How to get leads and close clients when starting a land clearing business?
What are people's experience with starting a new land clear business in the lower mainland in British Columbia. What are the best ways to get my business out there and start collecting real leads. And what are peoples' tried and true method to close leads.What to do when it won't stop raining, and all your upcoming jobs rely on dry weather?
Hey everyone, my name is Justin and I own and operate Father's Land Rescue. We primarily work outside, in the elements, every day. When the ground is too wet, we are unable to bring in our heavy equipment. Due to the unpredictable, rainy Ohio weather, we have had to move jobs daily and weekly, according to the upcoming predicted weather, which constantly changes. We try to use the rainy days for outside marketing and research, but have had more rainy days than dry. We rent most of our equipment, due to the unpredictable constant rain, we are constantly changing our rental date requests. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to better manage outdoor jobs dependent on the weather?
The $10,000 Flush: Why Your "Flushable" Wipes are Killing Your Septic System
We see it every week. A homeowner calls us out for a backup, swearing they’ve done everything right. They don't put grease down the drain, they don't use the garbage disposal, and they even use those expensive "septic-safe" additives they found at the big-box store. Then we open the tank. What do we find? A "mat" of flushable wipes that looks like a wet wool sweater and a system that is literally choking to death. At First Turn Grading & Septic, we’re tired of seeing good people waste thousands of dollars because of clever marketing. It’s time to set the record straight. The "Flushable" Lie Manufacturers can call a wipe "flushable" simply because it disappears when you pull the handle. That doesn't mean it breaks down. Unlike toilet paper, which is designed to dissolve in seconds, these wipes are reinforced with plastic or synthetic fibers. In a septic tank, they don't disintegrate. They float, they clog your inlet pipe, and eventually, they make their way into your drain field. Once they’re in the drain field, you aren't looking at a simple pumping job anymore—you're looking at a full system replacement. Stop "Seeding" Your Tank with Junk We’ve heard it all: "Flush a dead mouse," "Add a packet of yeast," or "Use this monthly chemical booster." Here is the truth: Your body provides all the bacteria your septic tank needs. Most additives actually do more harm than good by breaking down solids too much, suspended them in the liquid, and allowing them to flow into your drain field pipes where they cause permanent clogs. The Only Three Things You Should Flush If it isn't one of these three things, it belongs in the trash can: **bleep** Poop Paper (Toilet paper only!) Let’s Settle This in the Comments: We know some of you swear by your additives or "flushable" wipes. Have you ever had a tech tell you your tank was "clean" while using them? Or have you been the victim of a "flushable wipe" backup? Drop a comment below—tell us your worst septic horror story or tell us why we’re wrong about the wipes! We respond to every single one.
What’s Actually Working for Marketing in 2026? 🚜📈
Trying to figure out what actually works for marketing a small service business in 2026 feels like throwing darts blindfolded sometimes. 😅 Facebook boosts? Marketplace? Reels? Before & after photos? Community groups? Google Business? Word of mouth? Door hangers? I run a veteran-owned rural property management company in New Brunswick, Canada, and I’m curious what’s genuinely bringing people, real customers lately — not just likes and views. For the people actually getting calls and booked jobs: • What’s been your most successful marketing approach? • What gives the best ROI for a small budget? • What completely flopped for you? • Are you finding people respond more to personality/branding or straight-up service ads and pricing? Would love to hear real experiences from other small business owners and operators. 🚜🔥
Forecasting in Jobber Feels Impossible — What Are Other Companies Doing?
Has anyone figured out a solid way to forecast monthly, quarterly, and yearly revenue inside Jobber? Ever since switching to Jobber, we’ve felt completely in the dark when it comes to forecasting and planning. We base a lot of our company goals around projected monthly, quarterly, and yearly revenue, but the reporting tools seem heavily focused on completed work only — not future scheduled work. We’ve tried: Pulling Visits reports (not very accurate for forecasting revenue) Separating recurring vs one-off work (also not very accurate) Looking through Insights/dashboard reports But we still can’t get a clear picture of: Forecasted revenue Upcoming scheduled revenue Total jobs scheduled for future months/quarters Number of jobs completed vs upcoming How many jobs we’re actually doing each month Ideally, we’d love to see: Revenue projections based on scheduled visits/jobs Monthly/quarterly/yearly forecasting Scheduled vs unscheduled work totals Job counts by month A future-facing reporting dashboard Right now it feels like all the reports only show historical/completed numbers, which makes planning really frustrating. What are other companies doing for forecasting inside Jobber? Are you using a workaround, exporting reports to spreadsheets, integrating with another software, or using a marketplace app? Would really appreciate hearing how others are handling this because we can’t be the only company struggling with this.What mistake forced you to completely change how you ran your business?
