Thank you for watching and supporting the channel. Please like and subscribe, this allows me to grow and move forward. Your support is appreciated. Take care.👍

hello rob… i’ve had my mowing business for 11 years now & my general rule is, if i’m on the garden an hour it’s £60 so technically a quid a minute mowing time. However the smaller lawns work out much better than that. I do a lot of my regular £25/30 jobs in about 15 minutes sometimes even less, i’ve got over 340 customers & never get complaints really & people want to get get booked in every day. The trick is to just never tell them you charge hourly but instead just say you charge per job. Thanks for your channel it’s great

I do agree that smaller gardens are more profitable but big gardens also give you work without the winter months I think you’re better of having a mix bag of jobs.

Happy to pay a plumber £70 for half hour but a mower guy lucky to get £20 😡 we are the lowest of the low in their eyes!

Hi Rob, The folk with big houses & garden's, didn't get there by offering discounts, on their labour me thinks.

Hi Rob good advice as usual , been doing gardening for 13 years now most people with big houses don’t want to pay, I stick to small / medium gardens ,good luck this year

“Devil on your shoulder” I’m a Commercial Pilot and I use this phrase to advise colleagues when to recognise it’s a time to take a step back and think.

Cheers Rob. This week I realised i need to charge double for one offs compared to my regulars. I waste so much time quoting a job, rearranging due to weather and then chatting at the start and end to build rapport, sorting payment. In the end i earnt half what i needed to for the hours worked. Next day on to a couple regualr jobs. Smashed them out. 2 minute chat woth each customer, no problems and home early. All the best. Andy

They've got big gardens and houses cos they're stingy in spending money 😂 stick to your guns Rob. Have a good start to your season

I started 2wks ago. Trying to get all the first cuts in before the grass starts to get so long it falls over on itself. I've said forever thirty min Mow, blow and goes are where it at for a stress free life. All the best 👍

Absolutely right. Not interested in big gardens. I get bored being in the same place for two or more hours. I only do small gardens. Like 20mins or 30mins. In and out for £20. On to the next one, another £20. If you get a pain in the arse. Bye bye. Imagine having a pain in the arse garden for more than two hours. No thanks. I'm right with you Rob.

Always a great video Rob. Very interesting reading the comments from other gardeners experiences. Its all a learning curve. God bless

Great point, will keep in mind Max.

About 2 ywaers ago after having my own business for 7 years I decided as you have.. the future is Garlic Bread and Small Lawns.. Not looked back since..

Nice one Rob 👌 Your advice is helping me along so much. Also responding to my message earlier in the week shows what kind of person you are. Look forward to the next video

Hold your own. State your price you see your are worth. A few newbies undercutting but I say their customers are welcome to them. It's about the experience you bring. How many of the newbies know if a garden has ground elder or carer pendula that could be passed on if your gear isn't brushed down after a job. Decent customers respect a professional and pay accordingly.

Thank you for sharing the ins and outs of a gardening business. I've had to quit my job due to surgery on my neck which restricts me from looking high up. I've been putting a plan together these last few months eg. Business name and marketing strategy. I've got quite a few more of your videos to watch but the quotation video was a big help! I know I'm late to the parade this year but I can only work part time while I recover which could be as long as 12 months. Thank you again for all the info you share and good luck 👍

I agree with you, Pete (Tattooed Gardener) (he’s great by the way) but I can see his are mostly all large gardens.. however.. it seems to work for him broadly speaking. I’m not kitted out for very large gardens, I think he’s got the necessary firepower. Nathan too, he of Lewis.. he’s got kit you know.. I prefer to keep small ish, I’ve got ok tools, Stihl in the main, and Hayter etc, but it’s not big kit and I’ve never done ride on mowing.. for me the larger ones are a headache and more demanding. I like the “easy life” ones 😂 I like clearances where you can make a big difference quickly, in small to medium gardens, interspersed with normal maintenance jobs, nothing Earth shattering but you sleep better at night. Pay on time etc. no fuss.

Doesn’t add up, lots of customers in a day surely means more non chargeable hours travelling from job to job, I have a nice mix where 50% minimum are all year round work on the bigger ones that are weekly, smaller ones drop off when the bin collections end. I enjoy the rest over the winter but still get out most days but doing less hours. I look at what I earn in a week as I have jobs that charge significantly higher rates and others much less, it isn’t your hourly rate that is important but how much you earn in a day or week, in my opinion

Well said, I make you right 👍 keep on keeping on, love the channel

It's good to see the sun shining outside , through your van window , enjoy !

