Hi everyone.
Just wondering what all you gardeners out there did for work throughout the winter months?
I run my own small garden maintenance company which in the spring, summer and autumn is good but I always seem to struggle in the winter. Although I do have a steady contract where I work 2 and 1/2 days aweek,all year round, with all the poor weather we have had this winter I have hardly been able to get to this job. Apart from this one job all my other customers do not start wanting work until mid march.
I would be gratefull of any sensible suggestions on this subject.
Thanks Dave.
4 Feb 2010 by davtar01 Last edited 4 Feb 2010
Every garden you go to you should be thinking of winter work and encouraging your employers that things do need doing.
There are always tidying jobs, throwing rubbish away, pressure washing patios etc.
If you look hard enough...believe me you will soon find some.....be PROACTIVE!
Good luck though!
Thanks.Maybe I'm not pushy enough with my customers but sometimes you cant make people have their gardens tidied.
Wondered if some guys out there did some other type of work or got employment over the winter
Its not pushy.....it just shows initiative and a willingness to make their gardens better. If they dont want anything done...broaden your search...make your targets elsewhere!
If you go outside of your job over the winter you may soon become unnoticeable to your clients!
Get on your computer........think of jobs that need doing....dont think i have ever seen anyone pressure washing driveways, patios etc........how many houses within a 20 mile radius of your house....how many leaflets have you made and dropped off in doorways whilst having nothing to do over the winter?
Sorry to go on, but if you have nothing to do, you dont have an excuse for not being able to look!
Thanks for the advice. Will get looking.
Dave, i used to start drumming up winter trade in september asking if they were interested in gutter cleaning quite a good earner especially bungalows,tree pruning always good in winter,if you do grass cutting get them to look at lawn renovations spiking scarifing etc in the autumn as well as a complete annual programme, but as well as all that has been mentioned it can be tough especially late dec and jan even more so at the minute in the current econimic climate i know were i am in and around the grimsby and northern lincs area it is very quiet some guys have not worked since early november in landscaping. Look at hedgerow plantations, try to find companys undertaking grant schemes winter is an ideal time for this, one such contract served me very well for 5 winters.
Am in the same boat. I have about 35 gardens I do fortnightly, but I also look after some football pitches, which is a nice winter earner and regular work.
In the Autumn I usually send out a list of winter jobs to all my customers. These includes jetwashing, fence painting, gutter clearing, cleaning UPVC window frames, any major re-planting work etc. Stick a stamped addressed envelope in too to make it easier for them to reply.
Last year I managed to fill the whole of the winter doing these jobs in my usual gardens, but this Autumn I never got round to doing the list. Plus I worked that hard during the summer I needed a bit of break. My list is going out to customers this week so hopefully should have plenty to do by the time Spring kicks in. It's only down to my laziness and the bad weather that my mailout didn't go earlier.
I've even had some customers nagging me to do jetwashing and stuff. They appreciate it, and if they don't want something doing, then they just won't send the form back. But some of them appreciate you doing odd jobs around the garden which they'll never do, but it also makes the garden a lot nicer to work in. Never underestimate the impact of a newly painted fence!!! ha ha!
My work dries up from the end of November until mid Febuary I go lorry driving for a local company.
4 wheels are better than none
I have year round regular customers and they keep me going all year doing various odd jobs, including pointing paving, drystone walling, treating fence panels, pressure washing, pruning, tree work etc. I also do some painting and decorating when the weather is too bad to be outside. I have been fully booked all winter this year and I am now having to turn down jobs from customers who are not too regular. In the last week I have also just picked up 3 new gardening jobs which total 7 hours a week. I am going to have to start working saturdays at this rate.
Being too busy is a good problem to have at this time of year.
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