Any landscapers/grounds maintenance contractors on MC?

[Cal]

Hi all,

Just thinking about a change of direction life and am wondering how landscapers and ground maintenance crews are being affected by the credit crunch and all that going on at the moment.

Is business still good?

Obviously this time of year is not the best to think of going in to gardening/grounds maintenance but am not going to make the move now - just trying to judge whether or not there is still plenty of work out there and then decide if to go for it.

Kind of feel like if I don't leave my desk job soon then I will be stuck here forever but am also worried about losing the relative security of being here (although we have just had some redunancies and there is whispering of more on the way).

What sort of kit should I be looking at getting? Have a brushcutter, hedge trimmer and chainsaw already, did have a trailer as well but that got stolen by some thieving scumbag.

Any thoughts/advice welcome!

Thanks

[eugene]

that what a few of my mate are and they say when moneys tight people go back to doing it themselfs it only the rich that keep people going then they say they normal want more for there money than the normal man in the street

[EbonynIvory]

It depends on what market/client base you are aiming at building. I have just left a gardening/landscaping business (change in career direction, not any thing to do with the economic environment) and there is still loads of work. But this is based on the edge of the Cotswolds where there is a lot of spare cash (IE directors of companies like Gullivers etc). The fact that we don't have cold winters any more, Gardeners are still cutting grass in December! So it can be very busy.

Do you have a chain saw licence?

One of the main difficulties with the gardening is if you need to get rid of the rubbish. You need a waste transport licence and some where to burn. You also need to very clued up on the burning legislation - they are quite strict. DEFRA is the place place to start with that.

As for tools: Sthill (not spelt right - can't remember how to!) combi strimmer - it allows you to put different heads on, like a long arm (high and wide hedge cutting), small chain saw, bladed strimer, edger (much quicker then hand edgers). Blower (beats sweeping and good for the leaves and hedge cuttings), various hand tools. Steel toe cap boots and an unbreakable flask! Wet wipes. (Trust me.) A decent lawn mower is a must. John Deer have just brought out a new range that I have been testing out. It has a second fan to blow the grass cuttings into the bag, therefore you don't have to stop every 2 seconds to unclog the mower of wet grass. It does actually work. An a decent truck/van to put it all in!

God, I sound like a geek.

[Cal]

Thanks for your replies.

Ebony&Ivory (sorry, don't know your name) - I'd be aiming at a similar sort of market I guess - am close to the Surrey/Sussex border so plenty of large properties and money about, but also plenty of competition about as well. Seems to be the land of tree surgeons and grounds contractors...

I do have my chainsaw license - originally wanted to be a tree surgeon but then discovered I really didn't like being too high up a tree (DOH!!). I also thought about trying to become part of a franchise (eg Jim's mowing or nice n strupy) but am not convinced about the amount of money you have to pay them (plus I don't have as much as they want to buy the franchise anyway).

Thanks for the info re tools etc - I have chainsaw and a hedge trimmer at the moment as I help out some friends of friends on their large property but I'm lucky in that they let me use their mowers and strimmer. I'd been looking at the combi tool - neat idea and I like the sound of the John Deere mower!

You don't sound like a geek at all - it's good to have an opinion.

Out of sheer nosiness - what have you decided to move in to now?

[TechnoTurkey]

I have a mate in the contract landscaping business and times are very hard at the moment, it is sometimes seen as a luxury that people can do without when times are hard.  Only way it seems to do well would be to get some contracts with local offices and other commercial premesis.

[Cal]

It certainly is a worry - seems like hard(er) times ahead... Maybe it's time to just knuckle down and "make do" with the desk job.

[EbonynIvory]

If other people are getting out of the business then that leaves a gap for you to move in to if the demand is still there. Go for the bigger properties - if you can cope with the idea of how small their worlds are. Getting the stripes on the lawn in the correct direction is very important you know!  :shock: If you have good people management skills and the ability to say no in such a way that is acceptable then you'll be fine. The type of client that you are aiming at will either be really good to you or try and get away with every thing for nothing. Set your standards and stick to them. If they want extra jobs/hours doing, they pay for it.

If you have the manpower and equipment the procurement of a contract or two is very good. But usually the bidding is very hard and you really need to know your market costings. Hotels, manor houses and smaller business were good - don't know about now. Try having a look at social, leisure and disposable income trends (internet - statistics etc). This should give you an idea in your area. Have a look at your competition, what prices do they charge - can you undercut them for 6 months and then creep you prices up to match?

Sorry - gone on a bit again! As for me - start my new job on Monday as a Police Community Support Officer......... I know........"Plastic Policeman!"

[Cal]

Sorry - gone on a bit again!

