Garden maintenance business
Discussion
t in the rain 
I do it part time, started about 18 months ago. I've now cut back to one contract and the odd one off job. I enjoy it but also like my day job and volunteering, so have stuck to part time. I've considered taking someone on as I'm turning jobs down, but not keen on managing anyone. I much prefer the hedging and minor tree work to grass cutting.
Wife does it. Seems to have found her niche with old retired female widowers! I think they must prefer or like a female gardener? She spends as much time drinking tea as she does cutting grass! It is definitely part gardening, part company for her customers.
She's very selective with who she works for and turns down far more work than she actually does, could easily have someone else doing it with her but doesn't want the hassle.
She started off doing some neighbours gardens and I couldn't believe how many people can't be bothered to cut their own grass. She then started doing a old lady's garden in the next village who turned out to be the like the village patriarch, that's when she ended up with the customers she has now.
It's been her perfect job while the kids have been growing up with the flexibility and customer relationships to work around the kids.
But it can obviously be very weather dependent and in the winter there is not a lot to do.
She's very selective with who she works for and turns down far more work than she actually does, could easily have someone else doing it with her but doesn't want the hassle.
She started off doing some neighbours gardens and I couldn't believe how many people can't be bothered to cut their own grass. She then started doing a old lady's garden in the next village who turned out to be the like the village patriarch, that's when she ended up with the customers she has now.
It's been her perfect job while the kids have been growing up with the flexibility and customer relationships to work around the kids.
But it can obviously be very weather dependent and in the winter there is not a lot to do.
The chaps who were employed on a golf course (directly by the company) - in the winter months, used to shovel snow off the hotel grounds.
They had impressive machinery in the hangar, for the spring/summer/autumn months though. Which was probably serviced by themselves, at least maintenance wise…
They had impressive machinery in the hangar, for the spring/summer/autumn months though. Which was probably serviced by themselves, at least maintenance wise…
soad said:
The chaps who were employed on a golf course (directly by the company) - in the winter months, used to shovel snow off the hotel grounds.
They had impressive machinery in the hangar, for the spring/summer/autumn months though. Which was probably serviced by themselves, at least maintenance wise…
Wonder if it could be wise to learn how to service the kit yourself, even mowers etc?... Or could use electric kit...They had impressive machinery in the hangar, for the spring/summer/autumn months though. Which was probably serviced by themselves, at least maintenance wise…
D1on said:
soad said:
The chaps who were employed on a golf course (directly by the company) - in the winter months, used to shovel snow off the hotel grounds.
They had impressive machinery in the hangar, for the spring/summer/autumn months though. Which was probably serviced by themselves, at least maintenance wise…
Wonder if it could be wise to learn how to service the kit yourself, even mowers etc?... Or could use electric kit...They had impressive machinery in the hangar, for the spring/summer/autumn months though. Which was probably serviced by themselves, at least maintenance wise…
D1on said:
Anyone on here done this before?
Seems a decent job to get into, how did you get started?, What do you do in the winter?
Guy I use seems to have a good little business going. He employs a number of people & also has a minimum job size, so he's not really interested in people who just want a small lawn mown once a week. He tends to hire people just for the summer months when the work picks up. During the winter he reduces the frequency of visits and does some general grounds maintenance that is not season dependent. eg: we needed a pergola renewing, so he did that. He'll do the odd bit of fencing. Seems a decent job to get into, how did you get started?, What do you do in the winter?
I run an employee-owned garden maintenance company of a reasonable scale (7 figure turnover). I'm not green-fingered but the company is a size that needs a full-time plate spinner. We're a nice part of the country and usually technical gardens. Extremely fussy with what we take on and staff who take it very seriously (trained at Kew gardens etc) and not cheap but demand always beyond our availability.
We look at the annual demands of a garden, cost it up (can adjust later) and split the cost 12-ways monthly. This way you'll have stable revenues and your customers have a known cost.
Lots of the gardens have winter tasks (wisterias, roses, orchards etc) but because customers may receive fewer visits, this creates windows for additional project work - usually for the same people. Planting beds, hedges, garden designs or whatever. The winter months are usually the months we make the most money - customers already paying their monthly cost plus time for extra work.
We look at the annual demands of a garden, cost it up (can adjust later) and split the cost 12-ways monthly. This way you'll have stable revenues and your customers have a known cost.
Lots of the gardens have winter tasks (wisterias, roses, orchards etc) but because customers may receive fewer visits, this creates windows for additional project work - usually for the same people. Planting beds, hedges, garden designs or whatever. The winter months are usually the months we make the most money - customers already paying their monthly cost plus time for extra work.
