Ground Trades Xchange - a landscaping forum

Go Back   Ground Trades Xchange - a landscaping forum > The Front Office > Management and Personnel Forum
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read



Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
  #1 (permalink)  
Old 02-06-2006, 07:34 PM
Seedling
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
USDA Zone 5
Posts: 52
smittybros is an unknown quantity at this point
Working For Friends

Do any of u guys have set polices on working for people you know. right now we don't but I'm thinking of implementing one and when working for friends or family making them aware of the policies. why is it people cant believe someone else is still cheaper than you, "when your there friend"? this eats me up.

what do u guys do?
__________________
DAN SMITH
Reply With Quote
  #2 (permalink)  
Old 02-06-2006, 07:57 PM
Matt Kulp's Avatar
Gold Oak Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: South East Pa
USDA Zone 7
Posts: 391
Matt Kulp is on a distinguished road
Dan,
I have went through this more times then I would like to admit. I have had some good relationships strained over projects that we have done for friends. It does seem that your friends have a hard time understanding that you need a certain margin to stay in business. What I have began to do is sit down with your friend or family member and let them know before you start what you can and can't do. For our company we have a rate per hour that we have to get in order to cover our overhead and operating expenses, along with a minimum net that we must get. I try and explain that if they want it done during the work week and by my employees that this is what I have to get. If they want me and a couple of buddies or family members to come over on a couple of Saturdays and do a project that is a different story. Anything that you are paying employees and operating cost on, you can't make exceptions on the cost. If you do it once, they will ask you again and again and again. Or worse, tell there friends what kind of deal they got and then you have to explain to all of those people when they call and expect the same deal.
Another way you could cut some cost could be to give materials at cost, or move in equipment on your own time, do some design on your own time, or pick up the materials and deliver them on your own time. I would not do any of it while you are on your clock, because then you would have to bill for your time.

I just did a job for a good friend last week. I gave him all of the materials at my cost and just charged him a bare min. hourly rate for our services. I did not cut my neck with the rate though. He of course thought the hourly rate was too high, but he accepted the terms before we did the work. Last, you could always barter for services if your acquaintance has a service or product that you would see as value. Just my $.02
__________________
Matt
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old 02-07-2006, 10:46 AM
Dale Wiley's Avatar
B&B Tree
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
USDA
Posts: 805
Dale Wiley is an unknown quantity at this point
There are different levels of friendships.

There ae some of my friends I would never do work for, they are friends , butwould be lousy customers. There are friends who we work for who are also business people that understand business, and we refer business to them as well. We have been friends for 40 years and it has alwasy worked out great.

I don't do much for family. My brother in law buys houses, fixes and flips them. We do the landscape, site work excavations etc, at our NORMAL hourly rate, plus 3% of the net profit, all payable at sale. Time on market is about 33 days right now.
__________________
Dale Wiley - Owner / Project Manager

Western Sports Turf
Landscape Specialty Services
Wetland Restoration Nursery

Forest Grove, OR
503-357-7202 - Phone
503-359-9294 - Fax

Semper Fi

You know that on Judgement Day, all the gold and silver is gonna melt away ...

Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Newbie - Irrigation system not working zeronine Irrigation Forum 12 03-28-2007 11:04 AM
Anyone working yet!?!? jamesn162 Hardscaping 10 03-21-2007 08:39 PM
Number of working days in a year Lawn Lad Management and Personnel Forum 11 03-20-2007 09:18 PM
working in the rain? 4seasons Hardscaping 11 05-13-2006 05:14 PM

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:54 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.1.0
Copyright ©2003-2007 Ground Trades Xchange, LLC