Thanks, hopefully my youtube channel can grow a bit quicker - just steadily increasing at the moment but im impatient 😆 Completely agree about the pricing. Obviously depends on the job as you say. I charged a lot more when I was doing ladder work quite high up to cut an awkward bush and any heavy digging I charge a lot more too. As you say, as a self employed worker, I think people can sometimes forget you're actually running a business not just working for your wage so a little bit of profit on top after covering all expenses is a good thing to remember as well. I don't need to tell you though! Thanks for commenting, hopefully I'll reach your level on youtube and my business! 👍

@@TheGreyGardener1990 it just takes time. I have been self employed 9 or 10 years now. I have always invested as much as I could into the business. My KZfaq channel grew over covid, I was just lucky there. In the right place at the right time. I would never have gotten to the size I'm at without the covid effect. People locked in their houses wanting to learn about their lawns. it's now a separate business to the gardening.

@@Premier_lawns_official ah right that's good then. I started the channel during covid as I was wasn't working (previous job) so it's still relatively new. I love it though and I'll keep plugging away!

@@TheGreyGardener1990 I think KZfaq holds you back until 1k. If it was easy everyone would do it haha. The watch hours can be tricky to hit at first for a small channel. You need a couple of popular videos to get the monitization One of my early videos did well and is similar to this topic, I'm going to refresh it this winter kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fZmXlLhqvrGYm4E.html

@@Premier_lawns_official cheers, I'll give it a watch. I'm due to be monetised if the trajectory stays the same around Christmas time so I'm quite pleased given I started in March. It's tough to sustain it though, as you know, so much time goes into it. Yeah I've seen a lot of people say once they've hit 1k, the numbers increase by a fair amount so that will be interesting

Hi there mate, thanks for commenting. I've mentioned that in other videos - I can't remember exactly what I said in this video now but thats what I try to do. I must admit it's not too technical at the moment, I just add a little extra on that I think is reasonable and won't be too excessive so I don't get the job then that goes towards acquiring tools/repairs etc. But yeah, completely agree with you. As I go, I'm sure I'll get more refined and be on point a bit more with my pricing and costing so just trying to learn from everyone like yourself who comments who has way more experience than me haha. Thanks mate, all the best too 👍

Yeah, my minimum is probably £15 as it stands but the least I've done any job for is £20 so we are about the same I think. You're right though, lots of expense and upkeep!

I must disagree, since fixed rate sets clear expectations for both, it is agreed from the start, keeping the pressure off both parties since both agreed. But to each their own I suppose

Some good tips there. I've seen a few people pricing per hour for weeding, maybe something to consider there

The best thing to do with weeding jobs is already have a full schedule and charge double what you think it is going to be. Nobody likes weeding especially customers.

At least you're early enough into it to change it up if you want to. Best of luck with it mate

Thanks for watching mate. Yes, irrigation is something different I'd be interested how you get on

Thanks mate, yeah as I say these were all done way back. Pointless copying stuff. I've made the mistake a few times early on when it comes to timings, twiddling my thumbs filling in the last 15 mins to make it to an hour haha. It's all a learning curve I guess!

Definitely. Something I need to improve on for sure

@@TheGreyGardener1990 Geoff Hamilton, coupled with the RHS are great resources and looking round garden centres to familiarise yourself with plants and their names can really help too. All the best.

I try to always have a quick browse whenever I'm at a garden centre 😆. Will check out Geoff Hamilton, cheers

@@thomasreed49 I have studied with RBGE RHS Level 2 Principles of Horticulture and am definitely more of a plants woman. Pruning roses is my speciality along with many other shrubs and fruit trees, my husband's specialty is fruit tree pruning, both formative and restorative. I cannot stress enough the importance of correct pruning, malpruning of shrubs and trees is detrimental to their health as well as fruit and flower production. My practices are right plant, right place, correct soil type; correct conditions. Many customers can be in a hurry. They often want a garden and the beauty and charm that goes with it, yet their garden has been unkempt and uncared for for years. It's important to be honest and give them a realistic estimate of how much time is involved in restoring their garden back to its former beauty. If you have a team and it's a large garden, in a 3 acre garden that could take at least 3-5 weeks of solid work but if you're a one or two man band it could take 6 months of solid work, depending on your skills and whether you contract out any of the work. If you're a landscaper this may be more in your line of expertise but as a jobbing gardener or horticulturist that only works say once a week it could be something that could take a number of months or years depending on how poor a state the garden is in, what needs doing, how many contractors you bring in. Gauge everything realistically!