22 said:
I run an employee-owned garden maintenance company of a reasonable scale (7 figure turnover). I'm not green-fingered but the company is a size that needs a full-time plate spinner. We're a nice part of the country and usually technical gardens. Extremely fussy with what we take on and staff who take it very seriously (trained at Kew gardens etc) and not cheap but demand always beyond our availability.
We look at the annual demands of a garden, cost it up (can adjust later) and split the cost 12-ways monthly. This way you'll have stable revenues and your customers have a known cost.
Lots of the gardens have winter tasks (wisterias, roses, orchards etc) but because customers may receive fewer visits, this creates windows for additional project work - usually for the same people. Planting beds, hedges, garden designs or whatever. The winter months are usually the months we make the most money - customers already paying their monthly cost plus time for extra work.
Sounds a good model.We look at the annual demands of a garden, cost it up (can adjust later) and split the cost 12-ways monthly. This way you'll have stable revenues and your customers have a known cost.
Lots of the gardens have winter tasks (wisterias, roses, orchards etc) but because customers may receive fewer visits, this creates windows for additional project work - usually for the same people. Planting beds, hedges, garden designs or whatever. The winter months are usually the months we make the most money - customers already paying their monthly cost plus time for extra work.
Friend of mine does ok out of this too. His stock in trade through summer is lawn mowing, says he typicaly does 20+ per day which strikes me as a bit brain numbing but he has deals with several local letting agencies looking after blocks of flats and the like which he says is very stable income.
Come winter it's fencing & leaf clearance and the like tiding him over. On the down side, it's obviously weather dependent which can cause the work to back up & the obvious pitfall for a one man band in a physical occupation is if he falls ill or puts his back out etc, then he's not earning.
Come winter it's fencing & leaf clearance and the like tiding him over. On the down side, it's obviously weather dependent which can cause the work to back up & the obvious pitfall for a one man band in a physical occupation is if he falls ill or puts his back out etc, then he's not earning.
President Merkin said:
Friend of mine does ok out of this too. His stock in trade through summer is lawn mowing, says he typicaly does 20+ per day which strikes me as a bit brain numbing but he has deals with several local letting agencies looking after blocks of flats and the like which he says is very stable income.
Come winter it's fencing & leaf clearance and the like tiding him over. On the down side, it's obviously weather dependent which can cause the work to back up & the obvious pitfall for a one man band in a physical occupation is if he falls ill or puts his back out etc, then he's not earning.
20+ lawn mows a day? Good on him. How is that manageable though with travelling time to each property and loanding/unloading etc...Come winter it's fencing & leaf clearance and the like tiding him over. On the down side, it's obviously weather dependent which can cause the work to back up & the obvious pitfall for a one man band in a physical occupation is if he falls ill or puts his back out etc, then he's not earning.
D1on said:
20+ lawn mows a day? Good on him. How is that manageable though with travelling time to each property and loanding/unloading etc...
He schedules it so as to do a bunch within a few streets of each other each day. Also ropes in his missus afew days a week to help which speeds things along.Good money if you actually enjoy it.
My uncle with very little financial or educational skills is a real people person and loves gardening and is a grafter. He basicly chooses how many customers he has and alot of it is older folk who just can't look after their gardens.
However some customers being older still think £5 an hour is alot of money so they obviously get turned down,
My uncle with very little financial or educational skills is a real people person and loves gardening and is a grafter. He basicly chooses how many customers he has and alot of it is older folk who just can't look after their gardens.
However some customers being older still think £5 an hour is alot of money so they obviously get turned down,
My brother does it. He's fit and gets stuck in but is a lazy fk'er so likes to finish and be home for 3pm. He is stacked out - can't take on anymore work (unless he wants to work after 3pm - which he doesn't) but the Winter is quieter so he helps a tree surgeon for 2-3 days/wk in those months. The area he concentrates on is very wealthy - all his work is regular including businesses (doctors surgeries / nurseries etc). When you break the week down (businesses / residential etc) he averages a decent £/hr. He loves it.
Guy that cuts father in law's lawns charges £15 per hour. Main part of his business is holiday homes even in winter he goes around weekly keeping place tidy and acts as security check for owners. While doing one place big car pulled and asked if he could do his holiday home, he told him his books were full, guy said that he would pay £22.50 a hour. Now does his home one full day a week all year round !!
Seems to make a good living. Was just offered a BMW 330d for next to nothing by executors of a old lady. It was her wish that he could have the car for massive discount ! He now has the car low mileage and full service history! Win win for him !
Seems to make a good living. Was just offered a BMW 330d for next to nothing by executors of a old lady. It was her wish that he could have the car for massive discount ! He now has the car low mileage and full service history! Win win for him !
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