The Medway Handyman wrote:
A.Lee wrote:
I think I went into detail about this last year on another group. I
set up on my own as a gardener/handyman last May and spent a lot on
new gardening equipment.

Do you still do much gardening work Alan?

No.
I went into it without too much thought (hey, I know that now!).
I had intended to do the gardening/patios etc as the full-time job, with
the back up of a handyman type service.
As it turned out, it is near impossible to start up a gradening business
from scratch, as well as paying bills/debts/mortgage.
Firstly, few people want to pay more than £10 a hour. Some will gladly
pay £15, but they are rare.
Then there is the travelling time between jobs. I was finding it hard to
do more than 6 hours works a day - the rest taken up with travelling
etc.
6 hours work at £10/hr would soon bankrupt me.
The final straw came in August when I reluctantly took on an old womans
garden. I didnt know anyone who could be so fussy with their garden.
There were 3 lines of bedding plants, most still in bloom.
I got a 10 minute tirade of abuse about the previous gardeners over the
last 5 years who had the audacity to plant bedding plants in her garden.
It transpired the only things she wanted were grass,roses and privet
hedge.
My first job was to restore the borders, and lay turf. So we agreed I'd
do the front first, and be there at 10am the following week.
I fetched the turf/compost/sand for the front garden, got there at 9:55,
and sat for 5 minutes or so listening to the radio news. My phone went
at 10:01 - "I thought you said you were coming at 10am?"
So I walked in, and she said she'd changed her mind, and wanted the rear
garden doing first. which needed 3 times the amount of turf/sand to make
it good.
I explained to her the problem, and she said just do what you can to the
rear. So I did. She was told that it will take 4 to 6 weeks to root,
then I'll fill in any dips that occur.
She rang me 4 days later, saying the grass wasnt completely flat, would
I come round that day to level it. No. I was coming the next week, so
would do it then.
She than rang me a couple of days later to make sure I had got enough
turf. Yes I had. She rang me again the day I was going. "Are you coming"
I was 3 miles away at this point with 10 yards of turf in my trailer.
I flipped, and told her I wouldnt be coming any more, as I just didnt
want the hassle, and for what I was charging, it barely covered my
costs.
She wasnt at all happy, but I had lost money on that, and got so much
hassle from her, that I just wasnt bothered if she was unhappy. I got 2
more phone calls asking me to go back there and finish it off.

So, after that, I have refused to take on any more gardening work. I
still cut the lawns of 2 people local to me, but otherwise dont do any
gardening now.

As an aside, business has definitely picked up. Dec to March were pretty
awful, just keeping my head above water, but since the beginning of
April I have been doing 6 day weeks, albeit at my ridiculously low
prices, and getting a lot of repeat custom.
I'm not regretting starting up at all, I'm still skint, - any spare cash
I do have goes straight on new tools/equipment, so in future years there
will be less outlay, there'll be more people recommending me, so I
should be able to start paying off my mounting credit card bills!
I've recently finished a Council Grant job , with the Council Officer
very pleased with the work, so I'm to go on their approved Contractors
list when it is next updated, which is another good thing.
Alan.

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