Grant Application - Help!

PORTER790

I am just in the process of applying for a grant through the Prince's Trust to start my own Property and Garden Maintenance company. I have to submit some survey results which is where you come in!!! If you read this thread please could you take the time to answer the following questions:

1. How much would you be prepared to pay for somebody to do a days work in your garden or home? e.g. painting, mowing, hedgetrimming

2. What do you look for when looking for a company to carry out work like this for you? What are the important factors in choosing a company?

3. What source of advertising would you commonly use when looking for a company to carry out work for you? e.g. yellow pages, flyers, local paper?

If anybody has started a business of this nature or has applied to the Prince's Trust before and can offer any advice all would be gratefully received. Thanks.

Savvy_Sue

1. Depends whether I consider the work skilled or unskilled. But I'd expect to pay anything from £10 to £20 per hour.

2. Recommendation from friends. Professional image and response - they respond promptly to phone messages, turn up to give quotes when they say they will, then provide a clearly laid out and well presented quote promptly.

3. Would look at all those, but would ask around for personal recommendation. If I couldn't get a recommendation, then the job would probably go to whoever paid most attention to 2 above, not the cheapest!

Good luck

Mark7799

I think you will give your survey more credibility if you carry it out on a more local basis. What about letters of intent from potential customers as a back-up to this survey? (just make sure they don't all have the same surname!!)

PORTER790

thanks for your replys its all gratefully recieved

bylromarha

Am getting a loan from princes Trust myself. I was told they no longer offered grants, so am interested in the fact you appear to be getting one!!!!

my advisor thought these sorts of interent threads were okay, but not really that useful compared to good old out on the streets talking to people results.

So I had a day or two questionairres in hand in the areas I'm looking to set up. Very revealing as it showed what local consumers wanted from my business, not what I thought consumers wanted.

Good luck with it all.

PORTER790

i was told by my advisor it goes on your postcode to see if you are eligible for a grant.mine was ng18 2ee,they are pumping money into certain areas of the country so fingers X i get it.would double check with your advisor though,thanks for your reply

bylromarha

Understand!

I can apply for local grants for marketing and things like that, but princes trust can only offer me a loan.