[Greensmith]

I started the same way Terre. I was strong with plants and built up other areas (hardscapes etc). The things mentioned about increasing rates are very valid.

I originally thought I would increase my rates when I get big time. After reading the other site I saw how people had serious problems and clientele abandonment when they did that. When you get into insurance, licensing and what have you costs go up and enjoyment goes down when you can't pay them and your cost of living.


Don't work for free.

[Falconree]

Hi Terre et al,

New girl here, first message.

Terre, congratulations on all your success. I am enjoying your thread and the replies.
I wanted to let you know that you, Terre, reminded me of Craigslist so I placed my ad immediately upon readling your thread here and "voila" my FIRST JOB within a few hours of placing the ad.

Yay you, Yay me

I am lovin' this site!

Take Care,
Karen Falcon
Falcon Yards
"small yards 'til I grow"

[Dale Wiley]

So at $ 25 per hour, how do you make enough in Denver to carry you throught the winter ??

[Terre]

Congratulations Karen on the first job! Groundtradeexchange and Craigslist are my two favorite webpages! Read each and every thread here, you will gain a tremendous amount of information, and respect for what these guys know.

Dale, I am not planning on making it through the winter on $25 an hour. I really didn't plan on starting a landscaping business, I just started redoing gardens and this kind of mushroomed from there. If I survive the summer, (50 something is not the best age to quit working at an airconditioned desk and go outside for the first time!) then the game plan for this winter is to reevaluate and determine if this is a business we can start and run, with what knowledge we have or can obtain quickly.

I see the potential to get in over my head easily, and I don't want that. Customers like what I do with gardens, and request other work. I don't have the money to invest or desire to go into lawn care. I hate mowing my own yard! My husband has the knowledge and experience to install sprinkler systems, but again, that really requires more equipment than I have the money to invest in.

So, that leaves getting into more hardscape. I have a request right now for a job that would entail redesigning a steep slope from the house to the street, and I see the need for two small retaining walls at staggered levels. However, seeing the need and knowing how to bid and install the job are two entirely different things. If it were my own home, we'd wade right in, but I don't intend to screw up on someone else.

So, right now, my winter plan is to rent out hubby for support, and together we will write a business plan for next spring. We are considering finding people to either refer or subcontract the lawn care and sprinkler installs, getting set up so we can hire some manual labor, and buying some equipment. With some equipment, I can raise my rates substantially and lower our work time, so the customers will still get a good price, but my back will hurt less, and we can complete more jobs in the same amount of time.

At least, that is the thinking at the moment.

[secondnature]

I am contemplating adding maintenance to my business, along with designwork. I am needing to create some more consistant income than what the design work can provide.

Terre, how is your maintainance business going?

I am interested in hearing any suggestions that you have to share!

Thanks

[Terre]

Depends on what you term maintenance. I don't do the mowing, lawn service type maintenance, all I do is gardens. I've actually been steering away from maintenance other than accounts where I did the install (and guaranteed plants) and want to keep a finger on the maintenance to emsure I don't have to replace anything due to stupidity.

At the moment, I'm buried in design/install work, and neglecting my maintenance accounts. But I expect that to change once we get past the early spring "Gee I want an instant garden!" syndrome.

[secondnature]

Terre,

I have been talking to a woman that I know that has a great maintainance biz in my area....it feels like a thing to tap into...my marriage situation is changing and I need to step it up a bit.

She does mow, prune, weed eat, clean up, etc. She loves what she does and makes great $$ doing it. No, not EASY work, but it seems if your body is in fair shape, you love being outdoors, and like hard physical work it would be good.

I do have some equipment to startout with. I am aiming for the more consistant paycheck, year round, and still be able to design, also. I think if I did do maintainance, especially on the designs that I create, it could go hand in hand very well.

In my state, you have to be licensed to install. Does your state require that?

Would you suggest any publications that might be good to check out in regards to maint?

Thanks a bunch

[TrickyDick]

Being able to offer clients maintenance after an installation is defiantely a plus. On the other hand having maintenance accounts means that you have a set schedule that has to be attended to every week. When you have a two week install job and have three full days a week of maintenance than all of a sudden you have five week install job and an unhappy client. Plus I think most people would say there is less money in maintenance than in installation.

On the other other hand....consistent income relieves a lot of anxiety.

[secondnature]

Hi there,

I do not do installation, as in Oregon (the Wild Wild West) you have to be licensed to do so. I have been designing only thus far. My hope is to do both maintainance and design. Maybe someday get my license and install...would be something I would look into.

[TrickyDick]

In that case it could work out really well for you. People who are willing to hire a designer are usually people who are willing pay a little more for quality and knowledge, so you won't have to deal with the low end of the maintenance spectrum.

I don't know of anyone who does what you're thinking of but it seems like a good combination for flexibility and steady income.

[Terre]

And you also hit the nail on the head on one other part. If you have the Body and strength for it, yes. At 50ish, and 100 pounds soaking wet, I'm out. However, if I were 20 or 30something again, absolutely.

Colorado isn't big on licensing, with certain restrictions, so as long as I'm careful not to infringe on things that require licensing, such as tree trimming, I'm okay.

One of the things I'm doing right now, is a lot of designing for do it yourselfers. I have a pretty low design fee, for Denver anyway, and advertise that heavily. I get a lot of calls from young people who have energy and time, but no knowledge. I draw the plans, give them lists of what to do and what to plant. As a general rule, it stays pretty simple, although right now I'm working on a Zen garden design for a young couple who are very ambitious. You might try that especially for some additional income right now to help buy the equipment and advertising you need to get set up.