The selling price is the value of 1 year on a 2 year service contract in which I perform the service and the seller gets the money for that year. In return I get the balance of his customer list. The business gross per year is approx. $50,000 CDN. I am guessing that I am paying him about $9,000 for the 1 contract which is approx 1- large and 4 small properties. This deal is verbal only. I want to write up some form of "transfer" or "non-compete" agreement. If you have any comments I would appreciate them."
Joel LaRusic responded by saying "buying customers is a great way to build your business but there are some important things to consider.
I would use caution proceeding with your deal. Currently your seller is holding all the cards. I am assuming that, for the first year, you are doing the work and he is getting the money? ( as opposed to you getting the cheques and then paying him ). So he is in control of the money. As well, he has indicated only verbally that he will hand over all of his $50,000 in contracts at the end of the year. Short answer then is that you are smart to demand both a signed agreement regarding the conditions of the sale and a non-competition agreement. Consider these other points too.
- General rule of thumb for buying customers is that they are worth about 1 month revenue. If they are commercial you'll pay a little more and if there is a signed multi-year agreement in place ( which you said there is ) then this will push the price up too. So it could be worth as much as 2 or 3 months revenue depending on the situation.
- What about the other $40,000 worth of contracts? Are they commercial or residential? Are they long term customers or brand new ( the longer that the selling company has served the customer the more likely that the customer will trust that he or she is being treated fairly -- and will accept you as the new contractor ). The $9,000 you mentioned seems a little steep but it really boils down to the value of the other customers on his list.
- Ask to see his books -- you have the right to examine them. Ask him to provide job costing information so that you can see if the customers are profitable. Ask for a complete account history of all his customers. Ask to see them now, not at the end of the year. If he does not want to produce them, be prepared to call off the deal.
- I am leery about going a full year doing the work for him. Working together for a couple of months makes good sense and helps make the transaction smooth for the customer . . . but a year? If possible offer to reduce this time even if you have to pay some cash. A year is a long time and if things get awkward half way through, you will likely end up with the short end of the stick.
- Having said that put everything in writing whatever you decide to do. Record customer names, addresses, revenue and costs. Make sure the selling company agrees to help you with a smooth transaction ( ie by writing letters explaining the situation and assuring customers that quality will not drop ) and document this in the signed agreement too. As wel
An analysis of the annual reports and statistics of organizations across industries can help predict job trends in the short term. However, in an increasingly volatile economic situation that is susceptible to impact from unpredictable factors such as rising energy costs, inflation and the global political situation, such predictions can go awry. To a professional aspiring for career growth and enhanced job opportunities, this translates into the need for being always prepared in terms of equipping oneself with relevant skills and acquiring contemporary qualifications. When the economy is unfavorable and available job vacancies are disproportionate to the number of job seekers, an employer's primary emphasis in terms of eligibility parameters shifts to appropriate education from an accredited institute. In such a scenario, the benefit of acquiring
- General rule of thumb for buying customers is that they are worth about 1 month revenue. If they are commercial you'll pay a little more and if there is a signed multi-year agreement in place ( which you said there is ) then this will push the price up too. So it could be worth as much as 2 or 3 months revenue depending on the situation.
- What about the other $40,000 worth of contracts? Are they commercial or residential? Are they long term customers or brand new ( the longer that the selling company has served the customer the more likely that the customer will trust that he or she is being treated fairly -- and will accept you as the new contractor ). The $9,000 you mentioned seems a little steep but it really boils down to the value of the other customers on his list.
- Ask to see his books -- you have the right to examine them. Ask him to provide job costing information so that you can see if the customers are profitable. Ask for a complete account history of all his customers. Ask to see them now, not at the end of the year. If he does not want to produce them, be prepared to call off the deal.
- I am leery about going a full year doing the work for him. Working together for a couple of months makes good sense and helps make the transaction smooth for the customer . . . but a year? If possible offer to reduce this time even if you have to pay some cash. A year is a long time and if things get awkward half way through, you will likely end up with the short end of the stick.
- Having said that put everything in writing whatever you decide to do. Record customer names, addresses, revenue and costs. Make sure the selling company agrees to help you with a smooth transaction ( ie by writing letters explaining the situation and assuring customers that quality will not drop ) and document this in the signed agreement too. As wel
Search for a job. Your graduate degree will open many doors for you in the workplace. Research different career paths and find the one that's right for you. Look at current trends in the job market and check salary websites that can give you information on average income for that position.Once you've scoped out the general industry or position you'd like to work in, start your job search. Check the newspapers daily and peruse through job web sites.Job search web sites will be your best friend. It is the quickest and easiest ways to search for a position. You can search through hundreds of ads in seconds by using a keyword search. Type in a job position and pages of search results will pop up.You can also search by city or zip code. This is helpful if you have your heart set on working in a specific area. Maybe you want to stay
- Ask to see his books -- you have the right to examine them. Ask him to provide job costing information so that you can see if the customers are profitable. Ask for a complete account history of all his customers. Ask to see them now, not at the end of the year. If he does not want to produce them, be prepared to call off the deal.
- I am leery about going a full year doing the work for him. Working together for a couple of months makes good sense and helps make the transaction smooth for the customer . . . but a year? If possible offer to reduce this time even if you have to pay some cash. A year is a long time and if things get awkward half way through, you will likely end up with the short end of the stick.
- Having said that put everything in writing whatever you decide to do. Record customer names, addresses, revenue and costs. Make sure the selling company agrees to help you with a smooth transaction ( ie by writing letters explaining the situation and assuring customers that quality will not drop ) and document this in the signed agreement too. As well, as you mentioned, put that the selling company cannot compete against you ( at least for the customers on the list ) for 2 years or so.
There is a lot to consider and a lot to lose here so caution and prudence is key. If you have any doubt, talk to a lawyer and/or an accountant to help you with the deal."
Build the business of your dreams. Remember to Dream It, Build It, Gopher It.
For more info on starting and running your own successful lawn care business please visit our site at http://www.gophersoftware.com To learn more about the lawn care business watch our show GopherHaul and listen to our podcasts. All are free to download, visit http://www.gophergraphics.com For free lawn care marketing material such as flyers, door hangers, web templates and lawn care business contracts visit http://www.gophersoftware.com For a free 30 day trial download of our Gopher lawn care business billing and scheduling software visit http://www.gophersoftware.com
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