Easy does it
It’s true, scoring extra cash in landscaping can be easy. Let me tell you about a small client I have. She called me recently about leafy debris on her front and back lawns and her goal was simple: blow it clean.
Now, let’s be honest, one hour of easy labour won’t put my kids through college but there is some logic to this work. First, the lady lives close by; she can produce a quick Google review which is gold; she has friends and, pay attention here, small jobs have a tendency to grow. More about this in a second. Of course, I also turn my side-gigs into blog posts like this one. And the short video I posted from this job has 740 views at the time of writing.
A quick job
So, I grabbed my small Echo blower. It’s designed for noise sensitive environments so it has the lowest decibels of any Echo blower. And while I deeply care about noise pollution, I should confess here that I bought the unit because years ago I couldn’t afford a larger, noisier blower.
Once I made piles, I used a small rake because that’s all I had in the car. Always try to use the best tool for the job: here a bigger rake would have been faster. Oh, well.
I put all green waste into a garden bag available from most big box stores (5 for C$3.50 or so). Once I finished, the lady came out smiling and handed me a frozen fish as a gift. Nice!
Upgrades
Here is why I don’t recommend skipping small jobs. They have a tendency to grow as you develop a relationship with your client. This client loves pretty flowers and she wants her husband to build her a corner raised bed. Which means she will need landscape fabric, good quality weed-free soil and new plants. I recommended perennials so she only has to pay once.
Any plant I bring over will be properly marked up. I got the lady excited by purchasing one leftover Doronicum from last year on the same day. The Doronicum was marked down 50% and it will push out my favourite bright yellow flowers in spring. I am one hundred percent sure she will love them. Now we just have to bring in more plants for summer.
Conclusion
I have many landscaper friends who constantly talk about big complicated jobs. However, dismissing small ones is a mistake. Small jobs can grow into bigger projects as you develop a relationship with your clients, they can also be a source of important Google reviews, and they can be used as inspiration for blog posts and YouTube channel videos. Take a look at mine: @westcoastlandscapepro
Keep hustling!
