Forum

Replies

• PRO

  Gary RK March 20, 2011 at 8:21pm

  Open up your profile and I might answer - otherwise how do I know who you are :-) ?
• 

  Dan Frazer Gardening March 20, 2011 at 8:23pm

  Quite right!
  
  Gary RK said:

  Open up your profile and I might answer - otherwise how do I know who you are :-) ?
• 

  David Cox March 20, 2011 at 8:34pm

  As above - I'll offer a % breakdown by quarter and how it has changed....
  
• 

  Steve Sonic Grounds Maintenance March 20, 2011 at 8:35pm

  Good point
  
  Gary RK said:

  Open up your profile and I might answer - otherwise how do I know who you are :-) ?
• 

  CJ March 20, 2011 at 8:48pm

  Sorry about that, ive page opened to members now I hope if ive done properly.
• PRO

  Gary RK March 20, 2011 at 9:00pm

  Thanks CJ, it helps personalise a response when you've some idea from where the question is being asked and by whom.

   

  It looks like you are asking from a startup prospective ? I would say yes, you can and many do. We don't do large hard landscape projects and could survive perfectly well without them relying on other aspects of 'landscaping/gardening/grounds maintenance/ANOB'
• 

  CJ March 20, 2011 at 9:03pm

  Cheers Gary

  Yes Im looking at it with maintenance in mind then building up skills, this is I suppose in addition to my previous posts where I asked a simular question.

   

  Thanks again.

   
• 

  David Cox March 20, 2011 at 9:06pm

  Im not at a pure Maintenance point yet - but My income has moved from Q1 2010, from 75% one offs and fencing / turfing / landscaping works to about 75% maintenance now, tho no where near fully booked yet, I have my set minimum income levels which let me move over.

  The competition in Maintenance is fierce and you will get ALOT of leads turn you away due to them wanting £10 for their garden doing... but over time It can be done.

  I do get the impression the area you operate in has a bearing on how your business will grow, or at least how easy it will be to grow it into what you want?
• PRO

  Gary RK March 20, 2011 at 9:10pm

  There are many on here who have been thru it more recently than me, but you have to accept it starts as a part time career unless you are lucky enough to generate sufficient jobs.

   

  So, you need to be looking at how you get the message out - where, to whom, what media, target market etc.

   

  Think about your image, name, vehicle, equipment and get the best money allows (without being silly). You buy cheap and you buy twice. Get knowledge and experience thru training (formal and self taught). Know the legals bit (insurance, pesticide, waste handling etc).

   

  I'm sure you'll now get a lot more detail from LJNers. Good Luck.
  
  CJ said:

  Cheers Gary

  Yes Im looking at it with maintenance in mind then building up skills, this is I suppose in addition to my previous posts where I asked a simular question.

   

  Thanks again.

   
• PRO

  Paul @ Ashgate Garden Care March 20, 2011 at 9:22pm

  I just do maintenance - no hard landscaping.

   

  As everybody says - don't expect to be fully booked from day one. I specialise in the jobs that (how can i put it) my more casual competitors (such as semi retired gardeners) take on such as large hedge jobs, clearance work, larger gardens, commercial work, spraying etc as the competition is very fierce at the lower end of the market.

   

  It costs a bit for decent kit and sometimes it's difficult to know when to stop spending - I could easily spend another £5000 - £10000 (chippers, bigger mowers, trailers) and be still wanting more tools.

   

  The thing is to work out a good cash flow forecast, work out how little you can live on for a few years and research your local market.

   

  Use the LJN search facility - there are many answers from folks who are just starting up and good luck !