Not at all - I really appreciate the advice, thanks. Lots for me to consider - I've kind of been doing my usual of just thinking I can buy some kit and head off out there and make a reasonable living without really researching it. I guess that's where the franchises come in - they at least give you a degree of security and you have your pre-defined patch and help/advice with running the business.

Best of luck in your new job - you wont find any stick from me - anyone out there trying to make a difference gets my support.

[carbore]

In addition to the other sound advice. Im not a gardener but have two houses with gardeners (ooo get him) or make that 1.5, gardeners see later.....

Equipment is part of the reason why people go to a gardener and a why then need to keep one. For example if your customer has a small garden and needds to save some cash then a £70 quid plasticflymo and half an hours work and they can get by.  If they have a BIG garden, then even if they want to save cash they are looking at £500+ for a half decent ride on mowver even second hand if not then ages with a big heavy (also expensive) petrol pedestrian mower. Same goes for chainsaws and petrol strimmers/brush cutters.  Becasue of that if you do it then id really focusonthe larger properties (and old ladies who cant do it themselves)

Now my two (1.5) are as follows, one bloke at my Gloucestershire residence turns up whenever he wants, keeps the lawn and builidng plot down and sends me a bill in the post. I therfore dont have to worry about it!

The other bloke at my Cornwall house needs me to phone him up, so im too busy,my garden is a state and im looking to talk to the bloke who does next door on a regular basis. So KEEP ON YOUR REGUALR CLIENTS OR THEY WILL END UP SOMEONE ELSES!

Im not super rich BTW I get havnt been wiht my wife very long so we still have 2 houses and its not the time to be selling.

[EbonynIvory]

Carbore sounds like the sort of client you need - the one place you can turn up as and when you want (with in reason) to fit around other clients in the area and send the bill in. The other place is your regular weekly income that slows down a bit Jan or Feb time. This is where your one off jobs - cutting down trees, landscaping and fencing - come into play.

If you have a requirement for a ride on mower, 1 - you'll have some fun! 2 - buy a decent one and it will last. 3 - make sure that you have a secure place to store it, an efficient method of transporting it and plenty of work so that it will pay for it self with in a 2 - 4 years.

If you do decide to do this, let us know how it goes. Oh and keep a diary! Note down exactly what you quote for. My boss quoted for a job for a work mate and I to do while he was away on holiday. He quoted for the removal and disposal of about 2 tonnes of soil, bit of log edging and the laying of about a tonne of gravel.

We dug up - by hand as there was no access for a digger, in the pouring rain - 7 tonnes of clay and then had to shovel it off at the other end equating to 14 tonnes of soil we moved in 2 days. We then had to lay about 7 meters of log edging and 4 tonnes of gravel equating to a further 8 tonnes of gravel! All in 3 days. Be specific in your quotes!

Best of luck in your new job - you wont find any stick from me - anyone out there trying to make a difference gets my support.

Thank you. Getting a bit nervous about it all now. Picking up my uniform tomorrow! 

[Cal]

Thanks again for the advice, both of you.

I do like the idea of a ride on mower - have used one before when helping out a mate and it was indeed great fun! Shame that that job has gone by the wayside - used the owners mower and petrol so just had to turn up and mow!

Secure storage is a tricky one - I had a trailer and more kit previously as was starting to accumulate stuff with an idea of starting on the maintenance this year but someone obviously saw me with the trailer and decided they liked it. Depsite me thinking the garage was secure enough I came home one day to find the door had been ripped off and my trailer and kit pinched so would have to put some more thought in to that. Mind you, if I was running the business properly then I would get everything covered by insurance. Luckily my kit was covered under the house contents insurance but the trailer wasn't.

We dug up - by hand as there was no access for a digger, in the pouring rain - 7 tonnes of clay and then had to shovel it off at the other end equating to 14 tonnes of soil we moved in 2 days. We then had to lay about 7 meters of log edging and 4 tonnes of gravel equating to a further 8 tonnes of gravel

That's an awful lot of digging (to put it politely!)

Let us all know how you get on in the new job.

[EbonynIvory]

We dug up - by hand as there was no access for a digger, in the pouring rain - 7 tonnes of clay and then had to shovel it off at the other end equating to 14 tonnes of soil we moved in 2 days. We then had to lay about 7 meters of log edging and 4 tonnes of gravel equating to a further 8 tonnes of gravel

That's an awful lot of digging (to put it politely!)

Let us all know how you get on in the new job.

Yes it was, but hard work doesn't hurt anyone! As for the new job - may have to deffer for 6 months.  See "Guess how I did it" and LSP and Boggert would never do this......"

[Cal]

Oh no! Hope it's not as bad as it first seems and that you can get on with the new job - fingers crossed.