Hello from America. You certainly know what your doing. I know what you’re going through in your job. I was a manager of a twenty seven hole golf course for twenty two years. I managed a maintenance crew of thirty. Budgets for insurance,irrigation ,machines, fertilizers, chemicals. And the golf course members. All of these things had to be addressed year after year. After twenty two years I was ready to leave this very stressful job. And it was the best decision made and never regretted it. So keep doing what your doing. You are on the right track to success.
Hey, thank you so much for taking the time to watch and comment.. it really means a lot 😊 Wow it sounds like your job was extremely busy to say the least. I learnt groundwork’s over 25 years ago and have always loved working outside, although this isn’t my only job, I also work for our local water company as well as running my business so it’s a busy life. Nice to hear from you, All the best JP👍🏻
Great video. It's my first time watching your content and everything you say there is spot on. Im on my 6th year of working for myself and made those underpricing mistakes so many times in the early days....maybe make them occasionally now still! The hourly rate trick is the worst habit a self employed gardener can get into. I did hourly rates when I began and I used to find that my first couple of visits would be ok but after that, I would get much quicker at the same property as you get to know the ins and outs which I then found I was doing the same work for less money....Large hedges and hedge reductions I find are the most difficult aspect to quote for. I now tend to base my "all in" prices on a linear metre charge plus waste and I generally find this works ok for me though I would be interested how others price them?! Keep up the great content Rich
Hi mate, wow you are absolutely bang on with that, and after many many years I still even sometimes under quote jobs.. think we all do. You live and learn in this trade and one thing I know for sure is that when you are young your body can take a lot more hard days and punishment than later in life so the key is to make hay while the sun shines and the body is young lol 😂 Really appreciate you watching and commenting, and all the very best to you 👍🏻 JP 😊
Hi Rich, I've been in this industry for 30 years now (67 years old, I love it) I used to get my pricing wrong at first, so don't worry to much. I now look at a new job , give it a lot of thought don't give them a price there and then. Go away and put every thing they want you to do together, Price it plus the Bastard element, you wont be far out. Good luck Bud. Garry Solihull
Spot on, I've made exactly the same mistakes. I was employed doing grounds maintenance for 17 years, been self employed for 11 years. I didn't understand business and finances, took on way too much work, priced to cheap, tried pleasing everyone. Getting there now, but what a journey.
@@andrewsflicks7920 Thsnk you so much.. I figured I’d share the things I’ve learnt so others can hopefully not do what I did lol 😂 Really appreciate it mate JP
Season 1 for me and I've done exactly what you described, clearance jobs priced way too low and sweating by lunchtime knowing I'm nowhere near half way through - physically shot by the end of the day and morale tank empty safe in the knowledge I've got to go back in the morning to finish off! Lessons learnt but slowly getting better at it - still lots of pain to go through no doubt but posts like this are so helpful. Oh and I definitely skip around with my mower and strimmer making almost no money but I am happy at least 😆 Great video - thanks for posting!
Thank you so much for watching.. so now you need to price for what you’re worth mate.. we don’t need to be greedy nor sell ourselves short, just make a living with a little bit to cover holiday, sickness, and tools etc. Keep going 👍🏻👍🏻 JP
Great vid mate. Im in my third season and my pricing has changed vast amounts over that time. Experienced all the same things and found my niche of what i like doing and what tools i need to afford etc. We also make youtube vids and will probably talk money at some point as its very helpful to compare and share information. Keep up the good work JP. - Conor.
Very realistic video. Thank you. I love mowing lawns but it is a very small part of my business. The cuts I do have range from £25 to £140 per fortnight and I work in Coventry. The bulk of my work is garden clearances and big ones too and jobs others don't want. Thanks again.
