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lifestyle
08-11-2008, 11:27 AM
While i don't charge more than most operators (i probably charge around half of what mainland guys charge), as an organic gardener i have potential to charge more and recieve the same or more income from a smaller customer base.

If you charge $50 an hour and currently have 80 customers on your books, you could potentially be charging $80 - $90 per hour with around 40 - 60 customers.

Smaller niche, higher rate, fewer customers, more income.

$50 per hour and 80 customers (assuming 1 hour each service).

= $4000 per cut / round (Using sprays to make it quicker).

$70 per hour and 40 Customers (2 hours each customer)

= $5600 per cut/round (Using Organic methods).

Theres work out there for all niche groups, just market yourself in the right areas.

Premier
08-11-2008, 02:21 PM
Originally posted by -Lifestyle
While i don't charge more than most operators (i probably charge around half of what mainland guys charge), as an organic gardener i have potential to charge more and recieve the same or more income from a smaller customer base.
An obvious question, so if you have the potential to charge more why don't you?

What are the limitations?

Is it strong competition from other lawnies, customers not willing to pay extra or are you happy to do more for less?

Cheers ;)

Premier

lifestyle
08-11-2008, 03:23 PM
An obvious question, so if you have the potential to charge more why don't you?

What are the limitations?

Is it strong competition from other lawnies, customers not willing to pay extra or are you happy to do more for less?

Cheers ;)

Premier

I'm happy charging a price that covers my running costs and pays me a a wage + a percentage for set backs. Theres no sense ripping people off.

I have several lawnies in the area throwing work my way. So no real competition. I also throw larger commercial jobs in the direction of other contractors, since i am only domestic based (home services).

Premier
08-11-2008, 04:14 PM
Originally posted by Lifestyle
- as an organic gardener i have potential to charge more and recieve the same or more income from a smaller customer base
OK sounds good...


Originally posted by Lifestyle
I'm happy charging a price that covers my running costs and pays me a a wage + a percentage for set backs. Theres no sense ripping people off.
Huh!!!! :confused:
Eric did I miss something in the translation here?

You state you have the potential to charge more for your organic services but in response you say there is no sense in ripping people off :i dunno:

Or should I just take this with a grain of salt :laughing: :laughing: :wave-hi:

Cheers ;)

Premier

glassngrass
08-11-2008, 04:23 PM
Or should I just take this with a grain of salt :laughing: :laughing: :wave-hi:
Two-headed reasoning! Don't try and make sense of it...

lifestyle
08-11-2008, 04:55 PM
Huh!!!! :confused:
Eric did I miss something in the translation here?

You state you have the potential to charge more for your organic services but in response you say there is no sense in ripping people off :i dunno:

Or should I just take this with a grain of salt :laughing: :laughing: :wave-hi:

Cheers ;)

Premier

LOL... & Double LOL, from the scare...

If i had 6 mowers, 5 brushcutters, 4 trailers, 3 employees, 2 ride-ons and a host of other equipment like many operators have, then i would charge more. I am only a small operation so charge a price that suits.

Organic services are, as stated by many here, generally dearer than chemical methods. Therefore the scope is there for me to charge more if i needed to.

But since i am a small operation i have no need to as my expenses are low.

You seem to be trying to trip me up on what i'm saying...

Premier
08-11-2008, 05:17 PM
I just love tennis...My serve :laughing: :laughing:


Originally posted by Lifestyle
Organic services are, as stated by many here, generally dearer than chemical methods. Therefore the scope is there for me to charge more if i needed to.

