Mulch Your Way to a Better........anything!

[rutwad]

Hey guys. I have just purchased a new mulcher attachent head that mounts to the front of a tracked skid steer. It grinds/mulches it way through overgrown pastures, forestry trails, and trees up to 6". It's possibilities are almost endless from clearing property lines, fence rows, hunting/atv trails. lot clearing for residential or commercial useage, etc., etc. etc. I love running equipment and this one is especially cool. You can look back and REALLY see a huge difference. If you can't see the forest for the trees, have the trees mulched out of the way! Makes property more appealing to buyers, or just improves looks for current owners. I am excited about it, but I need to find some business. I've talked to others that mentioned placing fliers at intersections, but I'm not sure that's the best way. I was thinking of making fliers discussing what it does, show some before and after pics, and soliciting it to land realtors or developers.
What do you think may be my best way of advertising? It's not as easy as putting door hangers on houses advertising lawn services. This is new enough that I am scared that many people do not even realize this type of service is available, or it's potential.

Please help.

I've made a big investment, and it will prove to be either the best one or the worst one I've ever made. I am certainly hoping for the best.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

If you can't see the forest for the trees, have the trees mulched out of the way!

With your enthusiasm, I'm already sold. I just wish I had a forest of 6" trees that I could have you mulch for me.

Your best marketing is always word of mouth. Figure out the most likely applications for it and find someone who knows someone who knows someone and offer to demonstrate. You'll probably end up doing the first few jobs for free or at an "introductory price".

You're right, also, that this is not the kind of thing you're going to successfully market to average homeowners. Look into trade publications or post flyers at places where contractors, landscapers, and other "target customers" hang out.

You're probably going to need to invest a little more before your investment pays off. Make your flyers ads and posters good... None of this Handwritten on a note-book page with little scissor cut tear off tabs at the bottom with your phone number stuff. Go color. Have a pocket on or near the flyer with business cards. Consider a website that you reference on the business cards and flyers.

 

[daTeacha]

Check with your local newspaper for starters. Secondly, around here there are a couple of tabloid style publications that come free to everyone.

You might think about who your prospective clients are likely to be. Probably not your typical homeowner, but maybe a park district, riding place, or something like that. Visit the BBB, chamber of commerce, etc. and get as much information as you can about the various institutions nearby.

It seems to me you will need to develop your own market if you want to spend your time making trails. While there are not that many places or operations that need trails but don't have them, there might be quite a few that would like them but don't know it yet or have the idea sitting on a back burner. Think about how far you are willing to drive to do a job, what it will cost you per hour of working time and mile driven, and learn to make some good estimates that will be appealing to a prospective client while earning you a few bucks.

Think beyond trails and consider the possibility of turning a rough, brush and slash filled woods into something resembling a European parkland by mulching everything except the big trees. Then try to sell that picture to folks who live on/in wooded areas and want a little more open feeling to their homes but don't want to lose their shade and sense of being in the woods.

Good luck! If you become wildly successful, you can send commissions my way.

 

[hagman]

Rutwad,

Have you considered billboards? They are more affordable than most people think. I sell them for a living and can tell you with the right design you're sure to get a good response. Word of mouth is the best advertisement there is but it's limited. For someone like you just starting out you need to do some type of advertising. Hope this helps.

Hagman

 

[3RRL]

Any kind of advertising around town to start and like mentioned above.
Something like...
Got Grass?....I've got the Mulchies.

 

[kje383]

That sounds like something i could really use. What brand is it and what does something like that cost? 6" is a decent size tree to run over and mulch, impressive. kje

 

[MrJimi]

What ever you do, Don't run over and carwheels/tires, concrete blocks or old bed springs or steel pipes. I dont mean to scare you but its all junk that would be hidden in the brush
Jim

 

[rutwad]

kje, they are EXPENSIVE and expensive to run and maintain. If you want one for some personal work, you will probably have to hire somebody. It's hard to find a company that rents these.

Once I get started, I figure I owe it to myself to walk around the property to look for any hidden, unwanted items. I heard a horror story of a guy replacing his dozer tracks on some guys land. He left the old tracks and years later someone came in to mulch/clear the property. He almost immediately had to replace about a dozen carbide teeth once he found the old tracks.

 

[Duke4AZ]

Got one of those out here running interference for a couple of D8N's or T's or some such indication of large track dozer with a really large ripping bar and a cable feed on the back. Cute litte beast. Saw the mulching attachement and did not know what it was at first. Saw what it did to the arroyo thickets and was quite impressed. Pretty specialized piece and not something one would keep in the back of the barn and use once or twice a year. Good luck with her.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

A local land clearing contractor has a couple of those, as well as a couple much larger versions of the same. They're an integral unit, on tracks, and powered by a 400+HP diesel. I can't recall a brand name, other than hearing the owner recall how he had to have then shipped from Germany. He mentioned paying over $400,000 a piece for the big ones.

We have them clear ground for us prior to start-up on numerous jobs.

This isn't a service that's going to find a market in the classifieds normally. With your smaller unit (skid-steer mounted) you may get lucky there. II don't see targeting one-time customers as much as I see targeting potential "repeat business". Unfortunately, newspaper classifieds have almost priced themselves out of existance. We get the news via Louisville Kentucky's main newspaper. "Services offered"classifieds there run over $350 per 28 days on a 10-line columnar add. (About 35 words typically fills the space available)

I'd suggest mailers to general contractors, home builders, and maybe even real estate agents. Another potential market would be fence contractors.

Good luck! I'd bet you'll be busy in no time.