Hi Rob, Good video glad your picking up some new clients already,all positive stuff it's been so wet some of the lawns have Puddletown them.. At least the warmer weather is arriving, I think you did the right thing in letting some of your customers go and building the ones you want... Im in that situation at the moment... Have a good weekend, and looking forward to your next video.... Lee....😊

Great video as usual rob,pleased yr sticking to yr guns .I find my best clients are always the smaller garden and houses way to go indeed. Have a great weekend rob and good luck with yr cutting season.

Great advice Rob 👍 big properties always seem to want more work for less. Small gardens are definitely where it’s at 😊

I emailed my customers early Feb to give them a start week of this week. Managed to get 21 lawns done upto now, only been out Mon, Thurs & today as the weather hasnt been great. Got 5 more tomorrow and thats me done for the week. Oh and fitting in a 40hr a week (Normal) job lol Good luck for this season Rob 👍

Totally agree with you bout the smaller jobs are better than one day jobs good luck for this season

Great post Rob. Small to medium lawns and lots of them is my way, generates lots of hedging etc as a result. Still wet down here on the Sussex Riviera! Still trying to get my 1st cuts done, generally like all 1st cuts done by the end of Feb. But weather has been against me, should all be done by the end of next week. Some of the grass has been horribly long and wet, don’t think grass stops growing in the winter anymore.

Glad you've picked up some more customers. Enjoy the sunshine 👍

Hi Rob, I was working on a big house last year and they were paying £65 to get their windows cleaned, the fellas were there about 20 minutes then they were on to the house next door, they also employ a gardener to cut the grass etc. These people dont like spending money but they realised they just didnt have time to do it themselves. I think there's a certain type of tight arse with big houses that have always done it themself and begrudge paying anyone anything, they would probably be the same if they had a smaller house!

Great video Rob.. Just finished 2nd cuts this week on my week 1. Yes small to medium size gardens generally appreciate the work & pay a fair price for your service. It is the bigger gardens that general think they are getting done over. Having more of the smaller gardens bring more additional tasks including hedge trimming, shaping shrubs, patio cleaning etc then with more clients bring potential for more recommendations to their family and friends. The green grass is growing but will be peak growth in a month or 2 then we will all be moaning 😃 All the best for the season ahead Rob.!

Im a window cleaner mate and i have same problem. Quoted a 3 bed house windows, frames, ledges plus gutter clean at £55.00 customer said too expensive. They pay plumber 70.00 quid for just coming out. Cheapskates.

Evening Rob. I have only just started my business after returning from the NHS. I charge per hour so for me bigger gardens means less travel so it appears to work for me. I fully appreciate that to make more money lots of small gardens is definitely the best way to go. I have put my prices up though as it was quite clear from your videos I was selling myself cheap. Great points though, have a great weekend

Rob ..Well said once again mate.. Spot on

I have this all the time rob I’ve lost a few quotes on big grass cutting jobs but there are some that are happy to pay that rate for the big gardens

If you came to my area and said £35 for a small garden the second word you would hear is off.

Well said Rob. It should be at least £35 per hour.

You are so right, I find the bigger the garden, the bigger the problems. I had a big house customer ring up to complain that we'll after the grass cutting season and i'd stopped working there for the year,she had returned home (well, one of her homes) and there were leaves outside her front door. I said, well thats autumn for you...Incidentally first day grass cutting for me here in Cumbria

Hi Rob I've started the grass cutting and it's great to get the Mowers out. A little sunshine has helped with the feel good factor. Love the chats have a good week. Graham

Your so right and a good mam❤

Same as I found, I quoted a guy £70 to cut grass, after a few weeks he asked if he could pay me £20ph instead ? ....no thanks. The same bloke lived in a mansion sized house.

Always good reasoned advice 👍🏼

You are so right, stay out of the big gardens, I have had about 6 big jobs, they didn’t last more than 6 months, some times you can get bigger jobs out of them. 👍👍👍

£35 PH your cheap I am self a employed Gardener and Landscaper, I charge more and I am in rural Scotland, properties I do are usually large and rural many on some tricky terrain, travel costs and distances are my biggest outlay I am lucky if I can squeeze in five jobs per day in high season and three in the low season up to November, my clients know outright what I charge for this reason I rarely get any complaints, I employ two young lads part time, I was on a job early this morning ( new customer) I travelled 50 miles there and back the job charged £220, four hrs work books ma again for early June same job. I don't know how you can charge £35 an hour you must do very local jobs with short distances, if people want a quality job done by a qualified landscaper then they have to pay the going rate.

