[dan deutekom]

I have noticed a lot of posts from newer companies that want to know how to find clients. Two or three recurring themes seem to repeat themselves.

1) How do I get work from New Home Builders?

2) How do I get work from Commercial businesses?

3) How do I get "High-end" contracts?

I have always found that the easiest and my most profitable sales are for smaller jobs that are just a set of steps, walkway and perhaps a drive etc. These are the easiest for a startup company to sell and do well. These are the type of jobs where a large investment is not required in equipment and material and they can be knocked off in a few days. They are great for learning the "ins and outs" of the business and you do not have to worry about waiting 60 to 90 days to get your money.

I have avoided builders like the plague because they are almost always driven by cheap price and they always try to use you as a bank.

Commercial work is fine if you can afford the waiting game for money and are willing to meet the usually demanding deadlines. Commercial work quite often involves bonding and other special considerations that a new company really can't afford

I would suggest that you start by looking for reasonable sized jobs in newer developments where people have been living for a year or two and have gotten past the financial hurdle of buying a new home and are ready to get rid of the builder installed preformed steps and patio slab walks. I would also look into older established subdivisions where the landscaping is getting old and tired. These quite often have people that have lived in the house for many years, have payed off the mortgage and have the disposable income to spend on revamping the landscape.

Start small, learn the ropes and make a good profit and eventually you will get the big jobs. (and you may find you don't really want them )

Any other thoughts from any one?

[bricknblock]

thanks for the advice, and it makes sense in a lot of ways...actually been thinking the same way for awhile, but those big jobs with the builders on the high-end homes look tempting, even if pay day is a bit down the road....although I'm new to completely running my own business, I've done the work for a number of years, unfortunately haven't had the oppurtunity to work on some of the high price jobs...but like you said, once I do, might not want to again...one more thing you mentioned that caught my eye, about hitting the "newer" homes that are already finished with landscaping...do you find that there really is the demand for these new home owners to replace what the builder had installed?

[dan deutekom]

I don't know about builders in your area but here a new house gets you a sodded yard, a prefab concrete step to the front door, patio slabs laid on soil to a gravel drive and nothing more. I forgot the obligatory, poorly placed tree in the front yard that is mandated by the City. After people have been settled for a year or so they have finished decorating inside and are ready to start outside.

[bricknblock]

the builders that I'm referring to are building houses that include the brickpaver driveways, retaining walls, and extensive landscaping...although I realize pay day may be delayed, and price is a great concern for them, the jobs appear to attractive enough to be worthy of some serious consideration...looking for an inside angle to conect with them

[dan deutekom]

Those kinds of builders are few and far between in my area but the few times that I have dealt with this type of job it has not been worth it. You end up in a time crunch because you are the last contractor in to do work but every other contractor is trying to get done before the closing date. The final grading usually isn't done until the last minute and if you try to start working before then you will be messed up. Then you are working around and under 5 other trades. You get something graded and ready to lay, go home for the evening and come back only to find that some jerk with a truck, scaffolding and some soffit to install has dug holes in your base so that the scaffold is level, has bits and pieces of junk in your base and set you back a day. Fix it up and then the painter, plumber and carpet layer screw you up. Don't kid yourself, the builder will just say "too bad" and "Why isn't your landscape done?!!!"

[Dale Wiley]

although I realize pay day may be delayed, and price is a great concern for them, the jobs appear to attractive enough to be worthy of some serious consideration

You have said the pay day delay about 3 times which indicates to me anyway you may have some concerns.

Can you carry $ 5,000 in labor and materials for 60 to 90 days ?? or until the reputable builder sells the house ??? 120 days ??

You would need a credit line or extra cash and a credit line will charge you at least 8% interest on that money. Right off your net profit.

Jobs may look attractive, but I can put lipstick on a pig and shes still a pig.

These builders have seen start up landscaPe companies come and go and most of them have made a pile of money on these landscpae company's by marking up the landscape and then rolling it into the loan package, which is a screw job for the home owner, but increase the builders margin by a LOT.

[bricknblock]

can't deny those of you who have experience, and that's why I'm here, to get a feel for those of you who have already been through what I should try to avoid...thank you for the responses

[agla]

I not understanding the thought process that accepts that the builder is the client for a landscape on a new house. Maybe the market is different in my area, but most houses have a homeowner before they are completed if not before a builder is hired. It sounds like spec homes might be the norm in other places.

I'd bypass the builder altogether and go directly to the homeowner. Again, that might not work in other places, but its worth a shot. There are places to research homeowners. I can find you the owner of a property in massachusetts in a matter of minutes if you give me an address. (I could probably do that for a property in Bricknblock's state if he were not one of the cryptic folks that won't give a location, LOL!).

When you work for the homeowner you have a lot more freedom, control, respect, and, let's not forget, profit than when you have a builder between you. If you act like the builder's worker, you'll be treated like the builder's worker. If you act like you are in charge of your work, you'll be treated like you are in charge of it.

If you do design build, it is best to get in before the lot is cleared. You can do that in the high end market by going after waterfront jobs (if you have waterfront in your market). These are usually regulated and have to go before conservation commissions and need plans developed by engineers. Often times, at least in my area, there needs to be some native planting plans to restore or enhance natural buffer areas. If that is the case in your area, you might offer to do inexpensive native planting plans for some of these engineers. This gets you initial contact with a client and you can approach them about CONTINUING the rest of the landscape. All things being equal, it makes sense for the homeowner to continue with you rather than finding a new landscape designer. It certainly helps if you have the knowledge, skills, and experience to design a complete landscape on paper for an as yet undeveloped site. Those of us in design/build know that when we sell a design, the closing rate on the construction work goes up exponentially.

If your plan is good and done before construction, the builder is having to work around your plan, or looking pretty bad if he is working against you.

[bricknblock]

alga, any tips you could send me personally would be greatly apprecialted, as you probably already know, I'm very new to running the business on my own. By the way, I'm in the Nashville area!