Hi
Ive been a self employed handyman/gardener for around 5 years. Ive come to realise what i really enjoy is working outside grass cutting, hedges, firs, fences etc, rather than decorating as a handyman. Ive just re-launced my business as 'gardens and fencing' rather than general handyman and so i can stop 3-4 months of winter decorating.
Generally I finish grass cutting around November and start decorating (and a little bit of fencing) through to March. So its theses months i want to look at.
Firstly can anyone recommend what i can do throughout the dark months ! Also i have had some glossy cards printed up to drop into commercial premises to offer forecourt/car park maintenance, weed control, gutter clearing, signage cleaning, etc. I can see lots of you have monthly contracts with some customers. Can you let me know what you do and what monthly fee you charge for commercial maintenance please.
Any ideas appreciated.
Thanks
Gaz
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Replies
Most of our customers are on contracts Gary, unfortunately there is no silver bullet to getting them. Having a good reputation goes a long way as of course does competitive pricing. If I go for a contract from scratch, I would simply sit down for a good few hours, break the work down bit by bit into it's parts, put it all together for a year and there you are - an annual price, which I would then invoice as 12 x equal monthly payments.
Thanks Colin. In terms of what you offer, I was thinking of Weed control, leaf blowing etc, pick up rubbish, signage cleaning. Do you do anything extra ?
Thanks for the reply
Gaz
Gary, we run an all round garden maintenace service, which includes lawn maintenance, pruning, hedge trimming etc and that is enough to keep us busy throughout the winter months. The odd fence replacement helps fill in the gaps.
I've always found just being seen out and about working even if it's just pottering about at a property in winter get people calling or popping over to see you as quite a lot in this trade around here just stop in winter.
I suppose it depends how much you need the money coming in too!
I like to be home by 12 from December to the end of February to put the kettle on and fall asleep in front of the tv!
So for me it's blowing s few leaves etc picking litter off site and whatever appears.
I'm past worrying about it now, Spring and silly season always come too soon!
It's amazing how many people think we just won't do any work in the winter!
I agree absolutly. After my first winter I make sure to mention any works that may need to doing to clients that can be done in the winter etc. and in October I make a list of anything that I could suggest and then book in for winter. Pressure Washing seems a popular one recently.
Weed control won't be effective over winter compared to the spring. Lawn moss control and patio moss/algae self cleaner better bets.
We've fenced, patio jetwash, gutter clearance, garden tidy, re-pointed patios(brush in mix), lawn edging, spread compost/manure, leaf clearance.
i hibernate lol
Me too. I dont do much in winter. If it rains, its windy and very cold I go into hibernation mode.
Also as a small older female I dont do much of the stuff suggested. A couple of winters ago I temped in an office for a couple of months. Could not wait to get out of there and back outside. Last winter I had carpal tunnel operation on one hand and this winter I am having the other done. So no winter work.
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