Founded in 2008. The Landscape Juice Network (LJN) is the largest and fastest growing professional landscaping and horticultural association in the United Kingdom.
LJN's professional business forum is unrivalled and open to anyone within within the UK landscape industry
LJN's Business Objectives Group (BOG) is for any Pro serious about building their business.
For the researching visitor there's a wealth of landscaping ideas, garden design ideas, lawn advice tips and advice about garden maintenance.
Replies
Hi Mitchell, i find that most other gardeners dont want the weeding/pruning or dont know what they are doing, and so the customers find it hard to find someone to do that, i offer them a full service maintenance, which i dont mind not doing the grass cutting and i decide if i want the job. sometimes its better not to be at full tilt with lots of little jobs and wait for the jobs you want.
see i dont mind doing that but i feel better when im fully maintaining a garden knowing ive done all the hard work. See alot of people had explained how they spend an hour here then there then there but i have never seem to be able to make that work as customers ive always found clock watch for starters so if you factor in fuel to and from job plus time getting to job it ends up like £35 for the first hour most wont pay that round here. thats why id rather do the full garden knowing i dont need to charge time getting to the job as im there a reasonable amount of time and there getting more time for there money.
Don't really see the problem - after all, it's their garden and their money. Quite often, after a year or so they come over to your way of thinking anyway. As regards weekly time on site, we have 16hour to 45min gardens and as long as you factor in the travelling, load/unload times, all are worth the trip. Very important part is to get them on an annual contract so that you manage the garden AND your time on site - if there is little to do, then off you go and spend a bit more time with someone else, giving you time in hand later, when you may need it.
Customer 'training' is very important!! :-)
i just cant imagine a 45 minute garden being a sustainable job. If there is little to do what you charge them for doing nothing?
Anything can be sustainable, if it is priced right. As I mentioned above, I would work out how much work will be needed annually and give an annual price to be invoiced by 12 equal monthly payments. Our smallest garden is no more than 80sq mtrs, paved, no grass, just shrub beds. Some weeks it's 20mins, tops, others weeks it will be 90. As long as the garden is neat and tidy, the customer is happy. They don't need to clock watch and we have no need to drag a visit out.
I've tried this with one of my customers and couple times hes grumbled saying ive not been there long enough so hard to get this right
If you don't think it pays then don't take it on.
I don't do 12 month contracts with domestic customers I would rather have the money in my bank not wait for the winter to get paid for the work I've done, loads will disagree with that but it works for me
I've a customer who uses 2 other gardeners other than myself, I cut the grass, another weeds, another plants and prunes!
wonder whos the cheapest haha
Hi Mitchel, I would explain when submitting your price that it would possibly be more cost effective and beneficial to them if you took on the whole garden. Quote for the pruning and bed work at the correct price and include a quote that encompasses the hedges, lawn etc as well. They can then see if you work out at a cheaper rate (if this is what's governing there decision) and you can explain the benefit of keeping everything with one company (less vans on driveway, less disruption to their week/day, one payment as opposed to 2/3, no one trampling on emerging shoots of recently planted bulbs, lawns cut in conjunction with treatments etc). Some jobs are better left alone rather than trying to come down in price to please the client. If the price is not sustainable then you will cut corners and let them down in the long term which isn't beneficial for your company name or the client. Best of luck and let us know how you get on.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next