Open Association of Landscape Industries
Are you charging enough?
i need to cover costs ! how do i do it ?
if i dont get income i cant run my business..............
charge enough so you can carry on and carry on being a reliable service people depend on !!
what is 2-3 pounds for a client? do they really want the hassel of a new gardener (is he reliable, is he trustworth, is he experienced?, will i like him? are his tools any good? will he do as i ask properly)
i wouldnt like to find someone to let them loose in my garden while i am out/or away !!1
would you?...........................
work out your costs/ it cost you £10 p/h just to do your job...........
you need £10 an hour to live off for yourself too !! write it all down and add every penny up, you will be surprised that it would be actually cheaper to stay at home and eat !!
£20 an hour seems to be the standard average . £10 for staff ? why they work as hard as you.............. £40 for both of you an hr................ swim or sink??
if i get someone to count my figures .......i have to give them £500 !!!!!!!
£500 just to add up a few numbers i have already given them on 2 sheets !!!!!!!!!
talk about a rip-off. so is £250 cheap to tidy a whole garden and take away waste?
i think so when you compare a clean, seated, office job pressing a small calculator !!!!!!
if i dont get income i cant run my business..............
charge enough so you can carry on and carry on being a reliable service people depend on !!
what is 2-3 pounds for a client? do they really want the hassel of a new gardener (is he reliable, is he trustworth, is he experienced?, will i like him? are his tools any good? will he do as i ask properly)
i wouldnt like to find someone to let them loose in my garden while i am out/or away !!1
would you?...........................
work out your costs/ it cost you £10 p/h just to do your job...........
you need £10 an hour to live off for yourself too !! write it all down and add every penny up, you will be surprised that it would be actually cheaper to stay at home and eat !!
£20 an hour seems to be the standard average . £10 for staff ? why they work as hard as you.............. £40 for both of you an hr................ swim or sink??
if i get someone to count my figures .......i have to give them £500 !!!!!!!
£500 just to add up a few numbers i have already given them on 2 sheets !!!!!!!!!
talk about a rip-off. so is £250 cheap to tidy a whole garden and take away waste?
i think so when you compare a clean, seated, office job pressing a small calculator !!!!!!
Replies to This Discussion
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Gardens4u.co.uk on -
they obvously value window cleaners more then ????????!
A & J Owen Garden Services said:I think a flexible attitude to charging is the best. Some jobs are best charged for the job (lawn cutting for example) but others are just best done by the hour.
For example we have one garden where it is hugely difficult to maintain due to a long standing weed issue etc - if charged by the job it would be impossible to put a realistic price to it. It's 5 mins from home, no petrol machinery needed and so we can make money at a comparatively low rate.
Good luck to all of you who can effectively charge £17.50 ph plus - no way on this planet you could charge it round here. No one will pay it! We are considered 'top end'.
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Permalink Reply by Cesare Harradine on -
Am I charging enough? No I'm Bl**dy not!!!
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by David Cox on -
An interesting perspective on this is how people perceive the rate we charge - I have no tried fixed price on two jobs, and on each we have won the job. We took over today from the previous H/rate gardener (who had made a pigs ear to put it bluntly, including striming the bark off everything he could).
We now know that he charged £11 an hour, and spent 4 hours a week on site as its a rather complex planting layout. We've quoted £42.50 and with two people it took 2 hours to tidy over completley - ongoing its 1 hour (2 manhours). This still works out cheaper, yet from the conversations we've had, its clear if we had mentioned a £15 - £20 hourly rate, we wouldnt of even been invited to quote.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Gary Hedges on -
Old gardener 4 X £11 = £44 pound for himself.
You = 2 x 2 hrs = 4 hrs for £42.50 (for two of you)
Too cheap.
David Cox said:An interesting perspective on this is how people perceive the rate we charge - I have no tried fixed price on two jobs, and on each we have won the job. We took over today from the previous H/rate gardener (who had made a pigs ear to put it bluntly, including striming the bark off everything he could).
We now know that he charged £11 an hour, and spent 4 hours a week on site as its a rather complex planting layout. We've quoted £42.50 and with two people it took 2 hours to tidy over completley - ongoing its 1 hour (2 manhours). This still works out cheaper, yet from the conversations we've had, its clear if we had mentioned a £15 - £20 hourly rate, we wouldnt of even been invited to quote.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by David Cox on -
Although its £42.50 for 1 hour x 2 on going. The 4 manhours was the first regular visit, which involved sorting out alot of the mess and doing the hedge. Ongoing it would be working at £21.25 per manhour.
Gary Hedges said:Old gardener 4 X £11 = £44 pound for himself.
You = 2 x 2 hrs = 4 hrs for £42.50 (for two of you)
Too cheap.
David Cox said:An interesting perspective on this is how people perceive the rate we charge - I have no tried fixed price on two jobs, and on each we have won the job. We took over today from the previous H/rate gardener (who had made a pigs ear to put it bluntly, including striming the bark off everything he could).
We now know that he charged £11 an hour, and spent 4 hours a week on site as its a rather complex planting layout. We've quoted £42.50 and with two people it took 2 hours to tidy over completley - ongoing its 1 hour (2 manhours). This still works out cheaper, yet from the conversations we've had, its clear if we had mentioned a £15 - £20 hourly rate, we wouldnt of even been invited to quote.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Gardens4u.co.uk on -
exactly . lol somebody got it !! :) glad i could help someone .............
Cesare Harradine said:Am I charging enough? No I'm Bl**dy not!!!
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Permalink Reply by Rob Glassborow on -
That is a good point Andrew, and a really good way to look at it.
Despite what others charge, if you can earn enough on £15per hr, then your pricing is correct, and there is a market for you to serve. If you charge higher than that you are serving a different market, and the same for charging lower. If people want cheap, they will pay for a cheap service. If people want reliable, guaranteed, and professional service they will pay more for it.
There is no going rate. It is simply what level of services, and equipment you provide, and how well you sell it and yourself. Comparing what others charge is only a way of keeping your prices low, which in turn means your earnings are held back. Properly working out your rates and margins wil show you what you need to charge to take a wage, meet overheads, and invest in your business.
Price high, dont compete to be the lowest price.
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