One of the biggest mistakes I made happened during my second year in business. I landed a commercial account that included 5 different properties. At the time, it felt huge. The contract was worth around $5,000/month, which was a massive opportunity for where my business was at back then. I wanted badly to prove we could handle it. The problem was: I agreed to expectations and operational demands that I was not fully prepared to deliver consistently. A lot of it was my fault. I was so focused on landing the account that I did not slow down enough to think through: route logistics communication expectations quality control reporting updates to the property manager scheduling conflicts with my current clients what happens when issues come up across multiple locations at once Eventually, things started slipping. And once trust starts slipping on commercial accounts, it usually compounds fast. We ended up losing the account. At the time, it felt devastating. But honestly, losing that contract forced me to fix a lot of weaknesses in the business that I probably would have ignored much longer otherwise. That experience changed how we handle commercial work completely. We started implementing: clearer onboarding expectations documented scopes of work completion verification per visit better communication with stakeholders clearer escalation procedures when problems happen It also changed how I look at growth. More revenue only helps if the operation underneath it can actually support it consistently. I still think about that account sometimes because I know we could handle it much differently today than we did back then. I'm interested to hear what mistakes ended up forcing positive operational changes for other owners. What failure exposed a weakness in your business that you eventually fixed?Has anyone jumped out and made their business full time?
Has anyone jumped off the deep end and made their buisness full time I want to I just dont have the equipment to run through the winter! Like a dump trailer for clean up, skid steer, stump grinder, or a small mini x. Can anyone help to find resources for used equipment? I'm trying to save up to make this happen!Roll call! Meet & introduce yourself to other Green & Exterior Service pros
If you’ve ever thought, “How are other businesses like mine handling this?” you’re in the right place! This space is for Green & Exterior Service pros to connect, compare notes, and talk shop with others who understand the day-to-day realities of running your type of business. 👋 Introduce Yourself Drop a comment and tell us: Your name Business name Industry Years in business Location (City/State/Province) Let us know if you’re joining us for LIVE networking on March 17 (more details below) The more context you share, the better connections you’ll make. 🙌 Pro tip: Search your city or state in the forum to easily find other pros in your area. 📅 Want to connect LIVE? We’re running a pilot to host virtual weekly LIVE Industry Networking starting on March 17, running until April 7. If you’d be interested in joining for the first or following sessions (don’t need to commit to all but you're welcome to join!), make sure to let us know in the comments. 🤝 Culture of this space Think of this forum board like a room full of peers who understand your world. Share what’s working. Ask real questions. Talk through challenges. The goal is to power your success and raise the standard of home service industries together. 💬 Looking for conversation starters? This space works best when conversations are industry-specific and experience-based. You might jump in with something like: “How are other [industry] pros pricing this service right now?” “Is anyone else seeing this shift in their market?” “What’s been working for you when it comes to ____?" 🤔 Why are industries grouped together? We’ve intentionally clustered similar industries to keep conversations active and relevant. These groupings reflect shared business models, operational challenges, and pricing conversations so you can learn from peers who “get it,” even if they’re not in your exact trade. If your question applies to all home service businesses, feel free to post in our broader forum boards. Pro tip: Check out the industry tags to get even more specific Looking forward to seeing this space come to life. 🚀You down with PPE? Yeah, you know me!
Google AI explains it as "Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) refers to any clothing or equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards in the workplace and protect the wearer's health and safety. PPE is considered the last line of defense when other controls cannot eliminate or reduce the hazard adequately." I've always viewed personal protective equipment (PPE) as my primary shield for staying safe and healthy on the job. With machinery that can spin at speeds up to 10,000 RPM, it’s essential to prioritize my protection. What about you? What PPE do you typically use in your work? For me, I rely on: Ear protection: Since most of our tools operate at high decibel levels, it’s crucial to safeguard my hearing. I personally prefer foam earplugs over earmuffs for comfort. Eye protection: When handling equipment like line trimmers, mowers, chainsaws, and blowers, debris can go flying everywhere. I want to ensure my eyes stay safe from any potential hazards. Safety boots: I opt for high-rise boots with steel or composite toes and plates to protect my feet. Long pants: These are important for shielding my legs from rocks and other materials that can become projectiles. Sun hat: Keeping my head and shoulders covered helps shield me from the sun's rays while I work. Remember, taking these precautions not only keeps us safe but also helps us enjoy our work without worry! One more important type of PPE—at least in my view—is knowledge! It’s really vital to have as many staff members trained in First Aid as possible.
