craigslist ads

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I wouldn't say that. It's just another means of marketing and advertising your business. If it works then use it by all means.

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That's how I see it. You don't have to lower your professional standards or your prices. Write your ad to emphasize your qualifications and explain the difference between aborists and hacks. There are plenty of affluent, well informed people who use Craig's List to find services.

With a little HTML you can distinguish yourself from the guys who can't use a spell checker by embedding a picture or a banner in the ad. Have a link to your website in the ad but you might want to avoid including your email address. The spammers cruise and scam CL for email addresses.

Craig's list, Angie's List and Google Ad words account for at least half of my new customers every month.
 
Perhaps a posting to CL to inform consumers about legal requirements of a legit business is in order.

Further, offer some advise and resources, such as www.treesaregood.org from ISA which offers links for consumer information for hiring a good service. Explain why its important to hire a professional who is trained in tree biology, etc, etc.

Also, before you report people to the authorities, people that are trying hard to make their rent or mortgage, you could give a warning that those who continue to post as legitimate businesses after "x" date, will be reported.

You don't want to be undercut by these people, they don't want more financial concerns.

Advertise yourself as a professional and not a hack. You will get the customers that your want, and less calls from the ones that just want the cheapest price possible, credentials or not.
 
I've used Angie's List for looking up contractors and checking out which tree services are listed there and the reviews they have received. If your clients liked your work ask them to post a review on Angie's List. It is a pay site for the end user not the contractors but it is worth the money.
 
Heres one from Austin, enjoy:

Reply to: serv-895800508@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-10-27, 4:18PM CDT



Full service Tree and landscaping company.

Tree Services include:
Trimming, Pruning, Removals, roof raises, Ball moss removal, stump grinding, and Oak wilt treatment/prevention.


Landscaping Services include: Planting, Flower beds, walkways, Stone, and rock work, Sod installation, and irrigation.

Please call David for an estimate at (512) 216-0595

* we are insured for your protection




Location: Austin and surrounding
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

License info: licensed
 
I'm a certified arborist with the state, I have the proper insurance, I pay my taxes. Do I have a clean cut crew? nope... Do I use contracts? not really... I prefer a handshake, or e-mail confirmation, "Just do it" or whatever... Do I top trees? nope. Do I spike prunes? nope. When I say I am going to do something, do I do it? Yes. Am I reliable? Yes. I like having an informal business...

As for bartering... I've done it in the past with mixed success. Right now I have only 1 person whom I barter with on a semi regular basis. The guy owns a bar / restaurant which I go to on weeekends. He's got some beautiful trees on the property, and when I get bored I'll go over there and prune, or do some BS removals where all I have to do is get it on the ground. Each time I go there and do something I get money put on a house account... plus I can dump chips over there as well as wood. Go in on Saturday night for a nice filet mignon, or crab or lobster, or whatever else my heart desires... just have to leave a tip.
 
Hi you deliver the goods and have established a reputation that allows you the leeway to do things the way you do. It takes time to develop that. Good on ya!
 
I see nothing wrong with CL. I use it. Yes, lots of hacks work to score a quick buck on CL. It's a buyer beware sort of situation. Responsible consumers know what to look for in things that they invest in, such as tree work. If Sally Cheapskate wants to take the cheap and easy route with some weekend warrior on CL, its on her.
I myself advertise on Craigslist. I sell firewood left and right on there and have landed some excellent tree jobs from there. I own a professional legitimate tree service and I use as many avenues of advertisement as i can. In fact, we will be doing a large high dollar job next week for some folks that found us on CL. They are from another state and own a vacation house in my area and found my ad on there. So, it worked for everyone involved.
As for bartering...America was founded on a whole lot of that. I dont know when that became a bad thing. I cant see going through an entire career in this business and being so rigid that i would never swap a little work for something I could use outside of money. heck i remember clearly getting an engine put in a chipper of mine in exchange for some work. If a rod went through the oil pan in your chipper would you insist that you pay for it out of pocket?
 
wow relax dude youll have a stroke let the wanna be arborist screw themselves give them enough rope they will hang themselves. i would barter for carpenters etc
 
Greetings, I appreciate this discussion. I am just starting my business and I, for one, seek the integrity. I believe if you have integrity, your business will prosper. Yah, I'm an idealist. Though, I was waffling about getting my llc right away or not, not understanding all the above-mentioned dynamics and figuring it could wait a few months as I test the market - now I'm convinced I should just jump in and get the license. Thanks for the education.
 