@@thomasreed49 Cutting grass and hedge trimming is more grounds maintenance really than gardening unless say you specialise in particular areas for example ponds, arboriculture or in lawns and offer the full package of weed, feed, moss killing, scarification, aeration etc then you could consider yourself a pond specialist, an arborist, lawnsman/Smith/lawn specialist etc. Don't misunderstand me though, say you do hedge trimming for a living and that's all you do - it is jolly hard work, even for a man to do that all day and again if you trim high hedges, collect up the trimmings and take away the green waste for them that deserves good pay, because you know how to do something they don't and knowledge and workmanship is worthy of a fair wage, you've got to consider your hours, your petrol, the maintenance of expensive tools, the time you spend travelling on the road, the price everyone else is charging and the local going rate for the work you do. Be fair to your customer as well as yourself. Sometimes it's also worth considering charging a slightly less-a-rate for an OAP. It's something your competitors may not offer and so they may come to you rather than them. 😁

Cheers David. Did you find it difficult switching with existing customers?

@@TheGreyGardener1990 I approached my existing clients and said I wasn't working well with the hourly rate and said that the clients may see a benefit of going over to a price per visit. Most of them were fine with it. Some left and didn't argee.

@@davidcarley6278 sounds like it wasn't too bad then. Difficult situation so fair play to you mate

I'm looking to start to but I was wondering how you decide how much you going to charge someone per job? what do you consider?

Cheers mate. Yeah, it's best all round I think

Hi, thanks for commenting. Those are high prices especially for the grass cuts. I'd say 1k per week is achievable but it would be very hard work and to earn that sort of money net, you're probably looking at 1.5k per week. No harm in giving it a go at weekends as you say buy it sounds like your IT job is far less hassle

Hi there, glad my videos have been useful. Best of luck with it all, it's the best thing I've done. If you need to ask anything just give me a shout 👍

@The Grey Gardener that's great, I really appreciate it! All the best to you, I hope your business continues to be a success! I'm off to work soon , for a bloke who can be really quite difficult hence the idea of working for myself.

Green bins where possible, nearly always on regular visits and I advise the customer it's cheaper to pay for a bin (council). Larger jobs I give the option as a separate price. Then it's a case of finding somewhere local who deals with the disposing of green commercial waste.

Thanks!

Yeah I know its true. I think it's the fact people wouldn't even be able to attempt to undertake a plumbing job but everyone (who is able bodied) can do some sort of gardening to some standard even if it's crap. Different ball game, as you say it's so labour intensive and physical.

@@TheGreyGardener1990 Yes agree about the mentality of can do it yourself. However you can flip that argument also. Everyone can make a tea or coffee but would you expect to get it for 20p in Starbucks? Of course not.

@@wirralgardenwork8920 haha yes, I like that analogy!

Ah right ok, I see. I guess it's just all about communication with that job then (split rates) Glad you've played around with it though and as long as you're work is good which it sounds like it is, you should be able to earn more on the gardening side 👍

@@TheGreyGardener1990 I think I may suddenly be finding better customers, three flat pack builds yesterday, took 2 hours. Told customer £30, he looked a little shocked and asked if I was sure, said here take £40, I will be recommending you!

@@nickhumphrey1313 haha great! Hope it keeps on that way for you mate

Yeah thats where I try to be at now at least depending on the job

@@TheGreyGardener1990 i try work on £1 a min . Does not always go to plan . I done £2 a min at times . Your right they go right off at £30 hr if you tell them .

@@dogmangreengrass736 I'm similar in that I'm sometimes over a pound a minute, sometimes not. I'm still learning though 🙂

Yeah agreed mate

That's it mate exactly. If you're pricing by the hour and you know what you're doing then that's all good, you'll not be out of pocket so to speak. It's tough sometimes to get right, I'm just new to it all really

@@TheGreyGardener1990. You appear to have a great attitude and do a good job so you should do just fine! I did the job for 20 years before I went self employed so had a bit of insight into what customers expected. Still learning every day though from old and new to the job. There is always someone who can teach you something!! Best wishes TGS.

I don't remember being asked in all honesty mate. What's it asking specifically?

You don't need to. Your ad will still be viewable by everyone and you'll get work.

Its unfortunate. As long as the job is done to a good standard that should be all that matters.

@@TheGreyGardener1990 The difference is hrly the customer is buying your time but by the job the customer is buying the finished product.

@@ThomasKBanks good point mate

Yeah that can be true. Suppose if you agree a price beforehand you cant really change it, but some do try!

