How We Do It: March 2001, Pursuing A Market Niche At Forsyth Lawn Co.

That year, people were starting to build upscale homes ranging in price from $200,000 to $1 million in the Forsyth, Ill., area, and these were the customers I wanted to build my business around. I knew if I was going to pursue this market, I had to offer the very best in service so that I could stand out among my competitors, especially since I planned on charging a higher price for my service. In fact, I charge approximately $20 per hour more than my competition.

To capture this market, I created a mowing system focused on mowing, trimming, edging and blowing clients’ properties. I mow the turf 3¼ to 3½ inches high during the mowing season until September, when I switch to a 3-inch cutting height. But the real key, and my signature approach, is the way I edge lawns.

To edge my clients’ properties, I use a trim mower first to create the edge. Then I use a 60-inch mower to mow the lawn, without breaking the edge. I put the right side wheel next to the sidewalk so it stands straight. The edge is mowed 3¾ inches to make it noticeable so it stands out.

I also rotate my cuts, but remain with the flow of traffic on the street when I’m mowing. This way there is no pattern on the lawn. People driving by can’t follow the tracks of the mower from the vehicle to the horizon.

The end result is a cleaner, sharper, more professional look, which also says something about my company’s image. When clients see a lawn with that distinctive edge, they know I care for it, and when their friends ask about this landscape look, they recommend me to them.

To emphasize my unique approach, I came up with a company slogan: "Our edge is the difference." I put this slogan on my business cards and on the green coffee mugs that I give to all new clients. Mugs were a better way to get my message out than something like pens and pencils because mugs are used over and over again while pens are just thrown away or lost.

Even if the client’s property is fairly good-looking when I arrive, I try to make sure that it looks even better when I leave. I’ve had realtors tell me this manicured look adds as much as 12 to 18 percent of value to my clients’ properties.

Because this approach takes more time and focuses on the final appearance of the properties, I can only maintain approximately 40 clients and $100,000 to $200,000 in revenue, but I retain almost all of my clients annually, and most of them tell me it’s because of my unique approach. I also replace the clients I lose every year with referrals from other clients.

In addition to this specific look, I try to build trust with my clients. I carry $3 million in liability insurance so that anyone using my equipment on their properties is covered. If damage occurs to the home or a person in a client’s yard due to a rock flying from one of my mowers, or some sort of damage occurs while I’m on the property, I want to be the one to take full responsibility for that. Homeowner’s insurance may cover incidents like this, but if a damage claim settlement falls on the responsibility of my client and not me, he or she will not trust me with his or her property in the future, and this is something I want to avoid.

When caring for clients’ properties, I try to do the best job I can. What better way to do this than to have a unique, appealing way of maintaining their properties. And by selling this approach, I am making a name for myself in the local landscape industry.