HOW MUCH DO I CHARGE?

[cleo]

Well I`m off to live in the South of France.

I`m doing my accounts and `Smiling Cat Herbs` made a profit of £174 last year.

Good job it`s just a full time hobby to pay for my addiction to offering a wide range of tomato plants cheaply.

[cleo]

[ACE]

Just look out of the window, monsoon! How much is it worth to go out in that lot?

lorry load of bark chippings being delivered today, they have to be moved as it will block the drive. Also the garden has to look nice for a wedding next weekend. I could let the girls move it and say I've something else to do. But that ain't my style.

[betula]

My hero , Sighhhhhhhhhhh. :D

[Garden Manager]

I actually think it depends on whether it is a hobby job Richard, or your full time employment.  I would not be able to afford to charge £6 per hour because of my overheads, ie insurance, tool depreciation, fuel expenses etc.  I work for an elderly couple a few doors away and I charge them just £12 an hour as I don't have to drive, but I still have to be insured and my tools still take a bashing.  You do have to be careful, people will happily plead poverty to get the job done cheaper, everyone wants something for nothing.

Regarding insurance, I'm sure a lot of hobby gardeners don't have it and work away in other peoples gardens, but if you break a window, one of their tools, cut through a power line or damage an expensive plant, you will be expected to pay for the repairs, also, if you injure yourself at work and cannot work, you will be loosing income.  It might never happen to you, but it probably will.

Oh i wouldn't normaly go that low, I only did it as a favour really. Felt guilty about charging much more TBH. As a result though i restrict visits to one or two mornings a week and made my excuses not to attend a planned visit yesterday when it was pouring with rain!

I have become consious of mishaps and not being covered for them. Today for example i slipped up on wet grass and luckily only suffered a bruised ego! it could have been worse though and then where would I have been. Trouble is I am not yet established enough or earning  enough to consider or afford insurance.

[Hyacinth]

Richard, a bruised ego maybe, but your heart's still in the right place 8) 8) 8)

Insurance,,,whether a 'hobby' gardener or no...imagine the scenario (and this is real..) person cut grass & strimmed (!!! eugh! served him right!) the edges...there was gravel between the edge of the lawn and the paving...small stone flew off & went straight through the client's conservatory window....operative tried to blag the client to claim on her house insurance.....client (rightly) said "NO!!". Operative forced to pay for replacement glass (and it was a large window :))...

EJ, to help GA and others, ....who do you use, please,  and how much?

[Mrs Ava]

Axa Insurance and it is in the region of £70 per year, which to me is a very very small price to pay.  Your scenario Lish is sooooo close to the truth that it is uncanny.  Also, greenhouses come into the firing line.
Fuel is a swine both for tools and the car getting from a to b.  I try to keep jobs local, but needs must and I have 3 which are a small trek out.  My profit will never buy me a sports car, but it pays the bills which makes life easier.  Back to work on Monday once the kids go back and my first 3 hours stint is weeding an overgrown island bed, packed full of ground elder, then heavily mulching with bark, the next stint, weather permitting, is grass cutting, edging then weeding and tidying a bulb garden and weeding again.  This time of year, plenty of weeding.

[betula]

Just an update...........sorted my price out and happy with it,slow start and suddenly got lots of offers of work.

I had my first wet and windy day today,and booked for all day.Plodded on and got through it.Very bracing,glad of it really as the soil was like concrete.Every time the fork went in I was hitting a brick,weeding the hard way.Glad of the wind to cool me down as I was getting rather hot. LOL

Two things I had not expected,two huge gardens.Offered lots of hours in these but what about my smaller gardens.Been advised to stick with the bigger customers but not sure really.

Number one big garden is OK as well laid out and just upkeep really but a job I accepted sunday is giving me concerns,Lots of separate areas and lots of new plantings needed plus so much grass.Arrrrrrr.Have I bitten off more than I can chew.Keep looking over my shoulder for the expert.........help it is me.
I think I was expecting several little elderly person type gardens not an acre of garden.Thought they would not want me as I have decided I will not do ride on mowers but both big gardens offered to do the big areas themselves.
Have taken on board all your advice.
I suppose Iam a bit excited and a bit scared of this latest job.Everything I have learnt at college to be put into practise I.e pond needs sorting out big time,New plants for the rockery,Plants for woody shady area,plant new hedge in shaded area,the list goes on.Wish me luck. :)

[lorna]

Here's wishing you lots of luck. I love to see people having a go.

[glosterwomble]

It all sounds great Betula, maybe a bit daunting at first but you'll surprise yourself in no time I'm sure!!

[Hyacinth]

Yeah! Good luck from me, too. Thing to think about B, given that you, like me, don't have to work to pay the mortgage/bills/boring stuff like that ;) is that 'work' must be FUN 8) Do what you're happy doing, for peeps you enjoy working for, in gardens you like and like to be in.  Life doesn't get better than this!

I reckon that you've already found that there's work a-plenty around and this year for you is the year you're testing the water?...ps...yesterday was bracing?? Yesterday was b. orrible here! & there was NOTHING that I was going to get wet/dry/v.wet/damp/dry again for,  for 5 hours, so called it a day after 3, came home with a freebie gift of a bottle of Merlot anorl, but was back at 8.30 this morning to start finishing the planting. Great few hours + some goodies, courtesy of client's R&R trip to Morries (pack of back bacon, frozen lasagne to keep me strength up + a bunch of flowers) as a thank-you for going back on my day off.....I repeat, life doesn't get much better than this.... ;D

[Barnowl]

I bless my digi camera and laptop PC when I'm doing really neglected gardens..... slide-show pics of the before/during & ta-da! AFTER are a big hit (and, incidentally) another money earner. Didn't plan it that way, honest :o ;D but a print out album has been requested a few times - and I'm there to oblige ;) I use Kodak atm....

Just an aside re printing from digital pictures.
I've found Photobox pretty reliable and have also created some books using their Photobooks - not too hard to set up and being hardback look pretty good at the end.

http://www.photobox.co.uk/shop/photo-books/classic-a4-photobook

[Hyacinth]

Many thanks, Owl..I'll check that out 8)

B, I've been reminded....DO take before/during/after pix, particularly if you're working in a large garden & the client is leaving you to it...real bonus & a blessing - and a constant permanent reminder that You're Worth It when it comes to submitting the bill ;D