For PROS & Homeowners: How is your business/projects affected?
When in Bloom NYC
4 years ago
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agoWhen in Bloom NYC
4 years agoRelated Discussions
How has the economy affected your landscape business/
Comments (8)I'm from the pro end - landscape maintenance. To echo what LG said - I'm a one woman show and work out of my house/van with no loans on equipment, vehicles and no payrolling of staff which makes this recession easier to cope with. I also deal with materials on a cash and carry basis and this is how I have my accounts setup with vendors rather then pay later. I drive around in an old green conversion van - I took all the seats out and put load shocks on it a few years ago to accomodate all the equipment and ammendments I tote around (after my pickup truck was totalled by an uninsured driver who did a hit and run). It is mechanically sound with no rust so it looks respectable when I pull up to a client's house. It was cheaper then purchasing an actual cargo van or another pickup truck. Sometimes when I'm driving around I can't help but wonder what the bank note is on some of these large landscape maintenance trucks - just the diesel to run them must be huge. And then because the cab is big you have to justify the cost by filling it up with about 4 - 5 guys. When you have a lot of overhead you have to have the larger jobs or lots of little jobs to survive right now! My business went up about 10 percent last year - but my bread and butter has always been maintenance and garden installations are gravy. We've also always lived very frugally (I can be found quite a bit over on GW's money saving forum - :)) I also try to stay diversified as much as possible - I will do anything from taking care of gravesites to garden coaching, plans for DIYers like gardengal, holiday decorating, winter pruning, general yard maintenance and some hardscaping with natural stone. I have some longterm clients that have been loyal, I get referrels through word of mouth, Angie's List and always keeping a stack of business cards ready to hand to people at trade shows, on jobsites, in conversation. I don't have a website yet - but I'm working on it right now as another marketing tool. I also try to get a feel for what everyone else is charging and be in the middle - it gives me more room to negotiate without cutting my own throat. My biggest competition has been the immigrant mow and go guys - they'll try and undercut me so I try to stay around their price point or just above and stress quality, horticultural knowledge, the English language, and great customer service and reliability. Also when conducting sales calls I carry around a huge portfolio filled with mouth watering progression photos of gardens I've installed, renovated and/or maintained throughout the years. If I can get in the door that's usually what seals the deal - a picture's worth a thousand words which is important because I don't unfortunately do lawns or plow snow which are my two greatest weaknesses compared to the competition....See MoreHow has building a house affected your marriage/relationships?
Comments (86)kculbers 3 months ago Pinebaron: how did you find out about those tourmaline rocks?? kculbers: My apologies for not responding sooner, just saw your message. Some online research plus knowledge gleaned from a book of fortune or something, helped a lot since I was previously only aware of stones negatively impacting various things. Now I keep a very large tourmaline rock on my office desk below my monitor and another really large one in our living room; that definitely did the trick for us. Now it's almost exactly three years since we moved to our 'masterpiece' although it only became party capable a year later (we love to entertain), i.e. by Thanksgiving 2019. At the time the pandemic struck, my DW was promoted at her work and my own work tripled due to an insane demand for what I do, helping generate an enormous surplus, an ingredient that helped grease the wheels of life. Buzz Solo in northeast MI @Pinebaron We finally sold our house in September 2020. we lost money on it but it's out of our hair (and I left my old neighbors with a good new neighbor!) And DH and I are still married, still frustrated in different ways (the home building board has seen a lot of my "can't find an HVAC guy" posts, but we're getting there. What worries more I think is what we're going to do with ourselves when it's done and we move in! we're going to have to find another project so we don't sit and stare at each other all day. Buzz Solo: A house, no matter how complete, is always going to need some love and there should always be a project or two in-flight to keep you both interested and engaged. If all is really done and when travel becomes easier, take a vacation or two, even a one day sightseeing or window shopping excursion can do wonders....See MoreHow has the downturn in the economy affected your holiday plans?
Comments (35)I haven't been making more than a few gift exchanges for several years, except immediate family, telling several that I am making gifts to charities instead: that's in my name, not theirs - I get the deductible receipt. Cut back on Christmas cards, as well - same reason ... and quite a few have email. I appreciate the messages, updating what friends and family are doing. I've said that I plan to write charitable and political cheques throughout the year ... but usually neglect to do so, so there are a bunch at the end of the year: I'm rather embarrassed to admit that a few years ago I had to make a special trip back from Toronto to write several, on Dec. 31: you'd think that would have taught me a losson (sorry - that was to be "lesson"), wouldn't you? Rather hard on my credit union, as they send photocopy of both sides of each cheque with monthly report, which means extra postage at year end (4 pages only within base postal rate - but they use both sides). Last year transferred stock certificates to community foundation, which supports many of the charities that I do, so I got one receipt and saved gas and postage. I get a deductible receipt from them, as from other charities, but there's an extra benefit: I pay no capital gain tax on stocks given to a charity, so it makes sense to gift long-held stocks, carrying substantial capital gain. It'll be a cash gift this year - stocks too low: I'm buying periodically, not selling! And getting rather low on cash! Expecting a cash infusion soon ... and am building collAteral on LOC. My pensions have a small inflation escalator, so have increased somewhat over the 12 - 14 years that I've been receiving them. I live on less that those amounts. Dividends from stocks have stayed at about the same level ... but I expect that there'll be fewer reinvested income reports from the mutual fund carriers, this year ... which amounts one can not plan ahead, as they vary widely from year to year and most don't report till near year-end: that's out of my hands. Son and friend and I have had modest Christmas dinner together for a few years, but it may be different, this year - son has found a lady friend! I don't own a home and stocks have taken a huge beating in recent months ... but, apart from a few (imaginary) tears being shed, that has little effect on daily living. Good wishes to each of you for the coming holiday season ... may it bring new, worthwhile visions and insights! Plus the will, courage, time and strength to implement them. ole joyful...See MoreHow many different pros / tradespeople worked on your house this year?
Comments (55)If it's a service, they've been to my house... roofer, plumber, electrician, architect, designers, general contractors, cabinet makers, granite installers, sheet rockers, texture person, window installers, painters, more painters, arborist, landscape architect, glass installer, appliance repair people (fridge, and washing machine), concrete repair people, carpet installers, tile layers (like 10 of them!!) fence installers... sigh. Worst year of my life! Biggest remodel we've ever done... shudder. Now I need a pharmacist, wine salesman and therapist to help me recover... ;)...See MoreWhen in Bloom NYC
4 years agoKatie B.
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoUser
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoYardvaark
4 years ago
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