When I started Bear Claw Land Services, I didn’t have a crew, fancy branding, or a big equipment lineup. I had my personal truck, a trailer I already owned, and a rented skid steer with a brush grapple. My first job was a $3,500 land-clearing project — just me, some tools, and a whole lot of sweat equity.
I grew up running equipment for my dad’s concrete business back in Texas. When I moved to Colorado, I saw the wildfire problem firsthand. People were clearing land by hand with chainsaws, and I knew there had to be a faster, smarter way. Machinery could do in a day what took crews a week. That’s when the idea hit: solve a real problem using machines I love to operate.
How I Got My First Jobs
Every new business starts with one problem: how do you get your first customer?
The answer: you get scrappy. Most people overthink it, but it’s simple. You have to get in front of people.
I pulled up Google Maps, looked for 1-30 acre properties with heavy trees, printed flyers, and hit the pavement. My “pitch” was just a conversation:
“Hey, my name’s Austin. I just started a land clearing business here locally. If you or your neighbors ever need this kind of work, my number’s on the flyer.”
That’s it. No pressure, no sales gimmick. You do that a few hundred times, someone calls, and boom — you’ve got your first job.
Then you overdeliver. You clean up every branch, sweep the road, and ask for that five-star review. That one review is worth more than a thousand cold calls because it starts your Google Business Profile flywheel.
The Digital Side That Drives Real Jobs
Once I had a few jobs under my belt, I set up a Google Business Profile (GBP) and a website. Those two things completely changed the game.
If you don’t have a website yet, don’t waste months trying to DIY it. Hire pros like Stryker Digital or Launch Kits to do it right — it’s one of the best investments you can make early on. A website and GBP are like your 24/7 salespeople, but you have to feed them content.
Here’s what I tell people all the time:
- Post every job — before and after photos, short videos, quick summaries.
- Use your city and service name in every post (example: “Forestry Mulching in Grand County, CO”).
- Ask for five-star reviews every single time.
If you want local leads, Google is the long-term engine that never stops running once it’s dialed in.
Facebook Ads That Actually Work
Right now, my favorite way to generate leads fast is through simple Facebook ads.
You don’t need expensive videos or pro gear, just your phone.
Here’s a basic ad format that’s crushed for us:
“Does your property look like this… and you want it to look like that?
I’m Austin with Bear Claw Land Services. We do fire mitigation and land clearing here in Grand County. Click below for a free estimate — our crew is booking up fast.”
Show before-and-after footage, speak directly to the camera, and keep it short. The goal is to get people curious enough to click and submit their info.
Once they do, that’s where speed to lead becomes everything.
Speed to Lead: The Most Important Rule in Business
When someone fills out a form, call them immediately. Not in five minutes. Not later tonight. Now.
I’ve had customers say, “Wow, that was fast,” and that’s exactly the reaction I want. My go-to line was always:
“Our goal is five-star service, and that starts right now. Tell me about your project.”
A Harvard study found that calling a lead within 60 seconds increases your close rate by over 300%. Wait five minutes, and your chances drop off a cliff. That’s why we automate everything — our leads get texted, emailed, and dropped into Slack instantly so someone can call within seconds.
Speed equals professionalism. And professionalism wins the job.
Renting vs. Buying Equipment
One question I get all the time is: Should I rent or buy? Here’s my rule of thumb:
- Rent first. Prove demand before you sign your name on a loan.
- If you’re renting occasionally, keep renting.
- If you’re renting full months in a row, it’s time to consider buying.
When I finally bought my skid steer, my monthly payment was around $2,016, while renting the same machine would’ve been $4,000–$4,200. Buying cut my cost in half, but it only made sense once I had steady work.
When you’re ready to buy, get quotes from multiple dealers and play the game. Compete them against each other, negotiate warranties, and don’t rush. He who doesn’t need to buy has the most leverage.
Scaling Smart: Systems and People
As the business grew, we moved from forestry mulching into full-scale fire mitigation. Our setup today is simple but powerful:
- A Bobcat T770 with a Fecon mulcher for clearing paths and cleaning up.
- A mini excavator with a rotating log grapple for feeding material efficiently.
- A Bandit track chipper for processing logs and debris.
That combo is efficient, safe, and perfect for mountain markets where wildfire risk is high.
As the team grew, I realized something: I wasn’t the best operator anymore.
My job shifted from being in the machine to building systems: hiring, training, and documenting every process so the business could scale without me doing it all.
Building a Reputation That Compounds
From day one, I set the standard: five-star service or nothing.
If we finish a job and the road needs sweeping, we sweep it. If there’s a stick out of place, we move it. The goal isn’t just to complete the work — it’s to leave people saying, “I can’t believe how professional they were.”
That’s how you get reviews. That’s how you build reputation. And that’s how you go from surviving to scaling.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need perfect systems, fancy branding, or a media team. You just need momentum.
Knock on doors. Run the ad. Call the lead. Deliver five-star work. Post every job. Repeat.
If you keep doing that, the algorithm starts working for you, customers start calling you, and that rented skid steer becomes the foundation of a 7-figure business.
Because in the end, this business isn’t about machines — it’s about momentum, reputation, and showing up every single day like a professional.
🎧 Don’t miss the full episode where I break down exactly how I built Bear Claw Land Services from the ground up — the real numbers, lessons learned, and the marketing strategies that actually drive jobs.
👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
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