I cannot help thinking that the Easter weekend, the laying snow and cold temperatures will cause so much pressure and stress for already stretched garden businesses.
Even though the clocks are about to change and give everyone an extra hour in the evenings, the spring rush has the potential to be hyper-accentuated as the weather warms up in the coming days and weeks.
It's always tough on a Sunday night; doing schedules and watching the weather forecast, but this year there is a double challenge of catch-up and fitting in new work..
How do you steer staff when jobs are postponed? how do you direct staff when two jobs need to be done at the same time?
When the warmer weather eventually kicks in there will be so much to do and so little time to do it.
There will not only be a backlog of work but there's every possibility there will be a greater deficit at the bank. Employees have to be paid but money may not be coming in.
Peer support
LJN members can provide each other with support. There's no need for public posts and any revelations of the difficulties one faces but there's an opportunity to lend an ear and moral support.
For heavens sake, if you are feeling that business is becoming too much and you need to talk, why not pick up the phone? I can be reached on 0844 2324221.
Talk to your LJN friends or email each other but don't endure in silence.
I consider I was successful and I operated my business for many years. However I found it extremely tough, especially at the spring/Easter junction.
This year will be harder for sure...please don't suffer in silence.
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See this from the Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2301378/Can-tonights-lost...
Hi Phil,
Its a good subject/post this.
Its soul destroying this weather, it was bad enough last summer with all the rain. I started up at the end of April last year and hoped to get 2 months work in on last year. and folk are used to stopping the grass and hedgecutting at the end of sept start of oct.
I have applied and waiting for my waste carriers licence coming in the post, so have been trying to push shed removals, garage clearances etc to compensate for the delay in garden work, but still... nothing.
weve had flurries of snow here and the last couple of days it has not lay. its been good today, though cold. so hopefully the weather is on the turn for us.
Its a real struggle just now though. i wonder how other LJN members are coping. I can only wish the best to fellow members.
Scott, i dont think the weather is helping anybody even if you have been in business for years , i started up last year in April 2012 and regarding work my method was to take on big contracts which gave me all year round work and a income which is most important , other work then was planned in between the contracts,
I've had a tough month, the weather has delayed the lawnmowing and after purchasing the second van for my dad to start working for me, he has done 1 job so far, but I've paid 2 insurance installments, added employers insurance to the PLI, serviced the mower he'll be using bought new tools and clothing for him, serviced and had repairs done to the van at a cost of £250.00, and he's been out for 1 and a half hours!
I have had 2 clients delaying payments to the point that I was having to ring one of them up several days in a row to get him to transfer the money as the business account was dipping dangerously low.
My large lawnmowing contracts haven't really got started yet I've done one cut this month instaed of 3 which has made this months invoice a lot smaller than I need it to be.
Personally my car has cost me £330 this week because of a seized brake caliper which knackered the pads and disc. Every bill you can imagine has landed on the doormat, making me dread going home at night for fear of what has come in the post.
We had an injured cat at the end of last month which we had to pay nearly £400 in vets fees, the pet insurance company took 17 days to issue a cheque with the wrong name on it and then another 15 days to issue a correct one. Yet took 2 days to issue a letter stating that a payment was missed on the premium because we didn't have enough funds in the account.
I have had 2 trailer punctures this month, The road tax is due on my van by monday (£118), I can't get it until tuesday because of the bloody bank holiday, so mondays job will have to be done using my car because i just know i'll get nicked if i risk taking the van out.
There is more but it's depressing me typing it all out.
I have found myself saying several times this month: "What's the point? Whats the bloody point??"
But I will soldier on and hope that April will be a better month, for everyone as well as myself.
:-)
were managing not too badly down on the south coast, as we have had some snow, but not as much as others. The weather is dsimal and definetly making the phone ring slower. Im finding we are still getting the enquiries for the larger projects, but it seems to be the smaller ones, such as a new gate, or a small wall etc, which are handy add-in jobs that are lacking at the moment. I guess thats from less people venturing out into the garden. We are lucky in that we have plenty of work ahead of us and its just a case of grinning and bearing the weather and juggling temperatures with what we can do.
Im hoping its delaying things, so will push back the usual rush of people wanting work in spring/early summer and the juggle of trying to fit in and spread it further back through the year. As much as i love spring as a season, i always look at it as our equivalent to the christmas rush for shop keepers and the seemingly never ending cycle of going to see quotes and the question of when can you fit us in, which tends to tarnish it.
keep smiling, it will get better, nature always balances out.
Hi Scott
I know exactly how it feels and I can clearly picture the scenarios that will be facing many business owners on Tuesday morning.
We could say that this spring's weather is exceptional but it seems the last three years or more have also been an exception.
All the best
Phil
Scott Kinnear said:
Andy - you can tax vehicles online so if you do it now you will be covered on Tuesday.
Hope this relieves some of the pressure.
Nick
andy@ Doughty Garden Maintenance said:
Hang in there Andy! I know you will sort this:)
I am certain you will succeed once the weather picks up.
Call me next week if you'd like a chat?
Phil
andy@ Doughty Garden Maintenance said:
Thanks Nick,
Trouble is there's not enough money in the account at the minute and I only have cash in my walllet to do it as i couldn't pay it in .... I hate bank holidays :-)
Nick @ NM Garden Services Ltd said:
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