Spot on again Rob, we took on a very large graveyard this week 2men for two days. We quoted in February but didn't get as we were to expensive. Phone call on Tuesday with them despite for us to fit in in to the schedule.! We have but it turns out the fella that got the job stated soent 3 hours there and said sorry its to big for me I'm off. Thats the problem with going with the lowest quote. It's taken me years of pain listening to that little voice to go cheap 😂

I'm sure everything will work out for the best as the season unfolds Rob

keep mowing bro. saying hello from san diego california.

didn't mind the big garden's when i was young & keen .i just want my fortnightly regulars in & out about 1 hour £45-50 them £30 -£35 Half hour mow n goes even better 👌

I get exactly what you're saying but I personally charge a little less per hour for the larger jobs (I don't strictly charge per hour but you know what I mean). A 2hr job is less hassle, less loading/unloading, less traveling, less chatty customers etc. etc. than 2 seperate 1hr jobs. I don't go silly but in your example of £35 for a one hour ish job I'd probably then think of about 60-65 for a 2hr ish job. Big houses and big gardens don't always mean the customers have big disposable incomes. Anyway, not saying either way is right or wrong just different ways, stay safe.

Grass is still not growing up here in Scotland yet. So hopefully maybe heat up in the next fortnight

I find you have to pick and choose all customers on an individual basis. I have experienced cons with both large and small properties. Already this year, three existing customers (2 small, 1 massive) have requested a delayed start to the season due to "money issues". The three in question were previously good earners last year. Both types of jobs have the potential to mess you around. Its a case of checking your diary and measuring the efficiency loss/cost to your business.

I kind had the opposite happen where I mostly had little Mrs Cannybodys with tiny gardens moaning about the price. My best customers were the ones with huge mansions, but there was that rogue millionaire who also owned a house in France that knocked me for 2k.

They don't get what it costs to run your van,machinery, insurances, maintenance costs for machinery, fuel costs for machinery and to get to and from the job. Having too many customers is a problem when it's pissing down and that knocks you back and end up chasing your tail.

you are right Rob, i always say if you have 10 £30 jobs you can get £300 or one big job at £300 if you have one £30 drop off still got work and money if the 1 £300 drops of no work or money i guess some will say save on van fuel and bits but i have days with two jobs and the i can get to do 7 or 8 lawns so i can see both side but every business is different all the best mate

Some of the ones with bigger houses are up to the hilt in debt and the others are just super tight, it's how they became better off in the first place. I worked with a millionaire, mortgage free and hundreds of thousands in financial assets but it was still me who was left to buy the milk for the teas every day.

I had a think about this and maybe quote the large 2 hour garden at 60 cause its gonna take a minimum of 15 mins to load travel and unload to get to next smaller garden so could pass that saving onto larger garden maybe. Thats assuming they wouldn't want it done cheaper than that haha

Only positive I would say about the bigger gardens is that I’d say 80% of my bigger ones give me work all year round as well so sometimes I don’t mind them being on a slightly cheaper rate because it keeps me ticking along in the winter and in the summer I top up my money a lot elsewhere

Been cutting grass down here in Southampton for the last fortnight but the weather has been shite

"Mag to grid get rid" !!!! Not heard that in along time.. I have same problems 😮

I think Rob, if you don't mind a bit of constructive criticism, that you maybe see things a little too 'black and white'. You can easily have a mixture of large and small gardens, you just need to adjust to your approach to each. For me, doing 6 gardens a day, every day, would be exhausting, and frankly, a bit tedious. I'm happy with 3 or 4, sometimes 2, sometimes just one, all day. Variety is the spice of life. Likewise with the grass cutting 'season' - it's getting naturally longer and longer every year, so maybe consider starting earlier and finishing later in the year.

Even if they paid whatever i wanted i get bored working in the same all day..2 or 3 hours in one place is enough, then onto the next one

What’s your view on self propelled mulching mowers as opposed to push non mulches? Thanks! (Just bought mine to start out. Not been able to deliver flyer’s because it’s been chucking it). I’m charging £30 for a cut, because there are new estates near me, which have medium back and front lawns. I’m part time, so for me a successful first year would actually be 4 gardens a week.

