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About the Landscape Juice Network

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.

Business (1615)

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EU to tighten pesticide controls

More aimed at the use of pesticides by farmers, but in light of recent comments about manure being contaminated, thought it might interest a few. BBC: EU to tighten pesticide controls "EU agriculture ministers have approved stricter controls on the u

Started by Craig McGinty in Business

6 Replies · Reply by Mike Seaton Jul 5, 2008

Finding Good Staff

Just wondering how you all find staff. We are down to my husband and 2 guys at the moment as our senior guy has just announced he is leaving tomorrow!!! aghhh. Oh well, maybe life wants us to slow down a bit....but I was thinking of advertising again

Started by Susan in Business

12 Replies · Reply by Susan Jan 7, 2009

PRO

Voluntary customer charter

I have created the first draft customer charter that can be downloaded. I am sure it is not exhaustive but never the less, it gives us the basis to move this forward. Because it has been produced with you in mind, it is important that you are complet

Started by Phil Voice in Business

2 Replies · Reply by Classic Gardens Jun 17, 2008

Fixed quotes?

Hi All.

I always tended to try and offer the client a fixed price quote so they could budget ok.

However, i keep overrunning and incurring extra costs which im currently absorbing, but im wondering whether i need to actually offer fixed price jobs.

For

Started by David Riches in Business

11 Replies · Reply by Gary RK Mar 25, 2013

Using associates/subs

I've been running my garden maintenance business for a year and am getting to the stage where I need additional help, any tips for approaching and using associates/subs 'v' employing help?

Started by Hannah Cooper in Business

10 Replies · Reply by Bespoke Lawncare Aug 2, 2015

PRO

Gardening chargeout rates and mindset management

You are all adding some great stuff and I can tell you that the feed back from members about the site, and members on other members, is so positive and I am delighted it is going so well. I would like to draw attention to this post from Phil Luscombe

Started by Phil Voice in Business

1 Reply · Reply by Phil Luscombe Jun 10, 2008

PRO

Small business advice - free downloads

I hope that you are find the resources here of great use. I intend to add to these resources over time as when I find the right one to promote. I do not have all the answers to the potential problems that your business my encounter, either as a start

Started by Phil Voice in Business

0 Replies

PRO

Get shot of under performing contracts

Let us assume that you have five separate contracts each week and that four of them are accurate when it comes to the charge out rate.

The fifth one however only covers one fifth (20%) of your yearly cost (assuming it is a day a week for the year).

Started by Phil Voice in Business

27 Replies · Reply by Gary RK @ Landscape Juice Network Aug 31, 2019

PRO

Try this simple hourly rate test

Establishing what is the right rate to charge yourself out at is the tricky bit and nobody will get it 100% correct -but how do you know where to start?

Below is an example of how a one man band should approach setting a charge out rate.

My first con

Started by Phil Voice in Business

20 Replies · Reply by Simon Jones Oct 9, 2020

PRO

Treating your travel as a cost of landscape sales

Imagine quoting for two separate jobs? One job is located just 2 miles from your operating base and the other job is located 30 miles away.

For the sake of this exercise, let's say that both landscaping projects are exactly the same specification.

Started by Phil Voice in Business

6 Replies · Reply by Phil Voice Jan 13, 2015

PRO

It is never too early to seek advice

This is probably the hardest time for garden companies since the early 90's when a bleak recession gripped the United Kingdom. Many businesses ceased trading as work dried up and competition cut margins to negative figures. We are now very close to e

Started by Phil Voice in Business

7 Replies · Reply by Geoffrey King Sep 22, 2013

What is the legal status of a verbal contract?

I'm looking for advice on how you would all deal with this situation.I had looked after all of the maintenance needs of a small hilltop estate in Ayrshire for a Lady for 2 years. She was extremely satisfied with everything we did, how we went about d

Started by Neil Petrie BSc Landscape Mgt in Business

23 Replies · Reply by briggsandscrapem Jun 27, 2013

Business - turnover

Would be interested to compare turnover with you.We generally aim for a turnover of £8000 a week. We have reduced our work force to three from 9 guys with only a £2000 drop in turnover. And still its all very tight and we aint wealthy by any means.

Started by Susan in Business

7 Replies · Reply by Phil Voice Apr 30, 2011

How is everyone finding the present economy?

Just returned from a visit to a local farm where we store the Safety Scene trailer and spent a while chatting to the farmer and his staff.They are predicting bleak times for food and milk (milk???) yup the farming community have seen 100% increase in

Started by Richard Boyd in Business

30 Replies · Reply by John Baker Jun 4, 2013

PRO

What does a gardener charge?

For those of you who are new to Landscape Juice, you might want to check out a post called 'what to charge per hour', I wrote in early 2007. Attached to that post is a method for charging out machinery and how to charge-out your travel costs in the p

Started by Phil Voice in Business

139 Replies · Reply by Peter Jun 27, 2014

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ICL appoints Aimee Davey as Marketing Communications Manager for UK & Ireland

Posted by Fusion Media on December 3, 2025 at 5:09pm in Industry news

Aimee Davey joins ICL at a key point as the business moves into a busy period of campaign and product activity across its Turf and Landscape portfolio, taking on the role of Marketing Communications Manager for the UK and Ireland.

Aimee…