@@aspectratiogardenservices Thank you so much mate, it’s a hard career but I thought if I can share some things I should have perhaps done differently it may help some people just starting out 😊 Many thanks and all the best JP
Hi mate, so glad it’s useful to you. I think we all do at first.. and then once experience is gained we learn to work smarter and not just harder. If I can help with anything else just shout up and I’ll try my best. Take care JP
Thanks ever so much, glad it’s of some use to you.. I’m never afraid to admit where I go wrong to help others 😊 Got quite a few vids of my work on the channel, really appreciate you stopping by mate. All the best JP
@JP_livingthedream Pricing jobs is the hardest bit of the job for me. Especially when you've got a few £10 a time cowboy gangs around your area. But I stick to my guns these days it's £25 minimum or I'm back in the van. And videos like this really help. Regards James!
Hi, great honest video 👍 I've had a gardening business now for a couple of years so still learning really though I have realised a few things! One thing that I need to work on or find a way to make more money out of is weeding and border work. It's hard work but people don't like paying good money for it! How much per hr or how do you price border work? Best regards Cath
@@cathgoulbourne8301 Hello, thank you for you comment 😊 Yeah border works can be tough but if you have the tools for the job it makes it easier. I use a tiller a lot of the time to get in and turn soil over and then weed by hand once everything is loose. In relation to pricing I always show the customers my previous before and after photographs and advise them that although this first visit will cost a little more, once on top of the borders, the future visits will cost a lot less. I never give an hourly rate, just a visit charge. Hope that helps it if you want any further help please feel free to ask 😊 All the best JP
Nice one 👌 just deleted my comment by mistake 🤦♂️. Good for you for actually mentioning figures. I must have watched a dozen of these where the gardeners don’t mention any numbers. 220 “profit” after your 50 & 40 fees sounds good to me. For a days solid hedge cutting I currently charge 250 and agree with the customer beforehand that any waste charges will be extra. Could be 50, could be 100, depends on how much waste And I just add 20 quid or so for my time transporting. My local council have just started charging £190 for a medium sized van of green trade waste. Wood chipper is my next investment Anyway keep up the videos I’m going back through them now and watching 👍
What did you do when you very first started up? Coz I’m thinking of started up and I have enough money for some tools to get me started but I don’t have a van; I’m also still in full time employment, so what would be your advice mate ?
@@MattCooper10 Hi mate, I would get some flyers or business cards made up and post around your local area and local shops etc. then share it on social media also. I have a Facebook business page for example. Once you start working and posting pics of what you have done for others, word gets around. Don’t worry about being full time employed either, that’s a good thing while you build up your customers and profile. Wages still coming in are needed whilst you do all this. Depending on what type of work you want to do, this dictates your sales drive and pitch.. for example I specialise in garden clearances, lawn management and landscaping so I Taylor my adverts and socials around that. Best of luck with it mate 👍🏻
Your experience as a new business owner sounds exactly the same as mine, albeit in a different trade! It was farcical lookong back now, but you soon learn!
Thank you, it’s the only way. I just hope it’s useful to people starting out- learning from my mistakes lol Appreciate you watching and leaving a kind comment JP
You are spot on but whatever business you have you could use the same principal and remember if you have a week off to go on holiday or you are ill you don't get anything
Great advice video, quick question what's your plant weed shrud knowledge like I'm working with a local Gardener who's very clever with them an loves doing beds etc I'm more interested in the grass cutting garden clearance hedge trimming side. Obviously every Gardener likes doing some things an not other was just wondering if you could make gardring work with out being Alan Titchmarsh 😂 thanks
Hi there, yeah it’s okay.. every day is a school day in my opinion, over the years I’ve purchased books on plants, trees and shrubs and I’m never afraid to refer to them if there’s something I don’t know. In all honesty my main work is building the raised beds and landscaping areas for customers to choose the plants to go in their gardens. Obviously it pays to know the difference between a plant and a weed and it can all be learnt with research and study. In relation to my work in general I did a diploma on garden design and maintenance which really helped me. Hope this helps All the best JP
Great advice. So many hidden costs and variables. Obviously unwise to charge hourly. Concentrate on net profit, not what you've made that day without taking into account the 'hidden' costs. You talk a lot of sense. All the best to you and your business.
