Founded in 2008. The Landscape Juice Network (LJN) is the largest and fastest growing professional landscaping and horticultural association in the United Kingdom.
LJN's professional business forum is unrivalled and open to anyone within within the UK landscape industry
LJN's Business Objectives Group (BOG) is for any Pro serious about building their business.
For the researching visitor there's a wealth of landscaping ideas, garden design ideas, lawn advice tips and advice about garden maintenance.
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According to the catalogues, materials account for 20% of the cost of a hard landscaping project.......
its not what the charge is but what you get for yout money, knowledge is the most important, you can have your garden done right with knowledge. check out their background and previous work undertaken. I use a website called rated people, where clients say after the work has been completed, wether your, reliable, cost effective and knowledgeable etc, it cant be a con to clients of the future, please have a look at our website, www.wildernesstoparadise.co.uk and our website on www.ratedpeople.com
i personally have no problem with competition. However, what gets me is those "companies" that always turn up in recessions. They appear, have no qualifications or insurance, charge silly money, then dissapear when markets improve again. Not only do they charge un realistic charges ( often claiming benefits to bump up their income) they also let a lot of people down and worse, give gardeners and landscapers a bad name. It doesnt matter how good your customer care is or how valued you are locally, a few press articles on rogue "landscapers" damages all of us and our industry as a whole.
Im not saying anyone on here is one of these.
I take issue with "anyone can mow lawns pull weeds" etc. No they cant. Anyone can buy equipment and look the part but there is a lot more to mowing grass and an awful lot of knowledge required when it comes to pruning, hedge cutting and weeding etc. I also fail to see how anyone in this business can seriously charge £12.50 an hour and make a living without cutting corners. I have no debts at all and minimum overheads but if i charged £12.50 an hour i would be earning less than minimum wage.
Nope, would rather work in asda!!!!
I think the example of Dimitri above says it all - working 7 days a week to make ends meet because he charges too little and can't afford to buy better equipment.
Specific numbers should be in the kbo group as always.
A very good account Dimitri and I agree with much (if not all) of what you say.
One thing we all need to get our heads around is understanding the difference between fair competition and illegal trading.
dimitri said:
I agree, and welcome a 'level playing field' having insurance, paying taxes and am getting qualifications (thank you European Social Fund!) My buisiness is growing nicely and next year I will have my first (casual) member of staff.
As far as I know I am 100% legit and comply with every reg going, even when that means I lose the odd job! But I'm still on £12 an hour because 'white van man' charges £10. I can bang on about qualifications and experience, but when Mrs Jones wants her lawn mowing as cheaply as possible, who gets the job?
Fair competition - great, I all for raising standards (and rates) in the industry, but as usual, the rogues get away with not paying taxes/insurance/etc/etc ,as I suspect in a lot of peoples view its 'only a bit of gardening'
"I take issue with "anyone can mow lawns pull weeds" etc. No they cant."
Having been someone who started in this way I know you can make a success of a business taking this route. There is a marketplace for a trader with little knowledge and skill but it's often (and should be) matched with a client who's needs aren't too complicated.
Problems often occur when traders operate above their skillset and deliver a poor performance at too high a price.
It comes back to what we've always tried to encourage on LJN; if a trader is honest about their capabilities and advertise themselves openly they will be matched with a client who has a need for their services.
choughman said:
Richard
I think we need to concentrate on ourselves by marketing directly to the client who wants and needs our services.
If a client has employed someone for a period of time they, I am sure, will quickly become aware of two things.
1. If the trader is working legitamately within the law?
2. If the trader is providing value for money?
(1 & 2 might not necessarily be linked)
If the client is aware of 1. and continues using the trader then this client isn't for you in the first place and they should be avoided.
If the client is satisfied with the trader's performance (2.) and the quality of their work then this relationship is clearly a matter entirely between the two parties.
Richard Thornton said:
Karl,
Agree with you 100% and great advice. You need to differientiate yourself in the marketplace. Make your niche.
Directly comparing your internal charge rate is pointless as no two contractors will have the same costs base - why not put your efforts into other more "profitable" areas of your business?
Engage the Client in discussions, look for openings to show your experience, suggest alternatives that perhaps they have not considered.
There are always cheap clients looking for cheap work - that sort of work is easy to win as it relates purely to price and not quality. "Question marks" can and should be placed in a prospetive clients mind to 'balance' the situation against a competitive quote - such as materials used, experience, relavance, waste disposal, etc etc and if the client still chooses purely on price than as Karl says - is that someone you want to work for?.
Having a structured quote - no matter what the task - allows the client to see your offerings. Make as detailed as relavent to the job. Not just a one liner & price......
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