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.
Replies
In a normal year here in north Derbyshire then mid/late March to end of October/early November.
It varies. A few years ago we had a really bitterly cold March into early April, which delayed the start on a few jobs.
I mowed until 14th November 2018.
In 2019 I stopped mowing at the end of October, two weeks earlier than the previous year.
In 2019 I had to cut some playing field in February as it was hitting 16 degrees for a while.
I know down in Cornwall some don’t stop mowing at all.
Thanks for reply vic...i only do domestic and state to them
grass cutting resumes April 1st onwards but do cut till
till end of October....sometimes i think I start a little late and should start earlier to gain more profit.....
Why not start cutting when it starts growing and stop when it stops?
start a bit early (when your first ones start looking patchy) so you can get round everyone. Don't over complicate things.
Because a business needs to know when and how much money is coming in. If you start to become the "as-and-when" guy, the customers start to think they can cancel visits on a whim because the grass has grown less etc.
And many of us don't invoice each and every bit of work.
Setting a fixed number of cuts a year and charging monthly instalments works great, and has done for me for ten years.
Get a grip. If you have no flexibility you will be turning up to either a jungle (which will annoy the customer) or wasting your time.
the temperature does not work by the calendar.
if it works for you with set dates then that's fine. The best customers are generally year round anyway so are you going to refuse to cut the grass because it's March the 21st not April the 1st.
anyway I'll go again I see you are all doing your best to over complicate things still:)
I will add that I never felt the need for customers to deal with my cash flow for me by paying in instalments. But again each to their own
yes each to their own, very much so, so many different businesses out there it is interesting to see how others do it. I use mainly battery mowers so am mindful the lawns don't get too long or it is more work, my regular clients trust me to just turn up as and when it needs doing, all jobs being local if i pop round and judge that it doesn't need cutting quite yet and can be left a few more days i will go and do another more urgent job, sometimes i am glad when it doesn't need doing lol. occasionally if there is a family event or garden party they might ring or text to ask me if i can do it slightly before so the lawn looks it's best, other times i might pull up at a job and there are builders vans in the drive way and a lot of outside activity i will leave it and go do another garden and return at a quieter time
Why so rude Richard?
Standing order is as simple as it gets and it means I don't need to send invoices/emails. It saves loads of admin time. I'm not a beginner at this trade.
No one said you were. I'm simply saying there is another way.
you need to think on what you say before calling others rude. Your one of the reasons I stopped posting. You cannot see past your own opinions. It works for you that's great.
id also say that the cash flow going up and down is a major part of many businesses. If you need the safety blanket of monthly direct debit that's fine.
Go enjoy life
I'm really surprised to hear your comments in a professional trade forum. If I bothered you somehow why not give me a call? I do nothing but try and make our trade better, give my own suggestions to people who ask and I always look for better ways to do things myself.
2019 has been my best year in business to date, and 2020 Is looking similar. It means I don't need to work more than 3 days a week.
-
1
-
2
-
3
of 3 Next