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Thread: What size job??

  1. #1
    MEMBER Fred's mowing's Avatar
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    Default What size job??

    Do u find some size (mainly gardening) jobs more financially beneficial than others?
    I seem to do best on medium sized jobs.
    Small jobs u can sometimes make a redic high hourly rate but thats offset by travel time.
    Big jobs I sometimes tend to under quote as I want the job(coz its big) & it seems high telling the client it will cost x amount.
    I do also like working in the nicer big properties for job satisfaction but, sometimes to my detriment as Ive underquoted & struggle to keep the standard with the time time Ive alotted.
    Medium sized jobs financially for me, seem to be the winner.
    What about u?????
    Cheers Fred.

  2. #2
    Member Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden's Avatar
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    Default Re: What size job??

    I used to like small yards being quick and easy but now with the ztr and two offsiders i like the bigger yards like a acre or bigger. The little ones i often send the offsiders on there own now.
    Tender Lovin Lawn and Garden Care
    We do everything for your lawn and garden with tender loving care
    find us on facebook under Tender Lovin Lawn and Garden Care

  3. #3
    Senior Member PaulG's Avatar
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    Default Re: What size job??

    Quote Originally Posted by Fred's mowing View Post
    I do also like working in the nicer big properties for job satisfaction but, sometimes to my detriment as Ive underquoted & struggle to keep the standard with the time time Ive alotted.
    I've had problems with this too; One large acreage property in particular where I did just gardening. They wanted me to develop show standard gardens but only wanted to pay me for two to three hours per month.

  4. #4
    Member of forum Stump's Avatar
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    Default Re: What size job??

    I really dont like short lawn jobs. The kind where they want kyke cut to a few mm long. I just recently put on a new reg, and after quoting and me three quarters of the way through the job,.tell me they want it super short. The following cut comes and it looks quite short still, but I end up cutting 6 chaff bags of it, and takes me almost two hours for a lousy $50.
    I explain that it needs to be done fortnightly, but she doesn't get it.
    I will end up letting this one go for sure, and pretty much told her that, unless she gets it done bi weekly.
    I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my Grandfather.....not screaming in terror like the passengers in his car!!!

  5. #5
    Member of forum Stump's Avatar
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    Default Re: What size job??

    Fruit tree pruning seems to be the most profitable for me.
    I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my Grandfather.....not screaming in terror like the passengers in his car!!!

  6. #6
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: What size job??

    I think it depends...if you are achieving your $ goal per hour/day with the minimum of fuss then it doesnt matter.....personally I like them all,5 small lawns side by side getting 250 bucks in 2 hrs vs garden maintenance couple of hours for 250 or even large maintenance properties where you get some good hourly dollars with no travel.......seems to me travel is the key factor ........large jobs do requires more sweat,expense,more larger equipment ( more expense ) but can give you good dollars....

  7. #7
    Senior Member Scooby Steve's Avatar
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    Default Re: What size job??

    As long as they add up to my quota for the day i couldn't care but having said that i do like the big commercials where your there for the whole day not much time lost to travel and being commercial the price is normally good and they usually stick by you if you keep the quality up.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Lawn Mowing Professionals's Avatar
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    Default Re: What size job??

    Quote Originally Posted by geoff View Post
    I think it depends...if you are achieving your $ goal per hour/day with the minimum of fuss then it doesnt matter.....personally I like them all,5 small lawns side by side getting 250 bucks in 2 hrs vs garden maintenance couple of hours for 250 or even large maintenance properties where you get some good hourly dollars with no travel.......seems to me travel is the key factor ........large jobs do requires more sweat,expense,more larger equipment ( more expense ) but can give you good dollars....
    I agree 100%.

    Quote Originally Posted by Scooby Steve View Post
    As long as they add up to my quota for the day i couldn't care but having said that i do like the big commercials where your there for the whole day not much time lost to travel and being commercial the price is normally good and they usually stick by you if you keep the quality up.
    Do you get paid straight away with your commercials? Just curious as i'm flirting with commercials but heard to many stories that they don't pay for months on end.

    Simmo.

  9. #9
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: What size job??

    most pay at months end unless you specify 7 days etc.....a lot of my large business customer have specific paydays so you learn to invoice just before the cut off date.....real estate agents only pay when the rent money has been paid,again you have to learn the cycles

  10. #10
    Senior Member Scooby Steve's Avatar
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    Default Re: What size job??

    Quote Originally Posted by Simmo View Post
    I agree 100%.



    Do you get paid straight away with your commercials? Just curious as i'm flirting with commercials but heard to many stories that they don't pay for months on end.

    Simmo.
    Hi Simmo really no different to domestics, you get those that pay on the day the invoice goes in, others that pay in 7 days/ 30 days and others that don't pay at all lol just hurts a little more for the ones that don't pay. Good to have a mix of domestic, commercials and real estate work imho as that way all your eggs aren't in the one basket.

  11. #11

    Default Re: What size job??

    Quote Originally Posted by Simmo View Post
    I agree 100%.



    Do you get paid straight away with your commercials? Just curious as i'm flirting with commercials but heard to many stories that they don't pay for months on end.

    Simmo.
    Simmo, the only ones I have experienced any real problems with are real estate agents as others have said, and small developers. The developers seem to stretch the paymenttermsdue to cashflow for their obvious needs.
    You have to know the devil you are working with if you want to do any work for them.

  12. #12
    Senior Member Lawn Mowing Professionals's Avatar
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    Default Re: What size job??

    Thanks for the feedback. Greatly appreciated.

    Simmo.

  13. #13
    Member of forum ASTRO's Avatar
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    Default Re: What size job??

    I aim to schedule work which enables me to on sell products + services to meet the the customers garden requirements and their expectations.
    This maximises profit margins + job satifaction.
    I agree working on large acreage properties equates to huge expectations + workloads-need to charge city rates.
    Working solo i prefer medium sized properties with specialized work.
    Cheers astro.

  14. #14
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: What size job??

    I don't like being on the 1 job all day. Prefer having a few at least.
    Cheers

    Bluey
    Adelaide Home & Garden Solutions
    http://www.ahgs.com.au


    "Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching."

  15. #15
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: What size job??

    Personally, I like small front yard mowing jobs. Can do a **** load of them in a day and at $25 min the profit margin is great. Especially if you have about 15 of them all with in a couple of mins from home.

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