You just described myself with the pricing. I havent been gardening for long and made a massive mistake working for hrly 🙄. Thank you JP for your honesty and for me a reality check. Have a lovely day 😎
Hey, don’t be hard on yourself we all do it, there were so many times early on where I thought that the reward wasn’t matching the effort put in as this is hard work… but if you can slowly step away from an hourly rate and work towards a rate per visit you will feel so much better trust me. Really appreciate the comment and you taking the time to watch. If you need anything just shout up and I’ll answer any questions you have. Take care and all the best JP 👍🏻
Hey, don’t be hard on yourself we all do it, there were so many times early on where I thought that the reward wasn’t matching the effort put in as this is hard work… but if you can slowly step away from an hourly rate and work towards a rate per visit you will feel so much better trust me. Really appreciate the comment and you taking the time to watch. If you need anything just shout up and I’ll answer any questions you have. Take care and all the best JP 👍🏻
Price it for what you need or want to make a good living. If someone wants to waste their time doing it for less then let them carry on. They won’t last long
@@adamhills4855 I don’t charge by the hour, I charge by the visit so if I have a border to clear that will take me 1 hour, and the rest of the day is full with other work I ensure that all of the jobs combined for the day total what I need to cover and make in a day if that makes sense. Thank you for the comment and watching All the best JP
£300 a day if you can get it, 5 days a week 4 weeks a month is £6,000 do you really need that much to make it work? I know some days will be rained off but prob easily still get £4,000 great return still
You also have to think about the winter months where work drops significantly, also holidays and sickness absence etc so I make sure I earn enough to cover all of that without being too greedy as that’s when you start to lose work. I guess everyone has different ideas and needs etc so it’s just finding a balance really to ensure you are earning a decent living and have some put away for when you don’t or can’t work. Appreciate the comment All the best 👍🏻 JP
That's true regarding winter work, it's why I want to o do garden work alongside another job until I'm fully settled and confident in it. I know it has ups and downs. I took prefer the clearance jobs, easier for a customer to see what you've done. Great vid and thanks for the reply.
@@robertreader6539Yeah I also have other work which Greg’s me through winter when the garden work drops off. No problem mate, hope it’s helped a little and good luck with it yourself 👍🏻 Cheers JP
@@EthanBlake-fh3mg I get a lot of enquiries through social media on local community groups in my area.. people spread the word for you and nominate you when people are asking for garden works to be done. I do have flyers and business cards but I’d say social media supplies 80% of my work 👍🏻 All the best JP
Thanks for watching folks- much appreciated 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Very informative video thanks put a lot of answers to questions I had and stuff I hadn't even considered appreciate the video keep them coming 😁
Thanks ever so much, glad it’s a help to you and will do!
All the best
JP 👍🏻👍🏻
Hello from America. You certainly know what your doing. I know what you’re going through in your job. I was a manager of a twenty seven hole golf course for twenty two years. I managed a maintenance crew of thirty. Budgets for insurance,irrigation ,machines, fertilizers, chemicals. And the golf course members. All of these things had to be addressed year after year. After twenty two years I was ready to leave this very stressful job. And it was the best decision made and never regretted it. So keep doing what your doing. You are on the right track to success.
Hey, thank you so much for taking the time to watch and comment.. it really means a lot 😊
Wow it sounds like your job was extremely busy to say the least.
I learnt groundwork’s over 25 years ago and have always loved working outside, although this isn’t my only job, I also work for our local water company as well as running my business so it’s a busy life.
Nice to hear from you,
All the best
JP👍🏻
Great video. It's my first time watching your content and everything you say there is spot on. Im on my 6th year of working for myself and made those underpricing mistakes so many times in the early days....maybe make them occasionally now still!
The hourly rate trick is the worst habit a self employed gardener can get into. I did hourly rates when I began and I used to find that my first couple of visits would be ok but after that, I would get much quicker at the same property as you get to know the ins and outs which I then found I was doing the same work for less money....Large hedges and hedge reductions I find are the most difficult aspect to quote for. I now tend to base my "all in" prices on a linear metre charge plus waste and I generally find this works ok for me though I would be interested how others price them?!
