I find as soon as may arrives i am sruggling on my own,i have weekly commercial contracts i manage and mix of a few flats and residential gardens, all can be alot of pressure and alot of grass cutting and bushes . Ive run a buinsess for 9 years , only do maintenance.
At minuite i am liturally grass cutting all day not much time to do much else in the gardens. I either cut back work and take it a bit easyier. Or think about employing but i think that will eat my profits and dont actually earn a huge amount myself after all the expenses etc. . Where do i go....
I did try employing years back on tmporary basis, but then i had loads more residential 2 hour jobs, it become a day of driving and tools in and out rush rush to get the jobs done. didnt really work now ive moved on from these smaller type jobs and gained more commercial contracts through word of mouth.
I lost a few big sites last year 7k of work, felt the pressure i suppoe i cant do everything and keep everything tip top on my own. Should i think about employing temporary staff?
Im 38 now and my interest is planting and creating a garden really rather than grass cutting and bushes. Can get sole destroying on your own all day long thinking more grass. Ive even thought of giving it all up to be a head gardener postion as dislike the driving everywere involved and problems of mowers breaking ...
I feel my skills are more a trained horticulture than just a grass cutter.
any advise?
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Either charge decent money to well off clients who appreciate your horticulatural skills, or employ someone and make sure you charge them out at 2.5x what you pay them.
That's all there really is I'm afraid. Good luck whichever route you choose.
Loads of good stuff on here- check out the client ladder etc. Raise your prices, the income from those who drop out will be covered by those who pay more.
agree with ben
depends a lot on what you are needing to earn etc -- maybe lose a few neagtive commercial jobs and start picking up a few more horticultural wealthy clients. Balance the variety of work out a bit and see how you feel in 6 months a year ?
Why do you say you ‘expand, pay vat and basically work for the government’ ?
Ive never, ever seen it that way .....
I see it as building a business, generating an ‘asset’ that can exist, expand, generate income and give you an exit plan or still be involved in the business in a different way as you get older.
if costed right, the business should be giving you the choice of working/not working bank hols and money in the bank for when you need a break.
i think if you are at your wits end, then sharing the load will give you renewed vigour and a continuing reason to do it.
We have a very similar viewpoint to Gary above.
Why is VAT a joke - it's not difficult to deal with, most things we deal with in everday life involves VAT & most customers understand it forms part of their purchases (no matter what it is) ?
If you not enjoy being in busiess ('bull crap red tape etc'), how do you plan for your business future - work until you drop ?
I suspect no one likes VAT, but it’s there... a fact of life...
One can either work with it as most of the public have to or you end up straight jacketing yourself.
For some it’s a way out of a rut/ dead end / pressure by expanding and having someone to share and work alongside.
There’s been some great threads re: Practitioners worried about going The Vat route and nearly all have found minimal resistance with postive outcome - see BOG threads
We have been VAT registered from the off - 40 years ago. It sort of become an incentive to move forward. There is only so much a 'one man band' can earn and employing staff can lift your earnings and ease the load during busy times.
Know what your saying . Have good and bad days I suppose . These bank hols didn't help then I got a cold in the heat knocked me right back . Think of it as getting paid for a suntan. Lol