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.
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To use the software and the app, and to have the ability to quote cost is £59 + £10 a month, seems steep.
Trial or demo time in only 10 minutes, not really enough considering Jobber as a comparison.
I looked at getting a trial last year, Robert Barney is the contact there, didn't get me the trial I was promised and I didn't go back.
Oh, I've just seen it looks like the prices are plus 'Sales Tax; which imo makes it quite an expensive product.
Not very helpful I know, it reminds me of the business model used in the US by people like Arborgold....hold out with the extra modules for the higher price packages.
You can’t just take the software costs in isolation - you’ve got to take a wider view of how it will help grow your business, reduce or simplify admin and finally help improve your professional image to clients.
Most cloud based packages are structured by up-selling business functionality modules and really isn’t that what we all do in business - try to sell more of our services to make money ?
I think you know when your business needs help in the area and that normally drives you to persue suitable solutions....
Agreed Gary, perhaps that didn't come across too well.
Scheduling/ invoicing software seems to be everywhere, many if not most are generic in nature lending themselves to all kinds of businesses needing a 'more complicated' and flexible schedule, maybe plus an app or two for on the road use.
There are plenty of value for money systems for those startups, some seem fairly scalable for ex Powered Now, Service M8 which will probably be suitable for the life of a small business.
Perhaps the ever popular Jobber rates as a next step with more support and functionality for running teams? It comes with a price hike and as with many of the systems they will link up to cloud accounting....more money.
The generic side of the software I have found means compromise in how the software can be used effectively in the landscaping/ lawn. gardening business sector, for ex Jobber has a chemical application module, last time I looked it didn't really cut it for record keeping, Powered Now invoice templates are not as professional as they might be etc etc.
Back to Flobot, a new entry in the market, and in the UK market for a change, that's great, look at the pricing strutcure, no quoting available in the cheapest package, no reports available, those and more are the nuts and bolts of the small business. Perhaps a Stripe payment gateway link would be good too (it may be there but can't find mention of it). The 10 minutes free trial? You know it needs more, perhaps a month or so running side by side existing systems.
Which is why, unless you can afford a bespoke software solution, you need a clear business goals Vs flexibity to adapt to new ways of working to suit mainstream packaged solutions.
I've evaluated many solutions and suggest it best to stick with established packages as many of the others will fall be the wayside and cause problems with continuity of your dataset.
We couldn't operate without accounting package integration and I've no desire to have staff double entering data to get invoices issued etc.
I know I can add value to the business in other, better ways. Same approach on HR, It's outsourced which means the guys know their backs are covered in respect of apprasials, employment legislation etc
I read their free trail offer as -" you can be 'up and running' in 10mins, not you only get 10mins ?