Loving your channel mate, refreshing straight up advice and good insight. loving the pontificating and story’s of customers. Just starting out in the garden game as me and my wife have a flower/plant shop. Do a lot of tubs and hanging baskets so decided to branch out into the customers gardens. Iv subbed
I'm in process of redesigning my business..I'm not making enough..IV had mental health issues recently..so running a business has not been easy or very organised... butviv never let my standards drop...IV struggled but I'm still going..basic 20 per HR..but it needs to change...go up..I really value what I do..I was cheap for yrs..but not anymore...health's improving so I want to shift gears this yr really start making £££... we're worth it..!! Were good honest people...good gardener usually not a cut throat business mind...so we got to get what worth and stand by it...
enjoyed your stories mate .i can relate to a lot of them.you must have read my mind as i am just in the process of doing a vid on the pro's & con's of self employment. atb.
we can also relate to a lot of what you have spoken about.think some customers think you are working for pocket money and not running a business.what they do not realise is or think about is fuel costs wear and tear on equipment and the fact the are paying for your knowledge and skills.years on still making mistakes pricing jobs now tend to be a little on the higher side but makes you feel better about doing the job and if all goes well do a little extra free of charge.its not about ripping people off we just want to earn a living and build up a good client base.very best wishes
Very good video. Thank you. It's tricky in the beginning to know your worth. I have only just started and have two clients (neighbours). Hourly rate. I now know I'm charging about £3 p/hour under. I will charge future clients more. I've learnt a lot from these videos. Many thanks. Joe
like many started with hourly rate and very soon decided customers where getting a lot of work done for not enough money.good way to get your foot in the door but don't think its the way to go.fixed price for the job in hand and move on to the next.just try to give good value for money and treat everyones garden like its your own.good work will always lead to recommendations to customers friends and relatives.
We all go through especially at the start. Whilst you are just doing it as a side its ok and your focus can be on building up a client base slowly as starting off is about filling the books! But whilst you are working hourly now, just keep one eye on how long it takes you to do what you, learn something from each job you do, and in time you will get to where you want to be
caroline camp thanks. I'm not being to hard on myself. Good hands on experience in two very nice gardens. I think I will try and do fixed price in future. Again with experience I will know how long thing take! Thanks.
Dude I've rarely come across any customers with the 'well valued' mindset in my first year so far, I find it quite frustrating! I find the hardest part of the job is the pricing up, so nerve racking and it's because of this very thing... i'm glad you've touched on this - it's the blummin british culture (and don't even start on others...)! If I am to carry on, I believe as the confidence grows, the customers with this understanding will come tho
Christopher Stocking hi Chris. It's tough out there, especially at the beginning when you are just starting off. Keep learning....every time you do a job, submit a quote, meet a customer you will learn something and hopefully do it that bit better each time. Those customers are out there I promise you. Good luck with your venture and thank you for taking the time to comment, it's appreciated!
Very interesting mate and so relatable for many of us. Mrs ‘Smith’ lost herself a good gardener there. I’ve been lucky on the odd occasion that l’ve underestimated a job that the client has realised iv probably underestimated and offered to pay the extra as they were happy with the finished job. Working relationships are important with regular clients. If a client chooses to go elsewhere then regrets it I will never go back and just politely decline. It can be hard putting up prices on long standing regulars I agree. New clients and fixed price jobs are much easier!
Very true Paul. We all make mistakes along the way and hopefully we all learn from them so we don't keep making them. But I do see people who can't seem to move on from them and just end up in a cycle of making the same mistakes and it's sad as you feel they deserve more. Thanks for taking the time to comment
My customers won't pay .It's hard enough getting a tenna from them .I'm doing a garden for basic pay .then my mate dose the same job different area and charges triple ....its hard and don't want to upset the customers. But your right .
Get ya grafter out lad..bit of Roman leverage on those fraxinus seedlings..privet be ok if ya careful..did you say u used sbk..stumpkiller..?? I didn't find that usefully at all..use it neat..I'll give it a go...
Hi Simon. People will pay for quality there is no doubt about that.. the trouble is when it's a new customer and they don't know the quality of work they are going to get. It's not always about time (hours) because we use the best equipment to get the work done quicker. These tools need paying for.If they won't pay our prices ....its their loss. 🤣🤣
Absolutely true. Once you can get them hooked in and they see what you do, they can look past the higher hourly rate because they can see they get value for money...its getting the fish to bite which can be tricky!
Thanks for these Videos! Currently transitioning between employment and going self employed as a gardener. The varying rates and expectations of what to pay people for garden work seems to vary hugely. I try to make a minimum of £12.50 per hour but aim for making £20 PH if I’ve priced a job by working my tits off.