But since i am a small operation i have no need to as my expenses are low.
Hang on...You say you follow Organic principles so your expenses are higher than the rest of us that use chemicals (rarely :cool: ) but in the next breath you say your expenses are lower :i dunno:

Is this Tasmanian mathmatics :confused:

Love 15 to Premier :laughing: :laughing:

Cheers ;)

Premier

glassngrass
08-11-2008, 05:17 PM
You seem to be trying to trip me up on what i'm saying...
You seem to be doing a good job of it yourself :laughing:

glassngrass
08-11-2008, 05:27 PM
Eric is indicating that it's not only thru chemical use, but thru Organic Gardening also you can get a head .
The more you go organic - the more heads you get :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

lifestyle
08-11-2008, 05:48 PM
You seem to be doing a good job of it yourself :laughing:

lol... i seem to be repeating myself a lot... haven't tripped yet, its hard to when you list the source of the information.

lifestyle
08-11-2008, 05:51 PM
Eric is indicating that it's not only thru chemical use, but thru Organic Gardening also you can get a head .
The more you go organic - the more heads you get :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

That is a so true... Chemical exposure can limit our ability to think.

On the other hand, did you know chemicals can make you fat... i'll have to find that article...

lifestyle
08-11-2008, 05:55 PM
CHEMICALS MAKE YOU FAT – THE MEDICAL EVIDENCE

http://micache.onegrp.com/static/5431/pdf/en/otherArticles/Chemicals_make_you_fat.pdf

Islandhead
08-11-2008, 05:55 PM
Wise man once said, you can't believe EVERYTHING you read eric :laughing:

Bgs
08-11-2008, 06:02 PM
Wise man once said, you can't believe EVERYTHING you read eric :laughing:

I have a young cousin that tells us crazy stories and when we tell him its bull ****, he tells us its true he read it on the internet
:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Mrs HMS
08-11-2008, 06:18 PM
CHEMICALS MAKE YOU FAT – THE MEDICAL EVIDENCE

http://micache.onegrp.com/static/5431/pdf/en/otherArticles/Chemicals_make_you_fat.pdf

I didn't see one shred of "medical evidence" in that article...it was just an article which seemed designed for one purpose only...to flog a book. I saw lots of phrases like "she believe" and "seems to" but no quoting of any real evidence, scientific or impirical.

lifestyle
08-11-2008, 06:23 PM
I didn't see one shred of "medical evidence" in that article...it was just an article which seemed designed for one purpose only...to flog a book. I saw lots of phrases like "she believe" and "seems to" but no quoting of any real evidence, scientific or impirical.

Actually that article was written to flog something else, however i used a generic link. It is an article based on a book but it was not written for the purpose of profiting from the book.

lifestyle
08-11-2008, 06:34 PM
I have a young cousin that tells us crazy stories and when we tell him its bull ****, he tells us its true he read it on the internet
:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Yes, one needs to be intelliegent enough to know where to look and what not to take notice of...

I wouldn't for a minute believe anything from a free website host like geocities or from wikipedia without further research.

.gov sites are usually truthful and factual as are .edu.

Its also hard to tell whether a website is an australian site unless it ends in .au as many sites for australian sites still end in .com

You should also check the PR (Page Rank) of the site. If it is grey or low (less than 3) it is probably a site not many people have linked to as a reference. The higher the PR the more likely the site has credibility.

Individually these methods don't necessarily mean a sites info is credible but viewing a site with ones head outside of the box and looking at the above it is more likely to be factful information.

A website is like a chemical... if it looks toxic, reads toxic and gives off a toxic odour, it probably is toxic.

Premier
08-11-2008, 06:35 PM
I think that BEER & Nibbles make you fat :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Looking at the pile of empties that have stacked up around me this arvo whilst getting a few giggles on the forum and the fact that I'm now struggling to get up surely proves that Beer & Nibbles make you fat :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

No further research or internet quotes needed :p

Geez I'm worried about all the salt on those chips though :frightene

Cheers ;)

Premier

geejay
08-11-2008, 06:36 PM
While i don't charge more than most operators (i probably charge around half of what mainland guys charge), as an organic gardener i have potential to charge more and recieve the same or more income from a smaller customer base.

If you charge $50 an hour and currently have 80 customers on your books, you could potentially be charging $80 - $90 per hour with around 40 - 60 customers.

