Just starting out

Lots of good luck,

I did the same for few years in the past, moved to design for few years and than to trading online.

Same if you do anything that not sure , will be happy to assist.

Yes , it is not the easiest job, but for the time being it is the best thing you can do, well done.

few tips that I can say:

do not start at low prices as it is hard to raise it.

if possible you can ask to charge every month same- so you are sorted for the winter.

when visit a customer first time. walk with them in the garden show your knowledge.

take a clipboard and print to yourself ( that is top tip) a page with all the jobs that you can do.

with boxes to tick

for ex: __ cutting the lawn

__ cutting the lawn edge

-- blowing leaves

-- weeding

-- feeding the lawn

__ planting

than sit with the customer at same meeting or another day, tick all the boxes ( add few empty lines for extra jobs) , write your price.

If the customer will ask for less, say that you just cant but as a good will will do 5% not more.

or if wish can reduce one of the tasks.

+ do not be afraid to offer your customers ideas / other jobs and so ( they may like it a lot)

you will look professional too.

Lots of good luck

Ofer

"Plus it doesn't matter if we all know plants are better value. I'd make the point of this to the customer but if they want trough grown at the extra cost that's their choice I'd just do it"

"I've done 5ft Thorne troughs. Very easy to plant just got a mini digger dug the trench then drop them in couldn't be easier however £250 per m does seem expensive. "

Thought I'd sign up to this forum. And I hope I'm allowed to post stuff for sale on here as this will be a one off? I have for sale a tiny pro robot, it's not the new edition but it's the bigger one of the two. If anyone is interested then please…

Comments

RICHARD BICKLER August 7, 2011 at 7:02pm

Ian, just post any questions and I am sure the great folks of LJN will be more than happy to offer advice..
Ofer El-hashahar August 7, 2011 at 8:43pm

Lots of good luck,

I did the same for few years in the past, moved to design for few years and than to trading online.

Same if you do anything that not sure , will be happy to assist.

Yes , it is not the easiest job, but for the time being it is the best thing you can do, well done.

few tips that I can say:

do not start at low prices as it is hard to raise it.

if possible you can ask to charge every month same- so you are sorted for the winter.

when visit a customer first time. walk with them in the garden show your knowledge.

take a clipboard and print to yourself ( that is top tip) a page with all the jobs that you can do.

with boxes to tick

for ex: __ cutting the lawn

__ cutting the lawn edge

-- blowing leaves

-- weeding

-- feeding the lawn

__ planting

than sit with the customer at same meeting or another day, tick all the boxes ( add few empty lines for extra jobs) , write your price.

If the customer will ask for less, say that you just cant but as a good will will do 5% not more.

or if wish can reduce one of the tasks.

+ do not be afraid to offer your customers ideas / other jobs and so ( they may like it a lot)

you will look professional too.

Lots of good luck

Ofer
Ian Hartmann August 8, 2011 at 7:10pm

Thats brilliant Ofer, thanks _ will make a mental note of all those point. I particulalry like the tick list idea. I am a list peson, can't think why I hadn't thought of that before.

Thanks very much
Mark & Yasmin Roworth August 10, 2011 at 8:40am

Hi Good luck Ian. Im sure once you get going you won't look back. Get your name out there as much as you can in your local areas. Yasmin