On the day I went to get a license from a major city (1,000,000 people)I didn't have my ID. so My wife, who rarely does anything except carry tag lines and sandwiches, took the test (without any prep) and passed it. the nice lady said, only one member of the crew needs a lic. so...that's how good the license is.
 
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I don't know why, but it burns me up when I see tree trimming ads on craigslist.

In Oregon, you are required to be licensed, bonded, and insured.

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I've never got any work off Craigslist, nor expect to. But I post occassionally just because I know other companies doing work browse the section.

Before the ad posts though, a box requires a license number.

I guess folks could like about that part - seen it happen before. I'd never hire off Craigslist myself.

Use it monthly to give free stuff away though. Today in fact. Second time I've posted a dozen free concrete pier blocks.

Like you said, I've seen a lot of postings that looked questionable.
 
I've recently been turned on to angieslist.com. If I understand it correctly, a customer can post a positive or negative response about the company and weather or not they would hire them again. It critiques you on estimates, weather the job was done on time, if the estimate was accurate and overal professionalism. Then they ask if you would hire them again.

My boss received a call from someone at angies list telling him that there was a couple of positive reviews and gave him a temporary pass to read them, after reading the reviews and hearing the womans sales pitch my boss decided to give it a shot. Those who offer coupons are put at the top of the list. All of the more reputable tree companies in my area were on there (we, c&c has a good review, cameron, so does your company, barlett does as well)

Basically, the homeowner pays a small fee to have access to the reviews and information so that they can make a smart decision on what contractor to pick for there particular job. I don't know if we've got any jobs from it yet but it looks promising and only costs 30 bucks per month for a contractor.
 
Angie's list is good in the right areas. Four of the last six jobs I've booked were AL customers. In major markets it's medium pricey to be at the top of the list, $160/month here. It doesn't help being at the top without plenty of reports either.

The thing about Angie's List, the customers are pre-qualified. No jerk arounds.
 
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I've recently been turned on to angieslist.com. If I understand it correctly, a customer can post a positive or negative response about the company and weather or not they would hire them again. It critiques you on estimates, weather the job was done on time, if the estimate was accurate and overal professionalism. Then they ask if you would hire them again.

My boss received a call from someone at angies list telling him that there was a couple of positive reviews and gave him a temporary pass to read them, after reading the reviews and hearing the womans sales pitch my boss decided to give it a shot. Those who offer coupons are put at the top of the list. All of the more reputable tree companies in my area were on there (we, c&c has a good review, cameron, so does your company, barlett does as well)

Basically, the homeowner pays a small fee to have access to the reviews and information so that they can make a smart decision on what contractor to pick for there particular job. I don't know if we've got any jobs from it yet but it looks promising and only costs 30 bucks per month for a contractor.

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I struck out hard with angies list. I signed up for a year to be at the top of the list, and it cost me over $2000. Guess what? Not a single lead came out of it. The one thing about angies list: It almost seems kind of scam like. You have to gain reviews (reports), and most people go off how many reports you have. But, to get people to submit reports, they have to be a MEMBER of angies list. So, not only do you now have to try to sell your service, but you have to sell angies to the client so they can write a report on you.

Funny.... I actually did get a job off angies before I was paying to be on top. Once I paid, I got nothing, not even one call.
 
There is a local company here in RI that has big overhead and lots of nice equipment, and he'll take down just about any tree for $ to subsidize/justify the investment. Don't even get me started about the offenses and unwarranted removals... Many many repeat situations, and EVERYONE in our local industry knows about him. 'Nuff said.

Anyway, I got an email that I had been reviewed on Angie's list, so went to check it out. Cool! A couple good reviews! I decided to check out the other local companies reviewed on there, an lo and behold, there's my favorite local tree killer. A few good reviews (all looked contrived), and then a couple bad ones, followed by a few more bad ones, giving him a 'C' rating. Wouldn't you know it, the next day or two, a bunch of 'clients' came on to praise this guy (this looked really contrived), and brought his rating back out of the cellar. Seems to me, this is a flawed system, and I want no part of it. If I happen to get a good review, so be it, but I'm not going to pay to play on a clearly compromised playing field.

-Tom
 
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