Smaller niche, higher rate, fewer customers, more income.

$50 per hour and 80 customers (assuming 1 hour each service).

= $4000 per cut / round (Using sprays to make it quicker).

$70 per hour and 40 Customers (2 hours each customer)

= $5600 per cut/round (Using Organic methods).

Theres work out there for all niche groups, just market yourself in the right areas.

yes niche marketing could give you higher returns with less of a customer base in this game if all of the chemical lawnies did not exist or were legistrated to stop using chemicals and you had the sole world wide(do mars at the same time as we may have to move there)commercail licence for organic methods,could be expensive and take a few life times to recoup set up costs.But in realty this is not posiable.yes you could find 40 clients say in the area i work,balwyn,kew etc,but there is no chance you could charge to much,a tad,tinsy wincy more, BUT not willy nilly pricing. :)

lifestyle
08-11-2008, 06:48 PM
I just love tennis...My serve :laughing: :laughing:


Hang on...You say you follow Organic principles so your expenses are higher than the rest of us that use chemicals (rarely :cool: ) but in the next breath you say your expenses are lower :i dunno:

Is this Tasmanian mathmatics :confused:

Love 15 to Premier :laughing: :laughing:

Cheers ;)

Premier

Sorry, missed this until i checked my email.

Yes my expenses are lower because i don't buy the higher priced organic products much either. 95% of my work is trimming trees, mowing lawns, pulling weeds etc. So my expenses are lower...

If i did by the organic productss instead of making my own (like white oil). I would charge more.

As i said, i have the "potential" to charge more but my expenses are lower so i don't need to.

Understand now ? :wave-hi:

I don't like tennis, but is that 15 all ? :i dunno:

geejay
08-11-2008, 06:49 PM
yes niche marketing could give you higher returns with less of a customer base in this game if all of the chemical lawnies did not exist or were legistrated to stop using chemicals and you had the sole world wide(do mars at the same time as we may have to move there)commercail licence for organic methods,could be expensive and take a few life times to recoup set up costs.But in realty this is not posiable.yes you could find 40 clients say in the area i work,balwyn,kew etc,but there is no chance you could charge to much,a tad,tinsy wincy more, BUT not willy nilly pricing. :)

BUT one could look at add on sales to main service to push earnings up :)

lifestyle
08-11-2008, 06:54 PM
BUT one could look at add on sales to main service to push earnings up :)

Or one could buy shares in the highly profitable American Banking Market. :i dunno:

NLALM
08-11-2008, 07:35 PM
Man I think you smoke to much of the organic stuff. If thats your deal ok but stop trying to ram it down everyones throat.

lifestyle
08-11-2008, 07:42 PM
Man I think you smoke to much of the organic stuff. If thats your deal ok but stop trying to ram it down everyones throat.

This is the "Organic Forum" The slogan says... "Don't panic... Talk Organic".

If your not in to Organics you could simply ignore the forum.

Maybe the boss can start a "Chemical Junkies forum" or maybe there is one already... i haven't looked for it.

geejay
08-11-2008, 08:04 PM
Or one could buy shares in the highly profitable American Banking Market. :i dunno:

could be a while to go before buying and hold long term,but i think much better to invest in yourself,own business(niche)etc.unless you are in the know,one could very short in the usa mkt.

but add on business can work,we wear several hats(heads :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: ),do the mowing,hedging,introduce landscape design,watertanks,grey water etc,once a client trusts you,you can present other add ons. :)

m287j
08-11-2008, 08:50 PM
This is the "Organic Forum" The slogan says... "Don't panic... Talk Organic".

If your not in to Organics you could simply ignore the forum.

Maybe the boss can start a "Chemical Junkies forum" or maybe there is one already... i haven't looked for it.

Eric, i appreciate your threads and posts, i am learning more about that side of the industry all the time and thinking of venturing into it a bit more. We have recently created our own vegtable garden at home and only use organic and eco friendly products on it.