@@TheGreyGardener1990 defiantly customers can be good and bad after a time you’ll find the good and weed out the bad

Just play around with it with new customers mate. It just seems quite limiting charging by the hour unless you're on like £40 + like some people have commented. Even then, ive quoted higher than that for one off stuff and its only taken me an hour. I find if you told a customer that though they'd be put off

Hi mate, thanks for commenting. Those questions would make a good FAQ video so might add that to the list. I'm getting around 90% of jobs I quote for. Half hour all in to price a job if local (10 mins drive max). Approximate earnings is a bit harder. Most I've charged is £200 on a big clearance job, my average fortnightly maintenance jobs are £30. I spent £80 on leaflets/cards in the beginning but barely used them. Facebook and the Next door Neighbour app did everything. Not currently spending anything atm but I suspect I will do at some point. Hope that helps mate

@@barkershill sounds like you're doing really well. We seem similar in our approach I think, definately good to get jobs close to home and early on when I started, around 50% of my jobs were from the next door app

Hi there, yeah 99% of my quotes re fixed price. I have one garden where we have come to an agreement where I do 1 and half hours for a fixed price. We are kind of chipping away at at until its sorted. I've had no issues so far. Sometimes the same garden will take different lengths of time. For instance bushes/hedges won't necessarily need cutting every visit, so some visits I may only cut the lawn - maybe 20-30 mins. Whereas occasionally it could take me 1 hour + to do the whole garden - in the initial quote I tell them it will be x amount and some visits might be quick, some will be longer and if you put it like that, I've found eveyone to be ok and know up front what I'll be doing kind of thing. My point here was you might have finished the garden 45 mins or whatever but because you're charging by the hour, the customer will expect that full hour and you'd just be twiddling your thumbs, whereas you could be finished and on to your next job. Hope that all makes sense, I feel like I've waffled on! 😆

Yer it makes sense its intresting there is no right or wrong way I guess it just has to work for you.

Definitely mate. Plus most of regulars aren't there so they don't necessarily know how long I take. Maybe that's another reason, not sure? All the best anyway and thanks for commenting, always love reading how other people do things 👍

200 seems a lot! With the amount of gardeners there is, there's always going to be a huge spectrum. I dare say the person who charges 200 was their "don't want the job" price. Sounds like you did a good job in difficult circumstances

Definitely mate, each to their own. 90% of my work are fortnightly regulars so they just have a set price as opposed to the hourly rate. Thanks for watching, all the best for the winter 👍

Done in advance mate, just messaged on your video. Certainly not copying as a lot of mine are filmed and edited in advance and set to schedule posting. This particular video was completed a few weeks ago. Genuinely like your channel but like all of us I follow lots of people on youtube. Keep up the good work anyway mate 👍

Thank you for your kind words, good luck with your business and channel. All the best.👍🏻

@@maxwellsgrasscuttingservices It's a popular topic that will help drive views, I think this has been a helpful vid

To play devils advocate, the customer won't really know who is better until they start? The grass dying wouldn't really be on the gardener if all he's doing is cutting it. So it's a tricky one I guess but I get your point

100%

It was tiny though. Grass probably took me about 15 mins and only the edges needed a strim as per

@@TheGreyGardener1990 thats fair lad. Love the content

@@kevinogrady9446 cheers Kevin 👍

If it works for you thats great. But yeah, a few issues you've mentioned that's what put me off I suppose

@stevewood7371 Hi Steve, It might be worth setting yourself a minimum amount of hours you do at any one address. Many landscapers and gardens won't accept jobs/contracts for any less than 3-8 hours.

I’m charging £20 per hour for my regular slots. I have a £40 minimum call out so that helps a bit. Considering charging more for the first hour if I’m going to be doing just 2 hour tidy ups for people and just charge £50. So if I do 3 of those in a day that’s 6 hours of work and still the £150 per day that I’m aiming for including travelling time in between. It’s a big learning curve but this channel is very helpful.

Exactly. On the rare occasion a new or potential customer mentions it, I say I shouldn't be penalised for being quick.

Just my opinion on it mate. Fair point, location is a factor too 👍obviously it's upto the individual how they wish to go about their pricing

@@TheGreyGardener1990 yeah fair enough mate. Just be careful though as a lot of members of the public will be watching these videos and will start to think they are being over charged it even ripped off.

@@jamesb8854 will do mate. Thanks for commenting

Yeah that job mate, I charged £100. Some have agreed, some have said I could have got more. Can't quite remember now as it was a while back but I think it took around the 2 and half - 3 hrs mark and it was a tiny garden. Maybe could have gotten more though, you're right. Thanks for commenting pal 👍

The more I go and the more you feel tired and your body aches, my mindset has definitely changed. Yes, anyone can attempt to cut a lawn, trim and hedge and not every could just attempt to fix a boiler for example....BUT...that shouldn't mean you shouldn't be on a similar rate. It's a tough old profession physically. So I'm trying with my prices, some I'm spot on and on the high side, others I still make mistakes on. But yes, I do agree with you John 100%

I think the point I was making here (if I remember rightly) was from a customers view point. I don't think a lot of people see gardeners on a par with plumbers/electricians and automatically think they should be paying less. But as you say, let them do it themselves!