Some of my clients have begun to get Spring fever already. The phone has come to life, surprising for February. And there are many things you can do NOW, in anticipation of Spring. March 20th is the first day of Spring this year.

• Planning – come up with an overview of what needs to be accomplished in the landscape this season. Could be maintenance, renovations, or an entirely new design.
• Lawn preparations – get ready early with overseeding, or application of pre-emergent crabgrass treatments (P.S., you can’t do both at the same time)
• Spring cleanup – this is self -explanatory. Clean up last years’ leaves, dead grass, and branches that have fallen over the Winter.

Of course, we can help you with ALL of the above. If you are considering new plantings, this is the time to discuss it with us. The nurseries are beginning to prepare for the new season, and will start to receive their new plants some time in March. We can offer early pricing, and possibly arrange some extra discounts for orders placed early. But don’t delay. We don’t know for sure how long we can entice our vendors to give us extra savings, but we can pass these savings on to you if you act NOW.

I don’t like to complain, but sometimes you really need to let off steam. I’d like to warn all my friends, colleagues, and competition of my HORRIBLE experiences with YellowPages.com.

These folks promised me the world. New business, more calls than I could handle, etc. Guess what I got? Zip, zilch, zero, nada. I would have been better off giving all that hard-earned money to charity, for all the good it did me.

I won’t name names, but my sales rep was non-existent from the time I signed the contract, until just after I called to cancel. Plus for all their promise, I couldn’t find my own website thru the search engines, no matter what I typed in for a search. Now, I may not be a computer expert, but neither are my clients. And I can certainly find things when I search on the Web.

I figured, if I can’t find me, neither can prospective clients.

The folks at YPC insisted that I was indeed receiving all the clicks I was paying for, and their reports backed up their claims. Folks, the proof is in the pudding. To me, Zero calls means Zero success. They did admit to a small problem, which they supposedly corrected, but still no new business. At least from them.

If I thought it would do me any good, I’d sue them. But that’s just throwing good money after bad.

Friends, there’s an old business adage that says, ” If you’re happy with someone’s work, you’ll tell 2 or 3 people. If you’re unhappy, you’ll tell 10.” Well I’m trying to reach as many people as possible to tell them “Save your money, don’t use YellowPages.com!!!”

Think I’m unhappy? Not as unhappy as YPC once this ball gets rolling. Pass this info on to those you know. Thanks for letting me vent.

Post Script 2/21/09 I’m now with an Internet service that has, in ONLY 2 WEEKS, done what YPC couldn’t do in a full year! My company shows up on almost EVERY search, that’s 9 out of 10 times, within my keyword parameters. Why couldn’t YOU do that, YPC??