[WaterWerks Design]

I've been in landscaping business for a couple years now, tired the printed ad, online ads, the yellowpages,craigslist..and a website...whats seems to work the best for everyone else?...I'm located in NJ and was wondering what worked for everyone else, and where to put my advertising dollars this spring...

[NCSULandscaper]

newspaper ad and a website, with the majority referrals.......every year i reduce the amount of advertising i do because referrals increase

[Tanya]

Seems like the way is with a website and a blog if you can make the time to post regularly, but the best thing for me was to join a networking group. I joined BNI, Business Networking International, a couple of years ago and have gotten 30% of my businesses there. Granted, I belong to a very good group, so make sure to check them out before you join. Also, I'm setting up coffee dates with local architects, just cold calling them, to establish relationships.
Hope this helps!

[WaterWerks Design]

Tanya,
I never heard of a network group like that before, I'm going to look into that...I've been wanting to approarch a landscape architect but I just never knew how..

[papercutter]

WWD- I've been doing BNI since July, and it's worked out pretty well. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that they're serious about the attendance policy. More than three absences in a six month period, and they open your seat up (I mean they make your category available. I realized that it also sounds like a euphemism for reaming you out). A lot of contractors end up bailing, so make sure a) you like the group and b) the meeting time works for you. For example, mine meets at noon on Tuesdays. Most of the time, it's not a problem, but last week a delivery was late to a jobsite I was on 90 minutes away. Couldn't exactly bail on my contractor, so there was an absence.

As for getting business, what I do is more specialized than the guys offering full service, so I don't expect a ton of referrals. But the ones I do get are good, so I don't spend a lot of time chasing my tail with tirekickers.

[WaterWerks Design]

PaperCutter:
Yea I think I am going to look into that netwroking group. Weeding out the "tirekickers" would be great..It seems like people do not know what cost to expect when building a water garden..I cut down on the customers getting sticker shock would greatly reduce my time and gas.

[papercutter]

Cool, I look forward to hearing how it goes.

For weeding out the folks who are going to freak at the cost, I've seen some guys actually include sample pricing in their marketing materials/ websites. So it'll have say a drawing of an 8x10 pond, a generic list of parts (pump, skimmer, waterfall box, etc.) and then say "starting from $XXXX." That way you're not driving out to see the guy who thinks a 12x20 with 20 ft of streambed should cost $5K, you know?

[agla]

I just sat in as a guest at a BNI meeting on Wednesday for my day job. My brother is a landscape contractor and has done well by being a member for the last few years.

[WaterWerks Design]

Is there any kind of membership dues?...

[papercutter]

It's not cheap. I think the national average is around $300/year (northern VA is $330), plus $100 application fee and then whatever the cost of the meal is each week.

[agla]

That is the exact amount in my area as well.

[WaterWerks Design]

Thats not to bad verus spending thousands on print media, if it proves to be fruitful it makes it worth it...plus you gotta eat anyways..

[papercutter]

Very true. I've done various leadshare and networking groups, and what I like best about BNI is the educational component. They teach you how to network effectively, which is a skill that obviously carries beyond the meetings.