new member long time follower

I would just like to introduce myself. I have a domestic gardening business in East Kilbride, (just south of Glasgow) and have over the last six years, with my brother, built a successful little business with both of us and a self employed associate full time all season which up here in the frozen north is April till October with odd clearances and pruning till Christmas. I have to say the information and knowledge freely given by the members has been invaluable in preventing me making many mistakes and costly wrong turns.

I always wanted to expand into commercial work and employ staff to drive the business forward but my brother was against it. But now due to ill health he is taking a back seat which will allow me to take to my business to the next level. I would be grateful for advise on the first steps toward gaining commercial maintenance contracts with factors, Housing associations etc. I can get more domestic work very easely as I am always having to pass work to other local guys but the commercial side is outwith my experience.

Again thanks for the knowledge passed on over the years.

I'd be surprised at a 20 visit contract at £29k, unless you're talking a big undertaking, team of 6 type of job. Or there's more to the job than you're aware of. Tendering for commercial work is quite competitive on price, though depending on who you're working for there'll be a lean toward quality at a mid price point rather than picking the cheapest (the latter usually sees the factors spending a lot of time dealing with issues that they really don't have time for). I tendered a job at £22k a few years ago and saw a while later they'd awarded it to someone at £8k! But it was a large historic scotland job that relied heavily on being tooled up for acres of grass which I had to factor in as equipment purchases.

Setting up the domestic maintenance could be good, though I'd try and keep it to the most basic sites if you're not with the team (e.g. just grass cuts). But I'm sure you've plenty experience with all this type of stuff. I currently do 9 commercial contracts for a few different clients and it's been completely complaint-free for a few years as it's me myself and I on site! I've done contracts as far away as Edinburgh. It paid more than I needed to make it worthwhile, but when I scaled back I just didn't want that amount of driving in my routine any more so I passed it on. That was £9k a year and quite hard to swallow, but I'm glad I did now.

Replies

Dan Frazer Gardening December 10, 2016 at 1:22pm

Hi Graeme, I'm on the north side and have had commercial jobs since starting 7 years ago. Honestly you can make a greater £/min on domestic work, but commercial work does even things out during the winter a bit better and makes staffing simpler.

Getting your foot in is the hardest part and it's just down to basic active marketing and a bit of luck.
Graeme Brown December 10, 2016 at 1:57pm

Thanks for that i am really looking at commercial work because i want to have two teams out and i think it would be easier to manage a team remotely when they are on one or two jobs a day. I was thinking of approaching factors- hacking and paterson etc. The team of three that do my area are on £ 29,000 a year for one day a fortnight. Or is there better avenues
- Dan Frazer Gardening > Graeme Brown December 10, 2016 at 5:07pm
  
  I'd be surprised at a 20 visit contract at £29k, unless you're talking a big undertaking, team of 6 type of job. Or there's more to the job than you're aware of. Tendering for commercial work is quite competitive on price, though depending on who you're working for there'll be a lean toward quality at a mid price point rather than picking the cheapest (the latter usually sees the factors spending a lot of time dealing with issues that they really don't have time for). I tendered a job at £22k a few years ago and saw a while later they'd awarded it to someone at £8k! But it was a large historic scotland job that relied heavily on being tooled up for acres of grass which I had to factor in as equipment purchases.
  
  Setting up the domestic maintenance could be good, though I'd try and keep it to the most basic sites if you're not with the team (e.g. just grass cuts). But I'm sure you've plenty experience with all this type of stuff. I currently do 9 commercial contracts for a few different clients and it's been completely complaint-free for a few years as it's me myself and I on site! I've done contracts as far away as Edinburgh. It paid more than I needed to make it worthwhile, but when I scaled back I just didn't want that amount of driving in my routine any more so I passed it on. That was £9k a year and quite hard to swallow, but I'm glad I did now.
Graeme Brown December 10, 2016 at 2:26pm

My other option is a maintance round with a couple of guys on it. Plenty of people in newton mearns are cash rich time poor
Graeme Brown December 10, 2016 at 11:58pm

Thanks for the info might go/stay domestic. There is a college in east kilbride that does horticulture coarses so hopefully i can get some motivated younger person for knowledge from there.