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railway sleepers in garden project

hi guys

i would just like to get some ideas off you all, one of my customers wants railway sleepers in their garden and to make some steps out of them. as the landscaping side is quite new to me i just want some ideas on the best way to lay sleepers i

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Finding new staff

Over the last couple of years we have had a run of bad unreliable staff, We have a core group that have been with me for years but are struggling to find new younger people to come and work as us older guys are in our 50s and early 60s the lady I hav

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Fantastic gardeners scheme

Just found these guys in my mail box: http://joinfantastic.com/

Another company wanting to live off my/our hard work.

I believe anyone going with these needs to seriously look at themselves.

Supposedly they are inundated with gardening work and now need

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Misrepresentation in media....leads to low wages and undervaluing professionalism?

Hi all,I was given the details of this site by a Twitter friend who has been following my fight against elitism and misrepresentation in the media of the horticultural industry. I would love to get your feedback on this.In a nutshell I believe that t

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Sleep walking into pension auto-enrollment

Our staging date is fast apporaching so I have been involved with our Accountants setting up and making key decisions regarding Pension schemes etc. I have decided to let our Accountants administer the scheme and use a software package add on to Sage

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Best ways to get more commercial contract letting agent work

Hi I am new to this site I have a gardening business which I have been running for 2 years come 1st march I have over 12 years experience in the trade but only bit the bullet 2 years ago to set up myself. from march through to December  I am busy I h

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Online courses

Hey guys. Has anybody got any feedback on a distance learning online course? I have seen the level 2 in principles of horticulture with the Royal corispondane college. And your finals are with the RHS. I just want to get the paperwork behind me.But b

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Local landline number to mobile

Hi all I know this has been done in the past but who uses a local number to mobile company?Any tips on the best ones?Just wanting to buy one as I'm making some new business cards and want to keep a landline on the card but not my real home number any

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Cut phone line.

I read a post about cables earlier, it got me thinking.When I first set out, I accidentally cut a phone line with my hedge cutters. It was fixed by a mate of mine who used to work for BT, at the time I had no public liability insurance. This is somet

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When should a sole trader become a limited company?

One of the most common questions asked by the self-employed is whether to trade as a company or as an individual. The decision has implications for tax, legal and financial responsibilities, the amount of paperwork you will need to complete and how

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Downsizing

Hi everyone, We have been going for 30+ years, but with the overheads getting bigger and bigger each year, we are feeling the need to downsize (maybe even escape the VAT bracket). Has anyone got any advice for us on the best way to reduce costs and m

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Minimum Charge

Hello all, thank you for taking the time to read my post and question.

This will be my first full season as a self employed landscaper and maintenance gardener.

I'm wondering if the general idea of a minimum charge is common with other maintenance gard

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New business start up

Hi all, I'm new on the forum, I have a question for everyone as I'm really not to sure where to start.. I'm 20 years old and having no luck what so ever finding a job around where I live. I have a young child and one on the way.. I've been thinking f

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Small business cyber attacks

I guess you could look at that title, laugh and say it will never happen to me, but occurances of it happening are now regulalry reported on business sites, via the FSB etc. The following article from The Guardian's Business section explains what is

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Public liability insurance premiums

Evening all,Last thing this evening, as I pulled out of a customers drive, I managed to smash one of the safety sensors for their electric gates. My premium last year was around £250 and I'm expecting a good bill for this, does anyone have any theory

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The work / life balance

Date wise, Spring is just around the corner. If not already, phones and emails will start going mad. However for us over the last few years, Winter work has been as busy & profitable as Summer work.

What measures do you take to ensure a suitable work

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Casual labourers

Just a quick enquiry as to how you all go about dealing with casual labourers. My business is growing and the work load is getting to the point at which I need another pair of hands or two. I cannot guarantee the work as yet so don't want a full time

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Wileyfox Smartphone

Evening all,I've been thinking about upgrading my Samsung galaxy S6 smartphone to the offering from a company called Wileyfox. One of my clients who worked high in the news industry says it is rated highly, but does anyone here have opinions?The main

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Good Morning

I have been reading a lot of self improvement and business books over this winter period, and one of the themes that permeates both genre's of book is the idea that getting an early start is the key to being successful.

I decided to give it a shot, an

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Hefty fines for 'Facebook' fly tippers

An article from the Sunday Times reporting on the increased use of Facebook to find 'Trades' and in particular Contractors offering waste disposal services.

It reminds people that the 'producer' of the waste utlimately remains responsible via 'Duty o

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