I guess its where you service in Australia in my area the big properties are so much more profitable as theres no travelling no un billable hours just full on dollars … each to their own and different experiences i just say theres always more than one way to do it! Each business has strengths and I believe you should have your .. eyes wide opened

Alot of these people with large gardens seem to find people who are retired or doing as a side hussle and charge around £15ph. Thats probably why they got the big house and garden lol

I’ve a mixture small / large then some regular grass and regular hedges then there’s the work from people who approach you on the job and then there’s them who photograph your van in the traffic jam but I like my off time we work hard us gardeners work hard play hard I’ve got to say on my experience and 27 years at this I’ve always found what I ask I get so I am a happy soldier 👍👍 but we all do it differently and what suits one not necessarily suits the next man and even still now after all these years I can under quote😢but hey it happens to us all so if you like em big or small enjoy your job 👍just wish this rain would leave Lancashire🤬🤬

I was mowing in full, bullet sized stop start rain today. I wanted to stop but i flipped the bird at the clouds and cracked on, no money lost!

Maybe they think that you're taking advantage of them because they have a high end property, mind you, they could also peel an orange in their pocket.

Great videos mate. Looking forward to getting my own garden cut this weekend. What’s your thoughts on battery powered mowers?

Sure I've said it before Rob, even £35 for an hours work is under charging by quite a bit, I know it's all relative to time, cost, what you want/need, but generally we aim for around £60 per hour and for a professional trade that's pretty reasonable. Like you, we're quite loose on the price, we may consider a garden that takes us an hour or so to be around £60, a straight forward, easy and very accessible bit of ground, maybe a bit less, but if we're at a premises for an hour we would not be looking at charging £35, more the £60 mark. Trouble is, we've quoted £60 before and they pull a face, when you quote £800 to turf the lawn they agree !!!. Thing is, if they had the grass cut and maintained properly in the first place, they wouldn't need to re-turf!!. Keep on at the price you're happy with, and if you're ever up in Scotland we have a few hundred gardens you're welcome to cut for £35 mate, we'd still be making a decent profit 😆😆😆

How much grass do I take off for the first cut, everywhere it says do one third max but as it’s been so wet the grass is soo long so one third would still be very long, I’ve got a Stihl RM545VM for the wet and was just going to go for number 5 on the height, so about 6cm, what’s your thoughts on this and what number are u going for, if ur using the Stihl (1-7 level), thanks

£35/ hour is too cheap in my opinion, £45 is a bit more reasonable, considering how expensive is all the equipment got in the past few years not to mention fuel, oil etc. I definitely prefer bigger jobs, I hate driving around and setting up the equipment then putting everything away

What about a video on weed killer ... Lol from Pembrokeshire Wales Idwal

Do you charge £35 per fortnightly cut or just £35 after 2nd cut of the month ?

You know what it is you need to pay bills and make it worth your while, wear and tear and the rest.. you’re an experienced fellow, if you said it’ll take two hours then I’ve no reason to disbelieve you. It must’ve been a fairly large grassed area/areas. We both know it’s not two hours anyway, it’s more like two and a half, knocking on the door of three by the time you factor in travelling, and if she’s one of those that wants to chat, u know the type, you might not get out of there in two hrs.. £70 is very little really.. 80/90/100 with strimming, edging and grass taken away perhaps.. “horrified” 😂😂 some people..

St patrick day is the 17 of March

Hi Rob Do you charge £35 an hour regardless of height, thatch, gradients and amenity involved in the green such as weeds. Or do you charge per job with the £35 hourly rate in mind. I personally give a fixed price per job now

I have one really large lawn I cut, and it’s a 60 quider, I’m there 30 mins, so your £35 per hour is cheap rob. I aim for anything between £50-£70 per hour

Out of interest. When you get the pain in the backend customer and decide after 3 chances to get rid, what's your approach? In other words, what do you tell them? Just interested 🤔

Hit the ground running Mr M .. ... ..

All 1st cuts on the grasses, round 2 starting Monday morning. Rob, the penny is finally dropping with you.

You are totally switched on with our advise. You don't even have to explain or justify your pricing. I would never haggle with a local self employed worker re pricing. Insulting to them - and makes me look small. The customer can only say no, and then you both move on.

Hello Rob you are absolutely correct regarding the larger gardens, I can definetly relate to you I'm this. It's very strange how it works. Thank you for the video Rob. Thank you Mark

£150! for the big Gardens cash up front