You want what works? Be an active marketer and not a passive marketer. This makes all the difference in the world. Refer to my other post on this subject if you want more information and a better clear example.

Let me try and give you some examples and tips on what I would do in your same shoes to get your business started and off the ground running.

- The first step is to create a USP. This stands for Unique Selling Propisition. It is sort of like a mission statement for your company. It basically tells exactly what your company is and what makes you unique and different from everyone else. It does this in 2 sentences or less. This really helps you to stay focused through out your marketing by ,aking sure your materials fall directly inline with your USP.

- You will need a logo and coporate identity and materials that are of HIGH QUALITY. Do not skimp here by designing it yourself or having a friend design it. You need a professional designer to design the mark based upon the knowledge of your copmany and the target market your trying to reach. The first impression you make on suspects and prospects is often in the materials you send out.

- Get yourself a computer and a cell phone. You will want your clients to be able to reach you and get ahold of you when they want to and not have a problem doing so. Your computer should also have a contact management software on it like a program I use called ACT. This really helps you to know your leads, clients and sales and can help you do mail merging all in one step. It is essential to running a good business.

- Have a website designed. A website is a store open 24/7 and can really work for you if it is done right.

- Make sure your marketing materials do NOT just state the features of your services but also states the benefits. This is super important. Yes your service can provide leaf racking, mowing services, trimmed hedges.. BUT HOW DOES THIS BENEFIT THE CUSTOMER? If you state how it can directly benefit the customer, then you start to become a "solutions provider" in their eyes and not just a product to them. This increases your value and your worth to them.

- Newspaper ads are a passive form of marketing as are Flyers. They can be used and should be if they are placed in areas and in magazines that your target market reads and uses on a daily basis. But, learn how to ACTIVELY market and you will have the customers a lot sooner and more of them. (see my passive vs active marketing article for more info.) This makes a HUGE difference if you can change your way of thinking around by doing marketing in this manner.

- Marketing does NOT have to cost you a small fortune. There are so mahy things you can do right now at no cost to you at all. It is a matter of learning to figure those out and I can help you with that if you would like. Not a problem at all.

Lots of good ideas for you Bluefalcon!! This site pops up "jewels" of information in every forum! Eileens link brought an old formula to mind.
A-I-D-A is a sales progress - in its simplest form.

ATTENTION- get prospect's attention

INTEREST- arouse their curiousity

DESIRE- free offers are typically looked at as a trick, but for a landscaping maintenance company...brilliant marketing!

Personally I'd suggest the personal approach with your flyers, knocking and introducing yourself. It's harder on the psyche to risk rejection at the door, but you will get better results.

Hopefully, most of your prospects will already have a landscape maintenance company. Some will LOVE the opportunity to tell someone about the lousy service they think their getting from their existing maintenance company... (mow and blowers) - listen to them, have empathy not sympathy, and add -> "you'd be surprised how many people tell me that same thing..."

Others may be satisfied with their maintenance, or at least say they are - Don't give up there... offer this advice in your own words...

"You may be satisfied with the maintenance you are already getting, but if you take me up on my free offer, even if you don't decide to change to my company, your current maintenance company won't take you for granted in the future and you'll probably get an even better job from them.