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On long jobs you need to take a break , take stock of progress and then shift your focus .
I find it's as much mental exhaustion as it is physical our work requires concentration and most on here will have exacting standards .
We need to rehydrate and top up our energy
Never felt like a skiver if spotted having a sandwich , even had customers set the table and insist I stop for a break ,very nice of them .
I don't need many breaks often get carried by adrenalin and become totally absorbed in the job and don't like to be interupted when on a roll .
Although now trying to retire but find it difficult to relax and still need the buzz I get from work .
I feel breaks are important sometimes after a break you can come back and see the job in a different light and be more efficient .
Agree with John.
I'll start around 7:30, and finish around 18:00-19:00.
We'll stop around 10, and 13:00 for a sandwich etc, 10 minutes and a drink break at 15:00.
As I write this the customer has brought me a cold drink out and I didn't realise it was 15:15.
Have a good weekend.
Its tradition for all trade's to stop at 10am for tea 1pm for lunch 3pm for tea. You've got to keep fuelled up. We burn a lot off calories. Customers do not quibble for it is sacred.
The speed at which you work becomes irrelevant if you are charging the client a price per task/job. This is how it should be. The problem of taking breaks and therefore possibly giving the false impression that some skiving is taking place would only be an issue if you are charging per hour.
It does not matter to the client how long it takes you to cut a hedge or mow a lawn, if they know in advance exactly how much this will cost them.
I do not work eight hours per day. I often work far less than this. It is better to charge the proper commercial rates and have less frenetic work days.
Half-past 8 until 5pm with half an hour for lunch.
Well James,
I learned over the years that not taking on enough fluids, water tea-not the fizzy stuff, would tire me out over the course of a week... At the moment I'm working 6:30-15:30, taking breaks every 2,5 hrs on average. I'd be drinking 2 litres of water and as much tea as my bladder will allow.. for me it's as important what your fuelling yourself with as the amount of breaks..
paul
You've got to be productive, but not a hero. Work at a pace you can sustain, and take breaks. I usually have a quick 10-15 minutes mid-morning, and half an hour lunch.
Some are obviously working quite long hours every day. As I said, I don’t do that. Gardening is hard work. Even ride on mowing is physically taxing, not to mention hedge cutting [strimming in old churchyards and cemeteries is probably the worst]. My fear is that maybe some are working too cheaply. It’s far better to earn £60p/h for five hours [£300] than to earn £25p/h for eight hours [£200]. Half the work – 50% more money.
Once a fortnight I do two mowing jobs at the weekend. One is a small village school playing field which is far better to do when the place is deserted and the other is a business with large grounds and again, is far easier to mow and strim without dozens of cars parked next to the grass [and strimmer].
On Sunday [Saturday was wet all day] I left the house at 10am, travelled one mile to the school, mowed, had a long chat with my sister in law who was passing by, then travelled six miles to the business and mowed, strimmed and also strimmed a large bank to the rear of the property that I do every other visit. I was back home at 1pm. I had earned £180. Two hours and ten minutes actually on site, so about £83p/h.
Don’t get me wrong, I have the odd £400 plus day too, but not with eight hours of work. For any working eight hours per day and earning £500 per day, I salute you. But at 57, I want and easier life.
Nice work if you can get it!
I work in the London area and don't get rates anywhere near this. Perhaps the difference is you're doing commercial sites not people's private back gardens. I've had people raise their eyebrows or tell me no when I tell them my rates and they're nowhere near as high as what you're earning. I don't want to do do hard jobs anymore either, so I'm with you there!
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