DEmarey landscaping
The concept of DeMarey Landscaping all evolved from my actions as an 11 year old girl. I handed out flyers titled “Odd Jobs” looking for a way to earn some money. I was determined to show that I was responsible. My first client called because he was impressed to see such a young girl looking for work and started to refer my services to his friends.
By freshman year in high school I was experiencing such a demand for lawn care services that hired my first employee. By freshman year of college I employed 6 people, purchased my own truck and trailer and refreshed the image of the company (scroll further to see the business unfold).
DeMarey Landscaping is now fully insured with eight employees. The technology of today allows me to oversee the progress of each job, electronically track employee time cards, communicate with customers and monitor accounts receivable and payable. For the past 6 years I have been able to run the business from afar and DeMarey Landscaping has continued to grow.
My Demarey landscaping experience
Founded and currently manage a growing landscaping company with 8 employees and 300+ client accounts
Developed corporate brand identity for print, website (demareylandscaping.com), vehicles and apparel
Hire and train employees, compile monthly employee evaluations, motivate staff and manage the job sites
Write estimates, communicate with clients on a daily basis, solve daily complications, as well as invoicing and bookkeeping for the business
Generate new leads by creating monthly mailings sent to 5,000 homeowners in targeted areas, weekly social media posts and website updates, and create strong customer relationships through client follow-up
Brand concept - kali the bird
When I realized DeMarey Landscaping was rapidly growing, I decided it was time to re-brand. My first logo was nice, but nothing very catchy. I wanted to demonstrate that we were professional and preformed quality work, but I also wanted the design to be welcoming with a flare of girl power. This is where our icon, Kali the bird, came into play. Kali was named after our first customer, Gary Mayer. Without Mr. Mayer's referrals, the business would have never blossomed. Kali, the female representation of Gary, represents time, change, power and creation. With the help of a graphic designer, I was able to put my thoughts on paper and design the bird shown below. Aside from our main logo of grass and a few pink flowers, we make sure to include Kali for a more welcoming touch. On most of the marketing pieces for DeMarey Landscaping, you will find our bird icon doing something to grab customers' attention.
EQUIPMENT branding
I wanted to use the trailer as a 'mobile billboard' but wanted the phone number to be the main call to action. After doing some market research and looking at my competitors, I realized that I wanted to step outside of the typical red and black landscape design in order to catch consumers attention.
The result was fresh and fun. Many clients have mentioned that the unique brand identity got them to pick up the phone. With the call to action visible from every angle, business boomed.
mailings
After establishing a strong client base and a handful of weekly accounts, we targeted customers around the areas we typically provide services. The less travel time spent between jobs, the higher our daily profit. I came up with a seasonal mailing system and with the help of a graphic designer, I created 5 separate postcards that would be mailed during strategic times. We now send our postcards each season to over 5,000 consumers.
Green Postcard (March)
Created to get clients thinking about their spring clean up plans and to help open the lines of communication with our clients from the previous year.
Pink Postcard (April)
Targets new clients who want an outdoor area to enjoy when the weather starts warming up.
Blue Postcard (June)
Targets clients who would rather spend their limited free time relaxing with their families. This helps promote our weekly lawn care services when consumers are on vacation.
Orange Postcard (September/October)
Mailed out when the leaves start to turn colors. Every year the leaves change at a different time, so we print the postcards in advance and the distribution house waits for a call from us before releasing the mailing. This mailing targets clients who simply have grown tired of maintaining their property and do not have the time to deal with leaves.
Yellow Postcard (December)
Mailed out when the season comes to an end. This mailing is a thank you to our clients. Our referral promotion reinforces positive customer relations, aids in customer loyalty and encourages word of mouth publicity.
Promotional material
Business cards, stickers, custom flower pots for sponsored events, gift cards, lawn signs and more.
Uniforms
Our most recent addition to our marketing plan was the the design and use of uniforms. After shopping around for the right company to produce our designs, we decided that we were going to need a lot more gear than just a basic t-shirt. We currently provide our employees with t-shirts, long-sleeves, crew necks, hooded sweatshirts, mesh hats and DeMarey Landscaping baseball caps.
PHILANTHROPY
We love giving back to the community that has given us so much. Each year we support a number of causes, here’s a snapshot of some of our efforts!
Sponsoring the Student vs. Faculty basketball game at our local high school
Donating a basket of herbs, planters and gift cards to a Silent Auction that benefits the Ultimate Party. This is an event on the night of high school graduation to prevent underage drinking and driving
Giving water, candy bags and herb planters to the Above the Influence walk that is put on by high school students
STOMP Project supporter: Middle school students working on minimizing plastics and educating their families about single use plastic issues. Students held informational sessions, picked up trash throughout the community, developing an environmental club, drinking straw fundraiser and more
Landscaping service gift cards for the Minnechaug high school football team calendar square giveaway
Lawn care services for local families experiences crises or hardship - We are currently in the process of turning this idea into a community service club called "Plant It Forward" at the local high school. Students will work with DeMarey Landscaping to do projects for families in need such as lawn clean-ups for elderly, garden installation for those needing their days brightened after losing a family member, or in other situations, ongoing weekly lawn care.
Working with the Girl Scouts and educating young girls about women in business, business ownership and women empowerment.