Keep up the great content
Rich
Hi mate, wow you are absolutely bang on with that, and after many many years I still even sometimes under quote jobs.. think we all do.
You live and learn in this trade and one thing I know for sure is that when you are young your body can take a lot more hard days and punishment than later in life so the key is to make hay while the sun shines and the body is young lol 😂
Really appreciate you watching and commenting, and all the very best to you 👍🏻
JP 😊
Hi Rich, I've been in this industry for 30 years now (67 years old, I love it) I used to get my pricing wrong at first, so don't worry to much. I now look at a new job , give it a lot of thought don't give them a price there and then. Go away and put every thing they want you to do together, Price it plus the Bastard element, you wont be far out. Good luck Bud. Garry Solihull
Spot on, I've made exactly the same mistakes. I was employed doing grounds maintenance for 17 years, been self employed for 11 years. I didn't understand business and finances, took on way too much work, priced to cheap, tried pleasing everyone. Getting there now, but what a journey.
One of the best videos I've seen on pricing...very realistic and total common sense...new subscriber.
@@andrewsflicks7920 Thsnk you so much.. I figured I’d share the things I’ve learnt so others can hopefully not do what I did lol 😂
Really appreciate it mate
JP
Great little video Pal! Explained brilliantly! Class! 👏👏
Thank you mate- I try
All the best
JP
Season 1 for me and I've done exactly what you described, clearance jobs priced way too low and sweating by lunchtime knowing I'm nowhere near half way through - physically shot by the end of the day and morale tank empty safe in the knowledge I've got to go back in the morning to finish off! Lessons learnt but slowly getting better at it - still lots of pain to go through no doubt but posts like this are so helpful. Oh and I definitely skip around with my mower and strimmer making almost no money but I am happy at least 😆 Great video - thanks for posting!
Thank you so much for watching.. so now you need to price for what you’re worth mate.. we don’t need to be greedy nor sell ourselves short, just make a living with a little bit to cover holiday, sickness, and tools etc.
Keep going 👍🏻👍🏻
JP
Great vid mate. Im in my third season and my pricing has changed vast amounts over that time. Experienced all the same things and found my niche of what i like doing and what tools i need to afford etc. We also make youtube vids and will probably talk money at some point as its very helpful to compare and share information. Keep up the good work JP.
- Conor.
@@conormunro Cheers mate, top man. I’ve subbed you too 👍🏻
Have a great weekend
JP 😎
Very realistic video. Thank you.
I love mowing lawns but it is a very small part of my business. The cuts I do have range from £25 to £140 per fortnight and I work in Coventry.
The bulk of my work is garden clearances and big ones too and jobs others don't want.
Thanks again.
@@aspectratiogardenservices Thank you so much mate, it’s a hard career but I thought if I can share some things I should have perhaps done differently it may help some people just starting out 😊
Many thanks and all the best
JP
Look at the numbers on this vid pal!! 👏👏 hitting that sweet spot with your content. Nice work!
Ah mate, I can’t believe it.. I’m so happy bud 😊😊
Thank you for your support as always 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks very much for the advice mate I definitely underprice myself. Cheers
Hi mate, so glad it’s useful to you. I think we all do at first.. and then once experience is gained we learn to work smarter and not just harder.
If I can help with anything else just shout up and I’ll try my best.
Take care
JP
Perfect you hit the nail on the head
Thank you, that means a lot 😊
Fantastic advice and well explained mate 👍👍👍👍
Thank you very much mate and for your support 😊
Have a great weekend bud
JP
Great advice JP very honest you and your family have a good weekend 👍
Thank you so much, and you too 😎
JP
Excellent advice mate 👍 will keep an eye out for future videos
Thanks ever so much, glad it’s of some use to you.. I’m never afraid to admit where I go wrong to help others 😊
Got quite a few vids of my work on the channel, really appreciate you stopping by mate.
All the best
JP
@JP_livingthedream Pricing jobs is the hardest bit of the job for me.
Especially when you've got a few £10 a time cowboy gangs around your area.
But I stick to my guns these days it's £25 minimum or I'm back in the van.
