First Landscaping Job

[Totally Green]

Originally Posted by Little's Are the 2 large trees oaks? The reason I ask is because (and I dont expect many people to know this, but it is my job as a tree worker to notice these things), oaks need to have the base of the truck and top roots exposed to air. If you cover the exposed top roots and begin giving extra water, it can make the oaks very sick and may eventually die. Just a little tip for future use. I didn't know that. They are oaks. We'll go back and correct that oversight. Thanks for the great advice. Gary

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Totally Green Lawn Care, LLC
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[Steve]

Lawn care business tips

Luckily, we also have the maintenance contract for the landscaping. How did you set up the maintenance contract? Do you charge them a certain amount per month to keep the landscape looking good? Is this included in your lawn cutting fee? Or how do you suggest doing this?

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[Totally Green]

I really don't have that down to an art. I try to break each task down and assign it a dollar amount, then multiply that by the number of times per month the service will be performed. With that total, I try to discount it to make it more appealing. My biggest problem is, coming from a background where a hundred dollars is a lot of money, I always feel like I'm charging too much. Hopefully I'll get past that.

[Steve]

I think you made a really great post here that is helping a lot of newer business owners.

I try to break each task down and assign it a dollar amount, then multiply that by the number of times per month the service will be performed.

Can you give us an idea of the different services that would be required to maintain this beautiful landscape and how often they would have to be performed?

[majoe7]

Originally Posted by Steve

Also I just invoice a product list and an install bill.

Can you explain this a little more?

Steve,

I give my clients a product list of what I installed IE: plant, shrub, flower type so they will know what they have and if they need to replace or add a little more to what is already there. I do this with sprinkler heads also so they know what I used and size (45*, 90*, 180* or full spray patterns). It gives them a better understanding and they are more educated for their purpose to maintaining a beautiful landscaped yard... Knowledge is Power.

With the install invoice, they already had a work order done up and agreed to it. There are no surprises to them when you hand them an install invoice and they say, "I didn't know it was going to be this much" and try to get you to lower the bill.

How many of you been there, done that?

[Totally Green]

Steve,

My clients husband is 87 years old but still active. He loves to mow, so he takes care of that. Also, they have a prior contract for lawn fertilizing, so we edge, trim and blow twice per month. We weed the flower beds once per month, prune and mulch as required and replace plants as necessary for an extra charge unless they are covered by warranty. We fertilized the beds 3 times per year. We are also available to help out with small odd jobs as needed (also extra). We do this for $150.00 per month for 12 months. Now keep in mind that our company is less than a year old and only time will tell how profitable this agreement turns out to be.

[Steve]

We do this for $150.00 per month for 12 months.

Do you find that you perform a service on site every one of those 12 months or is this more of a budgeting price where you perform a service over say 8 months put spread it across a 12 month period to lower the monthly fee?

[Totally Green]

Originally Posted by Steve

Do you find that you perform a service on site every one of those 12 months or is this more of a budgeting price where you perform a service over say 8 months put spread it across a 12 month period to lower the monthly fee?

It's more of the latter. We'll probably do a little more than required during the growing season and very little during the winter. The main thing is to get some income during the winter. We learned the hard way this year. We budgeted enough to pay the bills during the off season, however, now that spring is kicking off, we are struggling to make payroll while waiting for payments to come in. We bill at the end of the month, so I've already paid labor, but still have another 2 weeks before billing, followed by another 2 to get all payments.

[Steve]

Ahh good point.

With this landscape project and future projects, how did you handle payment terms? Did they have to pay anything up front? Or how did that work? Also, I am guessing you sold your maintenance agreement to them as you sold them this landscape project? If so that was a great upsell.

[StartALawnCareBusiness]

Originally Posted by Little's

Hi Gary,
You did a great job on the install. All the colors flow nicely and the fountain is great.
Are the 2 large trees oaks? The reason I ask is because (and I dont expect many people to know this, but it is my job as a tree worker to notice these things), oaks need to have the base of the truck and top roots exposed to air. If you cover the exposed top roots and begin giving extra water, it can make the oaks very sick and may eventually die.
Just a little tip for future use. Next time you can impress your customers with some professional landscaping tips!

Brandon:

Thanks for pointing that out.

I have been taking aboriculture classes the last few weeks. I have really been surprised how little I actually knew about trees.

Do you find yourself driving down the road thinking "gee, look at how horribly that tree is being treated"? I do that all the time now.

In the Southeast, mulch piled high around a tree base is called Volcano Mulching. Tree roots will grow up and into the mulch in an attempt to find air and water. When the mulch is inevitably washed away, tremendous damage to the feeder roots that have grown into the mulch will occur injuring the tree.

Keith