What disappoints me is the few products made by manufacturers that are eco friendly alternatives to glypho, i have seen a few around like 'Slasher' but at a mixture rate of 40ml to 1 litre it proves to be a very expensive product.

geejay
08-11-2008, 09:05 PM
Eric, i appreciate your threads and posts, i am learning more about that side of the industry all the time and thinking of venturing into it a bit more. We have recently created our own vegtable garden at home and only use organic and eco friendly products on it.

What disappoints me is the few products made by manufacturers that are eco friendly alternatives to glypho, i have seen a few around like 'Slasher' but at a mixture rate of 40ml to 1 litre it proves to be a very expensive product.

ditto

planted up my veggie patch and lost all the veggies,all my expirance,made compost from clipings,other greens and browns added chicken manure,limed,checked ph,BUT did not do salinty test(dumb F***),to late they are now history,reakon it was something like weed and feed residual in grass clippings :mad:

lifestyle
08-11-2008, 09:07 PM
Eric, i appreciate your threads and posts, i am learning more about that side of the industry all the time and thinking of venturing into it a bit more. We have recently created our own vegtable garden at home and only use organic and eco friendly products on it.

What disappoints me is the few products made by manufacturers that are eco friendly alternatives to glypho, i have seen a few around like 'Slasher' but at a mixture rate of 40ml to 1 litre it proves to be a very expensive product.

I think with a lot of those products its a supply and demand price issue. Most aren't interested in the organic side because roundup is so common and available anywhere from the corner store to the local nursery.

When the product becomes more popular it should reduce in price.

But its a niche market. If you promote yourself as organic, the requests you get from people will expect your price to be higher so you can charge more to cover the cost of the product.

I have made inquiries with ACO to become Certified but unfortunately its only a physical product that can be certified organic. I have been offered the ability to become registered with the Biological Farmers Association which would recognise me as being BFA Registered. This process requires a yearly check on how your "organic" in your procedures etc. It costs i think around $1500 per year. An expense i am more than willing to make. I will be investigating it further in the new year.

If you do gain some organic customers while still spraying toxic chemicals be sure to use seperate spray packs and store them in seperate areas of your trailer or vehicle.

lifestyle
08-11-2008, 09:13 PM
ditto

planted up my veggie patch and lost all the veggies,all my expirance,made compost from clipings,other greens and browns added chicken manure,limed,checked ph,BUT did not do salinty test(dumb F***),to late they are now history,reakon it was something like weed and feed residual in grass clippings :mad:

I planted tomatoes today. A couple of trees, and about 18 shrubs.

I planted them in entirely aged lawn clippings with some extra compost in each hole.

I use a No Dig Raised Garden method so the soil structure is never touched.

glassngrass
08-11-2008, 09:16 PM
If i did by the organic productss instead of making my own (like white oil). I would charge more.
Make your own white oil? Please tell me how and I would do instead of using other nasties (such as Malathon)

Instead of the waffle - this is the kind of info we would find really useful and want from you

lifestyle
08-11-2008, 09:30 PM
Make your own white oil? Please tell me how and I would do instead of using other nasties (such as Malathon)

Instead of the waffle - this is the kind of info we would find really useful and want from you

Yes, true, but if you do a search yourself, you might even find some other useful information on Organic products, etc... Its the flow on effect. You find one thing which leads you to search for another then another and another...

If you were REALLY keen on Organics and wanted to know you'd look it up. And no i'm not being an arsehole.

To make white oil...

- Half a cup of dish washing liquid (enviro friendly of course)
- 2 cups of sunflower oil

Mix it vigerously in a bottle until it changes colour (oil and dishwash combine). In most cases it will go a greeny white colour.

To us mix 1 or 2 tablespoons with a litre of water.

Reagitate the mix before reusing, but it will keep on the shelf for some time.