And videos like this really help.
Regards James!
Hi, great honest video 👍 I've had a gardening business now for a couple of years so still learning really though I have realised a few things! One thing that I need to work on or find a way to make more money out of is weeding and border work. It's hard work but people don't like paying good money for it! How much per hr or how do you price border work?
Best regards
Cath
@@cathgoulbourne8301 Hello, thank you for you comment 😊
Yeah border works can be tough but if you have the tools for the job it makes it easier. I use a tiller a lot of the time to get in and turn soil over and then weed by hand once everything is loose.
In relation to pricing I always show the customers my previous before and after photographs and advise them that although this first visit will cost a little more, once on top of the borders, the future visits will cost a lot less.
I never give an hourly rate, just a visit charge.
Hope that helps it if you want any further help please feel free to ask 😊
All the best
JP
Well explained JP, this is great information 👍
Thank you mate, hope it might help someone starting out.. learning from my mistakes 😊
Appreciate your support as always 👍🏻
JP
Thank you so much for your advice.
@@unclesimon1179 And thank you for watching 😊👍🏻
Good helpful advice.👍
@@letsgetdigging7418 Thank you, have also subscribed to your channel 😊
All the best
JP
Nice one 👌 just deleted my comment by mistake 🤦♂️.
Good for you for actually mentioning figures. I must have watched a dozen of these where the gardeners don’t mention any numbers.
220 “profit” after your 50 & 40 fees sounds good to me. For a days solid hedge cutting I currently charge 250 and agree with the customer beforehand that any waste charges will be extra. Could be 50, could be 100, depends on how much waste And I just add 20 quid or so for my time transporting. My local council have just started charging £190 for a medium sized van of green trade waste.
Wood chipper is my next investment
Anyway keep up the videos I’m going back through them now and watching 👍
@@theewhaler Sounds good to me that mate, nice work 👍🏻
Thanks again for watching and all the best, JP
Great video 😊
Thank you, appreciate that 😊
JP
What did you do when you very first started up? Coz I’m thinking of started up and I have enough money for some tools to get me started but I don’t have a van; I’m also still in full time employment, so what would be your advice mate ?
@@MattCooper10 Hi mate, I would get some flyers or business cards made up and post around your local area and local shops etc. then share it on social media also. I have a Facebook business page for example.
Once you start working and posting pics of what you have done for others, word gets around.
Don’t worry about being full time employed either, that’s a good thing while you build up your customers and profile. Wages still coming in are needed whilst you do all this.
Depending on what type of work you want to do, this dictates your sales drive and pitch.. for example I specialise in garden clearances, lawn management and landscaping so I Taylor my adverts and socials around that. Best of luck with it mate 👍🏻
@@JP_livingthedream Thank you very much for the advice, I will be specialising in lawn cuts and shrub and hedge pruning
Your experience as a new business owner sounds exactly the same as mine, albeit in a different trade! It was farcical lookong back now, but you soon learn!
I’m not a new business owner, been doing this for nearly 25 years 😂
Getting too old now tho, the body has had enough 🤦🏻♂️
Someone that actually talks realistically. 👍
Thank you, it’s the only way. I just hope it’s useful to people starting out- learning from my mistakes lol
Appreciate you watching and leaving a kind comment
JP
@@JP_livingthedream People that talk sense, ive got time for. Good content mate
You are spot on but whatever business you have you could use the same principal and remember if you have a week off to go on holiday or you are ill you don't get anything
Agreed mate 👍🏻
Great advice video, quick question what's your plant weed shrud knowledge like I'm working with a local Gardener who's very clever with them an loves doing beds etc I'm more interested in the grass cutting garden clearance hedge trimming side. Obviously every Gardener likes doing some things an not other was just wondering if you could make gardring work with out being Alan Titchmarsh 😂 thanks
Hi there, yeah it’s okay.. every day is a school day in my opinion, over the years I’ve purchased books on plants, trees and shrubs and I’m never afraid to refer to them if there’s something I don’t know. In all honesty my main work is building the raised beds and landscaping areas for customers to choose the plants to go in their gardens. Obviously it pays to know the difference between a plant and a weed and it can all be learnt with research and study.
