How Kyle and Nicole's West Virginia Contracting Firm Survived Winter and Made Ten Times Their Money Back
I hope you enjoy reading this blog post.
Author: Brady Carlson | Co-Founder of Dirt2Dollars
Published Date: 28 November, 2025
Industry: Land Clearing & Excavation
Location: West Virginia
Time with Dirt2Dollars: 4-5 Months
Previous Marketing Attempts: 3 Failed Companies
Results at a Glance
Made Investment Back 10-Fold
Within months of signing with Dirt2Dollars, Kyle and Nicole recovered their investment and generated substantial new revenue.
Survived the Slow Winter Season
Consistent lead flow kept the business operating through what’s typically the hardest time of year for land management companies.
Response Time That Closes Deals
From Facebook ad to on-site quote in under 48 hours, customers are willing to pay premium prices for the speed and service.
Zero Wasted Time on Bad Leads
After losing money on three previous marketing companies, finally got qualified leads that convert to actual jobs.
The Company
Kyle and Nicole run a land clearing and excavation business in West Virginia. Like most contractors in the trade, they do good work, are experienced and skilled, and have a solid crew. But being good at the work and actually landing consistent jobs are two different things entirely.
In West Virginia, the market presents a unique challenge.
There’s plenty of opportunity, but finding reliable contractors is notoriously difficult. As Kyle puts it, “People just hide in the freaking bushes. Like, where’s the nearest contractor at? How do I find these people?”
This created an opening for Kyle and Nicole, if they could just get in front of potential customers consistently, their quality work would speak for itself.
The Challenge
Three Marketing Companies, Three Failures
Before Dirt2Dollars, Kyle and Nicole had tried everything. They’d signed with three different marketing companies, paid into three different strategies, and lost money on every single one.
“I’ve had three companies before you guys, three different strategies that we had to pay into and none of them worked, and we lost money on all of them, right? Every single one of them.”
The problems were consistent across all three:
Poor Communication
“We would be on the phone for hours going from this person to this person, this person, and they don’t know what the hell’s going on. They just found somebody that’s just sitting on their phone on Facebook and saying, ‘Oh, it looks nice, but I’m not sure I want to do it. Let’s see what it’s about.'”
Low-Quality Leads
The leads these companies generated weren’t serious buyers. They were tire-kickers, people with no budget, or completely unqualified prospects that wasted time without converting.
Zero Accountability
When results didn’t materialize, the marketing companies had excuses but no solutions. Kyle and Nicole kept paying while their business struggled.
Facing a Critical Winter
“If you’re on the edge of thinking that this time next year you might not be here…” Kyle knew they needed a real solution, fast. Winter was coming, traditionally the slowest season for land clearing and excavation work, and they needed consistent work to survive.
The Problem vs. The Solution
The Challenge | How Dirt2Dollars Solved It |
Lost money on three previous marketing companies with zero results | Made investment back 10-fold within months; actual ROI instead of excuses |
Terrible communication, hours on phone with people who “don’t know what the hell’s going on” | Direct access to dedicated team (MJ and Maria); responsive communication that actually solves problems |
Low-quality leads that never converted | Qualified leads that turn into actual jobs; fast enough response time that customers notice and appreciate |
Needed to survive slow winter season | Consistent lead flow kept business operating through traditionally dead months |
No accountability from previous companies | “If I go bankrupt now, I can’t blame you guys. You’re doing your job.” |
Slow follow-up meant losing deals to competitors | 30 seconds on Facebook ad to phone call to on-site quote within 48 hours |
The Solution
A Sales Process So Fast It Became a Competitive Advantage
Kyle had a customer named Brian who summed up the Dirt2Dollars difference perfectly:
“The reason why you guys are going to do good is because I needed a job done. I seen your ad on Facebook. I was on it for 30 seconds. A guy calls me, you call me, and two days later, you show up on the job site and give me a quote within the same day.”
In West Virginia, where finding contractors is like finding “people hiding in the freaking bushes,” this speed is transformative.
Brian told Kyle: “You were the easiest person I’ve ever had to get a hold of.”
Kyle’s response captures the entire value proposition: “I’ve got a really good CRM team and they’re paid very well. You get what you pay for. You get what you pay for.”
Communication That Actually Works
The quality difference starts with communication. Kyle can text MJ (Maria) from the Dirt2Dollars team directly. If something isn’t handled immediately, “MJ’s right on it and she’s been very helpful. I can call her and ask for something so that I’m not bugging all you guys. I bug MJ, you know, and she’s happy.”
