Forum

Replies

• PRO

  Darren Walters October 7, 2014 at 8:34pm

  David, have a look on Simply Docs, you have to pay and register but there are hundreds of document templates for various scenarios.
  
  http://simply-docs.co.uk/Home
  
  Regards, Darren
• 

  Mitchel ingham October 8, 2014 at 9:56pm

  Theres a couple of templates in the hub but have to be a paid member. What have you done over the last three winters? Ive just set up this year already have 7 contracts to see me through the winter. My advise also does well to do either 24 visits 12 higher hours then 12 lower but add them all togeather do them as a monthly average charge.
• 

  Pristine Gardens October 8, 2014 at 10:03pm

  The last few years I only had myself and a casual and always had enough work, this winter there is 4 of us to pay and all on salary so need to be a bit more careful and try and avoid customers wanting to reduce hours by too much this year.
• 

  Mitchel ingham October 8, 2014 at 10:26pm

  So youve employed 4 people in one year big jump? I can see you may have a problem coming then as most customers will slow there hours down in winter less growing? Plus also the weather is hard to work with safely what about rained off or it snows?
• 

  Colin Hunt October 9, 2014 at 6:41am

  Unless you provide other services, eg fencing, paving, turfing, pressure washing etc and you do not have a good number of these jobs lined up, you will struggle to find work for 4 full time staff as the days shorten. Nothing grows for 5 months and leaves stop falling by end Nov and you will need to find around 300 days work for 4 men Dec-Mar. I would start thinking of reducing hours.

  Annual contracts are the way to go, but wont be the magic bullet in your case. A customer will only pay for work done - a 12 month contract just spreads payments equally throughout the year.
• 

  Pristine Gardens October 9, 2014 at 7:25am

  We offer all services including fencing patios ect we also do a lot for the local council, work slowing down is a problem but not a mayor one. My main reason for the contracts isn't financial its to put us in control of the diary so I can plan ahead rather than the customer dictating to us when and how long we are on site causing me to have to keep changing the rota and finding a new job to fill the gap
• 

  Stuart October 9, 2014 at 11:12am

  I can see why you want to get a decent amount of contract work in, to smooth your workflow a bit. However, in your first winter with those employees don't write off one off jobs like fencing. Fencing work is incredibly easy to get a lot of, in a very short space of time, so can easily be used to keep the guys busy through the winter. There is also good profit in it, if you do it right.
• 

  Colin Hunt October 9, 2014 at 5:49pm

  Sounds good, I probably misunderstood your post. Contracts are the way forward, we are your size and have been for many years. 80% of our turnover is from contracts, Private and Commercial, so I know at the start of the year my turnover will be at least £xxxxxxxxx and as you say it gives you freedom to plan. The customer also ends up getting a better service and as a bonus, they will jump the queue for emergency fence work, tree work etc.
  
  Pristine Gardens said:

  We offer all services including fencing patios ect we also do a lot for the local council, work slowing down is a problem but not a mayor one. My main reason for the contracts isn't financial its to put us in control of the diary so I can plan ahead rather than the customer dictating to us when and how long we are on site causing me to have to keep changing the rota and finding a new job to fill the gap
• PRO

  Darren Walters October 9, 2014 at 6:03pm

  Aaahh...me too. I thought it was contracts for the staff you were after. Ooops!
  
  Colin Hunt said:

  Sounds good, I probably misunderstood your post
  
  
  
• 

  Pristine Gardens October 9, 2014 at 6:09pm

  That is it its more about being to manage time better i currently run it as 2 guys on maintenance and 2 on landscaping and extra work and then they help each other as and when. It works well its the maintenance customers that chop and change and throw a spanner in the works. My thoughts were if I could get them on a contract like our commercials it will be easier to manage the diary and book extra work in around that. I was wondering if anyone had trouble putting domestics on a contract or if they were happy to do it?