In relation to my work in general I did a diploma on garden design and maintenance which really helped me.
Hope this helps
All the best
JP
@JP_livingthedream yeah this helps thank you looking forward to the next video 👍👍
@@georgetaylor8720 Really appreciate that and happy to help 😊
JP
Great advice. So many hidden costs and variables. Obviously unwise to charge hourly. Concentrate on net profit, not what you've made that day without taking into account the 'hidden' costs. You talk a lot of sense. All the best to you and your business.
@@scottrobertson5554 thank you very much for the kind words, really appreciate it.
All the best to you too
JP 👍🏻👍🏻
You just described myself with the pricing. I havent been gardening for long and made a massive mistake working for hrly 🙄.
Thank you JP for your honesty and for me a reality check.
Have a lovely day 😎
Hey, don’t be hard on yourself we all do it, there were so many times early on where I thought that the reward wasn’t matching the effort put in as this is hard work… but if you can slowly step away from an hourly rate and work towards a rate per visit you will feel so much better trust me.
Really appreciate the comment and you taking the time to watch. If you need anything just shout up and I’ll answer any questions you have.
Take care and all the best
JP 👍🏻
Hey, don’t be hard on yourself we all do it, there were so many times early on where I thought that the reward wasn’t matching the effort put in as this is hard work… but if you can slowly step away from an hourly rate and work towards a rate per visit you will feel so much better trust me.
Really appreciate the comment and you taking the time to watch. If you need anything just shout up and I’ll answer any questions you have.
Take care and all the best
JP 👍🏻
@@JP_livingthedream Thank you for your advice and support JP 😎
Great video
Thank you very much for the kind comment 👍🏻
All the best
JP
Great advice in a nutshell
👍🏻👍🏻
Price it for what you need or want to make a good living. If someone wants to waste their time doing it for less then let them carry on. They won’t last long
Exactly mate, it’s hard enough as it is without selling yourself short on your living 👍🏻
How long you been gardening
20 years on and off
Could I ask how you charge for weeding/boarder work?
@@adamhills4855 I don’t charge by the hour, I charge by the visit so if I have a border to clear that will take me 1 hour, and the rest of the day is full with other work I ensure that all of the jobs combined for the day total what I need to cover and make in a day if that makes sense.
Thank you for the comment and watching
All the best
JP
£300 a day if you can get it, 5 days a week 4 weeks a month is £6,000 do you really need that much to make it work? I know some days will be rained off but prob easily still get £4,000 great return still
You also have to think about the winter months where work drops significantly, also holidays and sickness absence etc so I make sure I earn enough to cover all of that without being too greedy as that’s when you start to lose work.
I guess everyone has different ideas and needs etc so it’s just finding a balance really to ensure you are earning a decent living and have some put away for when you don’t or can’t work.
Appreciate the comment
All the best 👍🏻
JP
That's true regarding winter work, it's why I want to o do garden work alongside another job until I'm fully settled and confident in it. I know it has ups and downs. I took prefer the clearance jobs, easier for a customer to see what you've done. Great vid and thanks for the reply.
@@robertreader6539Yeah I also have other work which Greg’s me through winter when the garden work drops off.
No problem mate, hope it’s helped a little and good luck with it yourself 👍🏻
Cheers
JP
Mate why would you tell everyone what people should learn from experience,people like you are the reason the trade is over run with gardeners
People like me 😂
You price your jobs on how old they are,, so Frankie Boyle says
@@andrewborrell6373 True 😂
What about how to get the work?
@@EthanBlake-fh3mg I get a lot of enquiries through social media on local community groups in my area.. people spread the word for you and nominate you when people are asking for garden works to be done. I do have flyers and business cards but I’d say social media supplies 80% of my work 👍🏻
All the best
JP
£80 for 2000 m2 lawn is ok
👍🏻👍🏻
Really good video mate. Talked alot of Sence.
Thank you very much mate, really appreciate it 👍🏻👍🏻