This is a stark contrast to the previous companies where Kyle would spend “hours going from this person to this person, this person” with nobody knowing what was happening.
“Communication is a huge difference between you guys,” Kyle emphasizes.
Perception Gives a Massive Advantage
Here’s something Kyle noticed that most contractors miss: the quality of your marketing and sales process directly impacts how customers perceive the quality of your work.
“I think what that does for us is the work that you guys are doing reflects on our outlook on how we’re going to come at the job. So, if the beginning is very easy and fluent, they can almost say, ‘I’m sure the job’s going to be easy and fluent.'”
He’s right. “Most of the selling is done before you even show up.”
When your response time is measured in hours rather than days, and communication is smooth rather than chaotic, customers assume your actual work will have the same level of professionalism and quality. They’re willing to pay premium prices for that confidence.
“You almost want to pay another thousand dollars just for that.”
The Results
Made It Back 10-Fold
“I know it might be too much money right then and there, but it was too much money for us when we pulled the trigger on you guys and we made that back 10-fold.”
The best part is that this ROI wasn’t theoretical or projected; it was real cash coming in from actual completed jobs.
Survived Winter
“Do you feel like this recent winter, what got you through it? Was the marketing? Was the extra leads?”
“Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. As soon as we signed with you guys, we got a few projects and then we had Nicholas’s project.”
For land clearing and excavation companies, winter can kill your business. Consistent leads through the slow season meant Kyle and Nicole could keep their crew working and their equipment running.
The “Missing Puzzle Piece”
“If the contractor has their mind set right on getting the work done right and to move quick on their work and do it productively and do it the right way, then you guys are the missing puzzle piece. You guys are the missing puzzle piece to get them from not being successful to being successful.”
Kyle’s clear: you still have to do the work. Dirt2Dollars can’t do the actual land clearing for you.
“It’s hard work. You know, we got to pull our workload, but you guys definitely do your all 10-fold.”
The Ultimate Endorsement
This might be the most powerful thing Kyle said:
“This is the only one that I say even if I go bankrupt now, I can’t blame you guys. And I’m an honest man. I can’t blame you guys. It’s my fault because there’s two parts here. It’s a team effort. So if one person ain’t doing their job, then we fail, right? But you guys are doing your job. There’s nothing we can complain about.”
And then the kicker:
“You guys are giving me too much work.”
That’s the problem you want to have.
What This Means for Other Contractors
If You’re On the Fence
Kyle’s advice to other contractors considering Dirt2Dollars:
“I would tell you don’t waste your time. Like just go straight for it and pull the trigger. Like I know it might be too much money right then and there, but it was too much money for us when we pulled the trigger on you guys and we made that back 10-fold.”
“So it’s like if you’re on the edge of thinking that this time next year you might not be here. The only way to be here would be sign with you guys because you’re going to get them there.”
The Requirements
This isn’t a magic button. You still have to execute:
“If the contractor has their mind set right on getting the work done right and to move quick on their work and do it productively and do it the right way, then you guys are the missing puzzle piece.”
You need to:
- Actually show up for appointments
- Provide quotes quickly
- Do quality work
- Close the deals
Dirt2Dollars helps qualified people raise their hands and say they need work done. You handle converting them and delivering results.
“It’s a team effort. So if one person ain’t doing their job, then we fail, right?”
The Bottom Line
After three failed marketing companies and lost money on all of them, Kyle and Nicole finally found a system that works. Within 4-5 months:
- Made their investment back 10-fold
- Survived the slow winter season
- Built a reputation for exceptional response times
- Have so much work they can’t complain
- Established communication processes that actually function
“You get what you pay for,” as Kyle says.
The difference between Dirt2Dollars and the previous three companies came down to two things: quality leads and quality communication. When both of those work, the results speak for themselves.
“There’s nothing we can complain about. You guys are giving me too much work.”
Ready to Scale Up Your Land Management Business?
If you’re stuck in the cycle of inconsistent work, failed marketing attempts, or struggling to survive the slow seasons, book a call with the Dirt2Dollars team.
Description:
Kyle and Nicole operate a land clearing and excavation company based in West Virginia, serving residential and commercial clients throughout the region. After years of struggling with inconsistent marketing results, they partnered with Dirt2Dollars to build a sustainable lead generation system that works year-round.
