Thank you, Mike, for your thorough and excellent advice, I'll take a print
out of it and show my fiance when he gets in from work.

If there is something which comes to mind and is not covered by the examples
and advice I shoved out, come back to me and I will see what I can do.


He already has six people lined up who would want regular work doing, so
it's a start. Originally he thought it would be best if he took a
part-time
job doing whatever and slowly build up the gardening, eventually making
this
a full time thing, but he is having more and more requests as the weeks go
by when he tells people he's thinking of going it alone, so we really
think
he can make a go of it straight away.

He has made a very good start in talking to people and telling them what he
wants to do. If he, and you ;-) carry on doing this, then advertising in the
press, Yellow Pages (Very expensive and a waste of time for what he wants to
do), local radio etc will not be needed. (Local Radio adverts are a waste of
time too, but I can explain why later)

I have designed him some business
cards on the computer and will do some leaflets for him too, so we are
keeping costs to a minimum.

There is no need, in what he wants to do, to spend any money on printing as
you have a computer. I do have Business Cards, BUT, that is because the
company I arrange the reunions with 'is' a big business and where I am
'representing them' as opposed to it being my business, then the 'Corporate
Image' follows through. For you, a computer leaflet will do. (And here is
another tip, when he has a customer, when he finishes for the
day/job/whatever it is, ask them if they are happy with his work and if yes,
hand them half a dozen leaflets for friends and neighbours. Better to have 2
customers alongside each other, than 1 here and the other over the other
side of town. Isle of Wight in my case:-))


He is going to use the Chamber of Commerce and
a local business club.

Good. If he gets the chance and is invited to do so, tell him to join the
committee of any business club or Chamber of Commerce. THAT alone generates
work!! and gets him well known :-))


My fiance has worked hard all his life (twenty years or so out there in
the
workforce) and is sick and tired of working his butt off with little
appreciation from the fat cat boss and for little pay. The job he's doing
at the moment has him tending to around 260 gardens - he is paid little
over the minimum wage and my fiance and his work-mate did the maths and
worked out they are getting paid around £1.20 per garden!

Something you and he must take into consideration, is travelling time. If he
leaves home at 8.00, gets to his first job at 8.20. Does 3 hours work and
then has another distance to travel between the next couple of jobs, then
his working time @ £X /hour, when spread over the working, or 'out of home'
hours, can be 1/3£X/hour, which if not careful, can be less than he is on
now. Travelling time is a killer and MUST be taken into consideration.
"£40.00 and you have only been here an hour???!!"


I truly believe he can make this work, we realise there is a risk involved
when setting up on your own, but I think sometimes in life it's worth
taking
a risk! He's a damned hard worker, is organised, thorough and never has
days off sick, so I'm sure if anyone can make it work he can. Fingers
crossed anyway!!!

A chap I worked for said to me 'Mike, when a customer shouts 'JUMP', I jump,
and on the way up I ask 'How High Sir?' Basically the Customer is King and
is very important to you. The customer can be an absolute barstard, but you
mustn't show it has got to you ;-))

Getting money in, and on time is an important factor. Easy when you know how
;-) I was lucky in that one of the Business Clubs I belonged to had a super
system :-))


Thanks again for your advice, it's much appreciated!

Been there and I know the thrill :-))

Good luck. (That comes into it a lot and I can help you be in the right
place in the right time :-))


Tracey

Keep us informed

Mike